Hola, everyone! A rebuttal post for the comments regarding my previous post is forthcoming, but today is a very special day, and I thought I'd better address it. On Facebook, I referred to today as an anniversary of my deliverance from evil (or aniversario de mi liberación del Evil, as all things seem to sound better in a foreign language), but it seems to me that a more appropriate name for today would be "Un Día de Acción de Gracias," or "A Day of Thanksgiving." Today is the anniversary of the first time (!) that the person I relied on most and I called it quits. At the time, I was completely devastated. I cite the months following as the worst period in my life, but the pain subsided with time, as it always does, and I grew stronger. Immediately following The Ordeal, I fought an inner struggle to be what I wanted to be. I wanted to be supportive (he had some emotional issues), and I didn't want to be bitter. I wanted to be happy and still be friends, but I came to terms with that idea a while ago. Sometimes you can't have both. As much as I would love to be that type of person, I am not. I knew that his post-breakup behavior was unacceptable (in an effort to maintain some decency in this post, I'm leaving the personal details out), and he made me angry. He seemed determined to keep me down, and I decided to break off ties with him completely a few weeks ago. At first I was a bit disappointed with myself. I wanted to be above the bitter ex girlfriend persona, but I came to terms with the fact that he just wasn't worth the effort.
June 23rd, 2009:
I was broken. I was bitter. I was convinced that I did something wrong, and I was convinced that no one would, or could for that matter, love me for who I was. I did not know what I wanted from life. I had no future.
June 23rd, 2010:
I am stronger. I know what I want. I have an incredible network of friends who will support and love me even when I'm convinced that no one should. I am no longer bitter from the past. I embrace it. Most may think of today as defiant praise of singledom, but it is more an expression of personal contentment. I know now that while both of us made mistakes, I wasn't solely responsible for the demise of something that had once been wonderful. And I am ready to love again.
Today, I count myself blessed to have the inner and outer strength that I did not possess a year ago. So today, I give thanks. Or gracias. :-)
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Friday, June 18, 2010
A "Feminist" Blog
I suppose I risk offending a good many people with this entry, but I hope you all read it with an open mind. I read an article posted by a friend on Facebook earlier today, and I was appalled by the narrow-mindedness of the article. It was a feminist article, and let me be perfectly frank- I am not a feminist. I am a humanist. I believe in the pursuit of happiness in individuals without letting society’s expectations hinder our actions. I get frustrated with people with agendas. The article is from the website feministing.com, and their agenda seems to be to find anything that could be construed as negative towards women and rant about it. Why do we women continue to fight where no fighting is necessary?
My view on feminism? We traded one stereotype for another and called it progress. While we have our similarities, women will never be equal to men. We cannot be, because equality implies sameness. Men and women are different. Plain and simple. We are not better or worse: we are complements to the other. I can certainly appreciate how far we've come. I like that I can have a job, that I can choose who I marry, that I can vote, etc. I love that women have more options than men have. I can be soft and sexy while being strong and self-reliant. What I don’t like is how so many feminists push their viewpoints on other women rather than appreciate those women’s opinions.
Now to the heart of the blog- the article in question. You can read it here: http://www.feministing.com/archives/021581.html. A doctor performs surgeries to shorten baby girls’ abnormally large clitorises. Feminists denounce the doctor’s actions, claiming the whole affair to be “sexual assault” and a “human rights violation.” Keep in mind that this surgery is performed in a sterile lab, with a licensed physician, with parental consent. How could this be defined as a human rights violation? That's putting it in the same league as female circumcision in Ghana. The doctor in question goes to great lengths to ensure the nerves are spared. He advocates annual exams to ensure that all is well with his patients and make sure that they lead normal, healthy lives. Yes, this is certainly appalling. What we have here are women, who not knowing what it could possible feel like to be able to be described as physically abnormal, running their mouths about things that they do not understand.
They say the view of what is normal is "narrow-minded." Are they implying that the children should grow up as they are, and maybe they could make the decision themselves later on if they would like to go through the surgery? That's an interesting take, considering so many feminists advocate abortion. The baby had no say there, did he/she? The mother can kill her child, but she's a terrible person if she seeks to make her child's life a little more normal and a little less self-conscious. What about children born with cleft palates? Should we cease correcting that birth defect too? What about the millions of baby boys who are circumcised? How many men rant about that, calling it a human rights violation? These women hear about scalpels going where ideally none would go, and raise a fuss, claiming a crime is being committed. Let's be honest here, ladies, if your clitoris resembled male genitalia, wouldn't you want that altered?
I love being an independent woman. What I do not like is being force-fed the agenda of those whose original purpose was to empower women. I don’t need or want someone else to dictate my thoughts and actions. After all, wasn’t the women’s liberation movement about releasing women from conventional thinking? Feminism has become the new convention, and I for one am not its advocate.
My view on feminism? We traded one stereotype for another and called it progress. While we have our similarities, women will never be equal to men. We cannot be, because equality implies sameness. Men and women are different. Plain and simple. We are not better or worse: we are complements to the other. I can certainly appreciate how far we've come. I like that I can have a job, that I can choose who I marry, that I can vote, etc. I love that women have more options than men have. I can be soft and sexy while being strong and self-reliant. What I don’t like is how so many feminists push their viewpoints on other women rather than appreciate those women’s opinions.
Now to the heart of the blog- the article in question. You can read it here: http://www.feministing.com/archives/021581.html. A doctor performs surgeries to shorten baby girls’ abnormally large clitorises. Feminists denounce the doctor’s actions, claiming the whole affair to be “sexual assault” and a “human rights violation.” Keep in mind that this surgery is performed in a sterile lab, with a licensed physician, with parental consent. How could this be defined as a human rights violation? That's putting it in the same league as female circumcision in Ghana. The doctor in question goes to great lengths to ensure the nerves are spared. He advocates annual exams to ensure that all is well with his patients and make sure that they lead normal, healthy lives. Yes, this is certainly appalling. What we have here are women, who not knowing what it could possible feel like to be able to be described as physically abnormal, running their mouths about things that they do not understand.
They say the view of what is normal is "narrow-minded." Are they implying that the children should grow up as they are, and maybe they could make the decision themselves later on if they would like to go through the surgery? That's an interesting take, considering so many feminists advocate abortion. The baby had no say there, did he/she? The mother can kill her child, but she's a terrible person if she seeks to make her child's life a little more normal and a little less self-conscious. What about children born with cleft palates? Should we cease correcting that birth defect too? What about the millions of baby boys who are circumcised? How many men rant about that, calling it a human rights violation? These women hear about scalpels going where ideally none would go, and raise a fuss, claiming a crime is being committed. Let's be honest here, ladies, if your clitoris resembled male genitalia, wouldn't you want that altered?
I love being an independent woman. What I do not like is being force-fed the agenda of those whose original purpose was to empower women. I don’t need or want someone else to dictate my thoughts and actions. After all, wasn’t the women’s liberation movement about releasing women from conventional thinking? Feminism has become the new convention, and I for one am not its advocate.
Monday, June 7, 2010
I Have a Weird Body
Hello, folks. It's been a while, but I haven't had anything too terribly exciting to share, so I've kept relatively quiet. The business is moving right along. The newest version was launched several weeks ago. We've got a side business involving Craigslist that we're getting started. I'm still working a few hours a week at the-place-that-shall-not-be-named. Seriously, I can't wait to get out of there for good. Should be soon! Our dryer hasn't worked for about 6 of the 7 weeks we've been living here. The landlord is too cheap. He bought us a new (well, used, but new to us) dryer the other day, and that too doesn't work. Hopefully, he'll get it fixed soon, but if history teaches us anything... laundromat, here we come! Other than that, life's pretty quiet down here.
I suppose you're all wondering about the title of today's post. I know I would be. Ahem. I've always struggled a little with my weight. I've never really been heavy, but I also never had visible abs. They're there; you just can't see 'em! Anyway, my body puts on weight from the waist downward. My arms are pretty much only good for keeping my balance. I have no meat on my shoulders or back whatsoever. A concerned guy friend once commented that I needed to put on weight because I looked "frail." Oh, if only!
Boss Man had P90X, but he forgot to bring it with him. He had it sent here, but he failed to mention that it had arrived. I finally asked him about it last night, and yes, he'd received it. I started Day 1 of this workout/nutritional regimen today, and I've realized several things:
1. I always knew that my arms were pathetic, but now I also know that I cannot do ONE proper push-up. Yet. The first DVD was almost entirely push-ups and chin-ups, with the latter being impossible because I do not have a chin-up bar. That will change. Unfortunately, if prior experience is any indication (like high school gym), it will still be impossible. This too will change.
2. My back is incredibly weak. I also did the ab workout DVD, and while I somewhat felt the burn in my abs (previous Pilates workouts and semi-regular crunches helped me with the moves, I think), I really felt it in my back. Like it might go out. I guess I'd better go easy as I work my way up.
3. I'm pretty out of shape! I thought I was okay, with the running and walking I've been doing, but... ugh, I'm gonna feel this tomorrow!
The Boys will be joining me next time. We can all be sore and cranky together.
I guess that's all I've got for today, kids. Be safe!
I suppose you're all wondering about the title of today's post. I know I would be. Ahem. I've always struggled a little with my weight. I've never really been heavy, but I also never had visible abs. They're there; you just can't see 'em! Anyway, my body puts on weight from the waist downward. My arms are pretty much only good for keeping my balance. I have no meat on my shoulders or back whatsoever. A concerned guy friend once commented that I needed to put on weight because I looked "frail." Oh, if only!
Boss Man had P90X, but he forgot to bring it with him. He had it sent here, but he failed to mention that it had arrived. I finally asked him about it last night, and yes, he'd received it. I started Day 1 of this workout/nutritional regimen today, and I've realized several things:
1. I always knew that my arms were pathetic, but now I also know that I cannot do ONE proper push-up. Yet. The first DVD was almost entirely push-ups and chin-ups, with the latter being impossible because I do not have a chin-up bar. That will change. Unfortunately, if prior experience is any indication (like high school gym), it will still be impossible. This too will change.
2. My back is incredibly weak. I also did the ab workout DVD, and while I somewhat felt the burn in my abs (previous Pilates workouts and semi-regular crunches helped me with the moves, I think), I really felt it in my back. Like it might go out. I guess I'd better go easy as I work my way up.
3. I'm pretty out of shape! I thought I was okay, with the running and walking I've been doing, but... ugh, I'm gonna feel this tomorrow!
The Boys will be joining me next time. We can all be sore and cranky together.
I guess that's all I've got for today, kids. Be safe!
Friday, April 30, 2010
It's Just One of Those Days
It's just one of those days when you don't want to wake up! *starts headbanging with embarrassing enthusiasm* Sorry about that. Ahem... You ever have one of those days where you feel blah but have no concrete reason? And it doesn't help that it's raining outside, and you have to entertain another person later but have no idea what to do? Arg! So to make myself feel better, I'm gonna list my goals. For those of you who noticed, I don't have activities listed on my FB profile. I don't do anything interesting enough to list. But I will! I just need money. Donations are welcome!
1. Learn languages
I took three years of Spanish in high school, but they threw too much at me in the last year. I pretty much only remember how to tell someone that I like cheese. There's limited practicality in that. Spanish for practicality in this country. Italian for pleasure. I went to Italy a couple of years ago, and it was the best experience of my life. I have a soft spot for Italy. I only hope when I go back, it'll be just as awesome. I may have to drag Jess with me again. :-) And lastly, I want to learn Arabic. I feel in the world we're living in, it'll be useful.
2. Learn to dance
I can't dance. Unless you count the macarena, and I don't. I took a belly dancing class for my friend's bachelorette party and loved it. That's first on the list. And no, Boss Man, I don't need supervision! Feel free to join in though- it'll be really funny to see you shimmy! I also want to learn salsa and ballroom dancing. I will be doing a waltz at my wedding. The groom will not win that argument.
3. Do some serious traveling
By serious, I mean I don't come back home until I see the world. Going to Australia with Bro and Boss Man this year, I hope. And of course, I've got to go to Italy, then France, Spain, Romania, Croatia, Sweden, Korea, Japan, Egypt... not necessarily in that order. And I'll have to hit some places here in the USA. Like be all nerdy and see the cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde. Can't wait until I can do all that!
4. Go parasailing
No one seems to want to do this with me, so I may have to go solo. Fine by me!
5. Go hang gliding
And I thought getting someone to go parasailing with me was hard... I wish I could fly. This will have to do!
6. Actually learn to ride horses
I've been horseback riding a few times, but I want to actually get good at it. I don't really have a reason, other than I feel I should go for it if I enjoy it.
And somewhere on the list, I also want to learn to change a tire, but that's way too mundane to list! :-P Whew, I feel a lot better now. Well, if I want all this, I'd better go make some money. Or at least prepare myself to make money. Ciao!
(and for those of you wanting to get ahead, I'll let you in on what I'm doing to make all this possible)
1. Learn languages
I took three years of Spanish in high school, but they threw too much at me in the last year. I pretty much only remember how to tell someone that I like cheese. There's limited practicality in that. Spanish for practicality in this country. Italian for pleasure. I went to Italy a couple of years ago, and it was the best experience of my life. I have a soft spot for Italy. I only hope when I go back, it'll be just as awesome. I may have to drag Jess with me again. :-) And lastly, I want to learn Arabic. I feel in the world we're living in, it'll be useful.
2. Learn to dance
I can't dance. Unless you count the macarena, and I don't. I took a belly dancing class for my friend's bachelorette party and loved it. That's first on the list. And no, Boss Man, I don't need supervision! Feel free to join in though- it'll be really funny to see you shimmy! I also want to learn salsa and ballroom dancing. I will be doing a waltz at my wedding. The groom will not win that argument.
3. Do some serious traveling
By serious, I mean I don't come back home until I see the world. Going to Australia with Bro and Boss Man this year, I hope. And of course, I've got to go to Italy, then France, Spain, Romania, Croatia, Sweden, Korea, Japan, Egypt... not necessarily in that order. And I'll have to hit some places here in the USA. Like be all nerdy and see the cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde. Can't wait until I can do all that!
4. Go parasailing
No one seems to want to do this with me, so I may have to go solo. Fine by me!
5. Go hang gliding
And I thought getting someone to go parasailing with me was hard... I wish I could fly. This will have to do!
6. Actually learn to ride horses
I've been horseback riding a few times, but I want to actually get good at it. I don't really have a reason, other than I feel I should go for it if I enjoy it.
And somewhere on the list, I also want to learn to change a tire, but that's way too mundane to list! :-P Whew, I feel a lot better now. Well, if I want all this, I'd better go make some money. Or at least prepare myself to make money. Ciao!
(and for those of you wanting to get ahead, I'll let you in on what I'm doing to make all this possible)
Friday, April 23, 2010
So Much News
Hello, everyone! It's been a while, and I'll be honest, I've been meaning to write this post for a few days now. Been busy with training (yes, I got a new job) and hanging with the roommates.
I got a job. I'm an independent agent with Lionheart Assurance Solutions. I provide customers with identity theft and legal counsel packages. If you want to check out the site, go to http://lionheartassurance.com/, and click on Onward and Upward. Enter "balance" for the user id and "power" for the password. It's cool stuff. My favorite department store has finally finished my transfer (only took them about a month!), and I'll be on the next schedule that goes out. Not exciting, but I need some money to come in soon.
Let's see... when I first envisioned this post, I thought it would be longer and wittier, but like I mentioned above, I meant to write this days ago when it was fresh in my mind. Guess I'll have to write later when I can think of something else to write... maybe take some photos and post 'em. Miss you all!
I got a job. I'm an independent agent with Lionheart Assurance Solutions. I provide customers with identity theft and legal counsel packages. If you want to check out the site, go to http://lionheartassurance.com/, and click on Onward and Upward. Enter "balance" for the user id and "power" for the password. It's cool stuff. My favorite department store has finally finished my transfer (only took them about a month!), and I'll be on the next schedule that goes out. Not exciting, but I need some money to come in soon.
Let's see... when I first envisioned this post, I thought it would be longer and wittier, but like I mentioned above, I meant to write this days ago when it was fresh in my mind. Guess I'll have to write later when I can think of something else to write... maybe take some photos and post 'em. Miss you all!
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Cherries 'N Berries, Man
Hello, everyone! I meant to update you sooner, but I have been spending a lot of time with the roommates. The trip was a pain, but it's good to finally be here. On the 12th, Bro and I went to get Boss Man, and we didn't get back until about 2 am. This meant a lot of scrambling the next morning to get everything in the car. We wound up having to leave most of our kitchen stuff at home, because it didn't fit in the car. We had a small tupperware container already in the car, so we stuck a few knives in there. The big chef's knife didn't fit, so it wound up in the glove box.
We got started almost an hour later than we intended. We finally got on the road, with a sem-efficient driving plan. Bro wound up driving 6 or 7 hours straight, and I wound up taking over for him while Boss Man drove my car. Bro's car had me terrified- it didn't like accelerating, and going downhill in the mountains with all that weight pretty much convinced me that I was going to die. Top it all off with the radio station not working. While I was driving at the beginning of the trip, in my easily accelerated vehicle, I got pulled over for speeding. Boss Man was in the passenger seat, desperately trying to find my registration without revealing the enormous chef's knife. That could have ended a lot worse, so I guess I should not be too upset about the stupid ticket. But then the joke about the "cherries and berries" started... and hasn't stopped. (cherries and berries= cop's red and blue lights) Boss Man moved the chef's knife under his seat, just in case my foot got accelerator-happy again.
We pulled into a rest stop, and we decided that we'd try to make the rest of the trip that night. We were excited, and we didn't want to have another 8 hours or so to drive the next day. We drove a bit more, then Bro pulled off to the side with his hazard lights on. We stopped, and he came up to the car telling us that he'd left his cell phone at the rest stop. He decided against driving back for it- he'd get a new one once we got to FL. We were sick of driving, so we decided that we'd stop as soon as we crossed the border to FL. The GPS listed a Super 8 a few miles away, but it wound up taking us back over the border to GA. We laughed about making it all the way to FL and turning back.
We were only a few hours away, and we were very excited to see the house. The landlord seems cool. His wife scares us. We suspect drugs. Nice lady though. We haven't really been able to enjoy the pool or hot tub since the heater's broken. Should be up and running by Monday or Tuesday. I know you were all worried.
Bro and Boss Man just got new cell phones today- Droids. I'm jealous. The big chef's knife is still under my passenger seat.
Well, I think that just about sums up the state of affairs around here. Stay tuned for the next episode!
We got started almost an hour later than we intended. We finally got on the road, with a sem-efficient driving plan. Bro wound up driving 6 or 7 hours straight, and I wound up taking over for him while Boss Man drove my car. Bro's car had me terrified- it didn't like accelerating, and going downhill in the mountains with all that weight pretty much convinced me that I was going to die. Top it all off with the radio station not working. While I was driving at the beginning of the trip, in my easily accelerated vehicle, I got pulled over for speeding. Boss Man was in the passenger seat, desperately trying to find my registration without revealing the enormous chef's knife. That could have ended a lot worse, so I guess I should not be too upset about the stupid ticket. But then the joke about the "cherries and berries" started... and hasn't stopped. (cherries and berries= cop's red and blue lights) Boss Man moved the chef's knife under his seat, just in case my foot got accelerator-happy again.
We pulled into a rest stop, and we decided that we'd try to make the rest of the trip that night. We were excited, and we didn't want to have another 8 hours or so to drive the next day. We drove a bit more, then Bro pulled off to the side with his hazard lights on. We stopped, and he came up to the car telling us that he'd left his cell phone at the rest stop. He decided against driving back for it- he'd get a new one once we got to FL. We were sick of driving, so we decided that we'd stop as soon as we crossed the border to FL. The GPS listed a Super 8 a few miles away, but it wound up taking us back over the border to GA. We laughed about making it all the way to FL and turning back.
We were only a few hours away, and we were very excited to see the house. The landlord seems cool. His wife scares us. We suspect drugs. Nice lady though. We haven't really been able to enjoy the pool or hot tub since the heater's broken. Should be up and running by Monday or Tuesday. I know you were all worried.
Bro and Boss Man just got new cell phones today- Droids. I'm jealous. The big chef's knife is still under my passenger seat.
Well, I think that just about sums up the state of affairs around here. Stay tuned for the next episode!
Monday, April 12, 2010
Moving Day Keeps Creeping Closer and Closer
Hello, everyone! I started this blog to keep everyone up to date about what's going on in my life. I just hope it's worth writing about. I should be sleeping right now, but I can't help but bite my nails over the whole moving process. My bro and I have to pick up our friend, who I have affectionately nicknamed Boss Man (he calls me Ace), tomorrow morning, and we will load up his stuff in my car, then drive back down to our house to load up the rest of our stuff. We will finally begin our journey to Florida on the 14th. So nervous! I already feel like I've got my stuff down to the essentials, but two carloads for three people... this will hopefully play out with minimal bloodshed.
We've got a great house waiting for us- 5 bedrooms, three bathrooms, a tennis court, and a swimming pool. My bro and I have some job interviews set up for next week, and we trust it will all work out as it should. Boss Man is his own boss, and I'll be working for him as well. His business is FaceMod, and he's the owner of the original Dislike Button for Facebook. More stuff to come, and I'm excited about being a part of it!
A "Working Title" is the name given to a film while in production. It's still in the process of becoming something great, or as in the case of 2012, something truly terrible. Seriously, if you haven't seen it yet, don't waste your time. Anyway, one's whole life is considered a work in progress, but I feel that now especially is an opportune time to reinvent myself. I hope to finally be able to break free from the limitations that my own mind has created and become who I have always wanted to become. To learn everything I want to learn. And make it public for you fine people. Enjoy!
We've got a great house waiting for us- 5 bedrooms, three bathrooms, a tennis court, and a swimming pool. My bro and I have some job interviews set up for next week, and we trust it will all work out as it should. Boss Man is his own boss, and I'll be working for him as well. His business is FaceMod, and he's the owner of the original Dislike Button for Facebook. More stuff to come, and I'm excited about being a part of it!
A "Working Title" is the name given to a film while in production. It's still in the process of becoming something great, or as in the case of 2012, something truly terrible. Seriously, if you haven't seen it yet, don't waste your time. Anyway, one's whole life is considered a work in progress, but I feel that now especially is an opportune time to reinvent myself. I hope to finally be able to break free from the limitations that my own mind has created and become who I have always wanted to become. To learn everything I want to learn. And make it public for you fine people. Enjoy!
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