Laugh It Up, Fuzzball

Who can you trust?

Everybody should be able to trust their parents, for one thing. Unfortunately not everyone can. Thankfully I can. You should be able to trust your closest friends. I am blessed there as well. As for trusting everyone else? Well now, that's a crapshoot. An optimist like myself will put her trust in just about all people. I want to believe the best in everybody, everybody. Why would someone lie to me? What's the point? We should all be able to trust each other. How will anything get fixed in this world if we can't trust each other?

I wish

I wish it all made more sense. Sometimes I get a glimpse or the tickle of a feeling and I see the big picture, how it all works, how it all fits together...but just as quickly as it came, it's gone again before I can really grasp any of it. I wish I knew what makes people really tick. I wish I knew why we hurt each other, kill each other, steal from each other, lie to each other... I wish I knew why people can't just say to each other "I don't get it. I know YOU don't get it either. Why don't we get a Coke and hang out together, both of us not getting it?" Wouldn't that be better than KNOWING that you don't get it, but ACTING like you DO get it just so that the other person feels like a jackass? I think it would. I think that the more mind games that people play the worse off we all are. Lying doesn't help anything. Running away doesn't help anything. You know what does help? Talking. Honesty. Laughing. Seeing the good in the world instead of the bad. Saying something nice instead of something mean. Seeing the glass as half full instead of half empty.

All of this war and violence just staggers me. I don't understand it on any level. Not a religious level, not a political level, not even on a humanity level. It's just people killing people. There's nothing good about it. Nothing at all. Who the hell cares about Paris fucking Hilton going to jail? She's the least of our problems, people. Granted, I think she's a "stupid spoiled whore" (to quote South Park), but I really couldn't care less about her mental problems in jail. There are children dying all over the world. There are people in our own country who don't have plumbing or electricity in their houses. There are teenagers going to the Middle East to fight a war that NO ONE understands. 

I wish it all made more sense. But I worry about what it means if I one day understand...

Kurt Vonnegut 1922-2007

One of the most influential writers of our time is gone. This man's work SPEAKS to me. Reading books like Slaughterhouse-Five and Welcome to the Monkey House make me feel like there was someone out there that sees...the bigger picture. What I love about Vonnegut's writing is how he sees all of time in one place. He's not living in the past, he's not living just for today, he's not simply looking forward. He shows us that we have to see time as existing all at once. Or something like that. Does that make sense? Aaaaagghhh I'm not explaining myself well. Shit, I really need Kurt for this. *sigh*

Thank you, Kurt Vonnegut.

For those of you who haven't seen it, you MUST MUST MUST watch Vonnegut's appearance on The Daily Show.

My favorite quote: "But I do feel that evolution is being controlled by some sort of divine engineer. I can't help thinking that. And this engineer knows exactly what he or she is doing and why and where evolution is headed and that's why we've got giraffes and hippopotami [sic] and the clap."

I'm all cattywampus...

Yeah, this blog has really suffered over the past few months. I know. I wish I could tell you that things are going to change like that *finger snap*, but that would be a lie. I don't know, I can't seem to get in the blogging mood right now. I LOVE to read other blogs, I keep up with my entire blogroll on a daily/weekly basis, but as for my own blog...meh. That's pretty much my whole life right now -- MEH.

My 30th birthday is next week. Normally I am a birthday FANATIC. I get very excited about planning my party and figuring out what sort of fun presents to wish for...but this year? Meh. I'm in such a financial whirlpool right now, I can't even process the idea of frivolous spending. Over the past couple of months I've had to have some pretty extensive dental work. Dental work to the tune of three THOUSAND dollars, and that's AFTER my insurance has chipped in. My mom has told me to talk to my dad about possibly helping me out (along with a long long long lecture about financial responsibility), but for those of you who know my dad, you'll know that I'd almost rather declare bankrupcy. Mom says that since this is my 30th b-day I should think about what sort of special mega-present I want: a new lens, a new bed, etc... HOW can I think about that kind of stuff when I'm 3K in the hole??? Yeah. No. Not happening. So I can't get excited about the birthday. I don't care what I do, I don't care if I get a present, I just want to stop waking up in the middle of the night after having nightmares about being 65 years old and still living in a tiny apartment because I can't ever reach financial independence.

Shift Happens

Missing kitty, broken hearts...

My sister Lindsay's cat Luna is lost. She ran out of the house this afternoon and now is nowhere to be found. We've scoured the neighborhood, posted flyers, knocked on doors, posted ads, put stinky food out...now we're waiting. It's dark now, so she's probably terrified and hungry. Luna has never been outside before and I'm so worried about her that my stomach is in knots. My heart hurts for that sweet little kitty. I'll tell you, this crisis has brought out the best and worst in my family members. One in particular is about ready to get a smack from yours truly. Grr.

Anyway I'd like to ask you guys to just send all of your good thoughts and prayers and vibes to Lindsay and Luna. Take a moment and just viiiibe viiiibe viiiiiiiibe us in Houston, okay? Thanks. :)

UPDATE, Monday morning: Still no Luna. My dad wants to make a sandwich board sign to put on Lucy when he walks her. Is he the cutest dad ever? I think so. Lindsay and I are going to make some color signs and laminate them so that when it rains they won't get ruined. Oh yeah, it's pouring down rain here in Houston, did I forget to mention that? :( Keep vibin' us, people. VIIIIIIBE

I can't help who I am, it's hereditary

My uncle T. Tommy is famous in our family for his "Letters to the Editor". Tommy has never had a problem expressing his opinions. :) He has appeared several time in Texas Monthly and today he is a guest commentator for the Asheville Citizen-Times. Tommy is living proof that a single voice in the world can still be heard, and that it is our duty as American citizens to speak out for tolerance and reform.

Read "It's not hard to live together"

See? I'm not the only opinionated and outspoken person in my family. I'm just the only one with a blog.

My heart is broken...

I've been trying to come up with a suitable tribute to Steve Irwin, but I just can't seem to do the man justice. Very few of you know that when Cecile and I lived together (The Laverne & Shirley Years) we used to schedule our evenings around The Crocodile Hunter. We'd sit on our couches (I had the couch, she had the loveseat because she's SMALL) and gape at the television, watching Steve wrestle crocs or pull pythons out of trees. We'd turn to each other during commercials and say <Aussie accent>"DANGER, DANGER, DANGER!"</Aussie> and then giggle. When the show was over we'd rehash the episode in wonder, sounding like 8-year-olds in science class. "Did you know that komodo dragons are the largest living lizards in the world?? COOL!"

I used to say "When I grow up I'm going to MARRY the Crocodile Hunter!" Then when Cecile would remind me for the thousandth time that Steve was already married, I would amend my statement: "When I grow up I'm going to BE the Crocodile Hunter!" Ah well. Steve Irwin was a magnificent man who devoted his life to saving the planet from the evils of man. I am a better person for having watched his show, and I am going to take his death as a charge to continue his work. Take the time to learn about conservation, people. Make a difference where you can. Volunteer at a shelter, donate to endangered species funds, EDUCATE YOURSELVES.

Steve Irwin, I hope you're wrestling crocs with The Big Guy.

Fucked.

My boss at my temp job just asked me if I was "comfortable with today being my last day here".

Uh, comfortable? No work = no pay = very uncomfortable.

So...no. I'm not comfortable. But thanks for asking.

Apparently the powers-that-be decided that I had put them in a place where they could take over my project without a problem so they don't need me anymore. In other words, I did such a great job I worked myself out of a job. I guess. They might just hate me but don't want to say anything. I guess I'll find out from my staffing agency. It's kind of like being scolded by your teacher, which is LOVELY.

I am so fucked.

No words

I know that this shouldn't have shocked me...but holy geez, it sure as hell did. Be sure and watch the whole thing. Is it any wonder that most of our parents smoke(d) like chimneys???