Wednesday, December 13, 2006

Now what?

I was tagged for this meme by Disgruntled Owl about a week ago. It's the 5 weird things thing. Actually i really don't think i'm weird, but i like the attention of being tagged. So here are 5 things.

1.) When i can’t sleep in the middle of the night i listen to my British friends on the BBC on my bedside radio. I like getting news that’s not so US of A centered. In fact, i cringe when i hear something like “Today there was a plane crash in Uarebatsistan. Two hundred fifty seven people are dead, including two Americans.” What about the other 255 people? Hello? Are we Americans the only ones that matter? It sounds so arrogant to me.

2.) I think that killing yourself can be a viable option. I also think that it is a right that you give up when you have children. I have learned not to tell this to anyone, especially mental health professionals, but i still think it’s true.

3.) I can almost not bear to touch my mother. It gives me a physical reaction like having someone brush a cat’s hair the wrong way. I give her the A-frame hug when we meet, and then stay as far away as possible.

4.) When i am out walking or hiking (which is a lot like walking, except with better shoes) i am much more likely to say hi to the dogs that i meet than the humans. I like dogs.

5.) The only bones i have ever broken were my foot. I broke them falling up the stairs at 5 in the morning while carrying a cat. No, i was not drunk. That sucked as it was my left foot, and my car has a manual transmission. I ended up trading cars with a friend for 6 weeks while i wore that fucking boot. Be nice to people on crutches y’all. It bites the green burrito. (No cat was harmed in the breaking of these bones.)

Because this can be a crazy time of year, I am going to do this as a self-tag. In other words, please tag yourself if you would like.

23 comments:

Anonymous said...

I broke my left ankle 7 years ago. I was a little drunk and I was carrying 250 $ worth of rolled up change. I still remember the sound my breaking bone made as it was being crushed under the weight of my limp drunken body ( plus the 35 some odd pounds of that damn rolled-up change) Ouch!

Karen Jacobs said...

I'm with you on 2,3,4 + 5...
1) I'm a news junkie, can't help it.
2) At least two of my family knew when to give it up... I understand and will likely do the same when the time comes.
3) Mother's mellow (at least mine did) and after they're gone you get to know them much better... and understand.
4) I'm a hermit, what can I say...
5) My only broken bone (foot)came when I backed up, stepped off the edge of the driveway.
Interesting similarities... KJ

Girlplustwo said...

hiking, which is a lot like walking but with better shoes.

i really, really like you.

Mother of Invention said...

Glad the cat was okay! HA!
I've only broken a wrist falling on an ice slide at 8.
My dad gives such tiht bear hugs,but my mom's okay too. (It's a father-daughter thing.)

Anonymous said...

I am wearing the boot RIGHT NOW. God, it sucks....oh, and hello

Unknown said...

I'm with you on the news thing. How do we rate?

One of the most disturbing things happened after we returned from Ireland once. We'd been hearing about the deaths in East Timor the whole trip, and when my (usually) news-savvy friend picked us up at the airport and we asked her about the latest developments, she had no idea where East Timor even was.

Bobealia... said...

1. We listen to CBC via the internet. Canadian news is a little better than American.
2. I really hate it when people choose to kill themselves by starving themselves. I think because it takes such a long time and mindfucks them and everyone else. So I guess I'm saying it depends on the approach.
3. I love my mom, but does my stepmother count?
4. When I walk by dogs I always say, "Hi Buddy" and ignore the owner.
5. My brother did the same thing, but his hands were in his pockets and he couldn't get them out fast enough. He also broke his nose. On the sidewalk. On a busy street.

karmic said...

Cool list and not really wierd.

1. I am a news junkie and offlate have started disliking CNN's homepage, I am changing my startup web page to the BBC.

2. I hear ya about giving up.

3. My mom is ok, it's just that she lives in a relatively insular world compared to myself. It's a hard to relate at times about something, but on the whole she is cool. I would not be where I am if she had said g get a job, but she said keep studying you can make something of yourself with that.

4. I am a bit shy but once someone says hello to me tis a different story.

5. No broken bones (touch wood), but does a torn ACL int he right knee count? It's the closest.

QT said...

Am am with you on 2 and 4. I think a lot of needless time is spent trying to convince people to live when they should be allowed to exercise their own free will. And I always talk to dogs -I might be a little nuts...

As for my mom, we made peace about 10 years ago and it is hugs all around.

I had crutches in 1st grade from trying to ride my dad's ten speed and fracturing my hip. nice, huh? I did get to ride the elevator at school, tho.

Anonymous said...

My home page is BBC news. Same reason.
#2 - agree 100%.
We lived in apartments that allowed dogs for a while. All the people were known as "Spot's Mom," and "Sparky's Dad."

sari said...

I will always say hello to dogs too.

When we first moved into our neighborhood, Eight did a science project for school where he went around and asked people what kind of pet they had to discover what was the most popular pet (answer = dogs).

We took polaroids and everything, people loved it. we still 3 years later call people "Dawson's Mom" and "Angel's Dad" "Baxter's Girls" or "you know, over by Ruby's House.

Bob said...

1) When we lived on Crete, the BBC was my primary source of news. I still like to listen to it. I agree that our news is US centric. I used to read the Washington Post for the international news.

2) Hasn't Oregon enacted a death with dignity law? I thought one state had. I agree regarding kids, unless the situation is such that the illness is terminal.

3) Sounds like you have issues still??????

4) You know where you are with dogs. Either they like you or they don't. Their affection for people is unconditional - how many people can you say that about?

5) I haven't broken a bone, but I did once crack one in my foot. I tried to step over an 18 inch, 4 foot deep footing for a foundation and slipped in. I was carrying my son in a sling on my chest. I twisted to fall on my back to protect him - he wasn't hurt, but I had to wear a shin-toe splint for weeks and use crutches. It is amazing how many people will watch someone with crutches struggle and not help. I don't understand.

I might steal this from you, but then I don't think anything I do is strange.

Andrea Frazer said...

I read you everyday. That's weird enough.

Anonymous said...

I think the word weird is too subjective....having been branded the family oddball for years, I prefer the phrase, "less ordinary."

Everything you listed seems perfectly reasonable to me. I've finally come to terms with number three in my life, but mainly because we were fortunate to evolve into better people than the ones we were when the problems were taking place. I credit that largely to good luck and hormonal shifts.

Number four makes me smile. My spouse and I are on a first name basis with most of the cats and dogs in our neighborhood.....not that familiar with the residents. Unless you count familiarity with their suv's and how they navigate four way stops.

Lynnea said...

I never know how to act around dogs. I find that odd. Even weirder is that dogs seem to automatically love me (maybe they just love everybody though). But they romp right up and goose me every time.

I agree when you have children you give up that right, and I do think it is a right.

Never broke a bone, thank goodness. But I am the biggest clutz ever, so I break a lot of other things.

Mona Buonanotte said...

Ooh...your #3 = me hugging my dad.

SuperP. said...

Why about the hugging with your mommah? I'm very curious for a various of my own personal reasons.

thailandchani said...

Agree with you completely about the news. It is very difficult to find news that is not from a corporate-controlled outlet. I get mine from shortwave a lot ~ but have to sort through each country's propaganda to get some kernels of truth. Yug!

Very interesting items. I feel the same way if I try to hug my mother. Might as well hug my refrigerator. :)


Peace,

~Chani

meno said...

alls y'all, i was away from the computer too long to answer you all individually (somedays i have a life), but i read every word. I think it's sweet how many of you greet the animals too. I told you i wasn't weird.

penny, the sad truth is that my mother, while not abusing me phsically while i was growing up, was cold and distant and critical. I haven't forgiven her. I don't really feel much for her other than distaste. read this

urban-urchin said...

you're not weird meno- you're lovely.

while my mother drives me nuts at times, we are a very physically affectionate family. I like that and have continued on with my kids.

i think animals don't judge people so it's easier to be open with them.

in the throes of PPD I seriously considered suicide, but couldn't because of the kids.

meno said...

u-u, thank you. I'm sorry it was so hard, i understand and i'm glad you stayed here. Your kids need you, and me too.

Antonia Cornwell said...

I can't read the BBC news too often. It's all a bit too www.who'sbeenstabbed.co.uk on some days, and Ian once had to reason with me that despite what happens to other unfortunate souls in the media, I was very very very very very unlikely to be knifed while out and about. Eventually he pulled a page of statistics from the Internet and showed me I was more likely to die of a trouser-related incident in the bathroom, and I stopped being so paranoid, but I still don't like the news page: too gloomy. A lot of the UK-based stories they run are just about stupid people being nasty to each other, and they make me lose my faith in humanity.

British news is just as bad as US news in the way you describe, always listing how many Brits died in an international catastrophe. It's very unlikely the viewer/reader actually knows one of them, even less likely than dying of a trouser-related incident in the bathroom, so why mention it?

Liv said...

Day late and a dollar short as usual, but 100% with you re: news. I hardly even look anymore.

Killing yourself--an option for the childless, yes. BUT, having my best friend unload a shotgun in his mouth 11 years ago still smarts.

Are we psychically connected? I think my bear and your bear must commune in bear nature together. The hug thing nuts me up.

Okay, it may be a little like saying you hate peace and love, but the nasty truth is that dogs aren't my favorite people. That said, neither are people. I'd say that young'uns too young to know better and cats are my faves

And the foot thing? Broke bones when falling ass over teakettle out of an inversion in a yoga workshop with people pressed mat to mat. That's what happens when the lactating mom's milk comes in. It's flat distracting.