so. tired.

OK – so, I decided to go to anchorage and surprise the Asshole, who’d been bemoaning the fact that he’d not get to be home this week off, because of his brother’s wedding,a nd I being the wonderful wife that I am decided I couldn’t listen to him whine another second. Made arrangements for the kids with Gramma and Auntie, and off I went.

His plane was to get into anchorage at 2:50pm, so I left town about 10 to give myself plenty of time to stop and stretch and wake up if I needed to. See – i kinda have this “long travel means sleep” thing going on, and have been known to fall asleep at the wheel. hee. never a good idea. ANd I don’t have a radio in the car either! So! Lessa spent the ride up to Anchorage singing – loudly, and mostly off key. heh.

The trip was uneventful, other then the snow here in this area, the roads were clear and there was a bit of a headwind that made my 65mph seem like I was standing still, but all in all it was a nice enough drive. except for the singing. gah. heh.

I got to the airpoint 1:20 or so, after not getting lost, which I felt was a good thing. (Go, go Yahoo Maps!).The Airport isn’t difficult to find, per se, but I wasn’t sure where the parking garage was in relation to where I wanted to be, etc. But, I found it, it was all good. I had told the Asshole that “Everything he needed would be at the Thrifty Rent-a-car Counter” As we know the owners of Thrifty, and last time he had have some cash, I left it there for him in an envelop. heh. He almost caught me – but didn’t catch on – his 4th phone call to verify where he had t pick things up caught me coming down out of the mountians so the cell phone finally rang. hee. He didn’t realize it though, and I repeated the above phrase, and he said ok.

So! I went inside with my notebook and my ‘book’ book (Organizer/wallet) and the rest of my pepsi and the cell phone, and sat in the little commons area in front of the Thrifty counter. A gentleman asked me if my hair was naturally blue, I said yes… except when it was purple. He laughed and nodded. Then his friend made fun of his big suitcase and said he packed like a girl – I said “HEY!” and held up my ‘book’ and said “this was all _I_ packed!” to which he replied “Thongs don’t take up much room!” and I just blinked, laughed and said “dude, the visual of me in a thong is a nightmare!” Which embarassed him, but he laughed anyway. heh. Then some guy needed to make a call – I offered him my cellphone, but he was so nice and ultra worried about my minutes, he took change for a dollar instead for the payphone.

OTher then that, I people watched a bit, chuckled when one of the rental car place employees told another employee that I was a surpervisor or something as I’d been sitting there for a couple hours and writing in my notebook. Heh. I was somewhat productive though as I penned down a good portion of the short story that’s been niggling at the back of my mind. It’s no where near finished, but I *was* writing by hand, so cut me a little slack! heh.

So the Asshole’s plane was late, and finally he shows up downstairs, stumblign (he’d been up for over 24 hours by this point – and he was drunk. heh.) past me, AND the counter. So I just call out “Yo! The thrifty counter is over there…..” He turned and took a minute to focus… then stared. and stared. then pulled his sunglasses down and stared some more, and then… “…you aren’t supposed to be here! omg! you’re HERE! ohhhhhhhh!” and then insert much sappy crap on his part and eye rolling, chuckling, making fun of him and patting his arm on my part. Yes. I am the “guy” when it comes to sap between us and he’s the mushiest girl on the damn planet. It’s rather sickening. heh. Then! As we headed upstairs to meet his friend, he started to the thrifty counter again. I was all “Um, dear? _I_ have your envelope.” He still hadn’t quite realized that I planned this all along. hee. And he thinks I can’t keep secrets. *L*

So We go upstairs, his friend had already left, he gets his shoes shined, and we head to the car. throughout this he’s embarassing the fuck out of me, telling everyone we pass “this is my WIFE! isn’t she gorgeous? she came all the way here to see me for a few hours before I leave state! I thought I woudn’t see her for 8 weeks – but she’s here! isn’t that WONDERFUL?” to which I’d reply. “and this is my drunk husband. Who will be lucky not to get on his flight with a head wound at this point…..”

So i finally get him into the car, and we head to the hotel (not before the above was told to the toll booth guy TOO). We had dinner next door at the Tampura Kitchen, a Japenese restaurant, where the Asshole could have his suishi and I could have something else. heh. It was really good. Expensive, but good. Then I finally got him to lay down and go to sleep so he at least had *some* sleep before having to catch his flight at 1:30am.

SO, he’s been out cold for about an hour, right? And I’m laying there just watching TV, and out of the blue he says “FUCK i gotta catch a PLANE!” JUMPS out of bed and runs, full tilt, SMACK into the door…. and collapses backwards. It was like you see it in the cartoons, man, and he was so fast I couldn’t stop him, and then I was laughing too hard to really help for a minute or two. I mean common – I have this skinny ass nekid guy rolling around on the floor going “….ow….why does my head hurt….” YOU’d laugh TOO and you know it! Wanna know how hard he hit? They heard the thud at the FRONT DESK and the girl had come to the room to see what happened – and stood outside the door giggling as she heard me trying to get his ass back up and onto the bed. *LMAO* He likely gave himself a light concussion, but the door came through unscathed. I made sure he was awake and coherent and ok, and then let him sleep a while under careful watch.

Getting him awake and into the shower was a chore – he was *so* tired, and only got to sleep about 4 hours. But eventually he did make it to the shower – only to have the curtain rod? fall on top of him. *L* A comedy of errors, I swear.

Finally, sent him off on the hotel shuttle (so I didn’t have to drive in the dark – I can’t see in the dark very well. Makes driving rough – and they offered and it was free. hee) with the promise they’d make sure he was awake when he got out of the car. By that time I knew he would be – surrounded by strangers makes him *very* alert, no matter how tired he is. And the cold ride to the airport helped. heh. So anyway, I finally got to lay down and go to sleep. Only to sit straight up, sweating up a storm at 1:30am. I couldn’t figure out why until I realized the guy above me was taking a shower – water pipes were LOUD. And apparently he was really dirty, as this entire waking up suddenly because of the shower occurred again at 3 and 4:30. By this time, it was *finally* cooling down in my room. I was on the bottom floor so didn’t feel comfortable leaving the window propped open because there was no screen or anything, so I simply had to suffer. This was SPenard, the land of the crackheads and hookers, after all. So – blessed sleep at last, right? WRONG. THe fucking TRAIN goes by and blows it’s whistle repeatedly as it crosses Spenard at FIVE FREAKING AM!

After *that* i finally got some decent sleep, only to have the asshole call at 7:30am to let me know he’d made it to pheonix layover. So I gave up, got up, showered, dressed and had time to hit Barnes and Nobel for breakfast and book browsing. Said book browsing also included the all important scoping out of where *my* book will be located when it is published. Rather nice company, I thought. So then I was ALL set to head out of town early when. well. Walmart. it was *right* there! And you can get things cheap at walmart! and I needed things! So! to walmart I went intending on spending 20 minutes and a little money and spending an hour and more money. hee. But got the kids some stuff they needed a pair of pants for me, and yeah.

Oh! and at barnes and noble I got me the *prettiest* coffee travel mug! it’s all curvy and tealymintygreen and beautiful. specially when filled with mocha. hee.

So – then, it was gas, munchies, and outa town and a repeat of the singing off key to keep awake and I arrived in time for the pup to get off the van here at the house and *thud* i’m exhausted. I wanna sleep. Lessa will be going to bed early tonight.

and yo! my favorite dyke! I will get those questions to you tomorrow. hee.

OMFG

2am. I got to bed. It’s nice and clear. and by that I mean the only snow left after our 2 weeks of 45-50 degree weather is the occasional foot high snow berm where the sun hasn’t quite reached yet. I have to drive to Anchorage today to meet the Asshole and take him his plane tickets to his brother’s wedding for tonight. I’ve made plans. I’ve made plans to surprise my son and let him skip school and come with me. Everything is in place. Even the dog could stay outside for the duration. It was all good.

Four hours later.
6am. Lessa stumbles to the door and stands there STARING as the dog is doing the pee-pee dance needing to be put on her chain. [and a 105 pound rottweiler doing the pee-pee dance is certainly hard to hang on too, and amusing as well.]

this? is what I see:

Yes. And still falling. And there’s wind advisories in the mountain pass i have to drive through. And it’s not supposed to stop until Friday. And I have no other choice but to 1 – leave the boy here to watch the dog and two – drive up no matter what.

And I just. bloody. well. washed. my. car!

OMFG. someone is having a LOVELY little karmic laugh at me. Frellin bastards. *mutters* Back tomorrow afternoonish sometime. Don’t have too much fun without me.

My interviewy questions and stuff

I think i did this once before with a couple people, but here goes –

first! da rulez:
1. Leave me a comment saying, “Interview me.”
2. I will respond by asking you five questions. I get to pick the questions.
3. You will update your LJ or blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

And now my questions from the loverly Brenderella!

1. We know you live in Alaska, if you had your choice of any other state in the union to move to…which one would it be and why?

You know? How do you know? Are you spying on me? WHO TOLD YOU? Ahem. *chuckles* I always tell people I’ll be moving to california when/if I ever move. The more honest answer is a lot more general. “Somewhere warm.” Simple as that – I want to bee where it’s warm and sunny and my toes aren’t frozen every morning even in the summertime. *chuckles* So soon as I get these kids o’mine graduated – I’m so outa here!

2. If ability, schooling, training, and money were not limitations, what would your dream job be?

..wow. Well, I’d still love to do my pixelpicking graphics and web design, but what I always wanted to be, that circumstances kept me from – An nurse/midwife. Delivering babies at all hours of the day and night, supporting women through labor and delivery, being the first hands to touch a brand new baby – that’s what I’d have done if I had the chance, and what I would do in a heartbeat if I could.

3. If you had to live your life as a different creature other than human, what would you be and why?

A panther – lean and sleek and silken hunter in a warm (sensing a trend? *L*) climate where I’d lounge about in the trees, and protect my domain and my young with grace and finese…. raaaaaaaaaawr!

4. You’re married to someone famous, who would it be?

Angelina Jolie. *LMAO* No – not even close. Nicole Kidman. Yup. it’s the redhair. the accent, raaaaaaaawr. I could do things to her ole Tommy boy NEVER imagined… Oh wait – you probably meant a guy huh? Well, in that case…. Tom Cruise – think he’d give me Nikki’s number?

5. It’s a girly girl day with no kids and your favorite friends, what would your day be spent doing if money was not an object?

Running away, as fast and far as possible! Oh, you mean that I’d have to come back at the end of the day? Well then. WIth money being no object – first we’d fly to Anchorage. (I’d fly someone more exotic, but there’s that one day timing issue. *L*) Then I’d get my eyes fixed. Then since I could now see without glasses, It’d be off to the whole day spa thing – massages, pedicure, manicure, so on so forth – topped off with liposuction – what? not enough time? well then, off to the Big Beautiful Women store and whole new wardrobes for all of us! Whee! ANd of course, dinner at the best place in town! and much drinking and dancing afterwards! and finally flying back home with all our goodies. *g*

Next? *Grin*

Whew.

Another busy day!

The normal getting the kids to school, and then I laid down quickly, and snagged another hour of sleep. Then it was off to get the Neice and take her to school again. Then, off to pay the phone bill, because -er, whoops, last night when the Asshole called, it was discovered that even though I *had* a dial tone? My phone had been disconnected. And ehre I thought it was just quiet all afternoon/evening! So I went and paid the bill off this morning – i *had* the money, I just totally flaked it. doh.

So, after that – I headed to footworks, the local birkenstock store because the asshole needs new shoes and nothing but birks will do. which means that 1 hour, 2 phone calls, a lotta stress and $185 bucks later, he has new boots. That hopefully are the right size. sigh.

Then, I got a call from the boy reminding me that his luncheon was today at school. So I said cool – and then realizing I had an hour and that I’d just dumped 200 bucks on the asshole AND he gets to go to vegas next week for his brother’s wedding, I deceded fuck it – I was gonna go see Miss A and get my hair cut. Something for ME for a change.

And so I did. Got about 8 inches off the back, and bangs for the first time in years heh. See?

Then, I headed over to the boy’s Home Ec class, where I was instantly put to work, getting forks from the office, and cutting up french bread. Then the kids all came in – each kid got to bring a guest, so those who’s parents couldn’t make it got to pick someone from school, so it was about 6 adults and 40 kids. *L* They made short work of the lasagna, let me tell you! THe kids had made us lasagna, garlic bread, brownies, salad and punch. And it was mighty good, I’ll tell ya!

And of course, I’ve the pictures pictures to prove it.

Then it was home at last, only to have the pup walk in, and see my hair and get reaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaally close and then YELL AT ME! “YOU went and saw Miss A! And you got your HAIRCUT! and you DIDN’T TAKE ME! I wanna go see Miss A! And get MY hair cut!”

heh. boy. was she mad. *L* And then, after running into town for some bread and taking the boy to the *sob* teen center, it was home for dinner, and putzing around here. ONLY to have the boy phrase something wrong to the Asshole on the phone just a few moments ago, resulting in MY getting yelled at for god. so many things. From having him talk to the asshole about going to the movies by himself (which is what the asshole DEMANDED be done just a few weeks ago – but tonight it hit him outa left field! and he felt attacked! and and and!) and yelled at about my telling the kid to fine! walk into town if your so eager! Which the kid didn’t. Then I got yelled at for giving the kids an allowance now, which apparently I should have discussed with him too. You know – I AM a damn good mom. It’d sure be nice if he trusted me to be it. Just because he’s not here all the time, i understand that it’s hard for him, but dammit, I’m doing a good job with my kids! ARGH.

Anyway. heh. ok. Going to watch a movie, sleep, and do it all over again. And M is totally kicking my word count ass too. Hopefully I’ll catch up this weekend.

Reply to a Letter to the Editor

Heh. Since the paper tends to post every scrap of mail it receives, and posting this under my name in this town would see me ran out on a rail, I figured I’d vent here. After all – this IS my space and I can do and say what I want. So here’s the Letter, and my replies.

Adult bookstore will only serve o hurt society as a whole

News of the desire by some to establish an adult book and toy store in Soldotna has come to me.
I am chairman of the Kenai Peninsula Marriage Savers (KPMS) and have grave concerns and strong opposition to such a venture for the following reasons:
1. Any type of pornographic materials (printed, pictorial, video, or even in the form of “toys”) serves to diminish the value of members of the opposite sex to those who make use of such materials. This could well lead to either more domestic violence or mistreatment of members of the opposite sex.

–Well, the first sentence here amuses me greatly. You’re blaming domestic violence on porn and sex toys. You’re saying that because these are used or available that this is one of the root causes of such activities. I’m sorry, but as someone who has read/watched porn and alternately enjoyed it, and laughed at it, as one who has bought the occasional “toy” I must protest this wide generalization. I’ve never beat up on my husband or entertained deviant thoughts toward any person or demographic. This could well lead to domestic violence or mistreatment? So could a million other things, such as a proclivity to such activities that are power related, and not of a sexual method at all. It is the desire to assert one’s domination and power over another that leads to domestic abuse, and mistreatment. The church itself suggests that Domination and Submission in a marriage is the only correct way to be. So let’s leave such sweeping generalizations out of it. Point out specifics, give statistics, give facts. And leave the Bible on your nightstand for the duration.

2. The presence and availability of such materials is a ready source of suggestion and even prompting to action by those who already are sex offenders in our community. Why should we provide further temptation to those who already are struggling with the problem?

–Again, you’re putting the blame where it does not belong. Clearly these sexual predators are already offenders without the addition of this bookstore. Therefore, the temptation is rooted in something else and the effort to stop it by banning an adult bookstore is akin to… oh, I don’t know. Something ludicrous. You’re looking for a scapegoat, an excuse for activity that already exists. It may surprise you to realize that a number of “god-fearing, christian” men and women that I have known have been the worst predators of all in a variety of ways. And they sit in congregations, they read their bible, they lead bible studies, they do not have porn in their home or go to adult bookstores. They go home and they are verbally and physically abusive to anyone that comes within reach. The addition of “temptation” will not increase nor decrease the deprivation that already exists.

3. The potential fallout in the lives of children in our community through molestation can only be compounded as the dissemination of such information is increased.

–And again. My experience is that the worst offenders are god-fearing Christian men and women. So how about we quit calling the kettle black here, hm? Parents – parent your children. Protect them. Teach them to protect themselves. Do not hide behind the teachings of a church, do not expect others to teach your children. Provide them with the tools to defend themselves! Conversations in my home go like this.
Can ANYONE touch you without your permission? No.
What if it’s someone you know, you trust? No.
What happens if they try? I scream, yell, fight, and come tell you.
Should you ever be afraid to tell me anything? No – it would never be my fault.
Do you ever get in the car with a stranger? No.
Even if they want to show you a puppy/kitten or to help find a lost one? No.
What do you do? I yell for you, or for another adult.
So on, and so forth.
I will not allow anyone with even the possibility of deprivation to have access to my children without supervision. This includes the Church in all its myriad of forms.

4. The potential of having men and women develop distorted views of sex and sexuality will only be increased, should such materials become more easily available to our population.

-Yes, because your view is the Right and True view, and all others are wrong and should be squashed at all costs. Because it’s porn that makes them that way. Ugh. Grow up and view the true signs and stats and facts and figures in front of you and quite being so damn high and mighty and judgmental. There are none so blind as those that won’t see.

5. In an area where the divorce rate is 82 percent, KPMS stands opposed to anything that would serve to weaken marriage further, and pornography is one of the most virulent of the forces that serve to weaken relational stability. KPMS is committed to seek to strengthen marriages and reduce divorces on the Kenai Peninsula. To that end we are extremely sensitive to anything that would militate against such goals. I believe the presence of such a store in our community will be a detriment to the good of the community and the welfare of our marriages and families.

–Yeah, and in an area where the divorce rate is 82%, you’ve already done SUCH a bang-up job, haven’t you? What you believe has nothing to do what I may or may not believe. The welfare of marriage and families has nothing to do with you, your teachings, or a porn store on the corner. It has to do with a lack of respect for the fellow man, it has to do with people who have been raised to believe marriage is disposable and in a town so overrun with Churches, perhaps you should look behind your own bedroom doors instead of mine to discover the problem.

CT, Chair, Kenai Peninsula Marriage Savers

— L, a mother who’d like to tell you where to stick that chair.