This may be my last day

Today is Thursday and that means that there is an entry for the Thursday blog project.  Today's topic was to share your theme song and why that song is your theme song.  It was my idea.  See, my world is set to music.  This seems normal to me.  I almost always have theme song going.

What I didn't realize is that like the underwear container and the -ter joke, this is something that is unique to me.  Most people don't set their lives to music and think that having a theme song is something that they should do.  Yes, I name my cars too... your point?  Have you read the title of this blog?  Crazy is in it.

See, when we moved to Connecticut about 15 years ago, our theme song was Living La Vida Loca.  Our life was so crazy, in what I thought at the time a good way.  It didn't really go that way, but I had a baby, lost a job, found a job, lost a job, became a stay at home mom.  It was la vida loca.

For awhile we were without a song.  Nothing spoke to me.  Then we moved to Illinois.  Our song was by Rodney Atkins, If You're Going Through Hell.  My favorite part is when you ask a Genie from a bottle for directions and she lies to you.  That is where we were when we got here.  My life was in the crapper.  Actually that  might have been an improvement.  But you see, we kept on going and guess what we made it through.  We are ok now.  This could change but right now, we are good.

After we got out, our theme song was Boundin'.  It is really a Pixar Animation short, but if you haven't seen it, you can see it on YouTube, I couldn't embed it.  You really should check it out.  See once I got to the other side, I had to live with the changes that had happened.  So like the sheep (yeah a sheep, that might be part of the reason I love it) I had lost my beautiful hair and had to find myself inside all the changes.  I think this song is about being ok with yourself regardless of where you are and what happens to you.  That was a good message.

Lately, I have been thinking about addressing the song.  Boundin', while super awesome was not really hitting all the right notes.  Which is probably why I suggested the topic.  There are some things in my life that I want to do, that I have never been able to do.  I am going to conquer them.  Anything worth having is worth doing all the hard work to get.  No short cuts.  I am going to put in the time.  There are some people I need to forgive.  There are some yesterday's I need to say goodbye to.  To that end, my new song is Nickelback's, If Today Was Your Last Day. 

As I approach the middle of my life, my days are getting short, and I need to remember that it really does me no good to hold on to old grudges.  While things may not be the way I want them to be, they are what they are and really in most cases that is outside of the span of my control.  I am going to mend my own broken heart and shoot for the stars.  In the end, life is all about forgiveness.  The ability to let the bad stuff go and be ok with that, even if the person or people that wronged you don't ask for it. 

So that is my story in music, if you want to hear what the other ladies have to say check them out at Froggie, Merrylandgirl and Momarock.

30 Day Photo Challenge: Clouds

30 Day Photo Challenge:What I Wore

Take with Instagram on iphone, using Earlybird filter.

30 Day Photo Challenge: Self Portrait

I have decided to do one of these blog challenges... we will see how this goes. If you want to play too, you can find the information at 30 day photo challenge.

I hate pictures of me. So, taking a self portrait is somewhat challenging. Here is what we got.  I imagine as I learn how to use the software the pictures will get better.

photo, a photo by slperrett9 on Flickr.

True Confessions of a Canine Convict

Here I am in the back of a police car.  I do not understand how what I did was such a crime.  I am trying to explain the situation to the policeman, but he won't hear any of it.  He just slammed the door on my nose and drove me away.

My crime you ask?  I walked to the corner of my block.  It was all of three houses away.  When is walking down the street a crime?  I see my people do it all the time.  Other animals, like rabbits, do it all the time.  But, when I try and exercise my legs a bit and see the happenings down the street, I am treated like a common criminal.

I was just being friendly when I barked at that man, you might even say I was downright neighborly.  I wanted to notify him about the rabbits that where tunneling under his deck.  But did he think I was being helpful?  No, he called the coppers on me. 

When the police did arrive, I thought I will just tell them my story and I would be on my way.  But, no, they weren't listening they just shoved me, not to nicely I might add, into the back of the squad car.  At first I thought maybe they were giving me a lift home, but no, they were taking me to jail.

Humans get to make a phone call to their lawyers upon arriving at prision.  When I asked for my phone call, did I get it?  No siree.  My rights were violated.  I have to say they could have been nicer when they gave me those shots.  No petting and treats like they do at the vet, no they just jammed it in the scruff of my neck.  Moving me along like an assembly line.  A little bedside manner goes a long way, just sayin'.

Jail isn't so bad, the food was good and these nice volunteers take us out to a pen and play with us.  They were pretty nice, but no one wanted to hear my story.  I was guilty in their eyes.  I tried to tell them that I had been wrongly convicted and if they would just call my family we could straighten this whole thing out.  They would hear nothing of it.

There is no due process, no hearing with the judge, nothing.  They take the word of that not so neighborly neighbor and determine that I am a problem.  I am going to have to take this up the with the rabbits.  I am sure they can manage some sort of pox on his house.

Anyway, after what seemed to be a life sentence my people did come and get me.  I guess I had done the time.  My people seemed happy to see me, but they were angry and me for leaving.  I would like to repeat that I just went for a stroll.  An evening constitiutional if you will, what is the crime in that?

Now I have been microchipped.  I think it is some sort of communist plot to track my movements.  A way for Big Brother to monitor my every move.  Here I am a senior citizen, who now has a wrap sheet.

This is convict 58-9357 signing off.  Next time I want to take a stroll I think will take one the kids with me.

LUUUUcy

Today's topic for our Thursday blog project is what Disney Character are you most like.  The cartoon character I am most like is Lucy from Peanuts.  I asked if I could change the topic to include other characters.  I got a conditional approval.  I have to justify it my change.  Here goes the justification:  Is there another character that is like Lucy in the Disney stable?  See you can't think of one either.  So, there you are.

I look a bit like Lucy.  Especially when I was small.  I had a shoulder length bob and it curled under just like hers does.  So there was that.

I act a bit like Lucy.  I am not saying I am bossy.  I am also not saying I am not bossy.  Not willing to cop to that characteristic.  I am also the person people come to with their problems.  Be it questions about relationships or other interpersonal stuff, or just advice about how to handle the various problems of life, I seem to be the one people ask.  I am very good at recognizing patterns and asking the hard questions.  There is a group of people that value my direct approach.

I have a little brother who is annoying, just like Lucy.  I tend to be a yeller, just like Lucy.  I am a little out of touch with reality, just like Lucy as it relates to Schroeder.

My family would send me cards with Lucy on them for birthdays, Valentine's Day, and all other card giving occasions.  I was always upset I didn't get Snoopy, but now I understand why I got Lucy.

For my birthday last year, I bought myself a sock yarn kit inspired by Lucy.  I haven't made the socks yet, but when I do, they will always be special. 

This is Lucy VanPelt's doppelganger, asking you to check out what the other ladies have to say.   Momarock, Froggie and Merrylandgirl.

I wouldn't do that...

Very rarely do I comment on the news in this space.  But I have something to say about the tragic events in New York this week.  I have an 8 year old Jewish boy.  I guess I feel for the parents. 

I let my kids walk home from school by themselves.  I let them go to the drugstore to get candy by themselves.  I let them ride their bikes around the block alone.  My kids are outside, alone.  Even the 5 year old.  You might think I am a bad parent.  That is your choice.  I am trying to teach my kids to be smart and make good choices, to be confident in their abilities to navigate the world without me.  I hope and pray that they are alright when they do this.

The reality is that something could happen to them.  Someone could snatch my kids while they are playing in front of my house.  I think the odds of that happening are low, but it could happen.  If that does happen, is the entire world going to say to me:  "Well, I wouldn't let my 8 year old do that.  I would make the sacrifices necessary to keep him/her safe.  I would protect my child."  (not sure where the question mark goes here.. but it is a question.)

It pisses me off to no end to hear people say that they would keep their child safe.  Hello folks, not possible.  You can put your kid in a bubble, latch them to your body, and they are still not safe.  The world is not a safe place.  Period.  That is the way that it is.

It is not fair to the family to play Monday morning quarterback and tell them what they should have done.  My Dad was famous for telling people, don't you should on me.  Let's not should on strangers in their moment of horror.

I feel like I can say with 100% certainty that the parents in this situation would not have let him walk home if they believed that it was really unsafe.  He clearly felt confident and comfortable enough to ask for help.  To bad he picked a guy on a psychotic break.  But, what happened was just an unfortunate situation, it was not because his parents were negligent in anyway.  I am sure that they will be burdened with the guilt of "if only" for the rest of their lives.  We don't need to help with that.

I realize we say, I would not do that, to comfort ourselves.  To make us feel like this couldn't happen to us.  Reality check here, it could happen to you.  That could have been you.  This is not to say that we should lock our children in the house.  So, in the honor of that poor boy, lets remind our kids about strangers.  Take an extra second to make sure that they have the information that the need, and then send them out in the world.  Perhaps add an extra hug in there.  But still send them out in the world.  Chances are they will be OK and come back stronger, better and more able.

Interesting statistic, there are not more child abductions than there were when we were kids.  We just know more about them.  Don't let fear keep you from letting your kids live their lives.  Don't let this freak situation make you scared and by the transitive property, your children scared of the world.  Teach them how to navigate through the world.

Be careful out there.  Isn't that what they said at the end of CHiPs?  Or as the fire fighters say, be safe, be prepared and have a plan.