Kids today...

I tell ya.

I pride myself on being the "cool" aunt. I don't feel like (or act I'm told) like I'm 36 yrs old. I can relate to the kids today on some levels.

But my goodness, more often than not I find myself wanting to pick up the kids of today and smacking their asses! I do not have kids...BY CHOICE. But not having pushed a kid through my vagina doesn't mean I wouldn't make a good mom or that I don't have some clue as to how kids should be raised and treated. I am so sick and tired of parents whining because their kids are heathens. Guess what Mom and Dad, your child is what YOU MADE THEM. Got a mouthy, disrespectful kid? Take a close look at how YOU talk to and act towards others. Kids learn what they see and are exposed to. Can't have a conversation without screaming? Bet your kids can't either. You want them to pick up after themselves yet 1) you don't pick up after yourself and 2) you never taught them to do so in the first place. (Ok, this may not be true 100% of the time. I know this because my parents raised 6 kids and not all of us turned out quite as good as we should have. However, even the jailbird is polite and respectful.)

I find kids today to be selfish, mean-spirited and ungrateful. I guess that's because most adults seem that way too. Again, how can I expect kids to be different when that's how the parents are? There is a group of kids in my life that are the exact opposite of most children I'm in contact with. They are quiet, respectful of adults, appreciative when they receive a gift, no matter how small it is and frankly just a joy to be around. Do you know why they are like that? Because their parents have taught them! And while I'm not a blood relative, I am considered "family" and have been told I have every right to discipline their kids if need be. This is in direct opposition to members of my own family who think I (or anyone else) have NO right to correct their kids yet they don't want to correct themselves. I'm not saying I have any right to spank someone's kid if Mom or Dad is around. But if I've told your kid to stop doing something bad (like torturing caged birds) and told YOU that your kid needs taken in hand and you don't do it...I will discipline your child (and that could include a quick smack on the butt). Just ask my niece, A.

I don't think kids should be little adults who never get out of line. That's how they are going to learn life lessons and become good people. I enjoy sitting in my apartment watching the local kids playing football or playing on the playground equipment. The laughing, squealing, fussing...it's being a kid. Tearing up a giant stuffed dog and spreading it's pellets all over the yard and leaving it for maintenance to clean up? UNACCEPTABLE!!

I'm not saying I was an angel growing up. I had (and have) an attitude problem sometimes. And I understand growing up in the country as I did, far from neighbors and friends, caused me to be a little different. But that's ok. I wouldn't change how I was raised. It made me the person I am today. And while I may be a bit of a bitch sometimes I am also a caring, sensitive, empathetic person who tries to make my world a better place. I grew up pretty poor and was taught the value of a dollar. I knew better than demanding anything! Not today's kids. Some recent examples I've heard:

Dad needs an operation? I don't care. I WANT A LAPTOP and you will get it for me. ***Um, no. And talk to me like that again I'll knock your teeth out.

I need to see a specialist because I get headaches while walking across the room.

Specialist says it's b/c I refuse to wear the brace I HAD to have and the glasses I HAD to have.

***My solution, you'll wear the glasses and brace (if I have to put it on you and come visit you throughout the day to make sure you are wearing it). And the money I wasted on a specialist will come out of your allowance.

You want ME to carry laundry down stairs? How about doing it yourself MOM. And if you don't feel up to it, maybe you shouldn't work so hard at your job.

***Oh, your shit would be on the lawn and the locks would be changed, you 20 yr old ingrate.

These are just a few examples I've heard lately. And you know what these parents did? Whined to me about the situation but did NOTHING to use them as teaching moments.

You are not showing your kids "love" by neglecting to teach them how to be productive adults. Shame on you parents. We wonder why we have a bunch of people who think they deserve everything handed over but don't want to do anything for themselves.

A lot of parents blame MTV and such. Well, WHO puts a TV in their room and pays for cable and doesn't monitor what they watch?!

I could harp on this subject for days. It gets me nowhere but frustrated! I just pissed off a couple of the kids in my life by telling them things their parents won't. I figure they'll get over it eventually. :o)

I Love Us! (Sorry for the mush...)

I LOVE the new ad for Hallmark this Valentine's Day. "I love us." How true is that!

I'm very lucky to have found my best friend back in 1992. We have been together ever since. I mean, we've been apart due to travel for work or family engagements and so on but we've never had a break up. (Or flash back to "Friends"... we've never been on a break.) There was only one time I wasn't 100% certain we'd stay together but luckily he came to his senses. And even then we didn't break up. We were merely having a discussion as to where we were heading.

We don't have what I'd call a normal relationship but I wouldn't trade what we have for anything else! We are totally honest with one another. We are secure enough to let one another have our own space and interests. I don't have to go with him every time he goes on a cycle ride with his buddies. (In fact, I encourage him to go without me. Everyone needs a little "me" time.) He encouraged me to go on a girls only weekend with my best girlfriends. But we also don't like to be apart for long. We support each other in whatever crazy interest or idea we come up with. I don't care for sports and am not particularly active but I'm there for every one of his triathlons, even when we had to leave the house before 4am. He accepts that I don't want to participate but appreciates that I'm there. I'm one heck of a cheering section, complete with a home made uniform! He doesn't understand my obsession with Harvey's bags but gladly drove an hour or more to stand in line with me for a special release "party" (even when I didn't even buy one of the special releases).

We are so abnormal that one of our friends actually warned his girlfriends about us before letting them meet us. He warned that we are not a typical couple and to be prepared to hear "bitch" and "asshole" thrown around, in a totally loving way of course. We attempted to be all lovey dovey when meeting his newest girlfriend but it didn't work more than two minutes. He even asked what the hell was wrong with us!

This year for Valentine's day we are doing nothing special. Just a quiet evening watching some things on the DVR. A totally perfect evening in our book. Valentine's day always makes me remember our first one though. He was late picking me up because he had stopped on the way to my house to pick up a card...and locked his keys in the car. He had to call his Aunt Brenda to bring the spare set of keys. Hee hee! He did call to let me know he would be there eventually.

I know how very lucky I am and I thank God every day that I have found my best friend. I hate to get so mushy. But the calendar dictates it, right?

Here's one of the songs that we consider "our song". (We have many.) It's just a song that makes us thing of the other whenever we hear it.

You and Me by the Plain White T's

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTU23rWsnkc

You and me, we like the same kind of music
That's why we, make a good you and me
We got style, baby we know how to use it
That's why we, make a good you and me

You know what I'm going to say before my mouth even makes a sound
And that's why we make a good you and me

You and me, we couldn't stand being normal
That's why we, make a good you and me
We both laugh, at the most random situations
That's the key, baby don't you agree?

You know what I'm going to say before my mouth even makes a sound
And that's why we make a good you and me
I know from the sound of your breathing exactly what you are feeling
This is why we make a good you and me
Make a good you and me
Make a good you and me
You and me

Ah ah ah ah
You and me, all we need is each other
That's why we, make a good you and me

You know what I'm going to say before my mouth even makes a sound
And that's why we make a good you and me
I know from the sound of your breathing exactly what you are feeling
This is why we make a good you and me
Make a good you and me
Make a good you and me
You and me

Woe is me!

Well, I had planned to write a humorous blog today but now I can't remember what I was going to write about.

It seems my blog has become a battleground. That's no fun at all.

I can take criticism (though not always well) and I encourage open dialog. But if you are going to respond please refrain from being disrespectful of (to) my family. I guess that's kind of what started the whole negative thing I've got going on.

Yes, anyone reading this has the right to make comments and you don't have to tell me who you are. I was wrong in stating that PNC needed to man up and tell me who he or she is. But I stand by my reason for my asking for a name...if you are gonna talk trash I should know who you are. AND maybe no trash talk was meant but that's how I interpreted it. That's the bad thing about using any form of "writing" to communicate. Things are always interpreted!

So...I've regrouped and plan to continue on with my blog. But to ADD to my "rules", Please don't talk about other posters/followers (as in tell personal info about them unless they have told you to do so) and DO NOT TRASH TALK ABOUT MY LOVED ONES!! :o)

Thanks!

I'm not ill but here's my...Thoughts on Dying

I'm only 36 years old but over the last year or two I have to admit that I have been giving a great deal of thought to what I want to happen when I die. I think this has all come about because of the loss of three people in my extended family and the serious illness of yet another person I love. For some reason I can't get it out of my head. Sometimes I'll tell Pat "when I die I want..." and he'll tell me to put it in writing because no one will believe these are my wishes. So I've decided to focus on my demise today and what I would want done. (It won't be too morbid, I promise.)

First, if I am ever diagnosed with a terminal illness and there is really no chance for me to be saved, I don't think I'll go through too much treatment. I'd rather be comfortable and have a short life than be miserable for years. I hope my loved ones can accept that. I've seen it go both ways and I think QUALITY of life is more important than QUANTITY. And part of that quality is to have FUN! So, if I'm ever diagnosed with cancer or whatever please be prepared to attend my wake while I'm still alive! I think it was the movie The Weather Man (2005) that gave me this idea. Why should the end of my life be all doom and gloom? Everyone is going to die. I'd rather spend the last of my time here having fun and spending time with my friends and family. We'll have all my favorite foods, drinks and games! There will be NO sad talk. Kind of like my last birthday...only hopefully not for a long, LONG time!

When I finally do die, be it from the above mentioned illness or suddenly, sooner or later, I do not want a funeral that is all BLACK. I don't really care for black. Although it is slimming! I LOVE color! So when I go, want a memorial service (not a funeral) and I want everyone to wear colorful clothes. Heck, a Hawaiian theme would also work well since I do love the beach. I told my mom this once and she said she disagreed. So I told her if she outlasts me I'd put in my will that everyone attending my funeral would have to wear pink tutus. She decided bright colors wouldn't be so bad. (I was going to say something about a funeral having "fun" in it but thought would be tacky.)

And I don't want a religious funeral. I want a memorial service at most. (And only if my friends and family want to deal with it.) Something like what the Masons do. I do not want some preacher yelling at my friends and family when I die. I want my life to be the sermon. I don't need someone to stand there and tell you all about me, what I did, etc. I sure don't want you all to be told how to live your lives.

I think I want to be cremated too. This has caused some arguments between my parents and myself. I've been struggling with this for some time and (while I hope I don't have to make this decision for a LONG time) I think I've decided on cremation. I think I made up my mind when I saw the beginning of The Rite (2011) in which a woman's mouth is sewn closed and eye caps were inserted into her eyes. I do not want anyone doing this stuff to my body. I think it's just gross. Really, how is burning my empty shell worse than sticking things in my eyes, gluing them shut, sewing my mouth shut, pumping me full of chemicals? UGH! I got queasy just typing that. (I also just looked at a website that explains the process of embalming and that stuff is all true!) I don't need a fancy urn either. Just put me in a coffee can or something. Actually, I'm on the look out for a cookie jar I like. Once I find one I'll let someone know where it is so you'll know how to find it when the time comes.

As for the service, if you all decide to have one...Remember FUN! I'm going to be working on a play list to help you all out. And I'm still thinking I want The Death March played when someone carries in my cookie jar full of ashes. Check it out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmWLyp_o7S4

Though I would like a snazzier version.

That's all I have planned for now. But next time I tell Pat "Oh, I want that done at my funeral" I'll be sure to pop on here and make a note.

Until then I'll keep on living and having fun! Life is too short not to enjoy it.

Send your husbands to Jessica's Boot Camp: They'll learn to help out around the house or get a boot in their ass!

One thing that really pisses me off is "men" who think they are too good to do housework. Seriously, having a penis does not prevent you from washing dishes, running a vacuum, doing laundry...any of those wonderful household chores women are "expected" to do. This fucked up attitude is just behind abuse and cheating in my list of things I hate about MAN.

I am the youngest of six kids. My mom was a stay at home mom until I was in high school or college. I was lucky, I know. But to support such a large family my dad worked two and three jobs at a time while he was physically able to work. And you know what? He also came home and helped my mom take care of the house and the kids. He has always helped cook and clean. To this day my dad will help with chores inside the house besides doing the farm work. In fact, there are some things my dad cooks BETTER than my mom. When my mom has to go out of state to see or help the other kids, my dad keeps the house clean. He doesn't let dishes pile up at all! He does his own laundry and even runs the vacuum several times a week. (And BTW, my dad did not have cushy office jobs. My dad did hard labor, like working in a foundry.)

My husband has done housework as long as we have lived together (longer even). He actually used to be a better housekeeper than I was! While I was working he usually had dinner on the table when I got home, did the dishes, laundry, cleaned the bathroom, etc. Even now that I'm not working (and when I'm not dealing with a broken foot) he helps out! And even though I'm not working or stressed out because of a job, he insists I get out of the house and have fun with my girlfriends. I don't know how I got so lucky to have an awesome dad and an awesome husband but I'm very thankful. Maybe I chose a husband who was helpful because I expected men to be that way.

It takes everything I have to hold my tongue when I hear my friends' husband give the girls a hard time because the house isn't spotless while they have been running after kids all day. I have yet to see one of those men do 1/10 the work the ladies do. I'd love to sit there for a weekend and watch these men run the household by themselves while also waiting on their wife.

Women, if you have a husband or son who acts like this, I'd be happy to hold "boot camp" where I teach him to do some fucking housework OR put my boot up his ass. His choice.