In Shock......

Is Someone On A Witch Hunt?

Will it ever stop?

As I stated last week, CBS fired Charlie Rose for sexual misconduct.  Today (pun intended), it's Matt Lauer at NBC.  Who at ABC will get the ax next week?  PBS?  Fox?  (Not talking Fox News)

Seriously, at the rate this is happening, will no one over 40 and in the public eye, be safe from scrutiny?

Remember the movie Disclosure ?  Where are the men who have been harassed?

Meatloaf came out with a great song, Where The Rubber Meets The Road:

"Somewhere some girl is crazy and some boy's half out of his head

Somewhere somebody's fearless and someone won't wind up dead.

Somewhere two hearts are pounding and they don't care what's correct

Somewhere somebody's falling in love w/o a background check...

Son, I'm Mr. PC believe you and me I'm the ultimate king of correct

And if you wanna make you gotta make her take it as a sign of your deep respect.

If you're gonna do it, you gotta see through it to the heavenly trust that it is

Then you can call her a slut and you can call her a slave if you remember to call her MS...

Where the rubber meets the road; welcome to protection mode

Used to be sex was a fine hello, now the rubber meets the road.

You say "Girl, you're a beauty" but I'm no beast, I got a little contract right here

See, you can slam on the brakes anytime you got the stick, even if we're in fourth gear.

Cop in the front seat, lawyer in the back seat, gettin' it on videotape

Got a shrink in the bed, Lord, sittin' on the headboard, swearing that we both got raped.

Where the rubber meets the road..."

Don't get me wrong; I honestly believe harassment exists.  But sometimes it's taken waaaaaaaayyyyy out of context.

A recent FB post asks, "What's the difference between sexual harassment and teasing?  Answer:  How handsome the accused is!"  (or something like that; cannot find post now)

When I was 13, I was the object of several boys' ridicule, for whatever reason.  I blamed myself, since I was just learning to flirt, and in retrospect, the attention I received scared me, and I didn't know how to handle it.  Instead of speaking up, I buried myself behind the thickest mask/wall/whatever you want to call it, and prayed it would blow over.

It didn't.  Not until the stress got too much and I really became the object of ridicule for another reason.  Did I speak up then?  No.  I just wanted everything to stop.  Rewind.  In my mind, I'd caused it, so I deserved it.

Fast-forward twenty-five years.

I was married with two kids, and working a temporary part-time job while the spouse was laid off.  A stupid rumor began circulating; the other person and I decided to have fun with it; we knew it wasn't true.  Our manager was in on the joke, and the three of us teased back and forth.

Another co-worker took offense, and told me I was being harassed, because of some of the things my manager was asking me.  I wasn't offended in the least; we were only kidding back and forth.  I was 25 years older and could hold my own by now.

Was it sexual harassment?  I don't think so, but later that manager was threatened by the other coworker; she would hire a lawyer unless he backed off.  She later left that work place, so I have no idea if she ever followed through.  And no, that particular manager was NOT what I would call 'good-looking', but he and I got along well.

Is This Part Of A Master Plan?

Someone on FB just wondered if this was a ploy to get rid of everyone over 40 and to replace everyone in the media with 'young liberals'....ei-yi-yi....I sincerely hope NOT!

Anyway, I need to get off my soapbox again and start my day.  I get the feeling this issue is going to be around for a while; I don't remember how long the bruha lasted back in '91, though Disclosure brought it back briefly in '94.  Think the OJ scandal pushed it to the back burner.

Flashback Friday: Dr Jekyll/Ms Hyde

Nov 2007:
I'd learned about NaNoWriMo the previous year, but since we were in the middle of Moving Hell, I'd put it off.  Partly because I didn't yet have a desk or any 'established' writing area, and partly because, I was too darn busy with setting up our new home!  But since we'd now been in Vincennes for a year, plus joining the online community and discovering there was a wonderful network of authors to mentor me, I decided to sign up for the challenge.

I'd submitted a scene to three people I trusted, to see if I was on the right track, heat-level-wise.  They loved it, and encouraged me to keep going.  So when November 1st arrived, I dropped all three kids at school, flexed my fingers, and began to write.

I had to set a timer, so I'd know when to pick up my Youngling from Head Start, then a second one when to pick up my HS child (MS could walk the six blocks).  If my word count was still nowhere near the 1600 mark, I appointed the older kids to be in charge of the toddler and set a 3rd timer for when to start dinner.  After dinner and clean up, same story.

Week #1 was good; I was enjoying where the story was taking me/

Week #2 began okay, but then the tension escalated.  My daughter dawdled in the mornings, and she was constantly late.  I even got a traffic ticket one morning, since we'd caught a train and I made a rolling stop through a 4-way.  My pleas fell on the officer's deaf ears, and not only did we get a ticket instead of the warning I'd hoped for, my daughter was (you guessed it!) late again, because she refused to get out and walk the remaining two blocks/

Week #3 was a disaster.  Arguments with the kids; stress because my word count was falling behind....I even had a meltdown in my daughter's principal's office over the pressure of being a single parent; having an obstinate daughter; and a husband who didn't understand what I was trying to do, and insisting I 'stay off that god-damned computer', and threatening to throw it out the window or even shutting it down in ten seconds if I didn't log off.

Yeah, it was really that bad!

Week #4, I felt a little better after my meltdown, plus my characters returned to my brain.  We'd spent Thanksgiving with friends, so I didn't have to host or clean up, and as soon as we got home, I started pounding out the story again.  Words flowed.  November 30th, I squeaked over the 50K mark at 50, 035.  I'd done it; written my 1st full-length novel in thirty days.

BUT, I was now so sick of my characters, I didn't even want to reread it right away.  I uploaded my document, poured myself a glass of wine, and called my mom, telling her I was going to email my 'winner' certificate to her, and would she please print it for me?  We were currently out of printer ink.

Several lessons were learned through this experience:
-I didn't realize I was that much of a perfectionist
-I didn't realize I could put that much pressure on myself, over what?  A self-imposed deadline?
-I turned into someone I didn't recognize; my KIDS didn't recognize; and my hubby was ready to have me committed.  I NEVER want to do that to myself ever again.
-Finally, I'd proved it to myself, so there was NO NEED for it ever again.

That magical story?  Teacher's Pet:)

Next Month:  Birthday and Christmas!

*************
Present Day:

Friend Travis brought me a new MS 7 OS tower!  I LOVE not having to wait ten minutes for it to load, or clicking a link and having three tabs open.  A new laptop is still in the works, and when I totaled up my word count , it came to just over 5K.  Still 45K short, but hey....at this point, I'll take whatever words I've added as gold.

My heart is broken because of the death of David Cassidy on Tuesday.  I know; none of us is going to live forever; it's just that he was so young.  We also lost Malcom Young (co-founder of AC/DC) and Della Reese this week.

Had a good time last night with my older kids at Karaoke:)  I didn't get to do my DC tribute, but maybe on Saturday.

Had a quiet Thanksgiving at home yesterday.

Have a great weekend!

Tuesday's Rant

Apparently I need to shut off the news; it's unleashed my fingers.

*Ahem*

First of all, RIP Della Reese.  I loved your singing voice; I was a semi-faithful viewer of Touched By An Angel, and loved all the comedic roles you took on over the years.  You will indeed be missed.  Fly high, dear Angel.

2ndly, what the hell was that pompous father THINKING?  #45 just saved your kid from jail, and b/c he didn't personally fly him home via AF 1 (the man was on a freaking presidential TOUR, for Christ's sake!), he decides he's 'offended' and refuses to say 'thank you'.

The kid in question, however, did.

So why did the father have to get involved?  (see yesterday's '15 minutes of fame' comment)

*shaking my head over stupidity*

3rd, it began with Clarence Thomas/Anita Hill, Gary Hart, Clinton, even Candidate #45.  Recently, Harvey Weinstein, then Kevin Spacey, now Al Franken, that guy running for Congress, and now Charlie Rose-of all people??-has been accused of sexual harassment. Even Ryan Seacrest?  As hard as that man works, when does he even have TIME?

Hubby and I were talking about this earlier this week.  The person accusing the candidate says it happened over forty (40) years ago.  Is there no statute of limitations?  Let's see.....are any of the boys who sexually harassed ME 40+ years ago in the public eye?  Or the ones who sexually harassed my SISTER?  *rubs hands together*  Maybe my books would sell better if I were to publically accuse them?  Hell yes, I'd settle for a nice tidy sum....I could actually pay for more booth fees and my inventory!

*Looks around*  You know I was only joking, right?  I really don't care to dredge up those awful thoughts anymore, and I doubt anyone cares about what happened nearly 40 years ago.  Want to know the story?  Come back in two years (about this time, actually!) and I'll fill you in.  If you've been a faithful reader of this blog for the past 7-8 years, then you already know part of the story.

*stepping off the soapbox*

Wonder what tomorrow's morning news will bring?  So long as it's nothing to do with David Cassidy.....I hope he recovers!!!  Heartfelt prayers to his family.  This will indeed be a somber Thanksgiving.  Makes me want to cook dinner for them as they are taking shifts at the hospital.

Monday Rant

Saw something on the news this morning that made my head spin and jaw hit the floor.

"A NYC university will no longer allow cops on campus, even to use the bathroom."

Why?

"According to our research, a number of our students are afraid of the police, and having a police presence would make their 'safe place' feel less safe."

Are you freaking kidding me?

How safe are they going to feel when the CRIME RATE goes up?

Has NYC U lost it's mind?

On a side note, where did we go wrong with this generation?  We dare not offend anyone; apparently all millenials need safety blankies; we're raising a bunch of entitled WIMPS!

Everyone now wants to be a victim, to get their 15 minutes of fame.

When did the police go from being 'your friend' (you know, that GUY you call when your home has been violated, or any crime has taken place?) to 'the enemy' (that guy who *must* be shot before he shoots you)?

I don't even know whom to blame, or even cast a light on one particular incident.  Rodney King?  The incident in Kansas/Missouri/Iowa (yeah, yeah....I can't remember....)?  The kid in Florida?  #44, for his idiocy in enabling this racial divide, instead of helping to SOLVE it?  Thought he was supposed to bring about the end of the 'race war', instead, things got worse.

We have kids playing the victim card "because my great-great-great-great-grandpappy was enslaved by YOUR great-great-great-great-grandpappy.'

Instead of carrying over the 'hate', BREAK THE CYCLE!  Stop carrying around this false sense of entitlement you think the world owes you, because of said circumstances.  Pull yourself out of this 'feel-sorry-for-me' attitude and DO something CONSTRUCTIVE for a change.

Go to college.  Get a good job.  Hell, run for president/Congress and MAKE changes, instead of whining about it.

Talk talk talk talk.....how about some ACTION to back it up?

Instead of people fighting to be RIGHT, how about people work TOGETHER to repair the damage we've done to ourselves?

And while I'm on this soapbox....when did everything the world does become the USA's problem?  Don't we already have enough on our hands?  Yes, babies in Yemen are dying.  Yes, the POS in NK needs to be spanked and sent to the dungeon his room.  Yes, there's an unsavory person in power in several countries.  But we have people living in our streets; we have families who have to choose between food/shelter and having medicine.  Remember the adage 'in order to help others, we must first begin with ourselves'?  No, this doesn't make us selfish; it keeps us HEALTHY!

Right now, we have a broken political system; a broken health care system; and someone trying to repair it, except he's fighting an uphill battle.

Apparently, we're just begging for an invasion.

Be careful what you wish for; you might get it.

*steps down and bows head to pray*

***********
In other news, David Cassidy, one of my 1st beloved actors/singers, is in critical condition.  Sending lots of love and prayers to his family.

I had a Partridge Family lunchbox

I still have my Partridge Family Christmas Album.

I watched Partridge Family reruns every chance I got, during the summers I spent with my grandparents.

I was upset when he was rudely booted off Celebrity Apprentice, since he couldn't raise a lot of money for their fundraising task.  So his rolodex wasn't as loaded as the others.....so what?

Oops, I feel another rant coming, so time to end this before it gets out of hand.

Flashback Friday: Have We Made A Mistake? Pt. 2

Nov 1997:
Brief recap:  We'd moved into our new home in Morgan Co, on 7.5 acres of land.  Right off the bat, I never really felt as if I 'belonged', since the other women in the neighborhood seemed to be a little snooty, plus I'd had conflicts over our dog, and the kids being allowed to roam free.  Isn't that what being in the country was all about?  I realized my neighbors had brought their city ways into the country, and I didn't like it.

An early snowfall took us by surprise.  The kids and I had gone into 'the city' to meet D for dinner on payday, and snow began to fall.  We began the half hour trip home, and ran into problems.

-The temperature dropped, and ice soon formed.  I followed D, and things went well until we turned off onto SR 39.  One tap of the brakes and I slid sideways, fortunately no one was near me.  D stopped and got me back on the road.

-When we turned off SR 42 onto the back roads, the 2nd turn had me sliding into a ditch, trying to avoid hitting D, who'd also slid into it.  Since he had 4 wheel drive, he was able to get out, but it took him and another man to push me back onto the road.  By now, I was beginning to wish we'd gotten a motel room, as we'd discussed over pizza!

-When we reached the hill, D stopped me and put the chains on my tires, then we ventured onward and upward.  Halfway up, I was terrified when my car began to slide backward.  I was able to hit the brakes...and was relieved when one of our more friendly neighbors recognized our plight and towed me up the hill with his truck.

-Making it safely home, I began to seriously question my sanity about pushing to live in the area.  What would I do if I had to go to town while D was at work?  I did NOT want to end up at the bottom of any ravine!

Thanksgiving that year was spent at D's parents, and the kids enjoyed decorating her tree.  When we arrived home, I unearthed our decorations and discovered our neighbors across the street had 'stolen' my idea about how to decorate my house with the icicle lights.  Not wanting to look like a copy cat, we came up with something a little different, and K enjoyed being on the roof with his dad one sunny afternoon.

Next Month:  Hosting Christmas!

**************
Present Day:
My laptop has indeed died; friend Travis was supposed to come over and bring me one of his to borrow, but we both forgot.  So my NaNo word count is in the toilet.  Thankfully, the desk top still works, even though it throws a fit once in a while.

My camera was found!!!!!  It was under my daughter's bed, with about 15 pictures taken by the granddaughter.

Christmas Gift and Hobby was a success!  Sold 13 books (3 more than last year!) and was able to pay for half of next year's table rental.

Women's Retreat went well also!  I showed up Sunday at 7am, and discovered everything had been moved downstairs.  Talk went well, and turns out I was glad not to have spent the night, since the team slept downstairs, and nearly froze!

Truck Update:  Still waiting on the insurance $$ to be released.  Now he's talking about clearing up one of the credit cards, one of the medical debts, and maybe half of the leaf guards, plus buying me a new lap top, and getting a decent used truck.  I still think he needs to put at least $10K down on a newer truck.  We'll see what he decides.

Have a good weekend!  I'm skipping the Christmas Stroll this year; I've got too much to do, plus I'm sold out of four titles:  Teacher's Pet, Hotel Stories, Best of Both Worlds, and Orion.  Also, I'm down to only one copy of Kira.

Alphabet Karaoke will resume either this weekend or next:)

Flashback Friday: Rebellion, Phase #2

November 1987:
Brief Recap:
I began dating CS; began a slow self-destruction of my self-esteem; and the stress of trying to flip my schedule upside down every weekend began to wear on me.

At the end of October, when I 'kidnapped' CS for Fall Break, I learned two things:
-I was never going to be a part of his family, due to their volatile personal nature; I didn't like the way his parents spoke to each other.

-When you're newly dating someone and you need a quick Halloween costume, do NOT roll up your sweater and go as a pregnant teenager.  He will NOT think it amusing, lol!  (O1thers told me I gave a good impression, and one guest at the party thought I was genuinely pregnant!

"Bitch After Midnight"
Since my normal schedule was 9am-midnight, and C's was 2pm-3am, trying to flip my sleep schedule upside down every weekend soon took its toll, and his friends were soon joking that my mood was not the best after a certain time.  This stress soon began to take its toll on our relationship, and when TS showed up one day, I was thrilled to see him again, and took a drive with him to talk to someone who was wide awake at ten in the morning, instead of recupperating from the previous night.

Thanksgiving week was good; I took my finals, though I was stunned at the fact I'd not done very well in my 1st 300 level Social Work class.  I forgot to mention; my professor and I clashed on a personal level, so I was happy to finally be out of that class!

I showed up at the bar to celebrate my freedom from finals, and enjoyed an evening of playing darts with a few of the guys.  But soon we noticed police and were horrified to learn someone had been beaten nearly to death outside our window.  We had to give our names to the police, in order to be questioned later, and decided maybe we'd better not drive just yet, since we'd all been drinking.  One little problem:  The bar would only pay for a taxi if we were going to a motel.

I put my foot down. 

"I will NOT be seen going into a motel with three men!"

So Bill, Marty, and Mike pooled their money and split a taxi to  Denny's, then joked about who was my 'date'.

I think we spent T-day at home that year, then I returned to BSU to begin the winter quarter.  I was also not thrilled to discover that due to the new educational requirements, I now had take another year of Gen Studies, beginning with an 8am Math class.  Fortunately, it was held downstairs in a classroom just outside The Commons, so I could simply throw on sweats over my nightshirt, go to class, then go back upstairs and go back to bed for two hours.

Next Month: Rebellion, Phase #3.

************
Present Day:
I'm currently up at the Indianapolis Christmas Gift and Hobby Show:) 

Also, either my laptop has died, or just the switch is malfunctioning.  I need to find out which.  At any rate, with the settlement we MIGHT be getting back from the insurance company, I've been told a new laptop is in my future.  So happy dance!

Have a great weekend!

Flashback Friday: An Eventful Month!

November 1977:
After years of begging for piano lessons (okay, maybe in retrospect I didn't exactly beg, but mentioned it a lot??), my mother finally found a teacher for me, a woman down the street.  Every Saturday I would tuck my beginner's piano book under my arm and walk down, then spend hours every afternoon practicing.

I also learned this would sometimes get me out of setting the table; Mom would start to cook, and I'd start playing the songs I'd learned, plus some I picked up on my own.  But being a wise mommy, she soon caught on to what I was doing!

Someone that Mom knew was looking for a home for their cat, Half-Pint.  Since we were between dogs at the moment, she brought him home and taught me how to care for it.  But a few weeks later, the HP followed me to the bus and ran under it.  I got off and tried to coax him out....but to no avail.  When Mrs. Davis could wait no longer, the front right wheel ran over something.  I spent the rest of the day full of anxiety, sure that she'd just run over my cat.

When I arrived home, a neighbor told me the sad truth, HP had indeed, been run over.  I mourned the loss of that sweet kitty for weeks.

Thanksgiving
We traveled to Blacksburg, Virginia to spend T-day with our friends the Pirkells.  Unfortunately, the stomach flu claimed me, and I spent most of the three-day weekend in bed.  My sister got to attend a college football game and enjoyed herself with Greg and Dana, who were a few years older than me.

Work on the new room was nearly complete; the walls were up, insulated, and the new fireplace installed.  Mom and Dad picked a gray barn siding for that wall, and installed shelves on either side of the brick fireplace.

Next Month:  Christmas with the new fireplace!

***********
Present Day:
Picking up our rental car (insurance is paying for it) and trying to juggle finances.  I'm also getting ready for my Women's Retreat, so I have to have everything ready before my trip to Indy next Wednesday.

Plus, trying to do NaNoWriMo.....think I've got the grand total of 500 words written.

Have a good weekend; I'm setting up at the 1st Fridays downtown tonight, in hopes of making some extra spending money.

November Reading Schedule

October is over, and the holidays are right around the corner....eep!  How did I do last month?
-Have fun at Imaginarium and sell at least 5 books  Too many panels and not enough time at table.  But YES to the awesome time!!!
-Write Ch. 6 of Heart Song  Not even close.
-Write Ch. 2 of RiKar's Redemption Nope.
-Finish cleaning out Green House Everything's out except some windows in back room; stuff in front room, and stuff in fireplace room.
-Empty back 2 rooms of Brown House  Not yet; moved some stuff out of 2nd bedroom, but not all.
-Continue cleaning out storage unit  Not until Brown House has more space.
-Order inventory for November event  TP, yes.
-Dress up as Dany for Halloween.  Spouse:  Robert Baratheon; K:  The Mountain; S:  Ramsey; W:  Samwell; A:  Cersei.  Me, yes.  Rest of the family failed to cooperate.
-Buy winter clothing for my teenager  Check:)
-Find out Lyrics/Copyright for Spirit Pottery, or if I have to rewrite it  Going to have to rewrite it; I might get away with one or two songs, but not ten.  Was going to cost me $3200+.  This sucks.
-Spend a PRODUCTIVE week with my parents???  Might not have time this month.  Not sure how 'productive' it will be; friend RRW's mom passed away, so going up for funeral.

Books Read:  1
           Print:  1
       E-book:  0 (though read 1st story in the Kisses antho)


Weight:  Stayed the same, 233.

Overall Health:  Fell at the Farmer's Market on Sept 30th, and still have sore left knee.  Other than fall allergies, I'm good:)

Karaoke Songs Added:  3, due to camera being lost.  Brower still hasn't sent me the files shot from his I-Phone, so may have to re-sing those when I get another camera.

November Goals:
-Finish Heart Song (NaNoWriMo project) Laptop died.  Writing is 'on hold' until January
-Do well at 1st Friday event  Sold 5:)
-Do well at Indy Christmas Toy and Hobby Show 13 sold, plus sold out of 4 titles!  Now need inventory...
-Have successful Thanksgiving  Check:)  Nice and quiet.
-Start Christmas shopping  Check...a few items have been purchased, heh heh heh...
-Lose another 5 pounds Lost 2!  Weighed in at 231.
-Take 'big items' to Republic on Nov 4th  Nope; due to wreck, didn't have the energy.
-Successful CHRP retreat  Check!

Reading Schedule:
Print:
Tomb of the Moon-N. E. Riggs
Rachel's Guard -Jillian Jacobs A very detailed, complicated plot line.  My mom enjoyed it; I had a headache by the time I finished it.  Had to keep putting it down, from all the intrigue.  Very well thought out.
Maude's Score-JJ  Another complicated story line, where a scheming gold digger tries everything in her power to come between a man and the woman he dumped her for.  Ariel reminded me of Ava from Loving.  That particular plot was fun to watch for a while, then got tiring.  Again, very well thought out.
Clayton's Star-JJ

E-book:

Accidental Kisses-Sandra Sookoo, et al  Enjoyed all but two stories:)  Very good!
Secrets and Lies (HOB #4)-Susanne Matthews

Back To School-Dylan Cross

Karaoke Songs: (Updated weekly)
Thurs:  *NOTE*  Alphabet Karaoke has been suspended until I replace my camera, unless Brower lets me use his IPhone...
Where The Streets Have No Name-U2  Nailed it:)
I Got The Boy-Jana Kramer  Did well:)
Listen To Your Heart-Roxette  Was complimented:)
Just Breathe-Anna Nalick  Did well!  Blew one line, but still....;)
I Will Come To You-Hanson  Nailed it!
Just When I Needed You Most-Randy Vanwarmer  Was complimented:)
Where You Lead-Carole King Nailed it:)
Make Me Lose Control-Eric Carmen Did well:)
Wheever You Will Go-The Calling  Was complimented:)
While You See A Chance-Steve Winwood  Did well:)
Man In The Box-Alice in Chains Peppers backed me up, and I thought it sounded good!
When You Look Me In The Eyes-Jonas Bros  Did well, until the bridge.  Needs more practice


Sat:

Better Dig 2-Band Perry  Was complimented:)
Heart Like Mine-Miranda Lambert Nailed it:)
Just To Hear You Say That You Love Me-Faith Hill  Wasn't too bad...
Girl Crush- Little Big Town Nailed it!
On My Own-Patti Labelle and Michael McDonald  Not too bad:)
On the Good Ship Lollipop-Shirley Temple  Nailed it, plus gave everyone a good laugh!
On The Turning Away-Pink Floyd  DNH....surprisingly enough!
One Call Away-Charlie Puth  Wasn't too bad; blew two lines.  Might resing.
One Fine Day-Chiffons  Nailed it:)
One Moment In Time-Whitney Houston  Did well:)
One More Try-George Michael  Wasn't too awful...
One of These Nights-Eagles Ugh....