Wednesday, December 30, 2009

One final thought of 2009...

Merry (belated) Christmas and Hanukkah to you all! And more importantly, a very very Happy Birthday wish to Sharee, who is now officially OLD! Just kidding, love you Roca! (Sharee has the esteemed honor of not only knowing me in real life, but of being one of my sisters.)

I've been doing a lot of thinking lately. About New Years, and my resolutions. Which I don't technically need to make, since I have that nifty little goal list on the side of my blog, which I am actually pretty pleased with my accomplishment on. I'm chugging right along on, except for my loosing weight goals (although I did get a wii Fit for christmas, which I love (for now) and should help with that)

But I do have to wonder - does anyone actually stick to their resolutions? I know I try. I really do - 2008 i kept my resolution for 7 months before sliding off the new years wagon. This year I have til 2011 to keep all of my goals - and I think I've made a significant dent in them. Except for the travel ones. Those ones might prove to be a little more difficult, although I do have some vague plans to go to Chicago for Easter and to London in the spring, but we'll see how it looks financially. If it's doable.

So there you have it. I'm sticking my middle finger up at the suckfest known as 2009, but diving head first into 2010, with the belief that not only will it be better but that I will be better.

Happy New Year to you all!

Monday, December 21, 2009

Allow me to climb up onto my soap box for just a moment

On Friday, the National Center for Disease Control released some startling statistics.

The rate of Autism Spectrum Disease has increased from 1 in 140 (as of 2007).

Autism now affects 1 in 70 boys, 1 in 110 children total.

Second, it is now classified as "Autism Spectrum DISEASE" as opposed to the old diagnostics "Autism Spectrum DISORDER."

ONE out of SEVENTY. And the rate is even higher in Minnesota, New Jersey, Florida and Michigan. (1 out of FORTY in NJ)

Think about that, for just a second.

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Hunter is lucky. Other children with ASD's are not so lucky.

Every Tuesday, I take Hunter and one of his classmates to bowling practice for the Special Olympics. There are 9 other children on the team, 7 of whom have an ASD. The function on a wide range of levels - from Curtis, who unless you've seen a meltdown, you would never know he was autistic. Down to Delilah, who uses a communication advice to speak. But when she laughs, oh does your heart melt. And those few times, when she does speak, with a bashful look on her face, you have to control your urge to hug her closely.

She doesn't like to be touched, you see.

Autism not only affects it's victims - it affects their families. Delilah's parents have dedicated their lives to making hers reach its full potential. Hunter's father has given everything he has to put his son in the best possible environment.

Other children are not so lucky.
I had a child come through my work last week with his father. The child was visibly autistic. His father slapped him on the head and called him a "fucking retard."
I've never felt so heartsick in my entire life.
Hunter's mother chooses not to be in his life. His father stepped up and is his only parent. He lives with his parents to get support - Hunter is hard to care for on your own all the time.

Curt's mother is a single mother. She is trying her hardest to do what's best for him, but it's hard to keep your temper with him sometimes, especially when he is having a meltdown.

The rate of autism has more than tripled since 2003. Pretty soon, the statistic will increase again. What will it be next? 1 out of 20? When will people sit up and realize that this is truly an epidemic that is kidnapping our children from us?

I'm stepping down from my soap box now.

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Sunday Smiles

1) A roof over my head
2) 500 Days of Summer coming out on DVD - TUESDAY
3) A favorite book from your childhood
4) A customer going out of her way to tell her boss about you
5) Laughing until your sides hurt.


Thursday, December 17, 2009

Fabulous 50

Rather than right a blog about how when it rains in my life, it freakin tsnumais followed by a tornado,* I figured i'd take a moment to celebrate my 50th entry into this dear blog with one of my favorite things: a list. and rather then dwell on the mess my life is currently resembling, I'd focus on the positive.

So, dear bloggers, we're going to play a game. I give you one of my favorite quotes, and you guess who said it. Person with the most...gets a virtual high 5.

1) "For Attractive lips, speak words of kindness, For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people, For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry, For Beautiful hair, let a child run their fingers through it once a day, For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone. People, more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed. Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you will find one at the end of each of your arms. As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself and the other for helping others."

2) I love people who make me laugh. I honestly think it's the thing I like most, to laugh. It cures a multitude of ills. It's probably the most important thing in a person.

3) My own life has been much more than a fairy tale. I've had my share of difficult moments, but whatever difficulties I've gone through, I've always gotten the prize at the end.

4) The best thing to hold onto in life is each other.

5) Your heart just breaks, that's all. But you can't judge, or point fingers. You just have to be lucky enough to find someone who appreciates you.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

For the sake of hedonism

Anyone who has been around me or my blog for a while knows that I am something of a bibliophile. I adore the written word, and in fact if I could marry The Outsiders or A Tree Grows in Brooklyn or any number of my other favorite books, I would be quite satisfied.

When I was about 8, my mother refused to buy me any more books.* She said she refused to support my obsession with reading. Even my friends knew, at that age, that if they saw me with a book in my hand that I wasn't going to be interested in playing until that book was finished. I've always been the type to read at least 2 books at a time - if not more. Currently, I am reading Wuthering Heights, Holly's Inbox, and The View From Saturday. A classic which requires lots of thought, a chick lit novel, and a children's book. I used to read a Goosebumps and a Babysitter's Club book at the same time, and sometimes a Sweet Valley book.

That being said, you'd think that I would loveeeeee literature classes, or even just plain English classes for that matter.

But I have a confession for you, dear readers. I HATE LITERATURE CLASSES. I've never understood why. I enjoy them to an extent - reading the books, discussing them, what I liked, what I didn't like, but then it would come time to right a paper, or take a test on it, and I would despise it.**

And I've finally realized why: I am completely hedonistic in my love of reading. I read for the pleasure of reading. Not to learn something new, not to expand my mind, not to dissect a book apart until it makes sense. I enjoy reading simply for the love of doing so.

I don't want to analyze books for their symbols, or their themes.*** I simply want to read the story for my enjoyment, and then share it with other people.

I want to read damn it, just for the fun of it. No strings attached.

Kind of like the way a nympho likes sex. Just for the fun of it.****

* She refused to buy me books, but that didn't stop everyone else from doing so. Or from taking me to the library 2-4 times a week, if not more.
**And for the record, I usually enjoy writing papers.
***This could also explain why I despise most poetry.
****If I'm comparing books to sex, maybe I do have a *slight* problem.

Monday, December 14, 2009

Sunday Smiles (15 Minutes late)

1) Leopard print rain boots
2) Rediscovering your favorite childhood books
3) Glee's season finale
4) haircuts
5) toasty rooms.

Saturday, December 12, 2009

The Princess and the Frog

I took Hunter to see The Princess and the Frog last night, he's been begging my all week to see it, so I caved and took him. (because the word "SUCKER" is written across my forehead.) I was expecting to find it decent at best, not worthy of comparison to the Disney of my childhood.

I've usually got pretty good instincts, but this time I was wrong.

Disney has always had a special place in my heart. My first memory is going to see The Little Mermaid with my aunt - my first movie. Afterward, we went upstairs on the escalators and went to a store that had an indoor playground, and then a trip to McDonald's. The whole day felt magical. But when you are 3 years old, most days feel that way.

While The Princess and the Frog won't usurp The Little Mermaid, it will definitely find a place in my top 5 Disney movies.

After the movie, Hunter suckered me into a trip to Border's to get the book that goes with the movie. Again, because the word SUCKER is in big bold letters across my forehead.

Friday, December 4, 2009

Neglected

I've been neglecting my blog.

And I apologize for that.

I just haven't had much to say lately - and the moments when I do think I have something to say, I open this page and no words come to mind.

I've got bloggers block - like writers block, which i'm also suffering from. I gave up on my novel in the first week. Next year, next year, next year.

But even worse, I've been neglecting the blogs I read. and for that, I am sorry. I miss catching up on all the people who i've come to know through this screen. I miss hearing about their days and feeling like i'm known.

If only blackberries had a blogger app.