ModestGeniusXL

Starting Anew

When I first started this online journal, I prided myself on being able to relay all of the different facets of my life out here.  That meant that I often I would delve into the personal aspects as well.  The main reason for that was so friends and family that I don't see often could still stay in touch with what is going on with me and mine.  Yet I always knew where to draw the line.  Usually.

It just so happens that I found most of my best writing comes from when I have experienced some type of drama.  The reason is pretty obvious:  my writing is how I relieve my stress.  I may not always handle conflict the best at the moment, but once it has passed, I find that my scribing talents become somewhat enhanced.  Maybe that's some strange mutant power that I have.

This week has been no different on both accounts.  Something personal occurred that I feel like sharing and there was drama that inspired me to start journaling.  That could also be the reason why it's 2am and I can't sleep.  My fingers were anxiously waiting to get back to the keyboard to share yet another event that led to a life-changing course.

No matter what certain people may say, I am confident that things started getting progressively worse when a certain Leech was inserted into the equation.  A certain Virus.  A certain Cancer.  A certain, excuse my vernacular for a second, self-proclaimed bitch.  As much as I hate that word, it was a term the individual used herself, and unfortunately, it just so happens to fit.

You see, there are some individuals who have such low self-esteem that they only way they can feel good about themselves is to bring others down.  They are not smart enough to carry an intelligent conversation so they find talking about others is a viable substitute.  You can try everything you can to counteract this by blocking out the negativity, but it does little good.  Especially when their own family members feed into the negativity as well as fueling it.  They encourage the behavior.  They relish it.  They enjoy reveling in it.

It's difficult to overcome that type of obstacle.  The main reason being that I was always raised with a different set of morals.  One of which was that if you don't have anything good to say to someone, don't say anything at all.  So when a Leech decides to spout off at the mouth about things she knows little about, I don't take the bait.  There's no sense in arguing with the uneducated when their only purpose is to bring you down to their level.

What immediately comes to mind is the age-old adage of the throwing stones from a glass house.  It just continues to crack me up that someone who can't take care of themselves wants to judge others.  That someone who can't formulate simple sentences without interjecting profanity feels it necessary to call someone else stupid.  That someone who smokes and drinks regularly (with the exception of a recent planned single-parent pregnancy) wants to talk about other people's bad habits. 

Something else the folks taught me that comes to mind is keeping family business in the family.  That means IMMEDIATE family.  When a couple is having issues, there is no reason for the anyone outside that couple to get involved.  Of course I'm not talking about something as obvious as physical abuse as that is an entirely different story.  I'm talking about simple disagreements.  Once one member of the couple decides it's okay to get other family and even friends involved, they have immediately doomed the relationship.

I guess I really didn't provide too much specific information, but that's still okay.  You are able to get the gist of what brought things to where they are now.  It gives enough insight for you to explain why my status has changed once again.  Maybe not legal yet on paper, but official enough to for me to consider it a done deal.  The best thing about the whole situation is those same "family" members will no longer be thorns in my side and/or problems that I have to deal with.

As far as I'm concerned, it's all for the better.  It makes me appreciate even more the little things like having such a great family that I have known all my life.  I have an even better understanding now of what real family values are and the values that a dysfunctional family bestows on their children.  I could say it was 7 years that I'll never get back, but that would be too much like Leech negativity.  Instead, I will admit that it was 7 years that taught me a valuable lesson.

Goodbye Bob('s Wife)

Not a good month for former television stars.  Of course the older I get, the more I can expect these folks from my childhood to start passing away.  Plus, the magical third of the "death comes in threes" was due pretty soon anyway. 

Suzanne Pleshette was best known as her role as Bob Newhart's wife on "The Bob Newhart Show".  I honestly only remember watching the show a few times.  My joint was always Newhart's second series "Newhart".  I do clearly remember her from the series finale on that show where she reprised her role as his wife in one the better final episodes of a television show.

Pleshette died in her Los Angeles home Saturday from respiratory failure.  She was 70-years-old.

Her husband Tom Poston had just died last year.  That could have had some bearing on her losing some of the will to fight her own health issues.  At least now they can both be together once again.

Rest in peace, Suzanne.

Icecapades...Iowa Games Style

This past weekend was the actual weekend for the infamous Iowa Games.  One of the several sports one could compete in was ice skating.  That was the sport in which D's sister Kendra was competing.

You may remember me talking about her expertise on the ice in an earlier post.  If not, I've conveniently located it for you here.  So she was no stranger to the Iowa Games herself with this being her second foray in it. 

I know I can't skate for jack, but it was still pretty interesting to see all those shorties do some pretty amazing stuff on the ice.  Not to mention that they were performing under pressure to see if they would place and in front of strange people.  I give them props for that.

Last year in the Iowa Games, Kendra took first; however, I don't know  how many categories she was in. This year, she took first, or the gold, in two of them and third in another.  D said the third place was because her timing was a little off, even though I couldn't tell.  Personally, I don't care what D says, that "little" Russian girl next to her who took second should have been checked for steroids.

On a side, sort of related note, check out the size of those medals!  And they actually had something on the front AND the back.  Winning those would genuinely make it seem like you did something worthwhile.  Back when I was in the Iowa Games, three years in a row they had little chincy things.  Check them out.  And I remember the year we got the silver, we thought it would at least be better than the previous years.  Nope.  I would venture to say it looked worse than the third place bronze.  Nice to know they wait to step up the awards after we stopped competing.  Good lookin' out, Iowa Games.

The Thorn In My Side

They say just as with driving, you should never write when mad.  Okay, maybe no one says that.  And they really shouldn't.  A lot of writers pen their best work when feeling highly emotional.  Not only that, the same way it can be a stress relief, it can also be a way to vent.  So allow me a few moments to do some venting.

What is it with high school girls today being such drama queens?  Were they like then when I was in school?  I really think I would have remembered that.  No, even if they were, they were nothing like the demon seed that we have staying with us.

I've tried my best to be as patient as I could for as long as I possibly could.  At least as much as I could for my personality.  But it continues to be one thing after another.

Specifics?  Where do I even start?  How about her constant exaggerations to make herself look like a little a martyr.  Ash goes running the streets with her little wanna be hoop squad boyfriend then comes home at 10 at night.  Everyone's sleep.  She rings the doorbell.  I wake up and let her in.  Days later, I find out from D that she tried to say she waited outside for 20 minutes while I sat there just watching tv.

Or how about the laziness factor?  She comes home from school, goes right to her room, turns the tv on and hops on the phone.  She used to get right on the computer but I squashed that by disconnecting internet to the other computer.  She refuses to do any chores because then she's suddenly Cinderella and she's overworked.  Even her own room stays filthy.  Couldn't you at least keep your own room clean?!

How about the triflin' factor?  She gets money from social security because of her dead dad.  It goes to her bank account and she spends it frugally on herself, her friends and Banana Face (that's the hoop squad guy again, for those that aren't keeping up).  She has had no drive to get a job.  She doesn't want to earn money; she wants it given to her.  A gold digger in training.

Not enough?  How about the disrespectful factor.  Whenever she's told to do something, the first thing she does is mouth of.  No regards for profanity either.  She also feels that she's somehow exempt from the rules of the house.  There's the adult rules and the children rules.  Yes, even at 17 you're still a child.

Naturally, I have to play the role of the big meanie and always be the authoritarian.  It doesn't help that D is so enamored with the idea of finally having another female in the house that she pretty much lets Ash do and say whatever she wants.  She's too interested in being her friend rather than her guardian.  Unfortunately, the behavior is beginning to rub off on Brandin and Zeke.  They're beginning to think that type of behavior is acceptable and I'm the only adult in the house to disprove that theory for them.

So I'm at the point now where she can't get out of this house soon enough for me.  I see now why her mom is in such a good mood when D visits.  Why wouldn't she be since she got rid of her biggest headache and it's now ours?  No wonder Ash thinks her room has demons.  It's her real brothers and sisters visiting trying to call her home.

Whew...I feel so much better.