Dear Sweet Jesus

I found this: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/austria_captive_daughter when I was checking out the news this morning.
This vile creature re: pedophile, began molesting his daughter when she was eleven years old. When she was eighteen, he drugged her, bound her, and locked her in a basement cell for 24 YEARS!! Fathered seven, yes, SEVEN children upon his daughter, and when one of the children died in infancy, he tossed the poor thing into an incinerator. Three of the other children, the eldest age 19, the youngest 5, have NEVER SEEN THE LIGHT OF DAY!
Now, horrible, terrible, evil as this entire situation is; one thing stands out to me.
It is stated that this evil being faces FIFTEEN years in prison if convicted. FIFTEEN YEARS!?!?!? He held her prisoner, repeatedly raping her for over 24 years!
How in the name of all that is holy do we think we can EVER halt violence against women and children if the so-called Justice System is so fricking scewed?!
Quick, somebody give me a helmet! I swear my head is going to explode!

My other son is a genius too!

So, as it says on my sidebar, I have two sons. J is 18 and D is 16. They are both great young men, but sometimes the strange ways their minds work just confuses me to no end. Guys just are not logical.
Let me explain:
Monday I was home sick, and had just lay down on my bed to try to rest a bit when my phone rang. It was the school calling.
"Hello, this is L from _________ School calling"
"Hi L! What's up?"
"Well, I was calling to see if J is with you?"
I was confused. J and D had hopped in J's truck at the normal time this morning, headed off to school.
"Umm, noo, he is there at school, with you" I replied.
"I think I need to explain the situation here for you" she said. "A little while ago, a woman called here, said she was J's mom, was stranded with a flat tire at Wal-Mart, and needed him to come help her get her car going again".
(I have to admit, I was insulted. I would NOT call my son out of school to come change a flat tire for me! I would cuss, kick said flat, jump around holding my sore toe for a few moments, then change the damn tire myself! Plus, I don't shop at Wal-Mart - they don't double coupons.)
Anyway, L continues on with her story...
"Well, I called J down to the office, and told him that you needed him to meet you a Wal-mart, had him sign out, and he left. When I looked out the window, I saw him leaving in a truck with his friends J, P, and A. Just a couple of minutes later, a guy called, said he was J's step-father, and had made a doctor appointment for J, and needed him to leave school and meet him at home to go to the appointment".
All his life, whenever J tries to do something sneaky, I bust him out. You would think he would learn. I just shook my head, eyes closed in frustration as I listened in disbelief to the tale of his inept attempt to skip school.
"Thanks for clueing me in L, give me a few minutes to get hold of him, and I will send him back to school". I said this in a very resigned voice. My sons are brain surgeons in the making, I tell you.
So, knowing my son as I do, I sent him a text message "Hey". (He often texts me from school, so I knew he would suspect nothing)
He sends back "what's up".
I reply... CALL ME RIGHT NOW!.
I tell you, I could literally hear him saying "oh shit...busted" to his buddies.
I waited a few minutes. No call. So, I called him. And he answered!
"J" says I, in my calm, quiet voice that generally scares the crap out of anyone hearing it because it means MOM IS VERY ANGRY. "Where are you?"
"ummm" he replies in his own special way.
"Get your butt BACK in school RIGHT NOW! Then come home immediately after school so I can kill you!"
He says "I'm busted right? How did you find out?"
"You goofball, if you are gonna try to use your parents to skip out of school, don't have TWO people call in with TWO different stories to get you out!"
His response?
"Mom, you have to admit, it was a good plan except for the miscommunication! I asked one person to do it, and she said no, so I asked another friend who was gonna do it for me. I guess my friend decided to do it anyway".

You know what scares me the most? In a little more than a month, this brilliant, wonderful boy will graduate and move out on his own. He will not survive out there. He is going to end up moving back in with us, and staying FOREVER!
A brain surgeon I tell you!

Sad, Sick and Screwed Up World

By way of Xavier, we caught this news article that made me really sad. Pippa Bacca a performance artist attempting to spread a message of peace, was found raped and strangled, her body dumped on the side of a road.
Every day, I, and thousands of others the world around, work to stop the spread of violence against women.
Unfortunately, for every one of US out there, there are probably five scumbags for whom life has no value. They think only of their own sick, perverse desires and will do whatever it takes to get what they want, no matter who is broken, killed or destroyed spiritually.
I can't tell you how many times I have been asked "how can you do that work? How can you deal with that trauma day after day?" by people after I explain what I do.
My response is this: How can I NOT do what I do?
I guess a little background is needed here.
I am a survivor of incest and child sexual abuse at the hands of my father for the first half of my life. I have always felt that the word "abuse" is much too tame and gentle a word. It does not come close to describing the destruction one person can cause to another.
So, having come through, having survived, how can I not use my experiences to help those who are newly victimized?
What would my life be worth if I just buried what had been done to me and ignored what is being done to other women, girls, and yes, men and boys by the same type of scumbag that destroyed my life?
It is not something I can turn my back on, nor pretend it does not exist. Can you?

If you appreciate what our soldiers have done for you...

Quickly, before I have to get back to packing & cleaning:
If you appreciate what our soldiers have done, make sure you know how to say "Thank You" no matter where you are, where you see them, or what you are doing when you see them.
Go here: http://www.gratitudecampaign.org/fullmovie.php to learn the sign.
Thanks go out to Morning Glory for the link!

Gotta get ready

see more crazy cat pics



Real Estate Agent coming to the house Monday to take pictures... must chase down all the dust bunnies that have accumulated! Have a great weekend all!

People should have to have a license to reproduce

Now, you all who have read previous posts know that I work with victims of sexual violence. But, I also deal with domestic violence (since the two seem to go hand in hand) and child abuse on occasion.
The past two days I have dealt with two child abuse issues. The first was a teen who had been sexually abused by a family members boyfriend for two years. When mom found out, she took the right steps and immediately reported said scumbag and sought help for her daughter. YAY mom! I love the parents who support their kids who have been harmed. I can say that reporting takes huge guts, courage and determination. Families are literally torn apart when allegations of sexual abuse are brought to light. So I give this woman huge kudos for standing up and being a voice for her daughter.
Then, you have the parents who either:
Don't believe kid...
Keep the abuse secret....
or...
BLAME the kid!
I firmly believe that there is a very special corner in Hell for these parents.
This poor kid is standing in front of you, the one person on the planet that they are supposed to be able to trust and be safe with, and you won't help them??!! WTF??!!
I have said before, and nothing has ever changed my mind;
Some people should be neutered at birth. Some people should just NOT be allowed to breed.
End of rant.

New Favorite Song

I was reading some of Abby's past posts, and found this link: http://www.iraq-songs.com/
This is a site at which you can buy a CD of music that was written, performed and recorded by our soldiers in Iraq. "Iraq Unplugged" is awesome. Some of the songs made me really think about what our men and women in service miss out on, and what they go through. Some of it made me laugh out loud... I think I have a new favorite song folks: "Mortaritaville" and you can hear it by clicking on the link above.
Give it a try... if you like it, support a servicemember and buy the CD!

Remembering

Bayou Renaissance Man remembers Bergen-Belsen.
http://bayourenaissanceman.blogspot.com/2008/04/remembering-bergen-belsen.html
Check it out.
Then thank those who have stood between us and a similar fate.

In a quandary

I am in a quandary here folks. I don't know who to vote for.
I tend not to agree with either party most of the time, and actually spent the last half of last year desperately hoping Michael Bloomburg would run for president, so that I would have someone with at least half a brain to vote for.
Just so you know, I tend to be Conservatively Liberal. Frustrating, I know. And, frankly a bit nerve making since I am moving to what is quite possibly the most conservative state in the nation. (And I felt out of place in Ohio!)
Anyway.
YES, I am a tree-hugger. Of sorts. I think saving the environment is important. HOWEVER... I DO think we need to open up the Alaskan Oil Fields for drilling. The critters will learn to deal and adapt. Really. We truly need to get FAR away from Mid-east Oil. If that will help us.. then I say GO FOR IT.
YES, I think gays should have the same rights as married couples as we do. I do not feel that exposing children to alternative lifestyles is going to corrupt their little minds. People are people, and love is love. What people do with their lives, as long as it does not harm others, is between them and God, and is really not my business.
I personally do not believe in abortion. But, I would not have the audacity to tell another woman that she could not have one simply because I don't believe in it. I do not, however, believe that late term abortion should be legal in any way.
I am for the death penalty in cases of proven murder, rape and severe child abuse.
I believe that law abiding citizens should have the right, always, to bear arms and to defend themselves and their families.
I support our soldiers unequivocally. My husband was Army for six years. As far as I am concerned, for the most part, they are the bravest men and women in the world and are standing between Americans and the terrorists. (Then there are the idiot soldiers who toss puppies off cliffs - http://www.tosspuppy.com/)
But, in general, they are great people standing for America.
I don't feel that we should have gone to war in Iraq. America should not be the world's policemen. However, since we DID go to war, we need to stay and finish the job, and do it right.

I know... sometimes I even confuse myself with the wanderings of my mind.
But, as far as how to vote in this election... I have NO clue. Hilary is (for a highly intelligent woman) a complete idiot. Obama is just scary. And John McCain... well... just the thought of yet another Republican in office is enough to make my blood run cold. Our country will bankrupt itself if that happens. We will be back to breadlines.
I really really wish Bloomburg had run.
If you have any cogent theories to share, feel free. I could use the help making up my mind.

I am amazed I ever found any!

So, this afternoon I went to blogger and decided to look around a bit, trying to find some interesting new blogs to read. I have several that I keep up with regularly, and thought I would find some new ones to add to my list.
I went to my blog page, then hit "next blog". Amazingly enough, I ended up clicking "next blog" at least 40 times before I found one in English! I felt like I was wandering lost around the Tower of Babel!
Are there so few English speaking people left then?
Fairly discouraging, I must say.

Fairly random note; we got the final word from wonderful hubby's company today, and YES, they will be transferring him to Texas! We will be moving in June. Now if I could just find a house...

Ok, I'm Done, I promise!

Ok. To all three of you who have read this blog, I am DONE changing my layout. I promise! It took me a minute to find a layout that I actually like, so I tested several for a couple days each. I'm sure you understand.
Wonderful hubby uploaded this layout that I found on Pyzam.com for me, and I love it!
He is so awesome.
Anyway, I figure that I really like this, so it SHOULD stay this way for at least a little while.
Smile & have a happy Sunday!

Guess I Belong

Guess I belong in the 1970's.
Get down with my bad, protestin' self!
Where do you belong? Find out here:

http://www.blogthings.com/whatyeardoyoubelonginquiz/

Now What?

Okay, so we flew to Texas a couple weeks ago and did a marathon home search. I think we looked at between 15-20 houses in two days. We found two that were pretty much what we were looking for. We put an offer on our favorite. Someone beat us to it. We put an offer on #2. Offer accepted. YAY! Financing agent says sure. YAY again! Pay $200 for an inspector to go out and do his thing. Inspection report comes back, and the foundation needs work. (Apparently, foundations are quite the issue in Texas)
Anyway, it needs $2500 in repairs, and we cannot get financed without the repairs being done or the price being reduced by said amount.
So, we resubmit our offer, including the needed changes. No Go. So... offer withdrawn. No house. Sad face.
So now we start the whole process all over again. Only problem is, we are 1,000 miles away! Grrr. We certainly cannot afford to keep flying down there to look at houses. So now, I am searching online for houses and let me tell you... trying to do a home search online is a great way to start, but actually getting an idea of the condition of a property from those tiny, grainy pictures is next to impossible!
Anyone have a small private jet they are willing to let us borrow for a quick weekend jaunt?

He's Home!

HUBBY'S HOME!! YAYYY.. **booty shake**
Ok...
Gonna go play. Have a happy day!

It was one of those days

Today was one of those days that make you want to pull your hair out by the roots, then bash your bald head repeatedly into the nearest solid object. Preferably a wall.
Firstly, regardless of the rather large stack of work waiting for my attention today, I had to leave after only half a day because with all the events we have going on for SAAM, (Sexual Assault Awareness Month) I have racked up enough comp. hours this week alone to take off a day and a half sometime real soon. Hmmm... Monday and Tuesday perhaps? Nahh, I'll save them for AFTER this month is over and I am reeling from exhaustion.
Anyway...
The deal on the house we were hoping to purchase in TX fell through today. Sad face. Our agent emailed me some documents that needed to be signed and sent back TODAY. No problem, right?
Yeah.
So. I get home, open my email and download the documents. Then hit "print". Nothing happened. "This document failed to print". No shit sherlock! For whatever reason, my printer is no longer recognizing my PC. yay. So, I go to hubby's PC and do the entire process over again. It prints out just ducky. Good to go. Get the papers signed, put them in my scanner to upload them for emailing. Nothing happened. I didn't even get an error message. Nothing.
Grrrr.
Well, the documents have to be back in the agent's hands before the close of business today. So, I hopped in my car and ran down to the library to get them faxed. "Sure, V, we can fax those for you at $1 per page!" says the perky library gal. A DOLLAR per page! Egads! Ok, fine, I need them sent.
Perky library gal loads them into the fax, punches in the number, page one sends, page two gets halfway into the fax... then stops. And nothing happens.
Unable to figure out the problem, perky library gal refers me to the bank across the street. I dodge farmer john's truck and run across to the bank. "Sure, we can fax those for you... no problem" so I hand over the documents, she runs them through the fax no problem.
However, by this time, I trust nothing and no one so, I call the agent. "hmm.. let me check. Nope, nothing in the fax. Did you send them to 214-***-****?" Yep. "Hmm.. Strange"
So.
I run back to the library where perky library gal informs me that the fax is once again working just fine. I hand over the papers yet AGAIN. She loads them into the fax, punches the number in and ... yep, you guessed it. Nothing!
By this time, I am a raving loon.
"Do you perchance have a scanner?" asked I, in my calmest, I'm about to go postal voice.
"Yes, but I don't know how to use it" replies perky library gal.
"I do, I do! Please, please, please let me use your scanner" I think there might even have been a tear tossed in with the begging. I know... pathetic. But, what can ya do?
So, she takes me back to the office, I get the papers scanned, attached them to an email and away they went. Finally.
It's a conspiracy, I am sure of it. Machines hate me.
Come to think of it... I'm not to fond of them at the moment.
Anybody remember that Stephen King movie where all the machines went nuts? "Maximum Overdrive" I think it was called. Seriously grade B movie with Emilio Estevez in it? I swear I heard that fax machine snicker.

So... My Day Began With...

All my life, I have had this irrational fear of spiders. Big ones, tiny ones, I don't care... I see a spider, my eyes bug out, my heart jumps into my throat, my body freezes and I hyperventilate. I then scream bloody murder for a husband, a son, a dog, I don't care, someone come save me from this vile evilness! Every time. Could it have anything to do with my evil older brothers ripping the legs off spiders and throwing the bodies on me when I was a young girl? Ya Think?! Brothers are EVIL.
Anyway.
This morning, as I was getting ready for work, I walked out of my home office and there it was, bold as you please on the arm of the sofa. The BIGGEST Wolf Spider I have EVER seen in my life. "Come on baby, I DARE you to try to walk past me" I swear, I heard it give an evil chuckle.
Now, as I mentioned in an earlier post, my husband is out of town on business. My sons had left for school, and the damn dogs were outside, happily frolicking in the grass, leaving me all alone with this monster of immense proportions. I froze.
"ok.... ok..... ok....ok.... ummm.... ok. oh god." I stood and chanted. I could not move, except my eyes, which were frantically searching the room for something, anything with which to rid the world of the beast set to devour small children and unsuspecting arachnophobes.
The only thing within arms reach was the vacuum. The only truly nice appliance I own. We have a Dyson... and after two or three years, it has never once clogged. Ever. I love my Dyson. Anyway. It was the only thing within reach, as I mentioned.
Slowly, sooo slowly so as to not disturb the beast and cause it to hide out until I fell asleep tonight, when it would have the perfect opportunity to climb into bed with me and devour my face while I slept, I reached over and grabbed the long wand attachment. (anyone who owns a dyson, knows that you don't just attach the wand, there is a bit of a process to it, which on a normal day, is no big deal)
I finally got the wand attached, then froze again as the spider moved a bit.
After making sure it was done for the moment, I slowly reached over and switched on the vacuum, and slooowwly approached the sofa, wand extended as far as my arms will reach to ensure that NO spider yuckiness gets anywhere near me; I chanted "don't you move, don't you move" over and over under my breath, then literally jumped forward three feet and sucked it up in the vacuum!
I then flung my beloved dyson from me, shuddered and shook for about five minutes then called my husband (who is in Tampa, two hours flight away) and snarked at him for making me kill my own spider.
So, now I have a huge spider INSIDE my vacuum, and you can bet your ass it won't be ME that empties it out!

My Son, The Total Doofus

So tonight I had grand plans after work. I was going to make dinner for the kiddos, (hubby is out of town for business this week), then I was going to continue with the oh so fun project of removing layers of old wallpaper from the walls of one of the bedrooms.
As I mentioned previously, we are moving to Texas this summer, and since our current house is 108 years old, YES, REALLY!, there is much that needs to be done to prep it for sale. Anyway... I was going to peel wallpaper.
Instead, my 16 year old future brain surgeon comes into the kitchen as I am cooking dinner with a SOCK wrapped around the middle finger of his left hand. "Ummm, Son?" says I.
"Yes, mom?" says the future brain surgeon.
"Why is there a sock around your finger?" (secretly pretty sure of the answer, but, optimist that I am, hoping for the best, silly me!)
"Welllll... I was bored, cuz my computer is not working." sez he.
"And?" queries I, with one eyebrow quickly making its way up into my hairline. "Well, I was cutting something with my hunting knife and it kinda slipped".
So, instead of an exciting evening of peeling wallpaper, I got to make yet ANOTHER trip to the ER for the cleansing and suturing of a wound on my sons person.
I can't tell you how many times I have said to this boy as he leaves the house "Have a good time, but don't break yourself! I am busy today, and am NOT taking anyone to the hospital!" This kid has made more trips to the ER in his 16 years than I have in 40! Unreal.
You just wait until I get my hands on my brother that provided my accident prone teenager with a Buck Knife.
Oh, by the way... I requested that they give my son a Tetanus shot. It had been a few years since he last had one, and I figure, anyone dumbass enough to play with a flippin' Buck Knife deserves at the least a tetanus shot.

My Head Spun Around On My Shoulders Today, Then Exploded

I was sent this link http://www.salon.com/mwt/broadsheet/2008/04/02/brits/index.html today.
I swear, my head spun round on my shoulders, I swallowed my tongue, and I believe my head exploded for good measure!
This "person", and I use the term extremely loosely, The British National Party's London leader, Nick Eriksen compares rape to a woman being force fed chocolate cake! and says "To suggest that rape, when conducted without violence, is a serious crime is like suggesting that force feeding a woman chocolate cake is a heinous offence." and "Women enjoy sex, so rape cannot be such a terrible physical ordeal."
OH. MY. BLEEDING. LORD.
I am literally quivering with rage.
Let me know what you think.

Well, I've Done It

So. Today was both happy and sad. At one point, I was actually laughing and crying at the same time. We found out today that the people accepted the offer we made on a house in the Lonestar State and we close in May.
I also, in preparation for the move and to give them time to find a replacement, turned in my resignation at the most amazing job I have ever worked. June 20th will be my final day. Hence, the both happy and sad.
How many people out there can honestly say that they look forward to going to work in the morning? I do. I love my job. I love knowing that every day that I go to work, I touch someone's life in a positive way. I help people. That's what I do. It's who I am.
For example; I was the opening speaker at a "Take Back The Night" event last week. I found out that I was the opening speaker about ten minutes before I stood before the mic and had zero time to prepare anything. I guess that's why it came straight from my heart. Several days later, I happened to be speaking with one of my volunteers who is a senior at the university where the event took place. She told me that at least three others found the courage to stand up and speak about the atrocities they had been subjected to, because of my speech. How powerful is that?
It began thusly;
"Hello everyone, it is wonderful to see so many of you here tonite, willing to stand up to resolve violence against women. My name is_________ and I am the Volunteer Recruiter for ________ Crisis Center. But, before I began work for ________, I was a victim. At the age of four, I was taught the proper way to perform oral sex by my teenage male babysitter. I thought it was a game. He was nice, and I really liked him. He took me places, brought me little presents. I did not know there was anything wrong with what he was doing, and so, I never told anyone. I was ten the first time my father molested me...".
I has taken me 20 years to be able to speak comfortably, without shame, about the horrors I suffered at the hands of my father. Now, I use my life experiences to help other rape and incest survivors.
The bastard DID NOT WIN! I am stronger than he.
So... now all I have to do is locate a rape crisis center in or near our new town that is looking for an awesome Volunteer Recruiter...
Piece of cake.