Sunday, February 8, 2009

Weekend Wrap-Up

I love doing these because it gives me a chance to write a bunch of random non sequiturs that aren't quite enough for a full post.

Within days of each other, both Riley's and Sylvia's glasses broke. They went a good year so I can't complain. Riley's glasses were broken during a ball game. Sylvia's died in a cheerleading accident. Is it any wonder that sports aren't my favorite thing? But alas, the incidents were timely, as they have their eye doctor's appts next week, and I do have high vision coverage so they'll both be able to get a new pair.

I wanted to respond to two of Dingo's comments from last week's entries. She's totally right, I change my response to the Interview question to the Internet. Also, I would be less appreciative of my job if my work environment wasn't so great, so I get that. I totally agree that bosses should not use the current economic environment to bully people. But that's just not the case where I work, nor is it the case for the people that were bitching about their job duties. I read on someone else's blog (sorry, can't remember whose) that some state employees are being bullied by their bosses to work on furlough days. That's completely wrong, and I wish those workers the best. In fact, hey, can we get a friggin' budget already so I can get my state tax refund?!? Oh, and Dingo is awesome.

We had a bit of a crisis last week. One morning, Riley turned on the tv and *gasp* there was no color!! It was Wed., the day of a new Lost...this just couldn't happen. After work, we went to Best Buy only to discover that any tvs that I could afford, I couldn't actually carry. Same at Target. I was feeling depressed and frustrated, so I threw money at the problem by ordering fast food for dinner. I was moaning through dinner about trying to move the tv from my bedroom to the living room (since we use that one more), when Sylvia had the bright idea to turn on the tv and just see...lo and behold, color!! I know the problem will probably reappear again, but I hope that it waits long enough for me to have the funds to deal with it. (See above concerning tax refund.)

Speaking of pop culture, I haven't yet spoken about the infamous octuplets. My feeling on the subject seems to be in the minority and in some ways, I haven't really wanted to get into it, but what the heck: I'll just say it.

You all know (or should know) that I'm pro-choice. To me, that means giving every woman the right to choose. This woman made her choice, plain and simple. I'm not ready to give that right to choose away to the government or the medical profession. Of course, it means that women will make mistakes. But I have to give them the same rights as I want for myself. As for my tax dollars, well, I pay for stuff I don't want to pay for all the time. The war in Iraq, W and Cheney's salary while they were in office, California's legislators and the Governator's salary, to name just a few...if paying for the social welfare of this mother and her babies is the price to pay for me and my daughters being able to make our own choices, that's worth something to me. All I can do at this point is to wish her and her children well.

Speaking of choices, I had to laugh at Sylvia's choice to pluck her eyebrows. OMG. She plucked from the top instead of the bottom. It hadn't occurred to me (and Sylvia hadn't said anything to me) that she was even considering such a thing until the deed was done. I was practically hysterical in my laughter. At first she was upset, but then she laughed with me and her sister.

And Riley was SO cute at the grocery store this weekend. We were picking up supplies for the class V-day party this week, and she kills me when she's excited about something. She doesn't jump up and down and go berserk, she just keeps talking and talking about it - a kind of Rainman effect. We'd picked up the candy, and had decided on red goody bags (original, I know). But the bags would be on the other side of the store. I'm not kidding, every. single. aisle. she talked about those bags! "We need red bags. Red bags. We're getting red bags." She wasn't whining or anything - just kept saying it.

As for me, I'm proud that I stuck to my decision to go work out on Friday - even though it was raining buckets at the time. But I did it. And I put together a schedule for myself for the month to continue doing it. Maybe, by the time the color does go out on the tv, I WILL be strong enough to carry it!

13 comments:

Tara R. said...

I haven't put much thought into the whole octuplet thing either. My biggest concern is for the welfare of the kids. Not whether the mom had the right to have that many children, but whether by doing so she put all of them in a situation that is not healthy, physically or mentally. (And I'm not saying families with lots of children are unhealthy) Having so many kids should be more of a conscience decision about how to best care for your kids, than just the fact you want them.

April said...

Tara, I see your point, I do. But all of us, as women, as mothers, need to be trusted to make that decision for our children. The only other option is to leave the decision to someone else. As the mother, she will bear the brunt of her decision.

Anonymous said...

The octuplet things drives me crazy. You know I am pro-choice. It doesn't mean that I can't say that from everything I've read about this woman's mental, emotional, and financial state, that this choice was irresponsible and her doctor's actions were unethical. I don't believe it's the mother who will bear the brunt of her decision, however. I think it will be the children.

BUT, on a brighter note, I am so glad that you do like your job. I also understand what you are saying when you discuss the type of co-workers you have. There's the average over the water cooler remarks that many people make but are really just comments on a certain event and are often used as a bonding experience between co-workers. Then, there's the type of situation you describe. Ugh. You just want to wear a sign that says, "Don't want to hear it!"

Are you going to let Riley and Sylvia pick their own glasses? Do you think they'll go traditional or get something funky?

won said...

The glasses timing took me back to a time we had back-to-back trips to the emergency room. Two consecutive days. Two different accidents. Two different children stitched up.

Kinda surpised Protective Services never came on that one...lol!

Back to Riley and Sylvia...kinda cool for them. New glasses are always something to look forward to, aren't they? (Maybe ones to hide the plucked eyebrows??)

FreedomFirst said...

Two points on the octuplets:

#1 - She is living with her parents. That means she's forcing her "choice" on others. Taxes aside. And yes, I'm with you on the all the stuff we pay for that we shouldn't.

#2 - Pregnancy and childbirth are a right, but in vitro is not. She isn't exercising a right. She's making babies for other people to raise. I don't care if you're Superwoman, you cannot raise 14 children alone. She's a burden to SOMEONE, emotionally and physically as well as financially.

I really hope she finds herself shut out of further in vitros. If she wants another baby after this, she should have to suck it up and do it the old-fashioned way, give up some of that control, and accept that she can't just breed herself a pack of clones. Right now she's being selfish. And personally, I think she has mental problems. JMO. I hope those kids don't wind up dead in a bathtub when her parents die.

And on that lovely note - umm - good luck with the girls' glasses and the TV! Lol.

Shiona said...

My biggest thing with the whole octuplet thing is the children also. I've said too mich already.

Wow that is a long time for glasses to last. I remember in high school I would break mine every 6 months. Kind of on purpose so I could get contacts.

Hope your TV holds out until refund time.

April said...

I knew better than to touch this :)

Look, I'm not saying I don't worry about the children, too, or even the mother. This is NOT a choice I would've made under any circumstances.

But it's what it comes down to in the end. I think most people would agree that our government should not act like China and limit how many kids we have so these are the consequences of freedom.

Anonymous said...

My main problem with the octuplet issue is the carelessness with how some doctors treat reproductive medicine.

EIGHT EMBRYOS?? (It was embryos, right?)

C'mon.

Also, I think the mother is looney tunes. She is a single mom, living with her parents, what the heck is she doing having more kids? She is not self-sustaining and that's where my issue with her is. I can tell you that I would certainly NOT have eight embryos implanted in me just because of my own, selfish desires (and yes, I want more kids).

Every child is a blessing, but I don't see how every child can possibly get the love and affection they need in such a large, close in age, family. (I've often wondered about the Duggars, too,)

That said, I do agree with the main point of your opinion. I'm not so much worried about the tab the government will have to pick up. I'm worried about the lengths at which people will go to fulfill their desires and the doctors who will take their money without a second thought.

Anonymous said...

Oh, and I'm picturing the whole tweezing the eyebrows thing in my head? Is she penciling them in now? How funny!

Kori said...

I am just going to avoid the whole octuplets thing since you know how I feel. 'Nuff said. Loved the Rain Man reference. And yeah, thanks for reminding me about the whole valentines day party at school thing. Shit.

FreedomFirst said...

Just to clarify, I don't think the government should step in and take her children. I just think she's a selfish, immature little B---- and I despise her. But at the risk of starting more controversy here, I would say that I don't think doctors should be performing in vitros on single, unattached women who live with their parents, ESPECIALLY when they already have children. That's something that shouldn't even need a law; the doc should have that much plain common sense.

It isn't the one act of having octuplets in her situation that's repugnant. It's the pattern. Her pattern appears to be someone who is not a loving mother, but is merely obsessed with infants. And like the irresponsible pet owners who dump the adorable little kitten when it inevitably becomes a cat, I think this woman is dumping her kids on her parents when they no longer fulfill her desire for an infant, and literally buying a new one to replace them. It's downright sick.

Anonymous said...

I have mixed feelings about the whole octuplet controversy. Yep..I'm pro-choice, yep..children are a blessing, but, 6 embryos were implanted, therefore to me it wasn't an "oh I'm pregnant' kind of surprise AND she already has 6 children. As a single mother of only 1, I know that having 14 children would kill me because I couldn't give them all the attention I know that they are going to crave...anyways...enough of that.

Your girls are precious, and GREAT JOB getting yourself out to the gym!

Anonymous said...

I kind of think that FreedomFirst said what I was thinking...the DOCTOR needs to have his license revoked (he can do a world of good JUST doing his research on fertility issues...no more in vitro procedures for him); he also needs to be reviewed and censured by the appropriate ethics board.

As for her, here is where I get radical. There is clearly something mentally unstable in this woman. I think she should be sterilized so that she CANNOT, under any circumstances, have more children. Yep, I really do feel that way. What she has done TO THOSE CHILDREN is abhorent...she has been unable to take care of the six she already has..14 is clearly impossible. It has NOTHING to do with money and welfare, etc. We can't blame the poor children for the insanity of their mother. We can, as a responsible society , make sure she can't have another litter. Disgusting way to put it, yes, but, that is exactly what she and her unethical physician did...

I feel very, very sad for all 14 of those precious children...I hope they really do have a chance someday.

Oh, and classic eyebrow saga...I LOVE IT!