Post-Christmas Blues, Pre New Year Gitter

   Well after the ‘Wham Bam Thank you … (insert name here)’ on –slaught of presents, cards and well wishes. Yes, I did my standard ‘and a happy new year’ or ‘Happy Yule’ style greeting. It’s now the time to look over the bounty of what I have received and to be thankful for all of it; yes, I mean all of it. Sure Aunt Harriet didn’t have to get me the size pants I wanted in the wrong size while she gave my brother a brand new headset with awesome stereo sound quality. Sure she might have spent more on him than me, and really a pair of pants isn’t something I truly wanted more like filler as in what else to ask for. She spent the time and patients to comb the racks for something that was close to my size. I am thankful for the gift now it’s going to save me at least thirty dollars when one of my work pants dies and I have to find a replacement in the next five minutes. 

                Ah, the pre-New Year gitters. I get the same question every year. “Sooooo, Junie! What are –YOU- doing for New Year’s?” My standard reply for the past ten years is “Gaming, watching the ball drop on TV and then leveling up some more.” I know hard core …. Not. 

                Truth is I don’t want to go out anywhere. I want to be at home watching reruns of Firefly, Sherlock, Dr. Who and other shows I’ve missed throughout the school term and level some characters for raiding. Sure I see the people having fun and having someone to kiss for New Years. Yes, I do kind of long for relationship again. But I’m not going to go all boo hoo on my lack of not having what I don’t need right now. 

                I find it’s easier to just enjoy the time with family and friends, not have to drive anywhere to drink and then possibly get pulled over for drinking and driving. Or the standard road block where they test EVERYONE to be safe and you get annoyed cause you haven’t been drinking and it’s a waste of time. (Deep breath and sigh)

                I’m hoping to go over to my brothers, have some lunch then come home to a small dinner and do what I do every year. Bunny is at her Dad’s and as much as I miss her; I know she’s spending time with him and building a relationship with him. So I’m content in my little island of gaming to pass the time until she comes home.

                And before you ask; I’m not looking nor am I trying to figure out how to improve me to get someone. I don’t mind the window shopping; it’s a nice little activity that helps me compile a list together. So if Mr. Right comes around; I can determine if he’s Mr. Right or Mr. Right now. 

                I’ve seen my ex bounce from woman to woman; and from what I hear there is always a betting board on how long his current marriage would last. I never wanted Bunny to see me bouncing from man to man to man. I wanted her to see that a mother can be strong, independent and yet be able to handle her own without ‘needing a man’. At Christmas, someone did ask me about dating and such. They wanted to know if I wanted one or was looking.

                “Sure I’d like to have a great relationship with a gentleman. I would like one that had a wonderful understanding between the two of us and that he accepted me for who I was and what I am.” Meaning, that as curvy as I am; sure I’m losing a pound or two; I still am a woman that has a strong personality, self-esteem and self-confidence that I will not be swayed easily into the mold he wants me to fit into. Sure I can play parts like as if I was improving on a stage; but that’s not –me-. I’ve dealt with enough losers that want to put me into a box; I’m declaring myself box free. 

                So! Off on to New Year’s resolutions. I always have a fail proof approach to them and always keep them. It’s an easy formula to learn and anyone can do it. I don’t make any. I enjoy looking at the New Year with the clean slate approach and crossed fingers hoping for the best. Indeed, I always hope. Well … I do have to toddle off now but I hope for you and your family as well as everyone out there that we all have a wonderful, happy, healthy and enjoyable new year. Oh god, 2014 mm mm let’s hope another World war doesn’t start this year. Sorry, history buff.

As Always,

Junie

Post-Christmas Blues, Pre New Year Gitter

           

Post-Christmas Blues, Pre New Year Gitter

              Well after the ‘Wham Bam Thank you … (insert name here)’ on –slaught of presents, cards and well wishes. Yes, I did my standard ‘and a happy new year’ or ‘Happy Yule’ style greeting. It’s now the time to look over the bounty of what I have received and to be thankful for all of it; yes, I mean all of it. Sure Aunt Harriet didn’t have to get me the size pants I wanted in the wrong size while she gave my brother a brand new headset with awesome stereo sound quality. Sure she might have spent more on him than me, and really a pair of pants isn’t something I truly wanted more like filler as in what else to ask for. She spent the time and patients to comb the racks for something that was close to my size. I am thankful for the gift now it’s going to save me at least thirty dollars when one of my work pants dies and I have to find a replacement in the next five minutes.

                Ah, the pre-New Year gitters. I get the same question every year. “Sooooo, Junie! What are –YOU- doing for New Year’s?” My standard reply for the past ten years is “Gaming, watching the ball drop on TV and then leveling up some more.” I know hard core …. Not.

                Truth is I don’t want to go out anywhere. I want to be at home watching reruns of Firefly, Sherlock, Dr. Who and other shows I’ve missed throughout the school term and level some characters for raiding. Sure I see the people having fun and having someone to kiss for New Years. Yes, I do kind of long for relationship again. But I’m not going to go all boo hoo on my lack of not having what I don’t need right now.

                I find it’s easier to just enjoy the time with family and friends, not have to drive anywhere to drink and then possibly get pulled over for drinking and driving. Or the standard road block where they test EVERYONE to be safe and you get annoyed cause you haven’t been drinking and it’s a waste of time. (Deep breath and sigh)

                I’m hoping to go over to my brothers, have some lunch then come home to a small dinner and do what I do every year. Bunny is at her Dad’s and as much as I miss her; I know she’s spending time with him and building a relationship with him. So I’m content in my little island of gaming to pass the time until she comes home.

                And before you ask; I’m not looking nor am I trying to figure out how to improve me to get someone. I don’t mind the window shopping; it’s a nice little activity that helps me compile a list together. So if Mr. Right comes around; I can determine if he’s Mr. Right or Mr. Right now.

                I’ve seen my ex bounce from woman to woman; and from what I hear there is always a betting board on how long his current marriage would last. I never wanted Bunny to see me bouncing from man to man to man. I wanted her to see that a mother can be strong, independent and yet be able to handle her own without ‘needing a man’. At Christmas, someone did ask me about dating and such. They wanted to know if I wanted one or was looking.

                “Sure I’d like to have a great relationship with a gentleman. I would like one that had a wonderful understanding between the two of us and that he accepted me for who I was and what I am.” Meaning, that as curvy as I am; sure I’m losing a pound or two; I still am a woman that has a strong personality, self-esteem and self-confidence that I will not be swayed easily into the mold he wants me to fit into. Sure I can play parts like as if I was improving on a stage; but that’s not –me-. I’ve dealt with enough losers that want to put me into a box; I’m declaring myself box free.

                So! Off on to New Year’s resolutions. I always have a fail proof approach to them and always keep them. It’s an easy formula to learn and anyone can do it. I don’t make any. I enjoy looking at the New Year with the clean slate approach and crossed fingers hoping for the best. Indeed, I always hope. Well … I do have to toddle off now but I hope for you and your family as well as everyone out there that we all have a wonderful, happy, healthy and enjoyable new year. Oh god, 2014 mm mm let’s hope another World war doesn’t start this year. Sorry, history buff.

As Always,

Junie

We wish you a Merry ... ah ...

                Season’s greetings! Yup it’s that time again where we wish everyone a ‘Fill in the blank’ holiday. In working two different retail jobs, I see so many things and I have to wonder how the hell we get along. Seriously!

                There are about five or six religious and ethnic holidays in the month of December and I find it strange that there is a ‘war’ on one of the holidays. I feel the need to wish everyone a happy holiday and not say Merry Christmas. I don’t know if the person I’m talking to is Christian or not and since we’re not a Christian nation (thank you, Thomas Jefferson for that one); I can’t help but feel awkward when I hear co-workers talking as if this month has their holiday in it and no one else’s.  I heard some of the ladies in the backroom talk about how they wish everyone a ‘Merry Christmas’ and it’s only right because it’s Christmas time. Well I’m not Christian and since this is actually around the time of the Winter Solstice (aka Yule). I don’t rely with ‘Merry Winter Solstice or Happy Yule’ since they don’t know what religion that is attached to.  Another lady at my other job didn’t say ‘Merry Christmas’ to a gentleman because he looked ‘Asian’ and those Middle Eastern people don’t celebrate Christmas. I had to step back a moment after that one and face palm. Yup! Right in the middle of lunch I had to face palm at her statement.  I really didn’t understand how one could think such a thing and yet consider themselves ‘Christian’.

                I would have hoped that in this day and age we have come to accept everyone for not just what they believe, but who they are and what they do to help society become the lovely and wonderful world that it can be. And yet we have ‘Duck Dynasty’ going on about those of alternative lifestyle choices and how the show might be canceled. I’m not a fan of the show and maybe saw it once if at all. I really wish reality TV. would go away not only does it show just how ignorant and rather socially inept we are but just how bigoted we have become.

                When I stream or am ‘on-line’ with people I talk about the game and other things related to the game. When I get the questions of social issues and such, I tend to be blunt with my statements yet still correct for someone that wants to inspire and not bring the hater-aide to the party. I just don’t really understand why people have to bring such things up due to its not fitting into the ‘observers’ accepted life style. If we had all had to fit into a box, I’d be rather scared as to what would be. Twenty or even thirty years ago; what I do didn’t exist. Hell being a Mom gaming and helping her child to learn to be independent and not go running around to find a husband is a radical idea.

                This term of school I did great and actually have a 3.5 gpa. Scary that I couldn’t do this in college the first time around but meh, it’s a great improvement. Next semester will be interesting and I hope that I can keep up with it all. YAY! Well sorry to have this be brief; have to get up in the morning for work. Oh boy!  Well besides all the blah, I hope that you have a great holiday and a wonderful New Year. I’m hoping that 2014 turns out to be a much better year than this one. As John Green said through Augustus Waters (The Fault In Our Stars) “I’m on a rollercoaster that only goes up.” I hope that your new year will be wonderful as well.

Have a wonderful and safe … and Merry BodhiChristkkah Yulewanza and a great New Year.

Junie

When Death takes the Brave and Strong

Two greats in the past week have died; Nelson Mandela and Edward ‘Babe’ Heffron.  It’s kind of odd that I’m writing this on December 7^th; I don’t know what I was doing because I wasn’t born yet on that day. My grandmothers, one American and the other Austrian both could tell you what was going on that day. My American grandmother had just gotten out of lunch and heard on the radio what had happened. My other grandmother had been going through the war for two almost three years by that point and to her it was another city that was bombed. She and others felt sorry for the U.S. but they had been going through bombings in their own city of Graz for a while by that point.

                Both men had fought for freedom in their own way; one through civil rights while the other went through a world war. Both were fighters and yet both were quiet men that kept a sense of self and understanding about them. They didn’t go on about their accomplishments; hell if it wasn’t for the Band of Brothers show or the book anyone would have known what Edward ‘Babe’ Heffron had done.

                I look at this and wonder what did we learn from these important men in our lives? Have we learned to be more humble, respectful and understanding about others and ourselves. Have we learned that we need to work together regardless of whom we are and our backgrounds for the common good? Have we been able to look at them and model our own lives after their own to show that we have a sense of solidarity with their own trials and tribulations?

                Sadly as I look at the world today, at our government and those that believe they are important I don’t see it. I don’t the lessons of the great people of our time being praised and revered for the youth to learn from. I see as we lose more and more of the older generations that were the silent pillars of strength and selflessness; the weaker, greedy and fragile we become.

                I know that we, you and I, were always on different pages at times about the social welfare of the county.  I won’t rehash twenty year conversations since I don’t remember some of it and I don’t want to misquote you. I wish that people would stop worrying about ‘what do I get from it’ and worry more about ‘what can I do to help’.

                This whole bullshit about health care, the canceling of food stamps and such; there are people that need that for their livelihood. We are supposed to be this great nation that gives and we can’t even give to our own people. We have to make them ‘work for it’; ‘struggle for it’ and even ‘beg for it’. Is that what we have come to? Is this what we have brought ourselves to?

                I’m not Christian and yet I give more than what I’ve seen others of that faith do. I’ve seen Christians deny money, care, food and other things because the person ‘deserved their fate’ do to ‘life choices’, ‘their sexual choices (not a choice really but that’s a different blog all together I should write)’, ‘the color of their skin’ to even ‘how they had their kids and if god is punishing them for their choice’. Really?! People are going to judge on this shit and then say they are a good Christian because they go to school and follow a book that was put together and published in 1068 C.E.? Wow!

                I guess what I’m saying through all of this is we really need to reflect on what is important. Are things important to us due to convenience or because they are morally and ethically correct for the world? As you know I don’t believe in a box, I wish others would learn to think out of their own boxes. Think of others more so than just themselves. Nelson spent twenty-seven years in jail because he wanted people to equal in South Africa. Did Edward think of himself when he went through the war fighting the Nazis? There has to be a sense of self but then a sense of what we are doing for each other and the greater good. I hope these two men rest in peace and from their example we become better humans to each other. 

Christmas Season Blues

                It’s that time of year again where everyone is in the ‘Its Christmas’ time and there is hardly a happy soul to be found in the stores. ‘It’s mine!” or “I HAD IT FIRST!!!” is cried out in the stores while I try to get presents under 20 dollars for the family. I know it’s not the gift but the thought that counts.

                Sure people will tell you that after being unemployed for two years; a single mom working two jobs, going to school and having a teenager for a child. YAY. I know that I can’t impress people with the gifts; nor with my non-expert cooking skills. It’s more of the wishing that I didn’t have to worry about balancing out what I can afford with the bills and how am I going to pay for books next semester.

                As I work my book store job; its rather easy and simple. Actually it’s a farkin’ god send to help me get away from the crazy that is my first job. My first job is at a café/bakery that happens to be quite popular. It’s there I question humanity in all its forms and ways.

                Many customers are nice and polite leaving and even cleaning up their messes. It’s the moms with kids and the play dates this time of year that leaving your schite all over the table for me to clean isn’t cool. Why? Well first off let me kill off that assumption that I’m getting paid to clean up that schite all over the table. Nope! Not a penny is spent for that. I’m not getting a thrill out of ‘customer service’ while getting some kid’s mac and Cheese off of the table that a mom happily smeared on there because the tray wasn’t good enough for their little Johnny. Ah, you do realize there are more bacteria on the table than on the tray right? Oh and we DO mind that we have to spend extra time cleaning that off because now I can’t handle the four or five other tables that need attention too. Thanks!

                Rearranging the tables for large groups when the large group table is empty; ah seriously what the fudge?! This isn’t your home, this isn’t your space and I have to move crap around so other customers can get around the tables you set up because you’ve created a fire hazard. Gratz. Thank you for making my job a bit harder than what it already is to ensure you can leave the place ok if a fire stars. And if anyone thinks washing dishes is easy; you’ve never washed dishes for a restaurant before. It’s a bitch and a half … really!

                To the overly bitchy woman that wants to put her coffee together at the coffee bar and can’t because our canters are too close to the edge; please put it together at your table. Nothing says like ‘I do not want to serve you’ more than you throwing your sugar packets at me and saying you’ll make your coffee at the register counter while making a huge mess and I have to spend about 20 to 30 minutes cleaning it up because –you- felt inconvenienced. It wasn’t my idea to put it there; please talk to management.

                To the creepy guys that complain about everything if it’s not to their standard of perfect and the watch you while you’re working on the dining room. You do not sign my paycheck and my manger is watching me as well. You don’t have to tell me every fudging spot I missed on the tables; then complain to the manager that you think you caught something by my poor cleaning habits. I’m not a maid nor under your micro-management.  Please go back to your job and keep your miserable life to yourself; I was perfectly happy before you had to say something. Oh and yes, I brewed more ice tea when I saw you walking in the door. I know, you can’t live without it and you’ll have a heart attack again if there isn’t any for you when you have your lunch. I don’t want you going all pale again while you’re yelling at me.

                To the overly annoyed customers that can’t handle babies crying, toddlers running around not supervised, little children throwing tantrums and the general existence of children; please don’t come here. Really! Most parents today are not your parents nor do they have the ideals you do. Whether or not I agree doesn’t matter; the children will be children. Parents will parent the way they think is correct. It’s a fudging family place to be so if you don’t like it; you know where the door is.

                I do like the holidays, and well the place I work at is a job that pays bills. Looking for another one right now is right out; it’s all seasonal and after the season is ended those jobs are dropped. So I’m kind of stuck where I am right now. I can’t complain, I have a job it pays and I have some money. The café/bakery has a great crew that helps the time go by fast and though it’s a work out I try to make the best of every day. Sure this sounds all bad and blah but really Mike, you can’t keep things bottled up inside. Got to let it out and just take a deep breath and go ahhhhhh; great next encounter.

                So what’s your holiday going to be like? I hope fun and festive. I’m hoping that this Xmas is at least relaxing after classes are done and I can just veg a bit. Well have a great night and write to you later.

Ho Ho Ho

Junie