Move Over Tricky Jim!

Took me an entire year, but I finally watch “An Inconvenient Truth” and I’m ready to do my part! Despite a clip showing Oklahoma Senator Jim Inhofe stating global warning is nothing but emotional hype, I’m naïve and optimistic enough to think I can actually “think green” in Oklahoma.

I wrote all the PC comments below first, but what I really want to say is:

I know why Tricky Jim thinks Global Warming is emotional hype. He represents a state mired in oil and beef, two of the major contributing factors to global warming. Fossil Fuel consumption is the #1 creator of greenhouse gases. Cows give off methane gas, the 2^nd major contributor of greenhouse gases, when they breathe, so the environmentalists encourage people to consume less meat.

I’m more than willing to do my part by taking the bus. The pass is $40 a month, the same amount of money I spend each WEEK driving back and forth to work. So, Charlie and I checked out the OKC Metro bus schedules. I’d have to catch the bus at 6:45 a.m. and I’d get to work at 7:45 a.m. Unfortunately, the bus leaves my office at 4:29 p.m. and I don’t get off until 4:30, so I wouldn’t get home until almost 6:00 every night. I’m not sure losing 2 hours a day using public transportation is worth the sacrifice of spending time with my family. Plus, the bus system isn’t reliable and I wouldn’t want to risk being late. When is Oklahoma going to get a train system? Can you imagine the convenience of a train between OKC and Tulsa?

I checked out the website for An Inconvenient Truth and looked up how I can help. Interesting list, but how feasible are these things in Oklahoma?

• Replace incandescent bulbs with CFL bulbs.
  
  • We’ve been doing this for awhile. Only problem with CFL’s is they don’t work with dimmer switches, but we don’t use dimmers.
• Set thermostat up 2 degrees in summer, 2 degrees down in winter.
  • We already do this. I set the programmable thermostat to 75 in summer, 68 in winter and remind Charlie to quit trying to run around half-dressed when its 32 degrees outside.
• Clean/Change filters on furnace and air conditioner.
  
  • The programmable thermostat reminds us to do this!
• Install a programmable thermostat.
  
  • Done. (Came with the house)
• Choose energy efficient appliances when making new purchases.
  
  • Yep, did this. Bought Energy Star compliant Kenmore appliances when we bought the new washer/dryer and frig a couple of years ago. The High-Efficiency washer is awesome! The tub is able to measure exactly how much water is needed for washing the load and doesn’t use more than it needs.
• Wrap your water heater in an insulation blanket.
  
  • I’ll send Charlie to the store this week to price some.
• Use less hot water. Install low flow showerhead.
  
  • Charlie said no way to the low flow thing so I’ll just have to shower faster huh?
• Use a clothesline instead of a dryer whenever possible.
  
  • In Oklahoma? I don’t think so. Maybe if I lived in Phoenix where clothes dry faster or something. They never quite get dry with the humidity being what it is in Oklahoma.
• Turn off electronic devices you’re not using.
  
  • For some reason every light in my house seems to be on even if we’re not in that room using it. Get this – Charlie used to leave the laundry room light on at night for the cat. Hello! Cats have better night vision than we do!
• Unplug electronics from the wall when you’re not using them.
  
  • Ok, maybe the phone charger, the boom box, the vacuum cleaner, etc. But, I’ll be damned if I’m gonna try to unplug the tv on a daily basis!
• Run your dishwasher only when there is a full load and use an energy-saving setting.
  
  • Is there a prize for cramming as much stuff in the dishwasher as possible? If, I win!
• Insulate and weatherize your home.
  
  • I think we need to look into this. I see areas around the house all the time that could use caulking or weatherstripping, especially the glass doors.
• Recycle at home.
  
  • Where do you put it? I guess another area to research, because I’m not familiar with OKC yet. Got a link for Earth 911, so I’ll check that out this week.
• Buy recycled paper products.
  
  • I used to order paper for an office and these actually cost more at the time. I just buy whatever is available.
• Plant a tree
  
  • I don’t think we can plant any more in our yard without screwing up the house foundation, utilities or the sidewalks, but I’m sure we can check with the Arbor Day Foundation about helping or donating money to plant some in other areas. I like the trees planted in the medians on the freeways etc.
• Get a home energy audit.
  
  • ONG called us one day to tell us our gas bill had spiked considerably. They came out to the house and discovered we had a leak in the valve going from the hot water tank, which we were able to fix ourselves. And they didn’t charge us a penny for the service.
• Switch to Green Power
  
  • OGE uses a wind farm to generate electricity for customers.

TO BE CONTINUED (the list is 6 pages long)

Simpsonized!

 

This afternoon we all went to see the new Simpsons movie. The movie was so self-explanatory, even I could figure out what was going on without captions and I thought it was hilarious. The Simpsons Movie was true Simpsons humor, everything we know and love to watch on TV, with the addition of a PG-13 rating. Yes, that means the movie is a little bit “naughtier” than the TV show. Not to be a spoiler, but flipping the bird, saying “Goddamn”, and a cartoon penis make this movie inappropriate for younger children. I was surprised to see the penis, but the way it was written into the movie was a riot. If you like The Simpsons on TV, you’ll enjoy The Simpsons Movie.

Get Simpsonized!

Even King Neptune Would Approve

Tonight on Hell’s Kitchen, both teams created three lobster dishes after catching and cooking the lobsters personally. Bonnie created an apple and lobster salad that Chef Ramsey preferred to Melissa’s citrus lobster salad because Melissa’s lobster was not cooked properly. Melissa even stated on camera prior to serving that her lobster was slightly raw. Julia prepared lobster risotto but it was no match for Rock’s lobster tempura. Both teams prepared lobster bisque for the third dish. Chef Ramsey declared a tie, but unfortunately one team has to lose, and Chef chose Jen’s lobster crab bisque with saffron and thyme over Brian’s version with cilantro (?).

The Red Team won a photo shoot with Chef Ramsey for the cover of “In Touch” magazine. The Blue Team got to sort recyclables. Rock was livid, declaring he would never ask his cooks to sort through trash. Then to rub salt in the wound, Chef Ramsey calls and asks for Rock to show up at the shoot to pick up the trash there.

Prior to dinner service, Chef Ramsey announces the addition of Bonnie’s Lobster Salad to the dinner menu and the Blue Team has to fetch lobsters all evening, even for the Red Team orders. Bonnie was so excited and proud, but perhaps she should have remembered that pride comes before a fall. While cooking the appetizers, the Red Team was on a roll; suddenly, Bonnie’s station goes up in flames and she has NO idea what to do!

Josh and Melissa on the Blue Team kept making one mistake after another, from screwed up appetizers to runny mashed potatoes. I know the pressure has got to be incredible on these people, but they claim to be professional chefs with years of fine-dining experience and should be able to make mashed potatoes! Last episode, the entire show focused on Melissa barking orders and bossing the women around. Now that she’s on the men’s team, she’s completely incompetent and kowtowing to Rock. Thanks to her ineptitude, the Blue Team is shut down for the evening.

Can you imagine being in a restaurant and suddenly the server comes to your table and says, “Sorry, the kitchen is now closed for the evening because our cooks suck so bad.”?

Melissa

Obviously, as a result of Chef Ramsey shutting down the Blue Team, one of their teammates faces elimination. Chef immediately orders Melissa to turn in her smock and get the <bleep> out of his kitchen. I expected her to leave tonight. But then he calls Josh and Brian up and wants to know why they should stay. After listening to what he considers their pathetic excuses, he allows both to stay.

Watching the show tonight was nowhere near as fun with Charlie out of town. We have fun screaming at the TV together and talking about the show while watching it. I’m sure he’s picturing me jumping up and down because Melissa is out! And then picturing me glowing with pride because Julia, the “little waffle house cook” is still on the show and outlasted several stronger competitors.

My predictions:

1. Josh will be eliminated next week.
2. The final showdown will be between Jen and Rock

Seriously, WTF? : Tweens accused of kidnapping baby

Just when you thought you’d heard it all, another story comes along that makes you say, “WTF? “

In Enid, Oklahoma early Thursday morning, two sisters ages 10 and 12 snuck into their neighbor’s home through an unlocked side door, gathered diapers, clothes, and a stroller then walked out with the neighbor’s one-year old son. Read the article in the Daily Oklahoman.

In this story, the mother of the two girls is quoted as saying, “…the case is being blown out of proportion.” And complains that her daughters are being held in custody, but drug dealers and sex offenders are released.

First of all, does this woman realize her children committed a felony?

Second, what kind of child kidnaps another child?

From the stories published by the Daily Oklahoman, this seems to be a classic case of parental neglect. Of course, I don’t know the whole story, but I would think if the police came to my house and told me my daughter was accused of kidnapping my neighbor’s son, I’d be doing some serious soul-searching.

But instead, this woman is playing the “blame game” so typical of parents these days. Instead of taking responsibility for their children’s actions, they find someone else to blame it on or deny their children even had anything to do with it. Despite the ten-year old being caught red-handed with the baby in her lap, the mother claims the older sister, who lives with her maternal grandmother, coerced the younger sister into committing this crime.

Obviously, someone didn’t explain the concept of right and wrong to these girls. Now they face the possibility of being incarcerated in the juvenile system. All the neighbors know what happened, and they aren’t going to trust these people ever again. I know I wouldn’t.

The Devil is a Dentist

It’s official. I never ever want to have another root canal as long as I live. That HURT. Not so much the actual root canal because that area was completely dull to pain, but my JAW was sore from the tools they put in my mouth to keep it open and hold the surgical latex in place. And the tooth was on the top so I had to lay with my head down for nearly an entire hour. My appointment was at 10. They took me in at 11 and gave me the Novocain (or whatever it is) shots at 11:15, then finally started the procedure at 11:30. I left at 1:15.

But poor Charlie had a deep cleaning and looked worse than I did. His bottom lip was swollen to 2x its normal size and he managed to bite it while it was numb. I came out of the dentist’s office and he had blood all over his mouth. I felt so sorry for him, but not enough to not laugh at him. (Bad Cathy)

We took off for Walgreens for my painkiller rx then to Braum’s for a milkshake for Charlie, then headed home and to bed for the rest of the day. I put on a pot of chili in the crock pot before we went to sleep off the effects of the dental work, so we had a nice dinner waiting for us when we woke up.

We’re fine except I still have to shake off the effects of all the Lortab and flexeril I took yesterday. My carpal tunnel was giving me trouble the night before so I took the flexeril before the root canal. I’m sure that’s the only reason I wasn’t screaming and crying during the procedure! I’m such a wuss!

Separated by Deafness

“Blindness separates us from things but deafness separates us from people” Helen Keller

I had to get a hearing test for SSI evaluation. I’m still deaf, just got deafer. (Is that a word?) Dr. McGee of Hough Institute said I have nerve deafness – no hope for me (like this is anything new). I asked if I was a candidate for cochlear implants and he said I should be in 10 years but not right now. I feel like I need to make the effort to get involved in organizations that provide services to people with hearing loss.

But, I’m not “Deaf” nor will I ever be. I wasn’t raised in the culture and don’t plan to join it anytime soon. (Capital D on the word Deaf implies Deaf culture – little d “deaf” is a level or hearing loss.) “Deaf” to me always seems to have this image of “not very bright” because their education is about a 6^th grade level. I have a college degree and if I can get my status back as fully disabled I’m going to go back to school. I know I keep saying this, and my health issues have gotten in the way, but it’s going to happen someday. I have to get DRS (Dept of Rehab Services) and SSI to certify me as disabled so I can get the assistance I need – mostly I need transcriptionists because I don’t sign as a first language.

“Forgive me when you see me draw back when I would have gladly mingled with you. My misfortune is doubly painful to me because I am bound to be misunderstood; for me there can be no relaxation with my fellow men, no refined conversations, no mutual exchange of ideas. I must live almost alone, like one who has been banished; I can mix with society only as much as true necessity demands. If I approach near to people a hot terror seizes upon me, and I fear being exposed to the danger that my condition might be noticed.” Ludwig van Beethoven

I guess I’m embarrassed to have such a severe hearing loss. It was always a “bad thing” while growing up. I don’t like anyone to know right away that I have a hearing loss because I don’t want them to treat me different. I like that they are surprised when they find out and that I’m relatively normal – just need to make sure I am looking at them when they talk to me and try not to talk superfast . The staff at the ear doctor’s office seemed inexperienced with a hearing loss. The audiologist talked way too fast for me. I had to remind her that I need to lipread (or speechread or whatever the heck they call it now).

Most people take their hearing for granted. I’d give anything to be able to hear without my aids, use the telephone like everyone else, and recognize sounds for what they are, not having to ask “what’s that noise” all the time.

Idle Hands

I’m still full from breakfast at “Omlettes n Moore” this morning. I indulged in a full breakfast of pork chops, scrambled eggs and hash browns with gravy. I couldn’t eat it all. They put too much food on the plate. We normally go on Sunday mornings, but the restaurant is closed for a week starting tomorrow for repairs. Then in August, they are going to cash only. Either that or they have to raise the prices. My breakfast is normally $6.00 for all that food. And it’s diner food. I love it.

Charlie has been an absolute angel to me these last few weeks. I don’t know what I did to deserve him. He’s been wonderful. We’ve been hanging out together and enjoying our time together as if we were just married. For our 2^nd anniversary, he took me to White Water Bay then we went to Cold Stone afterwards for some sorbet. Nothing fancy, but we had a blast. He surprised me with a video I-pod as a gift. I was NOT expecting that. He usually gives me jewelry. I love this I-pod. It’s been wonderful having it in the car. He bought an accessory package to go with it, so I can play it through the radio or thru the TV.

Most people have no idea that I love music. Unfortunately, I can’t hear it like most people can, but when I crank the stereo up I’m in heaven. I never understood why the AOL idiots made an issue of me watching American Idol and being rude about it. I guess the sign of a true loser is that they make fun of you for something you can’t control.

But, anyway, I’m trying my best not to buy out the I-tunes store right now by downloading old songs I loved growing up. I used to have tapes of songs that were popular when I was in high school, but the bitch-mother made me destroy them senior year of high school, claiming rock n roll was the “devil’s music”. Yeah, yeah, Foreigner and REO Speedwagon were devil worshippers.

It’s Saturday and I’m bored because it keeps raining and we can’t do much outside. We had planned to attend the CCR tribute band concert at Frontier City but with the scattered showers we didn’t go. Scattered showers, my ass. I keep thinking someone is up there in the clouds dumping giant buckets of water on us. Ice Age: The Meltdown is on and I’m not in the mood for TV. I don’t want to be on the computer either, but here I am. Meagan is at her dad’s for a week and I already miss her.

Charlie and I drove her to her dad’s in Tulsa yesterday and took both kids to a movie and dinner. We went to see Spiderman 3 at the AMC Southroads, and I was able to watch the movie with rear-window captions. I’ve never used this feature before and it took a little getting used to it, but it was fun to see a movie in the theater again. I’ll definitely make the effort to go to the movies when a good one is showing with the captions in Tulsa or Dallas. Meagan wants to go to Grapevine Mills before school starts, so maybe we can go to the movies etc.

I’m rambling. See how bored I am today. I’m gonna go piddle around.

What do you say?

What do you say to your teenaged daughter who just returned from what she describes as the worst weekend of her life? I try to counsel her to give herself a few days to calm down and let things blow over, but she’s so angry and hurt she lashes out in the only way she knows how.

I can’t bear to see her hurting like this and hate that I can’t do anything to help her. I can’t smooth things over for her. I have to let her cope with it on her own or she’ll never learn to deal with her emotions and develop social skills.

It’s so hard not to just break down crying in front of her listening to what she’s been through.

I just want my children happy and healthy. One of the reasons I’m so grateful to have Charlie in my life is that he and I can work together. No, we don’t always agree but we don’t hit and throw things at each other when we’re mad. And even though we get along very well, we’ve agreed to start marriage counseling as well as individual counseling to help us keep our relationship healthy and help us grow together. We’re about to enter what could possibly become a very stressful period in our marriage, so hopefully we can have a good therapist help us get through the rough patches. Charlie is retiring and this is a major life change for both of us. (Right now he is on FMLA.)

I want my children to see a healthy marriage relationship, so they know that they can have one as well. They don’t have to settle for someone that isn’t “good enough” for them or that they don’t really love just so they won’t be alone. I’ve tried to teach both of them to be self-sufficient because I want them to be able to take care of themselves when they are adults. Or in case something happens to me and I can’t care for them anymore.

What do you say to someone you’ve deleted from your MySpace list when they ask why? Just tell them point blank? We never talk in person. We never talk online. One person I deleted simply because his g/f is too damn paranoid and possessive for my taste. I don’t want to butt in his life, but if I text him with 20 other people on my cell phone directory to say hi and touch base, then she sends me a message telling me in a nutshell that I can contact HER not HIM. I don’t need that BS drama in my life.

What do you say to people when they ask where I’ve been instead of chatting on AOL all the time? That I got a life? Or that the majority of people on AOL make me feel like a steaming piece of dog shit, calling me ugly, fat and a gold digger – which is why I’m really not on there as much as I used to be. Charlie and I hung out with his buddies from the PO last night and we had a blast. I forgot that people could be so nice! And they don’t spend all their time talking trash about others. Or belittle people for being the “wrong race”, the “wrong religion”, for dating the “wrong person”. I know who my real friends are from AOL and I can contact them w/o going into a chatroom all day long. I know at one point I allowed myself to be an evil bitch in the rooms and I regret it. I also tried to be funny and use sarcasm but people don’t get it – it doesn’t translate well through text. I don’t need it. I’m better than that. I don’t need to get dragged in it again. Life is too short.

Car Troubles

Meagan’s final concert was Friday night and we had a blast!  The 9th grade sang “Bohemian Rhapsody” as their class song and they did a great job.  Charlie and I were tickled because it’s one of our fave songs and was a nice change from the sacred music the choir sang the rest of the year.  After the concert we went to Braum’s and Emily was telling us how Charlie sang along to “Bohemian Rhapsody” and how funny it was because he sang it so LOUD!

Friday we also discovered that “Clifford” (my 79 dodge diplomat) is no longer serviceable.  I was going to give it to a friend, but discovered a giant rat nest in the engine. The rat chewed through the wires and Clifford is not going to start without some serious repairs.  I’m not willing to spend $500 or more on a car that old, and the friend I was going to give it to needed a car that runs immediately. I felt so bad and desperately did not want to share this horrible news.

When we got home from checking on Clifford, I noticed the neighbor’s garage door open.  They have a car for sale and for the first time I noticed it was a Toyota Camry.  We discussed buying it from them before, but for some reason I thought it was a Ford or Chevy and didn’t think it was a good investment because it has high mileage.  To make a long story short, Saturday, Charlie and I bought the Camry and decided to give the friend our Buick.  The Buick isn’t a beauty queen anymore, but it runs! 

So, I invited my friend out to lunch to share the news about the car.  Of course, first I had to break the bad news first and I could tell he was disappointed.  (I know he was thinking, “Dammit, nothing good ever happens to me!”)  Then I told him that we bought a new car for Charlie to drive and we were giving him the Buick.  He was in shock and literally shaking.  I was enjoying myself because it’s always great to make someone happy. 

Meagan and I cleaned the Buick up Sunday morning, and then I took her to an isolated area and let her practice driving.   She was having some trouble, so I went back to the house and got the Camry and let her try with it instead.  We had so much fun and she did so well.  I want her to be comfortable driving a car before she starts Driver’s Ed.  Good News for us!  The insurance will only cost another $20 to add her to the policy when she is 16.

Emily started working at a local restaurant this weekend, so we went there for breakfast Sunday morning.  While we were there, Charlie and I started talking about the moon the night before.  “Was that Venus next to the moon last night?” I asked him.  “Yes,” he replied, “because it’s too big to be Uranus.”

(Insert sound of me slapping him silly here.)

A few fries short of a Happy Meal

I feel like I’ve been on the go all week long. I’ve been doing some spring cleaning, trying to stay busy and out of trouble. But I’ve been neglecting my schoolwork, so I’ll be spending Sunday catching up on the reading and all that.

Charlie is retiring at the end of the month and I’m feeling some anxiety about the future. It’s finally happening. We still have some forms and paperwork to complete so he’ll receive his pensions. He has 600 hours of leave he needs to use, so he’ll be taking off work all summer.

I’m feeling a need to go to Tulsa to visit my mom’s grave next weekend during Memorial Day. I may even stay overnight in a hotel, just to have some “me” time. Meagan has been wearing me out lately and I want to soak in a hot tub or something and have some sushi and have a night to myself with no kids and no animals – a “recharge” session. I’ve been thinking so much lately about the past since I discovered the VCS reunion page on MySpace.

Charlie’s doctor wanted to talk to me today and asked me a few questions about growing up etc. But I definitely have PTSD, almost as bad as Charlie if not worse. Last week, Charlie wanted to give me a hug, but I was in the laundry room. Well, when he came up to me in that little bitty space, he basically cornered me and I flipped out. A lot of people don’t realize that PTSD isn’t limited to war veterans or extreme trauma survivors. I’ve always considered myself a survivor of child abuse even though my dad never beat us and put us in the hospital. He was verbally abusive more than anything and withheld love and affection. I’m sure he has his own demons to face. It couldn’t have been easy growing up in my grandmother’s home. Plus he was “nerdy” as a child (he had to start wearing glasses in first grade). I was almost 9 when my mother died, so I have more memories of our lives growing up, for instance, watching him push my mother out of her wheelchair a few months before she died. No child should see something of that nature. Ever!

Twice I’ve married a man with a substance abuse problem. And I was too naïve to understand what I had gotten myself into. Or maybe I just didn’t want to face it?

Third time’s the charm? I hope so, but I catch a lot of flak for marrying a man old enough to be my father. However, the doctor pointed out that the age difference doesn’t matter. Charlie and I are compatible. We understand what the other is going through.

I also push people away – usually by being “judgmental”. I’ll tell myself they aren’t good enough for me to hang out with. No, it’s not me being a snob. It’s a survival tactic to keep myself from being hurt yet again. “Bitchmother” didn’t help one bit. She just made me very distrustful of women. Of course, some of the shit I went through in the 70s and early 80s as a hearing impaired child forced to mainstream was traumatic enough for me to try to “hide” my hearing loss. (Not smart, people thought I was ignoring them and I was a snob.)

So, anyone that thinks I’m a backstabber or just a plain bitch, yes, I probably have been. And if I was “mean” to you, please don’t take it personally. It’s a self-defense mechanism and I’m working on it. I’ve apologized to numerous people over the last year, mostly because I’ve very recently realized what I’ve been doing all these years. I’m doing my best and I am very thankful to those friends that have stuck around realizing I’m not quite healthy and whole as I should be. Some days I just feel like I’m a few fries short of a Happy Meal!

My sister mentioned on one of my blogs that we probably look too much like our mom for our dad’s comfort. Well, I’ve been going thru my baby books and found a picture of my mom holding me. Charlie saw it and asked me, “Who is that baby you’re holding?” I told him that was my mom holding me as an infant. I also showed it to Emily and she thought I was the mother as well.  Nope that’s my mom holding me in 1967.

This is me holding MY daughter after a bath in 1992.