Does your husband lack performance?

Does your husband lack performance?

Does he let you down, just when you expect him to come through with "the goods"?

Does he disappoint you - not only in the bedroom... but in the bathroom, kitchen and yard as well?

Do you cry yourself to sleep at night, because he's just not interested anymore?

Then you need to

Hire A Hubby!

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See, I'm running out of time (and money) here.

I've already spoken to the real estate agent, and we have a tentative date set for the end of September, for getting this place listed on the market.

The end of September, folks.

Just 4 weeks from now.

And nothing has been done.

No painting, no yard work, no sanding, or even so much as measuring for kitchen cabinets, so that someone else can install them.

NOTHING... other than what I've done.

I'm beginning to think that the Old Guy thinks that if he doesn't help do anything to get this place whipped into shape, that I won't actually be leaving.

He thinks that if he continues to hem and haw and dawdle around... that I might just change my mind and stay put.

Little does he realize, but that ain't gonna happen!

If I don't get the work done in time, I'm just going to have to settle for a "lower price" when this place actually goes on the market.

Either that, or I'll have to wait a little bit longer before getting the place listed.

And since I quit my job 2 weeks ago (meaning little or no income coming in now) just so I could get this work done... within another 3 weeks, I'll have to start eating into my savings.

The savings that I set aside for the renovations - just so I can pay the mortgage.

And if that happens, the Old Guy will well and truly be toast.

In fact, he'll be more than toast.

He'll be history.

Thank goodness for

Hire A Hubby...

I hope they send me one that knows how to perform!

And now that the weather is starting to warm up?

Oooh la la!

Taking time to breathe...

It seems like ages since I've had time to post... and now that I have a few minutes to relax, my mind's gone all empty.
Which is kind of nice, I think.

I'm just taking time to breathe... to experience... and to revel in the timelessness of having a little bit of "time" to myself.

I'm needing it, to be sure... since the last few weeks have been fraught with sorrow and heartache, worrying and waiting.

We unexpectedly lost my dearly loved ex brother in law, and my sons' Uncle Dwight, on my birthday.
Within a month - from start to finish - cancer claimed his life.

We're now sitting on pins and needles, waiting for a beautiful child (Matthew -one of my daycare children) to take his final breath... after so many years of illness and pain.

There's been pain and loss ... yet there's been an equal and almost overwhelming joy in the releasing - and promise of release - from painful and life-debilitating bonds.

I can only imagine the rejoicing that's going on in heaven right now, with Dwight re-joining his brothers and sisters and his loving Mom.

And I can only imagine the joyful anticipation going on in heaven right now, with this gorgeous little lad on the very last leg of his journey, before returning home to the loving arms of God.

It's been a rough couple of weeks, but somehow... it's also been a joyful and peaceful time.

~~Peace on the outside, comes from knowing God on the inside.~~

And what I know is good.

I don't get no respect.

In the words of Rodney Dangerfield, "I don't get no respect."
Seriously.

I spent most of the morning cleaning house, including moving all the furniture, vacuuming the floor, vacuuming the furniture (hey, I've got cats) washing the walls, and then plumping and re-arranging the pillows neatly on the sofa.

Once I was done, I poured myself a cup of coffee, and went in to sit down and have a bit of a break before tackling the bathroom, and this is what I found.

Hey.. are we comfy there?

No, I mean it. Answer me. Are we comfy there, Bear Butt?

Is this the way you found the pillows, or have you done a little bit of re-arranging of your own? Hmmm?

Never mind. I'll just go sit in the chair.

Oh cheeses... I don't get no respect!

And just FYI? Please think twice before you go and name one of your animals something cutesy or "original".
It creates some funny looks and a whole lot of embarrassment. Especially when you're at the animal doctors and the vet comes out and says to you:

Kate? You can bring your Bear Butt in now.

To thine ownself be true...

To quote a couple of great men:

This above all: to thine ownself be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man.
Farewell: my blessing season this in thee!
POLONIUS, Hamlet - Act 1 Scene 3

"I yam what I yam and tha's all what I yam."
Popeye the Sailor

Okay, I'll admit it.
I'm still dealing emotionally with the effects of that post removal the other day, and in some small way, I'm glad that I did remove it - if only to prove that I do care about what some of my friends or family think of me. Because I value and respect them.

But in other ways?
In bigger ways?
Let's just say that I regret it at the same time.
Completely and wholeheartedly.
Because I feel that I was untrue to myself.

My opinions are my opinions. ( and we all know that opinions are like arseholes - everyone has one.)
People have options in life - and sometimes those options include blocking someone, ignoring posts and status updates or sometimes just sucking in a deep breath, and facing the fact that not everyone agrees with our own personal viewpoint... and moving on.

And sometimes those options include doing something that you'll regret... simply because you weren't true to yourself.
I can either suck it up and live with the regret, or I can plant my feet firmly on the ground, hold my head up high, and say "this is who "I" am" - take it or leave it.

See...I have views - strong personal views - about what is happening in America right now.
And you can insert "Australia" in there as well, because the same thing is happening here, with the illegal boat people trying to force their way into the country.

But these are my views, and I don't expect everyone to agree with me, or even like what I have to say.
But I will defend unto death their equal and reciprocal right to their opinions, and their equal and reciprocal right to voice their opinions.

But just as I will accord anyone the right to say or feel what they think - and I will completely and utterly respect them for having the gumption to say it - I have the same rights to share my views as anyone else does.

All this has all been preying on my mind - and on my heart - for several days now... and I've come to the following conclusion.

Am I a racist?
Absolutely not.
And anyone who knows me - who truly knows me - knows that I'm not.

The dictionary defines racism as:
Discrimination or prejudice based on race or color.
So no... I don't discriminate against, nor am I prejudiced against anyone based on their ethnicity or the color of their skin.
Period.

Am I a bigot?
Absolutely not.
The legal definition of "bigot" is:
One who is strongly partial to one's own group, religion, race, or politics and is intolerant of those who differ.
I don't judge anyone - and I mean that with everything that I have in me. I'm not intolerant of anyone who's opinion, religion, race or politics... or even their wants and needs in life differ from mine.
Period

In fact, I have several close and valued friends who's opinions and ideas are the total - and complete - opposite of mine - and we're on such opposite ends of the spectrum, that we could almost be considered to come from different planets.
But do you know what?
We get along, because we accept each other for who we are as individuals, and above all else... we RESPECT one another.

But... when it comes to my opinion about illegal, unlawful immigrants in America or Australia? hey, I have to admit that just don't like what is happening.
I don't like it at all.

It's certainly not because in the US, they're predominately Mexican - because to tell you the truth, I would have the exact same opinion if Canadians, Europeans or whomever... no matter what their ethnicity or color - were coming into the USA or any other country illegally - and doing it by the thousands.
Cross my heart and hope to die.
That's the way I feel.

I would object to anyone coming in and expecting or demanding equal rights, which in far too many cases as we well know... includes expecting or demanding the right to access the very same benefits and lifestyles that Americans enjoy.
That natural born, or legally immigrated Americans have earned.
Earned through their blood sweat and tears.. as well as their long standing and honorable belief in working -and working hard - for the fruits of their labors.

Hell, I have Latino friends.
I have Jewish friends.
I have Japanese and German friends.
I have friends who parents came into the country decades ago... but they came in legally - by the proper channels - and they certainly didn't expect or demand that Americans to give up their rights to fly Old Glory or say the Pledge of Allegiance.
Nor did they demand or protest that our schools teach their children in Spanish or Yiddish, Japanese or German.

They assimilated, and they were proud and honored to become American citizens.
And our country is richer for it.
Far richer.

Looking back, the neighborhood that I grew up in just outside of San Francisco, well... it was like a mini-United Nations.
We had neighbors with last names like O'Reilly, Libertino, Xuereb, Paulson,
Garcia, Hesselgesser, Alvarado, Ronconi, Schwarz and Cohen... and my parents were close friends with them all.

My mom and dad maintained contact with each an every one of those families, despite most of them eventually moving to different parts of the country.
And when the parents and my mom eventually died, my dad maintained contact with the children of those families.
He maintained contact with the friends and playmates that I grew up with, because they were extended family.

Those were the neighbors - and many of them were immigrant neighbors - that I grew up with.
So I grew up with tolerance and complete acceptance of "immigrants".
And I grew up as well, with an open mind and an open heart.
So to be called a bigot or a racist?
It's like a knife in my heart.

Look, I'm sorry if it upsets anyone... but when it comes down to illegal, trespassing, immigrants?
No matter how I look at it, it's wrong on so many levels.

Just for instance... Say I told you that I'm battling financially here.
It's a hard job to pay the bills, buy food and meet the mortgage every month.
But I do it.
Because nothing in life is free.

But... if I wanted to cut corners, I could simply go to the next town, walk into a bank and demand that the teller give me all the money in her cash drawer.
My life would be so much easier for it... but do you think I would get away with it?
Either morally or ethically?
No... because I would be a lawbreaker.
I would be considered by almost everyone... to. be. breaking. the. law.

"The law" is defined as:
The principles and regulations established in a community by some authority and applicable to all its people, whether in the form of legislation or of custom and policies recognized and enforced by judicial decision.

So therefore, bank robbers have NO rights to someone else's money... ...and they are breaking the law if they take it, or demand it unlawfully.
If they want money, they can take out a loan or they can get a job, hit up friends or family - just like everyone else has to do.
Yeah.. it can be a battle to keep your head above water sometimes, but our laws in America require that everyone do it the same way.

So when it comes down to my personal opinion?
It should be the same with illegal immigrants.
They have NO rights, because as it currently stands - based on US law, they are breaking the law.

They are trespassers.
They need to go home, and file the correct and proper papers for legitimate immigration status.
Just like all of our forefathers did.
And then when and if they come into the USA legally, I think that they would find that most Americans would welcome them with open arms.

For centuries now, immigrants to America have been doing the right thing.
They've come in through the front door, and they've wanted to become "Americans" with all the benefits and pride that that term entails.
They never demanded that they have the right to fly their countries flag, or that they receive free medical treatment - or special treatment of any kind.
They never demanded that their children be taught in Vietnamese or Spanish or Italian.
And above all else - ABOVE ALL ELSE - they were proud to become Americans.

No one needs to be born in the USA to be an American.
But if they immigrate to to the US, they do have to have an understanding of American values... and they do have to be willing to exercise and implement those values.

Just like generations of immigrants before them have done.

Post removed

I removed my last post "Proud to be an American / open letter to family and friends", due to personal reasons.

Any offence was unintended, and I apologize.

Ch-ch-changes...

There's been a lot going on around here lately, and by a lot, I mean a LOT.

We're still working on the details of the house in Murphys, so that's still kind of up in the air... I'm working on scheduling renovations on this place..

And I had the appraiser in the other day to give me a ball park figure.

Now the figure wasn't exactly what I was hoping for, but with the kitchen and bathroom re-do's and some new carpet, that should change considerably.

Hopefully.

But with the Ch-ch-changes part?

That's me trying to talk with my fingernails in my mouth... and my teeth chattering because I'm scared spitless.

See, I took a stupid giant step the other day, and I resigned my position as carer with ermm... my employer.

Effective on the 16th of August.

Like 7 days from now.

Just a few days before my birthday, actually - and kind of early birthday present to myself.

I like idiotic presents.

Obviously

Now, I'm taking a giant leap of faith... But because I have faith, I know that God will catch me, before he lets me fall flat on my face.

I hope.

God? Are you listening?

I was a little nervous about telling my 'parents' that I was quitting, but do you know what?

Almost every single parent but one asked me if I would consider continuing care - only doing it privately.

So I've quit my job... but I'll still be working.

Only this time on my terms, and with the best possible outcomes for my children in mind.

Less money, but far less stress - and that's a good thing.

But to tell you the truth?

As glad as I am to see some of these ch-ch-changes, I feel like this right now.