I was waiting for my big toddler to start asking "why" question, and today it finally happened.
All of a sudden, I heard her ask why 4 times in less than 5 minutes!
YAY! I mean, why?
Politics is not the point
1 week ago
Friday, May 30, 2008
Monday, May 26, 2008
Memorial Day
Albeit it's a national holiday, I went to work for a few hours today because I missed 1.5 days last week and because you can accomplish a lot more on a holiday ( since there are less people working who can potentially slow me down).
My little department is made up of immigrants ( with an exeption of 1 born American who wasn't there today), so none of us 'grew up' with a Memorial Day. So when one of my coworkers heard me wish a "happy Memorial Day' to one of the residents he asked me what exactly are we celebrating? Instead of answering him directly, I asked him ' what does it sound like', and ' how many years have you lived in America that you still don't know what's being celebrated?'. I gave him the brief description of the holiday after I told him off for living in the country for 7 years and not caring to find out the cause for 'the bbqs and sales'.
Later this evening, after the kids were finally sleeping and the adults were enjoying the obligatory barbeque (burgers and hot dogs on a George Foreman grill version), my sister and I started discussing some people's short memories when it came to late saddam and America's war in Iraq.
Now just to be clear, I'm not really into politics. I am an ostrich. I usually let you mind your own business if you don't put it in my face and let me peacefully mind my business. And along the same lines I don't care for wars. But in the land of freedom and opportunity it somehow becomes so easy to forget that as a bumper sticker reads ' Freedom isn't Free".
If freedom was free - no lives lost, no emotional and physical wounds, no billions spent- would all the immigrants have come here today and in the past, or would they have remained in their 'mother' countries and enjoyed the 'freedoms' there?
To quote our president "It's Memorial Day. It's a day to honor not only those who have died in combat, but it's a day to honor those who continue to serve," Bush said.
Peace.
My little department is made up of immigrants ( with an exeption of 1 born American who wasn't there today), so none of us 'grew up' with a Memorial Day. So when one of my coworkers heard me wish a "happy Memorial Day' to one of the residents he asked me what exactly are we celebrating? Instead of answering him directly, I asked him ' what does it sound like', and ' how many years have you lived in America that you still don't know what's being celebrated?'. I gave him the brief description of the holiday after I told him off for living in the country for 7 years and not caring to find out the cause for 'the bbqs and sales'.
Later this evening, after the kids were finally sleeping and the adults were enjoying the obligatory barbeque (burgers and hot dogs on a George Foreman grill version), my sister and I started discussing some people's short memories when it came to late saddam and America's war in Iraq.
Now just to be clear, I'm not really into politics. I am an ostrich. I usually let you mind your own business if you don't put it in my face and let me peacefully mind my business. And along the same lines I don't care for wars. But in the land of freedom and opportunity it somehow becomes so easy to forget that as a bumper sticker reads ' Freedom isn't Free".
If freedom was free - no lives lost, no emotional and physical wounds, no billions spent- would all the immigrants have come here today and in the past, or would they have remained in their 'mother' countries and enjoyed the 'freedoms' there?
To quote our president "It's Memorial Day. It's a day to honor not only those who have died in combat, but it's a day to honor those who continue to serve," Bush said.
Peace.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
The simple truth
Today, while I was desperately attempting to catch up on some documentation politely left for me by my assistant who left for greener pastures during my vacation, my collegues were discussing our gym's politics. In a subdepartment of 7 it was quite an amuzing discussion.
It basically evolved around one person- who was nice to her, to whom she wasn't nice, retaliations, counter retaliations, etc, etc, etc. Naturally, the person who was discussed wasn't in the gym, but that's besides the point.
I told the general public my opinion on the matter. Then I said that I don't believe people should confuse coworkers and friends, especially if there is some inequality in rank. Be polite and friendly with everyone and stop there. Not much room would be left for hurt feeling that would interfere with job performance, etc.
Then the subject shifted to odnoklasniki.ru and one of my collegues husband's finding me there
-> my ambivalence about being 'friends' with people whom I used to know in my social-butterfly-days with whom I pretty much lost all contact -> the public admission ( though I've never kept it a secret). I can pretty much count my friends on the fingers of my hand. Though the 'admission language was 'I don't have friends' after which I realize I should probably elaborate.
--I only make phone calls on my way to and from work (even lunch time is phone free), my mailbox if frequently full ( because 1-I save messages from friends and think that in this way I'd call them back faster, and 2- I check my messages ~1x/wk or when someone sends me a text saying that my mailbox is full), I don't check my email as religiously as I used to, etc.
But I also admitted that after a while I decided to try to be ' friends' on these social sites with all the people that I used to know. I honestly tell them that I 'collect' friends- what the heck, one never knows where an opportunity for a rekindled friendship or a personal reform may come from.
PS It's 12:50AM now and I'm too lazy to check if this post is intelligible. Life.
It basically evolved around one person- who was nice to her, to whom she wasn't nice, retaliations, counter retaliations, etc, etc, etc. Naturally, the person who was discussed wasn't in the gym, but that's besides the point.
I told the general public my opinion on the matter. Then I said that I don't believe people should confuse coworkers and friends, especially if there is some inequality in rank. Be polite and friendly with everyone and stop there. Not much room would be left for hurt feeling that would interfere with job performance, etc.
Then the subject shifted to odnoklasniki.ru and one of my collegues husband's finding me there
-> my ambivalence about being 'friends' with people whom I used to know in my social-butterfly-days with whom I pretty much lost all contact -> the public admission ( though I've never kept it a secret). I can pretty much count my friends on the fingers of my hand. Though the 'admission language was 'I don't have friends' after which I realize I should probably elaborate.
--I only make phone calls on my way to and from work (even lunch time is phone free), my mailbox if frequently full ( because 1-I save messages from friends and think that in this way I'd call them back faster, and 2- I check my messages ~1x/wk or when someone sends me a text saying that my mailbox is full), I don't check my email as religiously as I used to, etc.
But I also admitted that after a while I decided to try to be ' friends' on these social sites with all the people that I used to know. I honestly tell them that I 'collect' friends- what the heck, one never knows where an opportunity for a rekindled friendship or a personal reform may come from.
PS It's 12:50AM now and I'm too lazy to check if this post is intelligible. Life.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Eviction update
To make a very long story very short, SiM has left my bed!
Yay!
But a part of me misses that stage in our lives. Thank Gd he still allows me to kiss him
Yay!
But a part of me misses that stage in our lives. Thank Gd he still allows me to kiss him
Sunday, May 4, 2008
VACATION
This year the choice ended being simple-good weather and blah hotel or good hotel and blah weather. It didn't take long to realize that 9 days of blah hotel may be 9 days too many. So we chose to go to a nice hotel in Maryland.
It was within driving distance yet far away from to be an official vacation. The grounds (chesapeaque bay) were beautiful, the accomodations ( hyatt) were great -from polite staff to lots of couches and other comfortable seats throughout the entire place. The food was great- lots of tasty variety. We went boating one day ( pedal boating which seemed to work wonders on little SiM- he was asleep within minutes). Eh went swimming almost every day of the chol hamoed. We went shopping/driving. We ( the adults) attended the inhouse entertainment of mock gambling, Michael Iceberg live, and just an evening with no kids in tow:)
On a bit of a blah note- both kids got colds and hubs and I had sever indigestion from out 'home made' matza that was thicker than packing carton. And the kids got so used to being with us all the time that it was difficult to get adjusted to the routine back home of us working and them staying home with the babysitter. But that's a very minor stuff that in no way marred our great vacation. So thank Gd and hopefully soon again!
It was within driving distance yet far away from to be an official vacation. The grounds (chesapeaque bay) were beautiful, the accomodations ( hyatt) were great -from polite staff to lots of couches and other comfortable seats throughout the entire place. The food was great- lots of tasty variety. We went boating one day ( pedal boating which seemed to work wonders on little SiM- he was asleep within minutes). Eh went swimming almost every day of the chol hamoed. We went shopping/driving. We ( the adults) attended the inhouse entertainment of mock gambling, Michael Iceberg live, and just an evening with no kids in tow:)
On a bit of a blah note- both kids got colds and hubs and I had sever indigestion from out 'home made' matza that was thicker than packing carton. And the kids got so used to being with us all the time that it was difficult to get adjusted to the routine back home of us working and them staying home with the babysitter. But that's a very minor stuff that in no way marred our great vacation. So thank Gd and hopefully soon again!
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