A Medical Concern - Junie

Lisa and I just returned from Children's Hospital with Junie. We didn't mention this publicly, but she's been showing signs of epilepsy, including having her eyes roll back in her head until only the whites were showing. Today was the EEG, and while the results won't come back until at least tomorrow, she exhibited symptoms during the breathing exercise portion of the exam. God willing, it's nothing more than some weird tic. The hardest part was keeping her awake from 2am on, per instructions, a process that meant Lisa and I took turns keeping her occupied. A special thank you to JJ for taking Junie shopping in the middle of the night.

Feeling Proud

Lulu, a freshman, is in Level 3 dance at school, which is typically a junior level. Tuesday she had a rough day and came home in tears. Wednesday she spoke to the teacher and told her she was new to the school and came from a non-competitive dance studio, but was committed to the class. She even told the instructor to "yell at me" if she got anything wrong. Wow. What an unscripted declaration of grit and dedication. It is honestly one of the proudest moments of my parenting career. Well done OJ!

We caught some fish!

One of seven fish we caught on vacation

All caught with net we couldn't catch any hook the fish knew not to eat it all together so they took tiny bites any unhooks it and just eats bait 🙀😸 - Smiley

"Every record has been destroyed or falsified, every book rewritten, every picture has been repainted, every statue and street building has been renamed, every date has been altered. And the process is continuing day by day and minute by minute. History has stopped. Nothing exists except an endless present in which the Party is always right."

-George Orwell, 1984

Learn Something. Please.

F me people. I realize most folks don't study history as deeply as I have and do, but try and pretend you made it to class once or twice. Half my feed this morning is nonsensical gibberish. Native Americans originally migrated from South America; a WWII isolationist/pacifist group were skinheads; Lincoln was black; the Civil War South was supported by willing blacks; no President has ever called illegal immigration a problem before Trump. Really? Try real hard today to convince me this country isn't doomed by our own stupidity, cuz you've been working hard to convince me the other way.

Sign Me Up

Watching the Astros-Diamondbacks game

A utility company on the broadcast just advertised free electricity for their customers from 9pm - 6am each day.  I wasn't paying attention until then and missed the details,  but.  .   .  . Sign me up.

An Insane Conversation

A (lily white) liberal just claimed my possession of a cellphone and a 15 year old Ford with a busted hood latch (said hood now secured with bungee cords) is evidence of my white privilege. He literally quoted those very facts as his proof, then implied that only a white man could afford such luxuries in the first place. That isn't proof of privilege; that's proof of some sick racism unsuccessfully cloaked as liberal empathy. Cell phones are exclusive to white people? Say what?

Note: I've screenshotted the exchange, in case some comments magically disappear.

May I also point out that my super liberal, rainbow flag flying, Outpost shopping, Impeach Trump neighborhood went crazy when the local park allowed a peaceful Puerto Rican celebration this past weekend. Facebook was littered with complaints that in the end amount to "they are brown and don't belong here." I find the hypocrisy to be exhausting.

But you know we disagree about white privilege.... But his argument falls way short.It's cloaked racism to assume all whites are rich and all blacks are poor. I supposed all whites are educated and all blacks drop outs.... No whites do drugs and all blacks do.....its all just bullshit.

Some People

At the pediatrician:

Receptionist: What's your daughter's date of birth?

Me: Edit-Edit-Oh Seven

Receptionist: Edit Edit, oh-seven. . . . is that 2007?

No, it's 1907. My kid's 110. WTH?

Upchuck

I had to stop at the high school to pay the year's fees, and while I was there a student vomited all over the floor of the office. I don't consider the matters related.

I 100% Agree

For once we agree. All speech is protected, or none of it is safe. Arguing otherwise is both egotistical (thinking you and you alone are smart enough to draw the line) and an infringement of the rights we supposedly hold dear.

Unremarkable Bigotry

Misspelling my name is a form of ethnic bigotry.  And yes,  I'm serious.

Pronouncing It incorrectly after being corrected and given a simple way (slap-chin-ski) over and over and over gets old too. It wouldn't be tolerated for an African American's difficult first name, why is it so acceptable for a polish last name? - Lisa

Flashback to Logic class in college. - Tre [where a TA asked "May I call you Slappy?"]

And wouldn't you know it, went to pay a bill today and, thinking they were out of earshot, the three clerks laughed about and mispronounced my name - nevermind they had first names as long as my last one. And yes, I did speak up, corrected their pronunciation, and said if they're going to take my money they need to do while at least coming close to my name. I said it nicely, with more humor than growl, but point made, and one spent some time writing my name phonetically for the next time she sees me.

The first day of the new School Year (for the highschoolers)

Today my two oldest started school!