Wednesday, May 11, 2011

PEOPLE PLEASE

Please please PLEASE check the facts in an email before you decide you must forward it for the good of the people.

Also, attaching a photo of a disabled American Vet does not make the email any more true.

Congressmen and senators do NOT get 100% pay when they retire:  HA

Families, friends and co-workers of congressmen and senators DO have to pay back student loans: IN YOUR FACE

And being disgruntled because you didn't plan for retirement doesn't make the stupid email any more relevant.  If it is full of untrue statements, DON'T FORWARD IT.

Tuesday, May 03, 2011

Fun Stuff

The title is a lie.. this is totally not fun, but it is somewhat of an explanation on why I've been absent. 






This is what is left of my daughter's home.  The pile of charred fluff just to the left of center was, at one time, her sofa.

J and I were on our way to the hockey game in DC the other night when I get a phone call from my daughter, who was hysterical.  It was strange because I had only just been talking to her 5 minutes before and she was fine.  After I finally got her to slow down I was able to ascertain that her apartment building was currently on fire.  After we hung up she heard sirens outside so she went to her window and looked out, only to observe a growing crowd of people who saw her in the window - who then started yelling for her to get out of there.  She grabbed her purse, her camera and her computer and went outside.  Thankfully the peanut was at her other grandmother's house and did not have to witness her home going up in flames. 

Aside from the few things my daughter picked up on her way out the door, she has lost everything she owned, and is not taking it at all well. I am currently fielding frequent phone calls and bouts of hysteria, along with making phone calls for her.  I keep reminding her that it was only stuff and stuff is replaceable, that thank God nobody was hurt.  Apparently that is small consolation and I have to confess that I have never lost everything in one fell swoop like that, so I have really no idea how to comfort someone in that position. 

I have discovered that my daughter is obsessively sentimental and has recovered the music box that I had since I was a child and had given to the peanut.  It was charred on the outside but it still worked, but my daughter is quite upset at the loss of her blankie that she has had since the day she was born that I made for her when I was pregnant.  I told her it was ugly anyway, but that only made her cry (oops).  I told her I'd make her another.  Maybe it won't be the same but maybe I can make it a little more attractive.

So there you go, this is what I am trying to handle at the moment.  I swear to God this is no exaggeration, she called me 20 times yesterday (I just looked on my phone log and got a bad case of incredulous giggles). 

Gratuitous Cuteness