Letters From Greece

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This World Is So Full of Hate

It was a hard week.

My co-worker committed suicide a few weeks back. We worked in different offices although he had called out for a week and I was taking his place.His death devastated us. Since then three of us have been taking different days and filling in until someone gets hired.

That office is a pit of despair with a little bit of Hell thrown in.

I have never worked in an office where the standard patient was so bitter and mean. Where patients walk in a few times a day to complain (no appointments, they just walk in to throw some vitriol and walk out). I worked in a pain clinic where people were just coming in to scam drugs off the doctors but that was nowhere as deeply horrible as this place.

There is no joy there. No laughter. My standard operating procedure is to chat with people and laugh but when I work there I just watch the clock and wait till I can leave. (I think the boss is hoping that I'll offer to take over the job but I'd rather lose a limb than go there daily.)

And then I come home, weary and discouraged and trembling with anger and run to social media and what happens? Trump. Republicans. Presidential candidates comparing penis size, comparing spousal attractiveness while running for the President of our damned country and I'm wondering if I can afford to move to Australia and live my remaining days as a hobbit with Lea.

Why are people so angry? What happened in America that we can accept these current Republicans as candidates? They're sickening little boys full of braggadocio and empty threats.

And if you're whispering "Hillary isn't that much better" you'll get no argument from me. I think she's a liar, wishy-washy and trying to come off as a moderate Republican to steal their votes while maintaining she's a progressive to try and steal Bernie's votes. She's the most politician out there and I don't mean that in a good way.

This week was so disheartening I ended up pulling up Star Trek: TNG on Netflix and I'm binge-watching the show. I can't abide the current so I'll try to live in that version of the future where hate doesn't dominate.

Don't Watch Many TV Shows But ...

I have been watching Criminal Minds on Netflix (thank you again, Lori!) and also - I don't crush on a lot of men, but ...

OMG!!

A beautiful man with a beautiful smile. Just had to share because there's a lot of shows left and I get giddy every time I watch him, lol.

When Life Hands You Lemons

you must have a lemon tree in the backyard.

So we've been in Hawaii a year and a half (feels like a few months but it's been 2 Christmases) and I've been at my current job 10 months and here's how it's going:

Everyone has fruit trees in their yard so there's always someone bringing in bananas or avocados or lemons. My favorite are the bananas since ours don't seem to ripen and star fruit. We have tangerines and oranges and lemons in our backyard and it's a citrus delight.

Having chickens is awesome. Roosters not so much. (We don't have roosters, just chickens.) But roosters run around everywhere in packs and just terrorize areas. I always imagine them wearing leather jackets with cigarettes hanging from their beaks. They can be quite pretty in their coloring but they're noisy and pains.

I like living with family. And I miss living alone.

I'm not lonely anymore with two other adults to talk to and laugh with and occasionally fight with. Our fights are resolved quickly now and we enjoy each other a lot. But I miss being alone with Mollie and living in a judgement free zone.

The job is one of the best I've ever had with a great boss. But on the downside it's become really hard lately because the more you prove yourself then the more gets piled on your plate till you look like the glutton at the buffet and you're wondering why the person with the same job title and pay grade has an empty plate next to your full one.

And living in Hawaii is a guarantee that internet and phones go out frequently. Not so much fun with that.

I'm busier and my life is fuller. My bills are looking almost reasonable now which is amazeballs. They're still there and high but I'm not feeling like I can't breathe.

And after almost a year of not writing, I'm getting some written. It's not the story I want to be writing but I think I need to be away from that one a little bit and that's okay. Any writing is good.

So that's us/me. How you doin?

New Blog

There's a new blog in town.  :-D

The Cookery Witch

Slut Shaming During International Women's Week

So Kim Kardashian posted a nude picture of herself on Instagram and the world has gone wild. The comments pile up fast and furious: she's a ho, she's awesome, she's famous for her body, she's a step backwards for women.

So what is it?

I can't help but be a little revolted by Kim K because she's famous for nothing. She has millions of followers because... of nothing. She's actually quite boring and doesn't seem like someone I'd want to hang around but that's just me. I'd rather be here and talking books and romance with all of you.

But I don't think that Kim K posting a nude selfie is a bad thing. I don't think that a woman getting famous for a sex tape is a bad thing. I know she's not going to influence my daughter to do the same and I don't think anyone I know wants to be like her. And she doesn't set women backwards in any way, nor does Jimmy Thomas set men back by being a romance cover model or George Clooney for looking like a romance cover model.

Women's rights and celebrations can include the celebration of our bodies. Boobs and butts and enjoying them are a part of what feminists have fought for. Kim K should be just as appreciated for being naked and beautiful as any feminist. She's choosing for herself and not for womankind and isn't that what feminism is all about?

It's funny but men never slut shame other men. Men don't seem to give a shit what another man does with his body... are women so afraid that they can be negated as people because some woman likes to show her booty?

We were discussing this at dinner and all of us agreed that the biggest influence on a young woman isn't Kim K posing nude but rather her mother choosing to live a life that influences her. I know my daughter's choices are usually good ones because we talk and I know where her head is at. I know some of her friends are making terrible choices because their mothers aren't listening or just don't care.

So I'll give a thumbs up to Kim K for her butt and boobs and enjoyment in showing them off. And for Bette Midler and Pink and the other women who are saying she's a bad influence on young women: don't worry about Kim K. Worry about the women who are absent from their children emotionally because those are the ones who are hurting the young women. Trust me on this one: I'm learning it first hand.

Please Stop Fucking With Language

I try. I mean, I really try. I know there are some words that are insulting and I don't use them. Certain expressions that I agree are distasteful and I correct them when I hear them.

Yesterday I saw a Twitter 'Popular in Your Network' that had random tweets of people I follow and SB Sarah tweeted something about using the word crippling as being ableist.

She has crippling anxiety. He was crippled with doubt.

These are not insulting sentences. These are descriptive sentences. If you have a bad leg and don't wish to be called crippled and prefer 'differently abled' then more power to you. But if you think that my saying a have a crippling fear of public speaking is an insult to you, well, get your head out of your cunt and grow up.

And stop fucking with a wonderful language that has many different nuances and meanings to many different words. It's fucking pathetic when people are that sensitive.

Ellora's Cave Still Doing Its Thing

It's still ongoing.

One Writer's Block Party: Robin L. Rotham

With thanks for the link to Deirdre Moen through Absolute Write.

Also:

Jennifer Kasey

Meeting A Trump Supporter

Because only human beings are capable of such non-logic...

I met a woman today who told me she had been watching Trump on television this morning. She's a white, slightly older woman who was accompanied by an older, Asian man. "So what did you think?" I asked her, planning to share a few giggles of the absurdity of a Trump presidency.

'He's wonderful," she gushed. "He's going to make a great president."

I swallowed the gathering bile. I turned to the gentleman.

"Do you think Donald Trump is sexist?" I asked.

"Yes."

"Do you believe he's racist?" I asked.

"Yes."

"Then why do you like him?"

"Because he's going to make America great again."

My mind reeled.

"So you'll be voting for Donald for president. That's fascinating."

"Oh no," she demurred. "I'm not a registered voter."

"But.... if you think he'll make a great president, shouldn't you get out and vote for him?"

"No, I don't have time to get registered. I have too much to do. And he doesn't need my vote anyway."

Dear God, hear my prayer: let all Donald Trump supporters be like this woman. Unregistered and remaining so, happy in her busy life with no time to cast a pesky vote. 

I'm going to bed and don't plan to reemerge till 2017.