Dear Cynical World,

Dear Cynical World,


I guess I am a nerd.  First, I thank you for drawing my attention to that fact earlier this week as my co-worker made fun of me for knowing the call sign, listening to, and enjoying NPR.  Now, to add to my nerdiness, as of this week, I am a subscriber to NG.  For all my co-workers, that is National Geographic magazine...you know, the one with the pretty pictures?


I got my first (second and third) National Geographic this week.  Woot!  And I am addicted.  AND newly educated! How is this, you ask?  I am reading things in NG that are very interesting and the pictures are real pretty too.  The photographer in me wanted the magazine, and when I got an offer for a $10 subscription, I JUMPED at the chance.


Did you know that three people went to Africa and took DNA of village dogs and started analyzing the data?  I know it sounds weird, but I like learning about stuff people around the world are doing, learning, dreaming up.


I can't wait to read more.  


Careless

Dear Marriage,

Dear Marriage,


Thank you for 15.8 years.  Although we have not yet parted our ways, I thank you immensely for all the memories and HUGE chunk of my life that I have devoted to you.  This last year of my life has been "very difficult" to say the least.  But you know what?  I am surviving. Only through the guidance of God, conversations with my sister (how she repeatedly talks me off the ledge) and support of my friends.   And in these last few months it is as if I am opening my eyes for the first time in years and breaking through your fog.


I feel good!  Woot!  And we are friendly.  For instance, I went out to lunch with my husband last weekend and we enjoyed ourselves.  That feeling that I had lost a best friend has disappeared and I have a great relationship with my husband again.  Weird, huh?  A very different relationship from what I ever imagined, but a happy one.


And things are only getting better.  Thank you.


Careless.

Dear Fellow Employee,

Dear Fellow Employee,


Thank you so much for not knowing what NPR stands for.  Really?  Am I really THAT judgmental? National Public Radio, idiot.


Okay, let me go back.  First, if it wasn't already hugely obvious, this workmate of mine is monumentally different from me.  From outward appearance to upbringing, we are total opposites.  So when you ask me how to control your children and suggest in jest, "classical music and news radio," then gasp in horror that I know the station number?  AND question that I listen to NPR by choice? Really?  AND you ask what NPR stands for?


It's settled.  I am judgmental.  I need to broaden my scope and realize that there are people out there that haven't been exposed to wonderful programming like NPR, but in turn those people need to stop judging my tastes.


There.


NPR ROCKS!


Careless

Dear Legos,

Dear Legos,


I hate you.  I hate the way you have lasted for years and years and just keep enticing (small) boys to get addicted to your devil product.  You are evil.


Today I confiscated Legos from two boys for the fourth time in two days.  It's not that I don't approve of your brain building synapse-firing qualities, it is that I hate that you turn normal boys into lying, hateful Kindergarteners.

Yesterday Boy #1 and Boy #2 brought Legos into the gym after school and I kindly, without a big deal asked them to put them in their bags.  This is a bi-weekly occurrence with these two students.  MINUTES later I caught them with Legos in the gym and escorted them out to their bag to put said Legos away.  Boy #2 then had the gall!!!! to bad mouth me in front of Boy #1 about "my rules and how stupid they were." 

When the Dad of boy #2 got there I told him that I was getting to the point that I would have to start frisking his kid before he could enter the gym and I had given him several warnings.   I didn't see boy #1's parent before I left.

Then today, the boys were playing with Legos in the gym AGAIN!!!  So I took them away.  I told them I was done and I would be discussing this with their parents.

We go outside to play later in the afternoon and guess what?  FREAKING LEGOS.  Boy #1 has taken more out of his bag and is constructing a whole ship on the picnic table.  I confiscate those and as I am turning to walk away boy #1 says to boy #2"I hate Mrs. Careless."

I went off. I told the boys that they had hurt my feelings that they had disobeyed and were very disrespectful to me.  I told them that I was hurt that they had said such mean things to me.  Why Lego's?  Why do you produce such a product that turns little boys into haters?

A little while later I walked inside to use the bathroom and on my way back outside guess what?  Boy #1 is sitting at his bag pulling out MORE Legos!  He looks up and says "I thought you'd left for the day."

Seriously?  It is a school-wide rule that there are no personal toys allowed in the gym or on the playground.  It is not safe for the younger kids, pieces get lost, other kids pocket items and fights ensue.  It is a school rule!  

Lego's.  I am done with you.  Forever.  Done.

Sincerely,

Careless

Another Inspiration

You know how I feel about paper cutting.

I HEART it.

I aspire to climb to the heights of

Joe Bagley.

A...MAZE...Ing

When I was gathering ideas for my portfolio for grad school I came across 

Matthew Davis' works.

Matthew Davis takes oil paints and drips them 

onto his canvas/aluminum/whatever

in layers

to create these amazing paintings.  

Unbelievable.

Dear Local City Schools,

Dear Local City Schools,


Thank you for the pleasure of driving my daughter to school each morning.  I really appreciate the fact that you have recently taken away the high school bussing, because you don't know how to manage your budget.  Next up?  I "get" to pay $300 per child per sport to give my children the privilege for playing public school sports.  IN PUBLIC SCHOOL!


Let us take a step back.  I currently pay OVER $7000 a year in property taxes.  Seriously?  $7000!  I understand that our local public schools have been rated as "excellent" for over ten years.  But $7 G's?  I pay $7G's and you can't drive my kid to and from school?  You would like me to pass a levy that raises my property taxes ANOTHER $1800 per year.  WTF!?


Unless I fork out another $1800 my children will loose their gifted classes, Media Teachers (Not the Librarians!), and my middle school child will loose his bussing.


So now, like all the other schlumps in this town, I have the privilege, ne' the honor, of wasting 45 minutes each morning driving my gorgeous girl and the two neighbor boys the 2 congested, traffic at a stand still miles, to school.


I need to move.


Hugs and long kisses in the backseat,


Careless