It's Official

Not having my own computer sucks a whole lotta' booty.

I'm going to have a friend of mine take a look at it, but he just got back from a long vacation so I don't want to thrust it at him 5 seconds after he gets home (I save that sentiment for my husband, thankyouverymuch).

I will say that I have been getting a lot more done around the house during the day without the distraction of the internet. Maybe this laptop death was a good thing.

Yesterday I started training to be a rape crisis volunteer. It was an all day training session, and I felt like someone had kicked me in the stomach by the time 4:30 rolled around. I'm not complaining. I kind of expected to feel emotionally exhausted by this venture.

I'm glad I finally got signed up to do this. It's something I thought about back when I was in college, but somehow never found the time to get it done. It's kind of sad that I didn't think I could fit it into my schedule then, but somehow have found the time now that I have a real adult life thing going on.

In a way, I am glad that I didn't volunteer back then. I think I was way too self-centered and lost to be of any help to anyone. Now that I have a few (OK, more than a few) years on me, I am more equipped to handle what I am about to do.

We live in a world where some men still feel it alright to use their inherent social stature over women for carnal gain. Where "no" can mean "maybe" or, sadly, "yes".

We live in a world where children, the elderly and the disabled are preyed upon as "easy targets" of sexual assault and rape.

We live in a world where young women are told that their worth is calculated in direct correlation to how men rate her desirability.

What does this say about us?

I know I can't save the world. Unfortunately, along with those "years of experience" I've racked up, I seem to have lost the genuine idealism I had as a young adult. However, I can do my part.

And it feels really good.

Definitely My Child

Yesterday I took the girls out on some errands and they each ended up getting one of those beanie baby things. Mina choose a baby Panda Bear. She's had it on her since then, and this morning insisted that she "dressed up like a Panda Bear for school".

We picked her out a black and white outfit and I put her hair up in bunlike ponytails on either side of her head for "ears".

Later, we had this conversation:

Mina: Mama, I want to be a Panda Bear when I grow up. I want our whole family to be Panda Bears.

Me: Um...OK. I guess we'll have to learn to like bamboo.

Mina: Yeah, we can get a bunch of bamboo and make it into bacon.

Sad sad day

My laptop took a big steaming dump on me. I am now using my husband's when he brings it home from work and I can pry it out of his deathgrip.

I am heartbroken.

Please send any condolences (or cash towards the purchase of a new laptop) to:

betterlivingthroughbacon@gmail.com

Thank you.