What the Fuckery

Two years ago on March 30. My co-worker and dear friend Nardyne Jefferies' 16 year old daughter Brishell Jones was gunned down on South Capitol Street in Washington D.C. after the funeral of a friend. She was shot with an AK-47 from the distance of approximately ten feet. The bullet that killed her, entered under her ear and blew up the opposite side of her head.
It was the deadliest drive by shooting in the the history of Washington D.C.

On February 27th the trial for the five men who shot killing Brishell and four others began. (and I'm not saying accused of killing, these five fucking monsters did it, and there's plenty of evidence to prove it.)

Yesterday, Brishell's best friend Roshauna, who standing next to Brishell took the stand to testify.
She was shot in the knee and the back. The bullet in her back travelled through her and tore up her arm. So she walks with a limp now, and only has partial use of her left arm.
Roshauna and Brishell had been friends since they were toddlers. They'd grown up together, went to private school together and planned to go to the same college in Florida together after graduation.
Roshauna was barely a foot from Brishell. She felt a stinging in her leg and her back, and then she collapsed. When she looked up, there were bodies everywhere including Brishell laying face down in a pool of blood six inches from her hand.

Roshauna still has nightmares, busy streets make her panic, she doesnt like being out at night much anymore.
And yesterday after she gave heartbreaking testimony.
As the Marshall's led the defendants from the courtroom, one of the Carter brothers blew Roshauna a kiss.

And the U.S. Marshall's did nothing.

What the hell kind of world do we live in, that a cold blooded murderer has the right to torment a victim in that way? But a mother who cries when the weapon that was used to blow her childs head off, is asked to be quiet?

Scattered thoughts..

I used to be good at doing several dozen things at once..but as I've gotten older, not so much.
Fear not, this is not doomed to be a navel gazing sort of post where I lament the loss of cognitive function or whatnot, whinging about all the grown up stuff that's weighing me down.

I'm just wondering how the hell I had so goddamn much energy and why the hell did I waste on such stupid things?

Such is youth I reckon. So much energy, so little common sense.

Happy New Year

Because 2010 and 2011 Both OWNED MY ASS!

Volunteers being accepted...

My co-worker is obsessed with Vybz Kartel.

And not in a "OMG he is like sooooo hot!" kind of way (actually imagining my co-worker even saying that is funnier than this post will likely be)

If you're saying "Who the hell is Vybz Kartel?" well you're not alone. Until about two weeks ago I too was blissfully ignorant of his very existance.

Vybz Kartel is a Jamaican dancehall artiste' (and if you dont know what dancehall is, google it)
I could tell you about his many children by different momma's, or the multiple counts of murder he's facing (so many that each week when he goes to a bail hearing, they have to postpone it until next weeks NEW murder charges are filed)

But what is really got the bee buzzing in her bonnet is that Vybz Kartel is apparently bleaching his skin with soap.
Blue soap...well blue soap is what he is admitting to, but come the hell on. If soap were all it took to bleach your skin why the hell isn't everyone slowly getting paler? I mean one would reason, the more baths you take the lighter you would get so all these little old white men scuttling about playing shuffleboard really used to be Djaimon Hounsou?
Umm we're calling bullshit. bull to the shit.

He's taking pills. And he looks like deep fried crap that's covered in ashes...so I suppose we can add ridiculously oblivious to the list (or maybe he's a vampire and CANT see his reflection and therefor cant see how stupid he looks)

But what she really wants is to find someone black as night to start taking these things for us so we can chart the difference.
FINDING a real live human being that we know who is
1. blue black
2. willing to take these pills
3. Willing to PAY for the pills (hey we're interested by we arent funding this experiment)
4. willing to let us study him like a chia pet while he's taking the pills..
Well it's not proving so easy.

I being on the whiter shade of pale am not much help.
She, while black apparently isnt aquainted with anyone black enough who is willing to bleach themselves for our amusement/enjoyment/lets pretend it's an education (gee I wonder why?)

Nontheless...she is obsessed. So I get to listen to Dancehall music and look at pictures of his zombi-fied self throughout the day.

Ohhhhh yeaahhhh...so how have you been spending the year and half we've been apart?

Ok, so not so soon

Ugh. How is it life just manages to run away on me?

The wedding is in twelve weeks! How the hell did that happen?

Chris and I went to the gym yesterday, and I am thrilled to report I made it 15 friggin minutes on the Elliptical on Random without puking.
WIN!

My arms are stiff as hell today though, so I've been doing some periodic stretching during the day.

Hope everyone is doing fantastic..!

I know I suck.

I'm sorry.
Between the horror of Brishell's Murder, the einsuing media storm, funeral and trying to help my friend gather the shreds of her life back together I have neglected you all.
Fear not I shall return soon.

Rage Against the Machine..

That woman laying on the ground grieving for the loss of her sixteen year old daughter is my friend and co-worker Nardyne Jefferies. That was the photo on the front page of the Washington Post. The crushing grief of the knowledge her child was shot and was most likely dead.

Does it hurt to see someone I literally spend almost eight hours a day, five days a week ten feet from plastered on the front page of the newspaper? Hell yes.

I'm still to numb and angry to say much more. But god I am sick of journalists.

A bunch of my teammates and I went to a bar after our soccer game the other.

It's a sportsbar, which is not my normal hang out (who the hell am I kidding? I have a two year old, the ball pit at IKEA is my normal hang out these days)

There was an airhockey table. And those who know me, know I love me some air hockey.

(the bruised knuckles from getting dinged with the puck, no so much)

A couple of firefighters (apparently this is also a local hangout for the firefighters..huh wonder why CA suggested it?) came over to chat us up.

-This never fails to amaze me. Men just dig chicks in soccer gear.

Anyway, one particular thick necked individual decided he would challenge me, and he even wagered money!! Now I'm not a betting person. But give me a sure thing? And I'm in.

So after I won twenty bucks and debated whether Varlamov or Theodore would be the starting goaltender for the Caps.

He said "You're the kind of girl my Dad told me I should marry"

I smiled and said "Thanks but I'm already engaged"

The tentative date is September 25.

Does Barry Manilow know you raid his closet?

(title nicked with much admiration to Andra)

Yesterday the much adored director John Hughes died.

I spent most of my formative years watching his movies.

His movies have stood the test of time of being relatable and most importantly quotable.

Everyone at one time of their life or another has been - the jock, the princess, the geek, the troublemaker or the freak...and we have John Hughes to thank for making all of them cool.

Patriotic show of snark

Happy Forth of July!

I hope you are all out celebrating our independence from the opressive tyrannical rule of Great Britain.

Woot woot.

Is it unpatriotic that I ate Maltesers?

(yumm)

Fate that Fickle Bitch

So it would appear that fate that fickle bitch is not done with me yet.

A strange lump appeared on my neck a month..ish back.

Went to Dr...and the Dr said.

"Looks like nothing but let's run some blood work just for fun!"

Results.."It's just a fatty cyst/tumor"

BUT...apparently my kidney function blood test (GFR..look it up) wasn't wonderful..

Went to my Nephrologist who ran bigger and better tests (and I've still got the bruising to show it)

Yes ladies and germs it would appear I have CKD....Chronic Kidney Disease..Stage III

Moderate Kidney Damage.

Well I can't say I'm surprised. I knew that having Spud would damage my kidney's more.

Pewp.

I'm ok really, good days and bad days dealing with the knowledge I have a CHRONIC ILLNESS.

but mostly...when my life is really grim..I'm funnier... in that morbid, clear the room kind of way.

So my blog posts should improve..or at the frequency should.

But to end on an up note...My rich nutter neighbor offered the use of her timeshare condo at the local tacky beach Ocean City!!

So my family and I shall be partaking of the mullety goodness this weekend.

I'll make sure and take lots of eyeball searing photos.. :-)

No idea.

I have no idea what I was going to post here. I saved a completely blank spot for no reason.

Weird huh?

From then to now...

So it's been (looking at calendar) 3 months since I last posted (I've actually started about a dozen, but never finished them and now they're no longer timely).



So lets see...highlights and lowlights.



1. The wee V is now 5'10 and puberty seems to be in remission (or at least the attitude does)

2. Spud..is a whirling dervish of destruction. He has two modes..GO FAST..and sleep.

3. Mr. Dreadful and I are still renovating the old money pit..I mean house.

4. I'm still playing soccer (miraculous I know..I'm sure the ol' knees will buckle any day now)

5. I have my first actual real wrinkle, it's between my eyes on my forehead, perhaps from squinting? Mr. Dreadful say's most likely it's from giving stupid people the "stink eye".
My Mom has it too..so I suspect he may be right.

6. I have embraced technology to the extent that I have both an iPod touch, a fussy digital SLR camera..AND..a Kindle.
How cool am I? Pretty damn cool..but now I obsess about people breaking into my house to
steal all my snappy new electronic gadgets.

7. I recently had a very dear friend from my misspent youth die. And it sucks, because the world was just a better place with him it (funnier for sure at least)

7. Ummm..thats it.... I guess doing an overview makes my life seem less interesting that a daily/weekly sorta posting does.

I shall endeavor to work on that!

Happy Belated Mothers Day to all my lovely mom type friends.

-P.D

Inkheart

Yesterday was a teacher workday for my Vinner (well today is as well, but his grandmother was lovely enough to volunteer to stay home today so I dont exhaust my leave)



So yesterday we decided to go see a movie.



After loading up on snacks at World Market (much better candy, and much less expensive) we decided on Inkheart, based on the book of the same name.



Vincent is teeter-tottering on puberty, meaning almost all the physical signs of maturity are present, but the rest of the mental and emotional stuff is still iffy depending on how the wind blows a particular day.



However, this post is not about the challenges of my darling first born randomly turning into a snide, sarcastic little shit at the drop of a hat, then swiftly back to my sweet child. FEAR NOT!



The movie was wonderful, I haven't enjoyed a movie that much in ages. Mind you it's been ages since I last went to a movie (10.75 for a small popcorn and a medium coke though really is absurd!) but I had such a wonderful time, and my Vincent was a true joy to be around, sweet, funny, and just plain cool.

Yeah for being his mom :-)

Moving on up!

The construction on the addition is complete.



FINALLY..I mean effing finally. (new year, gotta curb the cursing)



Moved the beds up Saturday, and have slowly been moving the rest of the stuff up since then.

It's nice for Spud to finally have his own room, even if it's over two feet smaller than blue printed, I have no idea what we're going to do when he outgrows the crib, because a twin bed will be a tight squeeze indeed..but will deal with that when it comes.

I have lots and lots of windows now..and french doors from our bedroom leading out to the back porch.

Woot.

Embarrassing confession

Red velvet cake cookies.

Simply the most divine things ever.

Except when you eat too many, and it changes the color of your pee.

Seriously, I almost had a heart attack on the hopper the other day.

I thought I was hemmoraging. But no, I was just stupid.

This is gonna be one hell of a year I can tell already.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Yeah, I'm late. But hey at least it's still January..

Gone to seed

I finally got around to getting my hair cut on Monday. 8 1/2 inches off. People in the salon were gasping like it was some big deal, like I was making some sort of life statement by cutting my hair.

I was just tired of long hair, perhaps I'm finally getting old, but having hair almost down to my waist was just too high maintenance, so I ended up doing nothing with it, I would twist back into a bun at the nape of my neck, stab it with a hairstick or two and about half way through the day I'd unwrap it shake it out...and retwist it up (my hair was so flippin heavy I felt like I had a blanket attached to my scalp) At night I would just braid it.



Anyway so I FINALLY got around to cutting it. Which meant suddenly I had to buy a hairdryer..I havent used one in over two years so god only knows where mine is.



The reactions I've gotten have given see to the idea that after having my darling little spudderkins, I let myself "go to seed".

Growing up sucks.

Social Networking...?

So I caved to the pressure of the masses and joined Facebook.

And YEAH!!! reconnected with some of my bestie friends from my scholarly years. And whoa, I have some seriously hot friends now...

Booooo! Had dude from high school put the icky facebook moves on me.

Really dude..just yuck..__ years later, and I've got kids and am practically married (without that whole being married bit) and you're trying to score a hookup on FACEBOOK???

But yeah! I ran into fun friends and got "Flair"

Halloweener

Halloween is creepy-ing up on us.

Have you got your costume picked out?

I am thinking maybe I shave an arrow into my head and go as "Avatar: The Last Airbender"

or maybe not.