farewell, little man

So, I got a tearful message on my phone today from my mother letting me know that they had to put down the last of their cats.  It was a good thing - the right thing to do.  He was 15, had major painful digestive issues, was beginning to lose weight and it was just time.  He was also the cat that I was closest to.

I'm the one who found him as a kitten, got him used to people and was able to bring him in where he was safe.  There were always cats running around our neighborhood, but never a teeny kitten like this one.  This was a tiny little black kitten who was hunting grasshoppers for food.  Tiny, muscular, stealthy.  Somehow I got him close enough to me at one point where I saw he had green eyes.  For years I wanted a black cat with green eyes, and here he was!  Unfortunately, we had just adopted a cat a few months before and we weren't about to get another one.  One little catch though - it was mid-October and he was a black cat.  I was afraid he'd end up being the victim of some wanna-be-devil-worshipping-freakshow.  We decided we'd try to catch him and get him to the shelter where he'd be safer.

It took a little while for me to coax him over to me and get him to trust me, but boy did he love the attention once he did.  I was finally able to pick him up and we put him in a pet crate on our front porch.  We'd leave him there overnight and then take him to the shelter the next day (even though I secretly wanted to keep him).  Before my dad was ready to take him, he took him out of the crate and the little kitten climbed up onto his shoulder and started purring in his ear.  My dad's heart melted, he cried "He's not playing fair!" and the decision was made to keep him.  He was named Squeakers (Squeaks for short) because that was about the size of his meow.

The rest is history.  I got married and moved out a year later.  He gained plenty of weight, became a fierce protector and had many cute little routines that my parents will miss greatly.  Though he lived with them and he was their cat, part of me will always think of him as my little man.  I'm sure his next life will be a great one.

i'm a terrible swede

One-quarter of me is Swedish.  Our Christmas Eve gatherings were very Swedish in nature - meatballs, ham, rice pudding, potato sausage, etc.  My family is very Scandinavian in demeanor and taste and though most of me is Dutch, I've always considered myself Swedish.  Go figure.

Unfortunately, I've never been one for Swedish pop culture that permeates the US.  ABBA - never a huge fan.  I can dance to "Dancing Queen" with the best of 'em, but other than that I just don't care much for them.  Roxette and Ace of Base?  Blech.  I've never stepped foot inside an Ikea, and frankly don't think I ever will unless one pops up within 30 miles of me and I just don't see that happening.  I tried watching Let The Right One In the other night and ended up falling asleep about half an hour into it - and as anyone who reads this blog knows, I'm a huge vampire person.

The thing that really firmed it up for me though was I started reading The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo last week.  You know, the book that everyone is reading by the Swedish author who turned in the books then died and everyone just loves?  The one that Hollywood couldn't wait to get it's hands on?  (I know, I don't usually go for the trendy books, but it was a free book in our cafeteria and some of my friends even recommended it to me, so I thought I'd go against what I usually do...)  Yeah, I got about 100 pages into it and I just didn't care - couldn't get into it.  I put it back in the cafeteria today for someone else to try.

Oh dear, my own people put me to sleep!  Throw the pop culture snubs on top of the fact that I can't stand lefse or herring and this doesn't bode well.  Maybe I should stop thinking of myself as a Swede and go more on the Dutch side.  What kind of pop culture things have the Dutch given us?  Tulips?  Windmills?  The desire of every college-age male to go there for hookers and pot?  Hmmm...maybe not.

There is one Swedish export I do enjoy though.  Alexander Skarsgard.  Thank you for that one, Sweden.

the men i ♥

Ah, men.  I love men.  True love, family, friends, people who make me laugh, think, make my heart go aflutter.

Here's to the men I heart in many different ways...the ones I know, and the ones I admire from afar...

My loving husband: Man o' my dreams, my knight in shining armor.  Hubby for 14 years.  Always ready to make me smile or laugh.  Encourages me to explore and grow and loves me for who I am.  Great father, thankfully great at math (since I'm not), takes care of me, the kid, the household.  He's a protector and a man of many talents.  Gotta love him.

My awesome son:  Well, of course

My dad:  A completely unique individual.  Quiet thinker, musician, poet, writer, photographer.  Taught me to be a free-thinker and for that I'll always be grateful.

My best friend:  I don't see or talk to this guy nearly enough, but when I do see him it's like we only saw each other yesterday.  Friends since 7th grade, he's one of the few people I can completely be myself around - he's seen me at my best and my worst and that's okay by me.

My pop-in-law and bro-in-law:  The men-folk in my husband's family.  Accepted me quickly into the family and for that I'll always be thankful.

My sangha friends: Smart, entertaining, thoughtful, compassionate and strong. It's great having these guys around.
My work "spouse":  I think that's what he's considered these days anyway.  The one person at my lousy job who I can laugh and roll my eyes with, talk to about silly 80's toys and shows and steal food from.  He keeps me somewhat sane there.

The mattress guy:  The poor guy who stands on the corner of the street by the strip mall, dressed in a mattress, constantly waving at the people driving past.  How many people suddenly think to themselves, "Hey, I think I'll buy a new mattress today!" upon seeing him.  I'm guessing maybe 1 every three months.  Yet, he still stands out there every weekend.

Johnny Depp:  I still don't know why.  He's so not my type, but YUM!  I used to hate him until I realized how many movies I loved that he starred in.  Maybe I still thought of him back in his 21 Jump Street days - baby faced, trying to be a rebel just to rebel.  I'm liking the good yet bad-boy, dirty pirate, great with kids combo.

Bill Murray:  Come on - this guy's been making us laugh since the beginning of time, he can do a great serious role and get right back to making us laugh again.  He's so out of the Hollywood game and yet he's worshipped.  Gotta heart him for that.

Jon Hamm:  This is a recent addition to the heart list.  Yes, he's suave yet naughty on Mad Men, but he's also freaking funny!  Seen him on SNL or 30 Rock?  He's great!  In interviews, he's honest and just like any regular guy.  I could hang out with him for a day and be totally happy.

That's a whole lotta love, and I haven't even skimmed the surface.  Men are awesome.  Need I say more?

random

Why would any man in his right mind want to visit a place named Cockburn Town?  Can you imagine telling people that's where you're going on your honeymoon?

the politics of it all

I'm not a political person at all, but I sure do get tired of those who consider themselves political by quoting the same old tired phrases that they hear other people saying.  I wonder if they even think about it or if they are blindly following. 

So many times lately I've heard, "Nobody should be given an handout.  If you work hard enough, you can accomplish anything."  While I would agree that there are unfortunately those out there who take advantage of the system, commit fraud, etc, there are many more out there who are legitimately in need of assistance.  What if the person has a legitimate disability that prevents them from holding a job?  Should they be working hard to find a cure for their ailment so they can get to work and make money?  How are single parents supposed to work three jobs while also taking care of their children? Yes, a person can always try to find an additional job to make money, but there are only so many hours in the day and if you have to take care of children as well as opposed to working to put your kids in day care - there's a limit.   Should they be working hard to find a spouse to help bear the financial load?  (And please don't assume all single parents started out as pregnant teens, there are plenty of people out there who started out with the "ideal family" image and things changed for one reason or another)

I'm sick of people being called "Loony Lefties," "Radical Right-Wingers," and the like.  Come on people - I think the words loony and radical would easily apply to many people on both ends of the political spectrum out there.  People who start calling people names and applying labels as soon as they disagree with their opinions obviously have no true argument and just want to sound tough.  It's like the schoolyard bully who can't think of a good comeback, so they just call you a name and walk off.

I'm so tired of it all.  Damn instant media and 24-hour news networks for trying to fill their time and space with sensationalistic nonsense that people actually listen to.  (And damn people for being sheep)  I'm hoping the political climate changes sometime soon because right now it's just embarrassing. 

There.  I feel a little better now.  'Nuff said.

it's just not the halloween season without 'em

Halloween is my favorite holiday.  I love everything about it - the scary movies, the zillions of shows about ghosts, the candy, the costumes, the ability to dress the way you really want to without being looked at strangely.  Oh, is that just me?

There are certain movies and shows that I have to watch every year.  You know, like the way some people have to watch "It's A Wonderful Life" every Christmas.  *shiver*   






Disney's "Legend of Sleepy Hollow."  A Halloween staple for me since grade school.  We got to watch movies for fun twice each year; once for Halloween when we got to watch this, and once in the spring when we watched The Lorax.  They'd pull down the screen, pop popcorn, shut off the lights and we just sat there, hypnotized by the clicking, whirring sound of the film going through the projector.  As for the movie itself, it was just the right mixture of humor and elementary horror.  It seemed so much longer back then though.  I'd still take this one over the Tim Burton movie any time.  (Apologies to Mr. Depp)



The Exorcist.  This movie still creeps the begeezus out of me.  The first time I tried watching it at a friends' house, we hid under the covers once things got going.  Never saw the full thing until about 5 years later.  It was that dang face that kept flashing on the screen.  Now when I watch it, I watch the director's cut with that dang crab walk that's just not humanly possible and...well...uber-creepy.



A Nightmare on Elm Street.  The original.  The best.  The first modern horror movie I had ever seen and I loved it.  Today it's campy and a bit dated, but it's still a necessity.  Oh - and I suppose this would give Johnny Depp a little Halloween list redemption.



Vincent Price movies.  House on Haunted Hill, The Pit and the Pendulum, House of Wax...  Campy, creepy, full of screams and classic.



"Scariest Places on Earth" marathons.  There's one on some channel every year.  What is it about the show that I love?  The macho families deciding to investigate haunted locations, losing their cool and screaming like children?  The melodramatic host?  Linda Blair in leather?  Zelda Rubenstein's awesome narration?  Yes.  All of the above.  And speaking of Zelda...



Poltergeist.  Or as my son used to call it - Poultrygeist.  The face peeling, the clown doll, the living steak and Zelda's "This house is clean."  Classic!  Of course, I have to watch it in conjunction with Poltergeist II.  "God is in his holy tem...ple."

The list goes on.  There's the original Halloween, Blair Witch, Nightmare Before Christmas and I might add Paranormal Activity to the list as well.  Then throw in every show about hauntings and staged haunted houses and I think we have it.  If you're wondering if I've forgotten Charlie Brown...no, I haven't.  I am probably one of the few people who can live without it.  I don't really care about the Great Pumpkin.

Happy Hauntings everyone!

october's educational post (here's someone you don't hear about very often...)

Ever heard of H. H. Holmes?

Eh...didn't think so.  Do the names Dahmer, Bundy, or Gacy ring a bell?  Well, add him to the list either by his given name, Herman Webster Mudgett, or by his alias.  This was one of America's first serial killers - convicted of 27 counts of murder in the first degree (though it is suspected he might have killed up to 230 people) between the years of 1888 and 1894 and the abundance of his murders were committed not far from me - Chicago.  The backdrop of his spree - The World's Columbian Exposition (better known as the 1893 World's Fair).

This guy wasn't just any old murderer - he built his own "Murder Castle."  He "inherited" a drugstore from a couple - the man died, the woman mysteriously disappeared - and Holmes decided to build a grand building across the street.  The first floor being his drugstore and various other shops, and he opened the rest as a hotel for those attending the nearby fair.  This was no ordinary hotel. Sealed rooms, gas chambers, secret passageways, doors leading to nowhere, chutes that went from bathrooms to the basement where a giant furnace, vats of acid and even a stretching rack were located.  He didn't just kill - he had fun with it.  Halfway through construction, he fired the crew and hired a new one so that nobody would learn too much about the building, get suspicious and go to the police. 

Before he started murdering people, he was a bigamist.  Apparently he had a way with the ladies.  Once he started his new life in Chicago, one of his lovers disappeared and he found another...actually many.  Funny thing is, many of them disappeared too.  His hotel employees were obligated to take out life insurance policies that Holmes would pay for, but also be the beneficiary of.  Guess what - employees disappeared too.  Most of his victims were his lovers, female hotel employees, and hotel guests.  A few men and children's bodies were found as well.   Many of the people were looking for a new life, had little family or were from places far away where it was difficult for family to come search for them.

His victims would suffer from the strangest forms of death.  Some were asphyxiated in their own well-sealed guest rooms by gas he would pump in through hoses. Some were sealed in a soundproof bank vault near his office where they would suffocate.  Others died of Holmes' badly-done abortion procedures.  After they were dead, some would be dissected and stripped of all muscle, becoming skeleton models then sold to medical schools.  Others were cremated or thrown into lime pits or even huge vats of acid.  He knew how to get rid of his evidence.

With the closing of the fair and bill collectors on his heels, Holmes decided to high-tail it out of Chicago and ended up in Texas, where he was going to build another...um...hotel, but he wasn't a fan of law enforcement down there.  He moved about for a while, probably killing a lot of other people as well, and then ended up in Philadelphia where he came up with another fine scheme...convince his associate to fake his own death and collect the life insurance money.  Except, of course, the person would end up dying anyway.  Holmes ended up convincing the dead man's wife (who had been convinced that her husband was in South America) to let three of their kids live with him.  There's a great role model for your kids! 

Holmes would lie to her about where they were staying when she would go looking for them.  She ended up hiring private investigators to find them, but unfortunately what they came up with was two decomposed bodies of children.  They finally tracked him down in Indianapolis in a nice little cottage he was renting.  In the chimney in that cottage, they found the ashes and teeth of the third child that had been travelling with him.  He ran again and was finally captured in Boston with his completely unsuspecting third wife.  I'm telling ya - ladies' man.

In 1894, a custodian at the castle ended up telling Chicago police that he was never allowed above the first floor of the building and that's when they decided to go investigating.  Over the next month, they searched the castle, found the secret rooms and means of disposal, but many of the bodies that were actually left were so decomposed or dismembered that they couldn't tell how many were actually there.  The castle ended up burning down due to a fire of "mysterious origin" in 1895.

What happened to Mr. Holmes?  Well, while he was in prison, he ended up making a deal with Hearst Newspapers for his confession.  He wrote his own story, and had it published.  His story did change over time though, first saying he was innocent, then toward the end of his time on this plane of existence saying he was possessed by the devil.  He was finally hanged on May 7, 1896...it was a slow death.  After that, he was buried in a concrete vault per his request so that nobody could dig up his body and dissect it the way he had done with so many others.

I had never heard of this man or the mass murders that took place in Chicago until I read a book about haunted Chicago of all things.  It made me investigate further and I ended up reading a book called "Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson.  His book weaved together the story of Holmes along with the World's Fair and those who made it happen.  It was really fascinating - sick - but fascinating.  The Columbian Exposition is another topic that interests me, so I might be writing something about that a little later on.  Such a huge to-do and barely anything remains...

Anyhoo...I hope you've been educated a little bit today.  I know it's not the happiest of subject matter, but it's just so dang odd that you never hear about this guy.

the ultimate road trip

Spring Break 2011.  Last year around tax time, we decided, "Next year we're going to take our returns and go to Disney World."  A great idea!  One that we had come up with the year before and had to scrap because we had to use the returns for other things.  And yes, this time around the same thing is going to happen.  We still want to have a good trip this year though - something memorable for all of us and less expensive than flying to Orlando, so we've come up with the idea of doing an old-fashioned road trip.

We all love the idea.  The only issue is that we can't figure out where we want to go.  My husband has never been in the ocean, my son has never seen the ocean or mountains, and I'd love to get them there.  That opens up a whole world of possibilities, right?  Now, cross off anything in the Gulf because - well - it's Spring Break.  Not really a family atmosphere, ya know?  Also cross off going anywhere where we would have to drive through the Rocky Mountains because it's the 3rd week in March and the weather is pretty unpredictable up there. Add a few factors in like we want to be sure that there are activities for all of us to enjoy, we don't camp and we're on a limited budget and it makes the decision a little harder.

Some ideas we have come up with are Washington D.C. (tons of free stuff to do and not terribly far from the ocean, but hotels are a little pricey), a tour of BBQ hotspots (pretty easy, but the kid would probably get bored and there would be no ocean and no mountains), Maine (because we want to eat lots of lobster but again, not much fun for the kid), and a little jaunt through the Smoky Mountains to the lower east coast and back, but we wouldn't know exactly where our destination would be.

Who knew this would be so difficult!  Anyone out there have any suggestions?

i have to agree with the sleep talkin' man

Please tell me you've checked out the Sleep Talkin' Man.  There's nothing like a good chuckle in the morning, and this site gives me plenty.  A wife blogs about the things that come out of her husband's mouth while he's sleeping.  Simple, yet hilarious.  There is "controversy" over whether or not this is actual sleep-talk or if the writers of the blog make it all up, but seriously - who cares?  These insane random thoughts are merged together so beautifully that it doesn't matter where they come from.  I've posted some of my favorite quotes below...

"That's the difference between you and me. Your heart is filled with hate, and mine is filled with kittens. Mmmm, kittens. Meow."

"I think I'll become a decimal point. Cause it's got the power to make things look small or big, all at the same time. I want to have such power. Mmmm, power."



"The world's just not as sparkly as you want it to be. We should all carry some glitter and add a little bit along the way."

"Pay homage to toast. Prostrate yourself in front of it: hot, crunchy bread slice thingy. We shall celebrate with tea! Iguana tea."


"I'm in a totally zen-like state… Can't you tell how fucking zen I am?!"


"No. Don't look up. They're in the trees. Those tree cows. They're a deadly shot. They'll get you in the eyes. Get them down with threats of violence. And a bucket of grass, of course."


"Ghostly froggies. A-hoppin' and a-haunting. Oooooh, ribbit. Oooooh, ribbit."


"(singing) I'm gonna be the captain, I'm gonna be in charge. I'm gonna be the captain, I'm gonna be-... You can fuck off to the back and sulk there. (singing again) I'm gonna be the captain, I'm gonna be in charge.... Captain Bollocks! I shall be Captain Bollocks. On the good ship Scrotum. It's a small boat, but it'll pack a punch. We'll be able seamen in our boat, Scrotum."


"Yeah, you can find it on www.uselessfuckingpieceofcockshitesuckingtitfuck.com."

And the best one for us Wisconsinites:
"My badger's gonna unleash hell on your ass.  BADGERTASTIC!"

Hope you got a little chuckle out of these.  Seriously, follow this blog - it's a little piece of happy insanity every morning.

why is this surprising?

A couple of weeks ago, the media was abuzz with the story of the results of a survey conducted by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.  This 32 question survey on religion was given to 3,412 randomly sampled adults across the country and the results were interesting, but in all honesty I wasn't surprised. 

Disclaimer:  Remember, this is my blog - therefore my opinion, so don't go getting all pissy... ;P

Do you have any interest in trying the quiz yourself?  You can find a shortened version here.  If you do want to try the quiz, I hughly suggest you take it before you continue reading this entry...I don't want to give anything away.

Done?

Good.

I'll continue...

Now the findings showed that in this cross-section of the US, the people who scored the highest were those who consider themselves Athiests/Agnostics with people of Mormon and Jewish faith coming in a close second and third. 

This was absolutely shocking to some people!  I don't really know why.  I have found that a good section of people who I have talkted to who consider themselves Christian (and according to the survey, two-thirds of Christians) - whether they attend church every week or not - have never read the Bible completely, or only read parts of it.  Sure, they know the stories of the Bible, they know the quotable verses, but rely on sermons and their own personal beliefs to keep their faith going.  Many were brought up that way and it's more a family tradition - it's how they were raised.  (Please don't accuse me of lumping all Christians in this group - I know of many who study the Bible intently as well.  I just know there are many who consider themselves Christian without a deep knowledge of the Bible)  That is what they know, what they believe, and they have no need to investigate any further.

Many Athiests and Agnostics were raised Christian, but because they felt they didn't really agree with what they were being told, decided to delve deeper into the religion, usually starting out by reading the Bible.  Honestly, that is where many people decide it's not for them, or that it's the perfect fit.  After many people come to that decision, they search for another religion that fits what they already believe.

The results make perfect sense to me.  Was it just the fact that WASPs weren't deemed the most intelligent about something?  I know that can get them pretty grouchy.  (Oh, simmer down - I joke.)

Here are some findings that I did find interesting as this takes a look at all answers on a whole, not by religious affiliation:

I know religion is a touchy subject, so I'm not going to go on about anything other than saying that the results of this survey make for some interesting reading.  Be you Mormon or Christian, or Buddhist or whatever...knowledge of the things and people around you is always a good thing as well.

Oh, my score on the online quiz?  15 out of 15.  What was yours?