Stream of Consciousness Blogging: Piano, An Uninhabitable Apartment, and the Hunger Games

After a four year separation, I have returned to my piano and my fabulous piano teacher.  I quit during a time that was extremely busy and chaotic, but life has calmed down considerably, so we are together again and I am enjoying myself immensely.  Sometimes, I need to interact with others.  Other times, I need to interact with only myself.  Playing the piano provides that for me in a constructive, emotionally satisfying way.

Poor Amelia.  She is doing so well in San Francisco, except for the fact that a couple of weeks ago her apartment was damaged by extensive leaks in the building.  Actually, damaged is an understatement.  In spite of the fact that her apartment is on the second of three floors, the roof leaked so much that it filled up the light fixtures and drywall became soaked.  It is now uninhabitable, the landlord is being unreasonable and uncooperative, and she is essentially homeless.  Right now she is staying in a hotel (after the generosity of friends), she's looking into a lawsuit against her landlord, and she is hunting for a new place, which is turning out to be trickier than one would think.  She's a trooper though.

Well, I jumped on the Hunger Games bandwagon.  That is, my book club jumped on the Hunger Games bandwagon, and I am so glad we did!  It has been a while since I've read such a page-turner.  I'm now reading the second book in the trilogy.

And...one thing's for sure, birthdays on Facebook make you feel like a superstar!

Ready to do a Good Deed?

I would feel unworthy to call myself a blogger, I would feel unworthy to call myself a friend, if I didn't use what little tiny bit of influence that I might have on the World Wide Web to help spread this message that hundreds--maybe thousands--of people have been spreading around the internet.

You see, my friend, Mark, (on the left) and his husband, Fred, are facing a very real threat to the stability of their family.  Fred is a French national and the time is drawing near that he might be deported.  Under national immigration law, if an immigrant marries a U.S. citizen, they are given a green card and allowed to live in the United States.  That is, IF one of them is a man and the other is a woman.  However, since they are a same-sex couple and the U.S. federal government does not recognize their 2008 marriage in California, these four beautiful children just might lose one of their fathers. . . their Papa.

Chances are, you already are familiar with Mark and his family.  But if you're not, here is a link to his blog.  Currently he is chronicling the latest events in their struggle, including their interview with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, several newspapers, and CNN.  They've also been part of a documentary on the subject, and his blog has embedded clips to those links.

Many people have asked Mark if there is anything they can do to help.  This is his reply:

"Because you asked, here is how you can help.  You can write to Homeland Security Secretary, Janet Napolitano.  And if you live in Pennsylvania, you can write to Senator Casey's office.  Both, on our behalf.  You can let them know that you read the story on StopTheDeportations.com or that you know of our story from another source.  If you do this, I would urge you to, as best you can, write it when you're in a good mood.  No one likes a nasti-gram.  In fact, Senator Casey's office already knows about our story and his staff has reached out to us.  And Congressman Holden's office has been exceptionally helpful.  I tend to think that people are generally good and want to help when and if they can.  You read my post that I copied from StopTheDeportations.com.  You know that we are asking for approval of our green-card application.  Or at the very least, held in abeyance and not denied.  I will leave the rest to you because I don't want it to sound like a form letter.  And in fact, actual letters and phone calls are the best."

Secretary Janet Napolitano
Department of Homeland Security
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Washington, D.C. 20528

202-282-8000

If you have a minute, here's where the good deed part comes in.  Please write a quick letter to Ms. Napolitano, or make a brief phone call on behalf of Mark and Fred, and especially on behalf of these four beautiful children who need both of their parents.

   

The Word, "Hubby"

I can't stand the word, hubby. I cringe every time I hear it or read it.  I know most people find nothing wrong with it at all, but for some reason I just find it silly.  Beyond silly.  It brings to mind a husband who is a bit of dopey buffoon.  Usually this dopey, buffoon of a husband is also pudgy.  And oblivious. And balding, perhaps with comb-over tendencies..  No hubby ever had a nice full head of hair.

So hubby means a pudgy, dopey, oblivious, balding, comb-over wearing buffoon of a husband.

I have a friend who is simply horrified by the word moist.  It actually makes her mad.  She's a good sport when we razz her about it, but I happen to know that it actually angers her.  Another word that she abhors is panties.  And whatever you do--don't string both words together!  

Are there any words that you can't stand?

Pinterest: A Love/Eye Roll Relationship

Do I like Pinterest?  Sure, I like Pinterest.  I visit Pinterest every day.  I have several different boards of my own.  (In fact, if you click the Pinterest button on The Jason Show sidebar, you'll be instantly transported there.)  I think most Pinterest users agree that there is something highly reinforcing about pinning something to one of your boards that you like, something with which you identify and has meaning for you.  

But shall we be honest?  Sometimes I see things on Pinterest that make me think, "Oh my god that is so ugly."  Or, "How cheesy and not in a good way!"   On top of that, it seems like people make stuff up just for the sake of putting it on Pinterest, not for the value that it has in and of itself.  Some of the sayings that show up just make me a little crazy.  Things not unlike, "Concrete is so useful,"  followed with a comment that says love or yes.  "I love breathing air.  It's the best."  Comment:  gotta have this.

Okay, okay, not so extreme but I think if you're a Pinterest user you might get what I mean.  Or is it just me?

Then there are the fads.  The ones that you just get so tired of seeing.  I loved the first few KEEP CALM posters, but after a while you just want to punch a hole right through them.  And for goodness sake, enough with all of the scarves already!  I like scarves as much as the next guy (or gal) but give it a rest!  And I swear if I see one more cute little Elf on the Shelf idea I just might hurl my computer across the room.

Several times I have started new boards called Yuck, No Way, or Oh No.  I've gotten a kick out of repinning some of these things of which I speak to my these categories, but then I quickly delete the category because, well, how rude is that?

The internet (and the world) are mean enough places as it is.  As one who expects tolerance, how can I be intolerant of such simple things as hideous sweaters from Etsy or bathroom remodels that look like they were done out of the garbage dump?

But still. . .I can privately roll my eyes, right?  I'm still entitled to my opinion, right?