Hey, Check Out MY Reading

How's this for a kick in the teeth? Ages and ages ago, I answered a question on Ba Zi, aka Chinese astrology, and *lynne* from Answers Without, Answers Within, offered to give me a reading.

Well, life imposes and interferes with the best intentions and things were somewhat delayed. However, dear *lynne* never forgot me and has put up my readings here, here and here. Way to go *lynne* and a huge thank you for your time, talent and hard work!

Thing is, my old stomping grounds, today.com has apparently forbidden me even to see today.com blogs any more. I click on one of the many still on my bloglists, I'm sent to a "you are forbidden" screen. This is independent of browser or which of my home computers I use. I have to, literally use someone else's computer. To read my own reading.

Aside from the stupidity in restricting viewers, this kind of petty crap makes me more and more glad I left today.com long long ago.

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I'm Thankful...

So, what to do with this blog when I run out of questions? I've been thinking. (It's what I do, sorry).

There a gillions [technical term] of blogs where people rant and vent. Nothing wrong with that and I'll likely do that once in a while, but it's more likely to be on Rocket Scientist rather than here. Instead, I thought I'd write a blog about something I'm grateful for. I mean, not only is extended self-pity obnoxious to be around, it's also self-perpetuating and, let's face it, there is always someone who has it worse. And I have a lot to be thankful for. For instance, my children.

I'm not talking about the fact that they're beautiful and talented and charming, though that's nice, too. I'm grateful because they are healthy and (mostly) happy [not Roxy at the moment because we just put her to bed, but usually].

My eldest is fourteen, sharp as a tack, up to her eyeballs in contrariness and gorgeous. She can draw, paint, sing, anything, really, she wants. Her first year was challenging. She had ear infections (never quite bad enough for tubes), pneumonia twice, once had one of my hairs caught around a toe so bad it turned purple and a tendency toward allergies. But she was speaking and talking by the end of the year. When she was five, she got shingles. (I've had them twice myself - Native American genes). But, you know, she's still mostly healthy. I've never had to deal with severe mental disorders or extended hospital stays. She's never broken a bone or contracted anything that wasn't minor, just a few stitches on one occasion.

My youngest daughter is fifteen months and has hardly had a cold. She's happy, alert, ahead of the game vocabulary- and coordination-wise. She's got a definite personality, has had an ear infection or any other signs of problems. And she's so sweet and smart.

Alex is five. He doesn't talk. He doesn't draw. He won't sit still for story books or do anything on command. He is cute and was and is one of the happiest healthiest children I've ever known. He is low maintenance preferring to eat finger foods you leave with him and let him eat alone. He has a heckuva a career ahead of him in demolition because, let me tell you, that boy is gifted. He isn't always easy to work with and, believe me, there were many dark days in the four years eleven months and two weeks where he refused to be potty trained. But, when he decided to do it, it was done instantly. And that's the thing. They have him classified in the "autistic spectrum" but the differences are as pointed as the similarities. He loves being hugged. He'll look you in your eyes. He has NO trouble reading or expressing emotion. He has the most gorgeous dimples ever (see picture). He'll shop all day happily (he loves it). Ditto for swimming or playing outside. He loves to go. Many of the things he's graded low on in his pre-school he can do just fine - he just won't do it when someone tells him to. I still think that may be part of the talking, too.

I don't know what the future holds, not for Alex, not for my girls. No one does.

But I wouldn't trade any of them for the most perfect responsive exceptional children in the world. They're perfect for me. I love them just the way they are and actually can wait to see what they become because I'm not in a rush to lose what I have now.

I'm lucky to have them in my life. And very very grateful.

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I'm Thankful...

It occurs to me that I can fill out the spaces between blogs with some thoughts of my own. Like the one I had today...

I'm thankful I don't work in the service industry, where, day in and day out, I have to deal with customers. I went to go order some more contacts for my daughter and waited half an hour. There was only one person working it and she was doing the best possible under the circumstances. When I got here, she was helping someone picking up their glasses while another woman roamed the room, looking at frames. Then, after I got there, a pregnant woman came in prompted by the worker who was NOT at the optical store. The woman was fixin' to go any time and came with a teen and a tiny tiny kid.

The woman who'd called her hadn't told her exactly why she was coming in. Her glasses hadn't been ordered (or paid for), the insurance information was not available. And this poor lady, who looked for glasses, forms, ANYTHING to give the pregnant lady had nothing she could do for her.

No one got testy or angry with the saleslady, but I could tell she felt bad about dragging the pregnant woman on a wild goosechase (even though she hadn't done it). And felt bad about people having to wait.

Interestingly enough, you might be interested to hear that I'm so obviously a sympathetic ear I got an earful. The woman looking for glasses accosted me, first to tell me how it never rains it pours, first her cat was sick, then her eleven year old grandson. The cat, apparently, is a beautiful Tonkinese she got from the local shelter. They said not to let him outside, but what they didn't tell her was why. Apparently, he's deathly allergic to fleas. She loves him though. And she's trying to juggle vet and doctor visits while going back to school in her retirement (yes, all of this was unprompted. I think I must look trustworthy.) She is going to jury duty on the 6th and just broke her glasses so she needs new ones but she had no idea how to find some that looked good on her.

My glasses look good on me, she said (after complimenting my one beauty, my hair) and then asked if I could help her pick some out. I did. I'm good at it, told her about my own recent cat rescues (she was jealous of my little manx sweethearts, I could tell) and liked the frames I found her very much.

Nice lady. I liked her. Still, I can imagine that being trying if I had a line of people waiting on me.

In fact, even dealing with friendly, understanding, honest people day in and day out would get wearying and, let's face it, there will always be assholes. One asshole can pretty much ruin a day of nice people.

I've done some time on that side of the counter, long ago, thank heaven. I remember some of it fondly but mostly, no. I wouldn't want to do that again.

People frequently rant about the service they receive here or there, the idiots that work here or there and whatnot. Me, I'm just glad I don't have to work in those places, I don't have to apologize for situations I didn't create, I don't have to treat even the rudest and most insensitive people with friendliness. So, if I don't jump on the pick on the clerk bandwagon, well, you know why.

It's a tough and often thankless job.

All honor to them.

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