Say it with me: Are you fucking kidding me????
First, I will give you this:
And then, because you know Dr. Pepper is gonna start yanking that shit, I'll give you this:
Do I have to spell out all the ways this is offensive? To women, and yes, let's be honest, to men. The Facebook page? What the fuck are you thinking, Snapple Ad People?????
Look, there are differences between genders. Denying that isn't helpful. But to handle those differences in such a vilifying way is reprehensible and, especially in today's already divisive atmosphere, indefensible.
I get they're trying to make a joke. I just don't find it funny.
Those are Pobble Thoughts. That and a buck fifty will get you coffee.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
20,000 Hours
Somewhere along the line last month, quietly, unobtrusively, and without any fanfare, Lithus passed 20,000 hours total flight time. For those of us not actively involved in aviation, trust me, this is a rare feat at any point in a career. To do it with 15 years of flying time still ahead of him is unheard of crazy. And this morning, my dear, sweet Lithus looks over at me and says, "Oh...by the way..."
Yeah, my baby's a stud.
Those are proud Pobble Thoughts. That and a buck fifty will get you coffee.
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| Hamming it up for the camera |
Yeah, my baby's a stud.
Those are proud Pobble Thoughts. That and a buck fifty will get you coffee.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Disappointment and Other Angsty-ness
Note ~ This is a poorly written journal entry, far more than it is a blog post. I need to be vague enough that writing well or eloquently is hampered, but, goddammit, it's my blog and I want to write about this, so I'm doing so. Even if it's vague and poorly written. That beats censored. Which brings us to...
Disappointment is a hard issue for me. I try very hard not to be disappointed in people. It strikes me as a particularly judgemental, and inevitably hypocritical, emotion. Also, I have had people disappointed in me before and, while sometimes, yes, deservedly so, often...not so much. Generally, my response to people being disappointed in me has been and fuck you, too. I don't live my life for other people; I try to make the best choices I can in the moment; and am, more often than not, pretty consistent. In other words, if you end up disappointed in me, that probably says more about you than about me. Not always. I am far from perfect. But generally? Yeah, I'll give it "generally."
Which is why when I find myself disappointed in people, I struggle with it. Who the hell am I to expect them to live their lives, make their choices, choose their path, based on what I think they should be doing? Especially when the choices they are making are the choices I have every reason, based on past experience, to expect them to make. And yet...there are times when I still find myself disappointed. In this instance, I've had certain people say certain things, lead me to believe ~ in other words have reason to expect ~ certain things and then...*poof* Maybe that's it. In these instances, these people have lead me to believe something would be different, and then it hasn't been different. It's been the same old song.
Would it be easier if these people acknowledged that what I had been told to expect wasn't going to happen? Perhaps, but not necessarily. At least then I wouldn't struggle with trust on top of struggling with disappointment. Maybe I need to simply accept that, with these people, they want to be different, they want to make these changes, even to the point of telling me they will ~ but they won't. Would it be easier for me to just learn and accept that? Perhaps. But I'd still be struggling with disappointment so...*shrug* I don't know. I don't have all the answers.
I know I dislike myself when I am disappointed in someone. Yet, I also know I want to care enough and trust enough to have expectations of people, and when we have expectations, we can be disappointed. It's a Catch-22, I guess.
Those are angsty Pobble Thoughts. That and a buck fifty will get you coffee.
Disappointment is a hard issue for me. I try very hard not to be disappointed in people. It strikes me as a particularly judgemental, and inevitably hypocritical, emotion. Also, I have had people disappointed in me before and, while sometimes, yes, deservedly so, often...not so much. Generally, my response to people being disappointed in me has been and fuck you, too. I don't live my life for other people; I try to make the best choices I can in the moment; and am, more often than not, pretty consistent. In other words, if you end up disappointed in me, that probably says more about you than about me. Not always. I am far from perfect. But generally? Yeah, I'll give it "generally."
Which is why when I find myself disappointed in people, I struggle with it. Who the hell am I to expect them to live their lives, make their choices, choose their path, based on what I think they should be doing? Especially when the choices they are making are the choices I have every reason, based on past experience, to expect them to make. And yet...there are times when I still find myself disappointed. In this instance, I've had certain people say certain things, lead me to believe ~ in other words have reason to expect ~ certain things and then...*poof* Maybe that's it. In these instances, these people have lead me to believe something would be different, and then it hasn't been different. It's been the same old song.
Would it be easier if these people acknowledged that what I had been told to expect wasn't going to happen? Perhaps, but not necessarily. At least then I wouldn't struggle with trust on top of struggling with disappointment. Maybe I need to simply accept that, with these people, they want to be different, they want to make these changes, even to the point of telling me they will ~ but they won't. Would it be easier for me to just learn and accept that? Perhaps. But I'd still be struggling with disappointment so...*shrug* I don't know. I don't have all the answers.
I know I dislike myself when I am disappointed in someone. Yet, I also know I want to care enough and trust enough to have expectations of people, and when we have expectations, we can be disappointed. It's a Catch-22, I guess.
Those are angsty Pobble Thoughts. That and a buck fifty will get you coffee.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Signal Boost
A couple years ago, my friend, Lori, watched as her son deployed to Iraq.
At some point, he or his friends had Beanie Babies and ended up giving them to the kids surrounding the camp...or the convoy...or...something. I should know the details, but I don't. It didn't seem all that important at the time it was happening, honestly. Just a quick mention from Brian to his mom. His mom, being a superhero in disguise living here among us mere mortals, happened to put the word out that if anyone had any Beanies, they were wonderful ambassadors for the soldiers in Brian's unit and she'd send them over, for them to hand out. We did. She did. They did. Word got out...
This thing has exploded. Toys For Troops in now incorporated, for cripe's sake. Lori's mailing list has moved so far beyond Brian's unit. While, yes, they absolutely still send Beanies, now they also send care packages for the soldiers themselves, especially at the holidays (which, in case you hadn't noticed, we're approaching rapidly).
So, if you are looking for a creative and unusual way to support the troops this season, you are so in luck. It's time for the annual Toys For Troops Spaghetti Dinner Fund Raiser! The dinner is free. The raffle is the fundraising part.
The event itself takes place in Illinois. To my knowledge, none of my usual readers are anywhere close to Illinois (well, except for Lori, of course, but she already knows about this so...digressing...). Do Not Let This Deter You, People! Not all of the raffle items are local. Some of the ones I'm drooling over?
Know something else ~ Lori doesn't make a cent off of this. Everything that is donated goes directly to the cause. Purchasing, packaging, and postage. That's it. Hell, she doesn't even use donations to buy the spaghetti fixins (full disclosure, this year the spaghetti was donated, but that hasn't always been the case ~ and she still didn't reimburse herself for the costs).
I just realized, I'm going on and on about this, but you know what? I'm okay with that. I'm proud of my friend and what she'd done and doing. I'm proud of her son. I'm proud she calls me her friend, too. So, yeah, going on and on a little. Click on that link. See what you can do. If you've ever wanted fifty cents to be valued as if it was fifty grand, this is the place to go.
Those are Pobble Thoughts. These are my friends.
That and a buck fifty will get you spaghetti, a big hug, and a raffle ticket...and of course, coffee.
This thing has exploded. Toys For Troops in now incorporated, for cripe's sake. Lori's mailing list has moved so far beyond Brian's unit. While, yes, they absolutely still send Beanies, now they also send care packages for the soldiers themselves, especially at the holidays (which, in case you hadn't noticed, we're approaching rapidly).
So, if you are looking for a creative and unusual way to support the troops this season, you are so in luck. It's time for the annual Toys For Troops Spaghetti Dinner Fund Raiser! The dinner is free. The raffle is the fundraising part.
- a nook ereader. Seriously, folks. A freaking NOOK.
- $600 worth of Sephora cosmetics
- Cabot cheese gift pack
Know something else ~ Lori doesn't make a cent off of this. Everything that is donated goes directly to the cause. Purchasing, packaging, and postage. That's it. Hell, she doesn't even use donations to buy the spaghetti fixins (full disclosure, this year the spaghetti was donated, but that hasn't always been the case ~ and she still didn't reimburse herself for the costs).
I just realized, I'm going on and on about this, but you know what? I'm okay with that. I'm proud of my friend and what she'd done and doing. I'm proud of her son. I'm proud she calls me her friend, too. So, yeah, going on and on a little. Click on that link. See what you can do. If you've ever wanted fifty cents to be valued as if it was fifty grand, this is the place to go.
Those are Pobble Thoughts. These are my friends.
That and a buck fifty will get you spaghetti, a big hug, and a raffle ticket...and of course, coffee.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Twitterish Tweety
My Boston apartment is for sale. My Worcester apartment is for rent. Both of these things are happening right now. Oh...such a masochist...
Those are Pobble Thoughts. That and a buck fifty will get you coffee.
Those are Pobble Thoughts. That and a buck fifty will get you coffee.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Lessons from the Weekend
* Just because you put vodka in your magarita mix doesn't mean anyone else in the world does. You were drinking tequila.
* It's very possible the woman you think doesn't like you because you slaughtered her language last time you met is actually just shy and afraid you don't like her because she slaughtered your language last time you met. Reach out again. There could be hugs.
* ZhuZhu pets are still cool, even though they've been out for a few years. Crayons are, and always will be, still cool.
* Certain levels of happiness cannot be faked. When you find those, hang on to them.
* A fabulous hat is never inappropriate.
* Grown up birthdays are great. Kids' birthdays are better.
* Leftover carne is delicious. Left over homemade salsa is also delicious. They have both had time to marinate. They are both spicier than they were when they were fresh. Next time, remember this before you take that first, big bite.
* Even Sandpoint, Idaho has standards.
Those are wiser, lesson learned Pobble Thoughts. That and a buck fifty will get you coffee.
* It's very possible the woman you think doesn't like you because you slaughtered her language last time you met is actually just shy and afraid you don't like her because she slaughtered your language last time you met. Reach out again. There could be hugs.
* ZhuZhu pets are still cool, even though they've been out for a few years. Crayons are, and always will be, still cool.
* Certain levels of happiness cannot be faked. When you find those, hang on to them.
* A fabulous hat is never inappropriate.
* Grown up birthdays are great. Kids' birthdays are better.
* Leftover carne is delicious. Left over homemade salsa is also delicious. They have both had time to marinate. They are both spicier than they were when they were fresh. Next time, remember this before you take that first, big bite.
* Even Sandpoint, Idaho has standards.
 |
| At the Sandpoint mall. |
 |
| In the window of the Paris Hair Designs and School of Poise |
Those are wiser, lesson learned Pobble Thoughts. That and a buck fifty will get you coffee.
Friday, October 07, 2011
Little Happies
There is a lot happening in the world these days. In my personal world, the US
1. The Sing-Off is online. For those of you who don't know, The Sing-Off is an a cappella musical competition. Some of the most amazing groups I have heard, singing modern, current music, with nothing to back them up but each other. And, since we have almost no television here in Coolin ~ no, not even the Original Three from the olden days ~ having it available online is a lovely, lovely treat.
2. Low clouds over the lake and mountains. Honestly, this is a mixed kinda thing. Low clouds also have the potential of grounding Lithus and, if Lithus isn't flying, we aren't making money. But oh my friends...low clouds over the lake and mountains are so beautiful.
3. New clothes. I've spent a lot of time in the bush, both in Alaska and now here in Idaho. Living in the Alaskan bush doesn't lend itself, particularly, to city clothes. What I remembered recently was that I bopped around helibases and air strips for years in my ordinary, every day, citified clothes before we moved to Alaska. I wore dress pants and leopard print pumps, skirts and bangles, capris and high heeled wedges and never thought twice. They were my clothes and I wore them. We don't live in the Alaskan bush any longer. I have new clothes. I have cool, beautiful, citified clothes. I have high heels to go with them. Accessories, I wear them. Lithus looked at me the other day, smiled, and said "I know you." Yeah. It's good to be back.
4. Muffins. Actually, that should be muffin, singular. Earlier this week, I mentioned to Lithus that I was craving muffins but that I really didn't want to make an entire batch of them because I knew one would do. But there isn't exactly a bakery on every corner up here. A couple days later, Lithus had had to drive into town. He brought me home a muffin.
5. We decorated for Autumn this year. We are in one place, long enough, with enough disposable income to decorate. I have a cluster of gourds on my table and another on a wall shelf. There are candles. And of course, the lake itself out our window. It's not much; it's enough.
Little reasons to be happy. I'll take 'em.
Those are Pobble Thoughts. That and a buck fifty will get you coffee.
1. The Sing-Off is online. For those of you who don't know, The Sing-Off is an a cappella musical competition. Some of the most amazing groups I have heard, singing modern, current music, with nothing to back them up but each other. And, since we have almost no television here in Coolin ~ no, not even the Original Three from the olden days ~ having it available online is a lovely, lovely treat.
2. Low clouds over the lake and mountains. Honestly, this is a mixed kinda thing. Low clouds also have the potential of grounding Lithus and, if Lithus isn't flying, we aren't making money. But oh my friends...low clouds over the lake and mountains are so beautiful.
3. New clothes. I've spent a lot of time in the bush, both in Alaska and now here in Idaho. Living in the Alaskan bush doesn't lend itself, particularly, to city clothes. What I remembered recently was that I bopped around helibases and air strips for years in my ordinary, every day, citified clothes before we moved to Alaska. I wore dress pants and leopard print pumps, skirts and bangles, capris and high heeled wedges and never thought twice. They were my clothes and I wore them. We don't live in the Alaskan bush any longer. I have new clothes. I have cool, beautiful, citified clothes. I have high heels to go with them. Accessories, I wear them. Lithus looked at me the other day, smiled, and said "I know you." Yeah. It's good to be back.
4. Muffins. Actually, that should be muffin, singular. Earlier this week, I mentioned to Lithus that I was craving muffins but that I really didn't want to make an entire batch of them because I knew one would do. But there isn't exactly a bakery on every corner up here. A couple days later, Lithus had had to drive into town. He brought me home a muffin.
5. We decorated for Autumn this year. We are in one place, long enough, with enough disposable income to decorate. I have a cluster of gourds on my table and another on a wall shelf. There are candles. And of course, the lake itself out our window. It's not much; it's enough.
Little reasons to be happy. I'll take 'em.
Those are Pobble Thoughts. That and a buck fifty will get you coffee.
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