RyRySays

My mom called me today and told me that she wasn't able to deposit a check my brother had written her for the beach deposit. I assumed it was because while he is 24, his handwriting looks like he's 5. With a cast on. And Parkinsons.

Apparently the actual reason was because in the "To:" line, instead of "Mom" he wrote, "The old lady crying in the bank".

And the cashier would not accept that my mom was the old lady crying in the bank.
I thought that was funnier than the time Whit wrote me a check and put S_EX in the "For:" line. He added the underscore so people wouldn't know what it said. Or the time KT wrote "last night" in the "For:" line and a little old lady cashier did a double take when I cashed it.

For some reason, I can't say the word 'panties'. It just feels dirty to me. I don't know why. Other people in my family say it. My friends say it. It's not a swear. But I always say underwear. Panties makes me blush.

Does anyone else find it oddly disturbing that when searching under cooking and baking playsets, you find deluxe stand-up horse? Maybe it's for pan-Asian cuisine. Or make your own dog food.

Also, these things are so freaking cute. I need a 4 year old so I can play with this stuff.

Tonight I found out that my Pop-pop is in the hospital. We don't know much at this point. Apparently he was acting funny this morning and my aunt and grandma took him to the ER. They did some tests and found that he has a frontal mass tumor that is pushing on his brain. That's why he's acting goofy. He's on steroids to shrink the swelling, but they may have to operate. They don't know if it's cancer.

Within an hour, I spoke with 6 family members. We're all connected and everyone knows who to call when they get more news. Pop-pop isn't in any pain and last we heard, he was playing with the buttons on the bed, which is so typically Pop-pop that it breaks my heart.

Please add my Pop-pop to your list of prayers tonight. We're not ready to lose him yet. He's the roots of our crazy tree and without him, we might topple.

**Update** The body scan revealed no other masses which is good. He's hopped up on drugs so he's feeling no pain, but also has no idea what's going on. The steroids shrunk the tumor enough that he's having surgery tomorrow at 11 am. Keep praying that it's not cancer and that he makes it through the surgery.

**Update Update** He had surgery this morning and they found that it is not a tumor, but some sort of weird bacterial infection. This is both good and bad. Good because it's most likely not cancer. Bad because it's an infection in his brain. Hopefully antibiotics will clear it up and he'll be home by Thursday.

Last night the Roll and I went to Winston-Salem to see the Time Well Wasted Tour. Before we went to the coliseum, we went to dinner. We were looking for a place and the Roll points to a Mexican restaurant and said, "Go there, it looks like a white queso place." She apparently has a 6th sense involving the ability to pick out Mexican places with white cheese dip. She was right last night. Now I will have to test her abilities. I don't think I have any random powers like that.

The concert itself was great. Sugarland was the opener and did a short set. Jennifer Nettles looked adorable as usual and they did a cover of U2's "Still haven't found what I'm looking for". I turned to the Roll during the set change and said that even though I knew it was weird, I had this overwhelming sense of pride watching them play. KT had seen a concert about 6 months before and said that she liked it better when only a few people knew who the band was so we could get up close. It was awesome to be in the front row, but seeing a few thousand people singing along to "Something More" was just cool. They must be so happy. I know it sounds dumb, but I've been listening to Jennifer Nettles play for years now and it's like watching a kid grow up or something. I've seen them not sell many records to switching groups and saw Sugarland as a fledgling band. Now they're all grown up with videos and Crossroads with Bon Jovi and it's just fun to see that.

Sara Evans and Brad Paisley were fun too. If anyone has that toilet seat song send me a copy or tell me where I can find it!

Date: Nov 16
Time: Noon
Temp: 81

Date: Nov 17
Time: Noon
Temp: 52

WTF Nature!

This is the problem I have with weather as a whole. I don't mind the cold, in fact I prefer low 70's (and yes, I know that's not 'cold'). But pick a temperature and stick with it. The hot cold hot cold thing ain't workin' for me. Got that meteorologists? Don't be telling me to wear shorts on Monday and a parka on Wednesday or I might just have to kick some weather balloon ass.

Topic 1: So I've been depressed lately. Due to the sadness, I figured I should read something uplifting, or at least an easy read that would not depress me further. So I started Harry Potter.

Harry and I have never been close. I made a decision when the first book came out that I would not fall into the huge mega fan club. I have a general problem with Oprah book clubs and mass appeal novels. There are so many excellent writers out there that don't get the praises they should and so many crappy writers who make millions because someone told people to buy the book. I don't refuse to read best sellers or Oprah's books or anything, I just try to not stick to them. (Side note, spell check wanted to change Oprah's or ovary's- hee!)

So when Harry was getting all this praise, I was sort of pissed because there are other children's books that I think are better- almost all of Roald Dahl's books for example. He was a fabulous writer with a crazy-ass imagination.

I watched the movies, fell in love with Wood (dirty) and felt like a dirty old lady when I thought Daniel Radcliffe looked hot on and ET cover. (Kid was 14, ew.) Anyways, Harry and I have made amends. The books are good. I want to clarify that I never said they weren't. I just think it's a little ridiculous that someone made a gajillion dollars and everyone went nutso. Then again I have a Legolas doll. And a poster. And all the movies. And a checkers set. Shut up. Oh well, I supposed I'd rather have one lady make all that money while other writers get nothing as long as it means that kids are reading and not just playing PlayStation. I finished the first 3 in a week.

Topic 2: This is a conversation I had today with my mom:

Mom: "Margaret and I were discussing oatmeal and she says Irish oatmeal is better. I bought some today."
Me: "I think it tastes the same."

Blah blah thanksgiving, blah Christmas, blah remember when Grandma told Holly not to pierce her nipple...

Hold up.
Me: "Umm what's that now?"
Mom: "In Colorado, you were there."
Me: "Noooo, I think I would have remembered that. I was working."
Mom: "Oh yea, well that must have been the Christmas when Holly got her belly button pierced and we were talking about piercings and Grandma pulled Holly aside and said, "Don't get your nipple pierced. I know you don't know it now, but that's an erogenous zone."
Me: "Seriously? I would have fallen out." (Note, at that time my sister was 16 and my grandma was 79.)
Mom: "That would have been awkward. I mean it's bad enough if it was your mom, but your grandmother."

blah arm surgery, blah new mattress, blah siblings, blah cats, blah Jennifer Weiner

40 minutes later...
Mom: "So you've had Irish oatmeal and don't think it tastes different?"
Me: "Wha?"

I wish they had a picture of this guy in all his gear. Lion-O was awesome. All the Thundercats were awesome- except Kit and Kat- annoying. I think Panthro was the most bad-ass since he normally drove the truck. Lion-O got the cool sword and got to say "Hooooo". Cheetara only got a stupid staff. She didn't even use it like Donatello- she just pole vaulted with it. I always thought Mumra was a stupid bad guy and was waiting for the episode when he got unwrapped. That would have been cool.

As you can tell, I am avoiding studying as much as possible.

Another side note- how awesome was college football this week? VT bites it! UCLA goes down. FSU loses to the Pack. Now we just need USC and UT to lose and GA is going to the Rose Bowl.
It could happen.

Can you get post period syndrome? Because if you can, I've got it. I have been in a bad mood for the last couple of days. A lot of people at school are feeling this way. Maybe it's because the air is colder and the sun goes down earlier. Maybe it's pre-final jitters. Maybe it's because if people would just do their damn jobs already I wouldn't have to be pissed off.

Which brings me to my real point. I am in law school. That means everyone there has graduated not just high-school, but college. Which means they should not act like jackasses. I understand the high-school like gossip and drama- we're a small school and people talk. Life would be boring otherwise. But seriously, everyone there should be old enough by now to know what they can and can't handle.

As in, if you are someone's partner for a paper, project or exam, and their grade depends on you, you don't leave them at the last minute to work on your own shit. You don't leave them to finish writing memos or 'common portions' alone. You don't add stress to their lives and make them feel like assholes when they have to talk to a professor and explain that their paper will be late. You don't set a deadline and miss it because you can't get your shit together. Especially if the other person has worked their ass off to get it done on time. You don't sign on to be a president, secretary, member of a group and not do the work. You don't set a meeting time and show up with no agenda. You don't turn receipts in late.

I understand everyone is busy. I am just as busy as you are. I am taking just as many classes. Plus, it was your decision to add additional classes- you could have taken the minimum. It was your decision to join these clubs. It was your decision to take on what you did. So act your fucking age, cowboy up and do it.

Don't give me some bullshit about how you're tired, or have other class work, or an interview. I don't care. I have personal problems, I'm tired and overworked, but when someone else is relying on me, I get it done. Plus, while I know I whine about all I have to do, I know that I was the one who decided to do it and that if I really can't handle it, I can give it up. I'm not going to, because I love all that I do. I whine because it helps me vent and de-stress. But I still get my shit done. And I don't make other people cater to me and then not show.

I might give up some personal things- such as a nap, or explain to someone that, no I can't go to a movie or lunch because I have already committed to work with someone else that day. I might not want to work with them, but I said I would, thus I'll be there. I know stuff comes up. I know that plans have to change. I'm ok with that. But when you take on too much and can't get something done, it's not an accident, or an emergency or a snafu- it's your own fucking fault. You need to take responsibility for your own actions.

I let people walk all over me in college and take credit for my work because all I cared about was getting it done. That's not going to happen anymore. I don't need the credit for myself- I am established in that school, I don't need to worry. I have friends, I don't need more. I just don't want people to think that what they do is ok when it's not.

I want people kicked out of clubs, demoted to lower positions, or to be given an "f" if that's what they deserve. My degree is going to be compared to theirs and I want to know mine is worth something. I know people go through shit and I'm not saying that sometimes there's not a reason for missing a meeting, or turning an assignment in late. But when you let someone who constantly does that get away with it, you're hurting them and everyone else in the process. They think it's ok to shift plans and turn stuff in late because you let them. Then you grade them equally. Right. Don't devalue my work because you feel bad for someone else. If they can't do the work, too bad so sad. They can be something else. I can't do organic chemistry. I know that. I did not go to medical school and give a sob story and asked to be coached along. I don't want a doctor who failed out. I don't want a lawyer who failed out either. I know that sometimes standards can be hard, or that standardized testing isn't for everyone. But that's all we've got right now, and everyone needs to be held to the same standard and play by the same rules.

So to everyone to whom this applies, I have 2 words of advice:
Grow up.