I just read an article and it made me angrier than I have been in a long time.  And that’s saying a lot.  A woman went over to a friend’s house (he assured her that he just wanted to hang out) and he sexually assaulted her.  Afterward, she had the presence of mind to drive to the hospital and asked for a rape kit to be done.  She met with a rape counselor, she endured the exam.  Then, as the doctor was finishing up, she remembered what the counselor had said and asked for the morning after pill.   And he said, no, I can’t do that.  She begged, explaining that she was in the middle of her cycle, and he said no, it was against his religion.  So she left with nothing.

This was a woman who did everything she was supposed to.  This doctor had the opportunity to give her back a little bit of her power, but he didn’t.  He victimized her all over again.  How dare he?  How dare he force his beliefs upon a rape victim?  Where does he get off sitting in judgment of someone who has been violated like that?  Her entire life changed that night, he had the chance to help her reclaim a small portion, and instead, he purposefully made it worse.  It seems to me this is a violation of the Hippocratic Oath to first do no harm.

Did you know it is legal in many states for doctors and hospitals to not only refuse to prescribe contraception but also to refuse to refer their patients to a doctor who will prescribe?

Why should they have the right to make this decision for me? And the bigger question is this: how have we let people like this into power? Why would we allow people to make these kinds of choices for us?  Until you have walked a mile in my life, do not assume you know what’s best.  Don’t make life choices for me.  When a violent act like that is forced upon you, everything changes, part of you dies.  I know.

I can tell the exact date my life changed.  March 26, 1994. But that is a story for another day.

My point is this, whatever you believe: Get the facts.  Educate yourself.  And vote.  Effect the change you want.

Alrighty then!

I’m taking a big ole risk here, I’m letting Margherite post for me.  Who knows what she will really put up!  ("NICE!! - Maybe I should add something!! - says poor Margherite!)

Friday was our Race for a Cure event at work.  That is what all the fundraising was for.  We raised over $17,000.00.  Not bad for an office of about 300.  Anyway, I don’t know how much I’ve really talked about the relay, but this year, in addition to selling cookbooks, we dicided to go for the memories.  So we sold Moons and Stars, which are small cutouts you can put a loved ones name on it and then we created a memorial wall.  We also decided to selling plants to line the course, much like the luminaria they use most places.  So we got a local nursery to donate Daylilies, people purchased them, filled out a placard and we put it into the plant.  It was really beautiful.

But, in true Maria fashion, there is a wildlife twist.  I was out on the course putting the last of the placards in the plants, when I heard this noise and instinctively ducked.  And whoosh! This hawk flies right over my head, grabs a chipmunk and lands less than 10 feet away.  So we just stare at each other.  It was amazing.  Then it just turned, hopped a few steps and flew off.

Well, I might have actually talked my ex into giving me the old computer.  He says he will give it to me, but who knows.  I said I would come and get it next Saturday (apparently he needs to remove some files and that will take him an entire week).  But it may not happen.  The girls had an overnight with him Saturday and when I called to check in and say goodnight (at around 8:00) and the stuff he was saying just seemed a little off.  He’s asking me if there’s any chance I’ll come back to him (I’d rather die a slow painful death a thousand times over) and telling me how he’s dating this woman (so why would he want me back?) Then he’s telling me how he gave them hot dogs for dinner and they are screaming in the background “you’re lying!  You didn’t give us dinner yet!” and when I spoke with Shannon she said he was sleeping earlier and she couldn’t wake him up. So I got off the phone and went over to get them.  He actually seemed surprised when I showed up.  And he’s telling me how, really, he’s going to make them dinner now and that everything is fine.  I tell him the easiest way to prove it is to breathe in my face, which he refuses.  I tell the girls to collect their stuff, look at him and say, “I am not married to you anymore.  I left these girls in a bad situation before and it will NEVER happen again.  You say you haven’t been drinking, yet you refused to prove it, there is obviously wrong here and they are not staying.”  He looks at them and says “please girls?”  And I say, “This isn’t their decision, it’s mine, they’re leaving.”  At which point he starts yelling and saying, “you take them and you’re not getting anything from me!”  And I look at him and say “Fine, I don’t need you.  We’re doing just fine”.  And I drove away.

So, even though he called the next day to apologize (yeah, cause that will make it better) and claim again how he wasn’t drinking, and say that he was still giving me the computer, I’m not holding my breath.  And honestly, I’m not sure I even want it.  It’s probably got all kinds of negative energy surrounding it.

So, I apologize if I’m not around much, rest assured I am still reading, I just don’t have the ability to sign in so I can’t leave messages or post without the kindness of friends.  But I’ll be back in full force soon hopefully!

BTW, saw Bart this weekend!  He still loves me!

Ok, this actually was several posts, so I apologize that it’s so long.

Yay!  All moved in!  And I’m getting the couch!  I traded her a Dooney and Bourke purse that I hated (it had bad kharma for me, gift from ex), and she simply told her ex he couldn’t have it.  Now I just have to figure out how to get it….

Margherite says she’s not going to talk to me for at least 4 months, and I can’t say I blame her.  It was easily the hardest move I’ve ever made.  We had to bring stuff from three separate locations, and a couple of the pieces were unbelievably heavy.  If it weren’t for her, Di (another good friend) , my brother and his girlfriend, I don’t know what I would have done.

So Margherite bought us all dinner (thank you!!) and spent the night on the spare bed in Emma’s room.  But Emma didn’t know.  So at 5:00 am, I’m awakened by this little blond girl right in my face, saying “Why is she sleeping in my room?  I kinda don’t like that.  She snores”.  Which is all the funnier because Margherite was already awake when Emma woke up.

Well, nothing left to do but unpack.  And unpack.  And unpack.  And possibly donate ½ my belongings so I never have to move them again.

Things I have learned from moving

1.                   Don’t wear sandals unless you want your feet reduced to bloody stumps.

2.                  Don’t let drunk women assemble bunkbeds.

3.                  No matter how nice you want to be to your ex, ALWAYS take the can opener.

4.                  There is not enough alcohol in the world to make up for asking someone to help you move stuff from three separate locations.

5.                  Some people will actually break bones to get out of helping you move.

You will not believe my day yesterday.  The presentations I did (I ended up doing five) all went off without a hitch, and other than the guy that was using e-viewer to show 3D modeling, they were by far the best.  So yay for me!!!  Anyway, I got a last minute invitation to lunch at the sales meeting, and I have been dying to see this hotel.  It’s called The Lodge, and it’s located on the ground of Hamburger University (I know) for McDonalds.  But it is breathtaking.  It’s done in a Prairie Style, very mid century, created to work with nature and blend. Here’s a link, but photos really don’t do it justice.  http://www.thelodge.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/    

Anyway, I decide to ride with another admin and we’re about ½ the way there, going down a major road, when suddenly everyone starts pulling off.  The woman who was driving started craning her neck around and says, ”Well, there’s something you don’t see every day.”  I still can’t see anything, so I’m stretching as far over as I can, and then I see it.  There’s a runaway horse heading right for us.  Now, the thing that makes this odd is we’re not out in the country.  But he runs right past us down the road, followed by two police cars (with sirens, just to spook the poor horse more).  Evidently they eventually caught him, but I wasn’t there by then.

We get to the hotel and the first thing I hear is the noise.  The cicadas.  We can hear in the car with the windows up and the air on.  But I am rendered speechless (which never happens) by how beautiful it is.  It’s heavily wooded with walking trails and bridges and a lake.  And there is this large stone and wood Frank Lloyd Wright Style building that is nearly all windows on two sides.  It just magically emerges from the trees.

Upon exiting the car, the sound is deafening.  It actually feels like it is physically pushing against you.  And there are millions of them.  It’s like being in a sci-fi movie.  So after standing there dumbfounded for a minute, we headed inside.  And it is just as beautiful inside. Open and natural, and the artwork was amazing.  We even got lost because we were so busy studying the art instead of following the signs.  Some of the works are replicas of masters, but there is one small difference.  Somewhere in the painting is something from McDonalds.  Like Whistler’s Mother is eating Fries.  Another has Mary, Queen of Scots sipping a drink.  A landscape has a small McDonalds down the street.  A Cassatt has a Big Mac on the beach.  And you don’t really see it unless you stop and LOOK.

So we finally make it to the private dining room, and It’s almost totally windows.  And because we’re on the side of a hill, it’s like we’re up in a treehouse.  And the food was fantastic.  I cannot say enough good things about this place.  Upper management, who has never been happy with any of the hotel choices, has already said we have to have it there next time.

When we left I, of course, had to snag a couple of cicadas for my kids.  Turned out that they went to the zoo today and the zoo is overrun with them as well.  They seem to really be attracted to Emma’s hair.  The teacher said she had to keep picking them out of her hair.

Apparently Bart misses me.  He keeps biting my brother and has even chased him around a couple times.  So I’m going to go visit him this weekend.

 Sorry this is so long and convoluted.  Still working on the computer thing.  Have a great weekend!