To those of you who have installed click-lock flooring, like the kind from Ikea...

How hard is it? The materials will cost us somewhere in the ballpark of $600, based on my estimation, for our living room... which isn't bad, but would be a huge waste if we couldn't install it.

We might have to employ a stop-gap measure like a bunch of rag rugs or something, because I don't know that I can really have new students in my house with the floor like it is...the carpet has stains and tears and all sortsa stuff. It was that way when we bought it and we haven't had the time/resources to fix it yet.

Thoughts? Ideas? Anyone know a quick fix or a cheap one?

Would you pay $75 an hour for trumpet lessons taught by a guitar player?

I feel very bad for the suckers who attend the music studio at which I (thankfully) no longer teach.

They said that it would be better after I had a baby...all LIES! My uterus is trying to kill me!!!! (Sorry for the TMI, but the pain killers made me do it...)

Does anyone know how much an experienced (and SCAA certified, whatever that means) barista could make in Sacramento? I know it varies, but the job listings don't even give you an idea of the range! So I was hoping someone had at least a vague idea.

Using only song names from ONE ARTIST, cleverly answer these questions. Try not to repeat a song title
( Cut 'cause I know no one will read it... )

So Ren Faire is today. Boogetty! I made a cute little outfit for T (with some serious help from barelyproper but not so much that I'm not still proud of my handiwork. I put my hair in sock curlers before I went to sleep, and well, uh... it looks interesting. I think if I had much longer hair it would be nice, but I keep thinking it kind of looks like Musketeer hair...

Oh well, I can wet it down and get rid of most of the curls and it will just be wavy.

I'm wearing a sort of more fantasy type costume today, it should be fun!

Yay!

If someone believes that the war we're fighting right now is unjust, how can they in good conscience join the military?

Does anyone out there in LJ land know a woman who joined the Marines in the last few years? Especially right after High School?

Does anyone here know how to say, "I'm not Russian, I'm just wearing a scarf." in Russian?

I'm tired of people walking up to me and speaking Russian, like I'm going to know what they're talking about. I don't think a bandanna is really enough evidence to make that assumption!

So, for those of you who don't live in town or didn't hear about it, if you want to understand what I'm ranting about, read this.

So basically, the public was completely outraged, and the radio station got tons of mail and emails etc condemning the stuff that was said on the air. When the responses first started coming in, the dj's defended themselves, saying it was all a joke, people, get over it. Then there were more angry letters, and they finally apologized. Actually, they also discussed the issue at large with members of the transgender community, and showed a great deal of respect and more reasonable opinions.

I happen to think that the people on that show are jackasses and I never listen to them, but this was far worse than anything I've heard them do - talking about hurting children as though it were funny or good? Nope, not such a good idea, actually.

But I've accidentally gotten involved in a flame war on a friend's facebook (sorry queencrckt) because there are a couple people on there who seem to think that what the dj's said was totally fine, no one should have gotten upset, and anyone who was offended (including children or transgender people, or even the transgender children who were targeted by this broadcast) should just grow a thicker skin.

That's just... it's like saying it's ok to be verbally abusive because it's your opinion, and whoever you're talking to should just get over it.

The thing is, there are consequences for your actions, people. The government isn't (and shouldn't) going to censor these asswhipes, just like they haven't censored Howard Stern. But if their fan base and the public have such a negative reaction, they have to get their heads in gear or they will lose their jobs.

What's wrong with that? Isn't that how it's supposed to work? Or is the public 'bad and wrong' for writing letters of complaint? After all, isn't the public also entitled to their opinion?

Not even sure what is keeping me upright at this point.

I've been really good lately, keeping myself busy and active, getting things done, etc. I hope I can make a habit out of this, because a clean bedroom and kitchen really make life feel more peaceful.

Sleep, however, would be nice and peaceful too! But Teegs woke up at 3 am and didn't go back to sleep until she napped at 9:45 this morning. Then she napped again at about 3, so I'm pretty sure she's going to be up late, but at least she won't wake up in the middle of the night. (knock on wood)

It was a very strange divergence from her normal patterns, and she's the crankiest baby in the world today. Bleah. And tomorrow, Michael is not coming home because he has an overnight field trip to Disneyland, so I really hope she's not a terror tomorrow!

I grew up in Palo Alto, CA until I was 9. We weren't rich, or fortunate, or special, we just had a randomly low rent from some kind of crazy person, and that gave us the ability to live amongst the rich. It wasn't as heavenly as it sounds - I was obvious, set apart, a freak of nature, the girl who didn't wash her hair. It was like an elaborate lie that no one believed. But it's part of who I am, despite it all. I don't know what it means, but I was on the outside looking in, and that's an interesting place to be, really.

The thunder storm last night was so awesome!!!!

Nothing like a crying baby covered in cat barf.

Seriously, the cat barfed in the kitchen and I didn't notice right away, then Tegan went tearing through there, slipped in it, and then plunked right into it when she went down.

Ewwwww.

I'm not surprised at all by the ruling, that's pretty much what everyone expected.

I'm so tired of this issue, I'm tired of arguing with bigots and tired of defending my position to my parents. Yet I'm not going to stop doing so until the issue is resolved, damnit.

The one thing I wish I could hammer into the other side's heads once and for all is that the 'will of the people' isn't good enough - just because more people think one thing doesn't make it right, decent, or constitutional.

Overall, I feel sad and defeated today. I hope to make it to the protest so that I can make sure my voice is heard, for whatever that's worth.

So, while my niece was in the hospital, she was sharing a room with another girl who, sadly, has had a very tragic life and a horrible upbringing. Her mother is one of the most uneducated people I've ever talked to, and it has rubbed off on the girl in a really awful way, even though she seemed pretty sharp.

Some of the things we overheard:

Girl: "Mom, what kind of soup is "du jour"?
Mom: "I don't know, all I've ever heard is "du jour" mustard."

Mom: "How do you spell noodle?"
Girl: "N O O D L E."
Mom: "Huh, I always thought it had two T's."

Doctor: "Blah blah blah, something about ovulation."
Girl: "What is ovenation?"

This girl has been pregnant twice and she's only 18. That's two abortions under her belt, and she doesn't know what OVULATION is. Sad.

She was in the hospital for malnutrition and anorexia, and the morning after she was harfing blue stuff all over the room, she was out in the parking lot with her mother... having a cigarette.

*head desk*

I went down to the bay area on Tuesday to help out my niece, who is in the hospital. The good news is she's feeling much better! The bad news is she's not really any closer to a diagnosis than she was before.

Sigh.

Anyway, I'm sure I missed a lot and I'm sorry if I snubbed anyone (happy birthday, vivalabonita, I suck!

But I'm safely home now and life can return to normal, yay.

It's particularly unkind to greet someone after knocking on their door first thing in the morning with, "Oh my god, what the hell happened to your eye!"

Especially when *nothing* happened to their eye other than it being a useless and unsightly piece of shit.

That is all.