But first the good news.  If I told you the bad news first, I'd feel guilty about having good news.  MW was up this weekend, and we went to Home Depot, because we know how to have a good time, people!  Shop for grills!  And then check out the lumber!  Anyway, when we were in the Home Depot (How many times do I have to mention that before they pay me advertising $?) we noticed that the skies were looking ominous.  Then we heard what we though was just a rainstorm (not just a rainstorm.  We are talking cats, dogs, and buckets.), but when we got outside?  It turned out that it had been hail.  Pea-sized hail.  About an inch of it. 

Later that night, we went to this restaurant for dinner.  So good.  I mean, y'all should come visit me so that we can go there good.  Well, unless you are a vegetarian.  If so, you wouldn't like it.   But otherwise, come. 

Also, MW helped me hang my painting, because he's cool like that.   It looks good above the couch. 

Now, the sad stuff.  Saturday night, after we got back from the restaurant, Mom called me to tell me that my grandfather had passed away.  Apparently, he was waiting for the Pope to go first.   Anyway, I am off for the services, so no new posts likely this week. 

It was a long hiatus, I know.  It was a rough week.  There were some good times, however.

We learned from employees at the Pig n Steak that my grandfather, shortly before he stopped driving (about a year ago, IIRC), ran his car through that fine establishment's double glass doors.  (They open into the banquet room, which is where we had the post-funeral party.)  No one was injured, and apparently he got out of the car, leaving it in the doorway and the keys in the ignition, went in, and ordered his usual.  One of the waitresses ran out, backed the car up, and turned it off.  He didn't want anyone to know, so he paid for new doors and swore the employees to secrecy (Note:  He later told my parents, TRgirl, and Goose.)   Stephanie had noticed the damage to the front end and asked him about it.  His answer?  "Bobby must've done it."

On Wednesday, the four siblings plus one (Hi Randy!  Happy Belated Birthday!) went out for Mexican food.  (Note that this may not have been the wisest plan, as we were all sleeping in the basement together.)  We took Mom's Explorer, because it has the third seat, useful for putting Goose in.   Bud drove.  When the waitress came to take our drink order, Bud looked at her and said, "I'll have a Jose Cuervo," which got him strange looks from Randy, TRgirl, and me.   What he meant to order:  a Corona.  Tequila, beer, what's the difference?

Yes, the five of us slept in the basement.  TRgirl and Randy on the sofa bed, me on an air mattress, Goose on the futons, and Bud on a cot.  This prompted both our parents to say, on many occasions, "It looks like a barracks down there!" or  "Have you seen downstairs?  It looks like a barracks!" and any other variation on that you could possibly think of.  Please note, that if it were an actual barracks, we would have failed inspection spectacularly.

This weekend I spent down at MW's.  Y'all, he made me stew.  And it was good stew.  With many vegetables (corn, green beans, carrots, potatoes, onions).  And a side of asparagus.  And then, he spent two hours this morning repeatedly offering me orange juice, which I finally acquiesced to, mostly so that he would stop offering me orange juice.  And then he gave me stew and plums to take home.  If he weren't already MW, he'd be Five-a-day-for-better-health-man. 

It's pine pollen season here in North Carolina.  This year, it is particularly bad.  We were watching the clouds of pollen at work today.  Actual clouds.  When I got into my car, I used the windshield wipers to clear the windshield.  (Jerry:  "The last time we had this much pollen, we had a hurricane.  That's when Fran came through.")   The pollen, it is everywhere.  It is gritty.  It makes me want to wash my car, but that will do no good until the pollening is over.   (Yes, I just made that word up.  My site, my rules!)  Which I hope is soon. 

Now, the good thing about pine pollen is that it is huge and therefore is not an allergen.  This does not mean that I am not sneezing.  Sweet gums are also in bloom.  Stupid sweet gums!  (Actually, the most amusing aspect of my trip to New Hampshire last fall was that the stores up there were using sweet gum balls as a decorative item.  We would not do that here.  We have stepped on those things too often.)

Also, on Friday?  Plane tickets for Maine were purchased.  Maine!  Can't wait.  Will have to, but still...

So, the boys have been very clingy (or clingy alternating with running and hiding, if you're Jasper) since I got back.  I was in Virginia with the family for four days, came home for a night, and spent the weekend at MW's.  They were having serious mama withdrawal.  The main symptom of which is apparently drooling.  Which is gross. 

I'm taking Jasper to the vet today.  At least his drooling is caused by a medical condition, Orion.  And then?  When I get home?  I have to move furniture around and vacuum.  Why?  The carpet cleaners are coming tomorrow.  So the boys are being locked in separate bathrooms.  Ri upstairs, because he loves the shower so, and Jasper downstairs.  I would feel bad, but it's mostly their fault I need the carpets cleaned. 

you are watching the news while you get dressed, like you do every weekday morning.  You hear the anchors talk about a laptop thief who has been hitting office buildings all over the Triangle.  They say that the Durham Police have a suspect.  You perk up, because, hey, your laptop?  And balance?  Stolen.  You look at the TV as they cut to a live reporter who is standing outside your office.  Then, she is following (in what I believe (hope?) to be a taped segment, because those were the clothes you had on yesterday, KW) your facility manager around your office as he talks about the two break-ins.  It's an interesting way to start the morning.

Because the carpet cleaners didn't come.  And I had locked the boys in the bathrooms with no food and water, which I realized on the way home.  Amount this traumatized me:  1 billion.  Amount this traumatized them: 2.  Anyway, carpet cleaning tomorrow.  Hopefully. 

Look, I don't talk about TV too much, because there are sites that do it much better.  This actually isn't about TV, but the quote is taken from last week's Joan of Arcadia.  (Shut up.) Responding to the question, "What do women want?"  Helen Girardi says,  "She wants to be respected…listened to…understood…she wants flowers…she wants to laugh…she wants to trust you…she doesn't want to read your mind…she wants to be valued for who she is…and sometimes she wants you to just shut up and stop trying to fix things."  (Actually, first she said, "Shoes," to which some people took offense, but I found it funny.  The kind of thing I might say to Bud, if he asked.  Actually, currently I would prefer a fabulous handbag, but shoes are always good.) But seriously, that is all good advice.

The last part is what I want to talk about. Women tend to be venters.  We talk about a problem, rail about how back work is, how much we can't stand our families.  Generally, we are just talking.  We don't want you to tell us how to fix it.  Either we know, and don't want to, or we realize things will sort themselves out.

"But Watergirl, how can a guy tell if you want advice?" 

Well, I can't speak for all women, but if it's me, I'll say things like, "What do you think I should do?" or "What would you do?"  (Sadly, the man who needs to see this the most will not, as he doesn't know this here blog exists.  Why?  Because he would tell me how to make it better.)

I like it how it is. 

would this make sense.

"The military has completed an investigation into former NFL star Pat Tillman's death in Afghanistan that aimed to address concerns raised about whether the Army held back information, but its findings won't be made public."

(Note:  Quote taken from this article.)

Yesterday I had my first riding lesson in nearly two weeks.  Heather has just hired a new instructor to work Saturdays; it was my first lesson with her.  I was excited about this; when you've been with one instructor for a period of time, it's nice to get someone else in there to "shake things up."   I rode Bruno (Heather has decided he's the best mount for me to re-learn the canter).  Before beginning the lesson, Heather briefed Christina on me (blah blah blah accident-cakes).  Christina also asked me to tell her a bit about myself as a rider.  ("I am a dressage rider and we are working on getting me back to cantering.")  Bruno had worked in the lesson before mine, and even I commented on how slowly he was going.  We decided to do some lunge line work, which would allow me to go with no stirrups and then with no reins.  (All of this is working on my balance.)  After some new balance exercises (which were excellent and gave me a new perspective), Christina said to me, "Your balance problems are all in your head.  Nothing physical is holding you back."

Indulge me for a bit, as I am about to go on a rant.  Cdub and I went to see Sin City this weekend.  (Weird, violent movie.  I thoroughly enjoyed it.)  Afterwards, we went over to Jack Astor's for dinner.  (Fish and chips, yay!)  As we were walking in, I was nearly run down by two girls.  The younger of the two was ten if she was a day.  And wearing more makeup then I wear in a week.  Actually, if, for example, Kimmy came in to work wearing makeup like that, I would ask her, "Is it whore day again?"

Now, these girls were apparently there for some celebratory cheerleading dinner.   I have no issues with cheerleading- it's gotten to be quite a tough sport.  However, I do have issues with making 10-year-olds look like streetwalkers.  In this instance it was the makeup, but I spend enough time in Target to see the clothing that they are selling to this age group.  It all seems to come from the Britney Spears' line.  Now, I have been told if you aren't willing to buy clothes like that for your daughter, you wouldn't find anything to clothe her in.  I daresay that if no one bought such clothing, it wouldn't be sold.

It sends a message to the girls, that message being that their worth is tied to their attractiveness to the opposite sex.   Not their minds or their ideas , but their bodies.  I am a woman who works in a male-dominated field; I am able to do so because countless women struggled to break down gender barriers.  ( Most of my colleagues are gender neutral; the fact that I am female means no more to them than the fact that I have ears.  However, it is not that uncommon for me to be treated as the cute little blonde girl.)   Yet, the women of my generation, for whom the gender gap is the narrowest it has ever been, are raising girls that are sexualized from a very young age. 

The most interesting part of this, to me anyway, is how society will react when these girls are older.  Society still expects girls to be chaste and pure, an expectation that is not placed on boys (who are supposed to get in on with whom if not the chaste and pure girls?).  For example, it is common knowledge that Bud spends weekends at his girlfriend's, or she with him (they live 4 hours apart).  My father knows this, and it causes him no distress.  I mentioned to him (after napping while with the family in VA) that I'm not used to napping by myself, and he put his hands over his ears and said, "LA LA LA LA."  (BTW, if you think I didn't get some pleasure out of explaining to him that usually when I nap the boys join me, and that nothing remotely sexual was intended by my comment, you don't know me at all.)   This is a not uncommon double standard.  (Note:  I am not judging Bud.  He is an adult.)  We are raising girls to focus on their sexuality, and will label them sluts when they do so. 

Today's children grow up a lot faster than we did; we can at least benefit them by instilling them with a sense of self-worth not tied to their looks. 

[\End Rant]

North Carolina is considering legislation that protects the food industry from frivolous lawsuits.  What's this personal responsibility thing? 

Today is 2.0's xth birthday.  (Not sure she wants me sharing the value of x.)  Rock on, girl!

That's what I've been lately, which is why I haven't written much.  See, MW is out of town for a few (where few =6) weeks, and I have this massive list of things to get done.  Also, I had two riding lessons last week.  And the weather's been beautiful, so when I'm not riding, 2.0 and I have gone walking. 

So, first the riding.  Tuesday's lesson was a joint one, with my friend MediaGirl.  (We're on the Water for Life committee together, and I got her into riding.)  Anyway, I was on Bruno, and the lesson went like this:  Frustrated (me), because he's not listening, Calm (both of us), because we got him to listen, Pissed off (him, because he decided the lesson was over when it wasn't).  Thursday I was exhausted and got off the beltline like I was going home.  After getting back on, I almost missed the exit for the barn.  As such, Solie and I took it easy.  We did hillwork in the fields (working towards the canter).  It was a much better lesson than Tuesday.  I can't wait for the canter!

Yesterday, I left work early- massive headache.  Couldn't think.  Was supposed to do SPCs, but would never have been able to keep the dilutions straight.  (Evidence that I couldn't think:  I forgot to lock my file cabinet and I left my watch and ring on my desk.)  After coming home and taking Tylenol, Sudafed, and a nap, I felt much better.  That evening, 2.0 and I went walking where we usually do, but we took a different trail  (Raleigh has a fairly extensive greenway system.)  This trail was less crowded and quieter.  And 2.0 pointed out to me where she'd seen a copperhead (This is not a plus.)  It was a good walk and the weather was beautiful.  (Confidential to MW:  Remind me to take you there when you get back.  But watch for copperheads.)

Today, I am going to MediaGirl's engagement party.  I ordered her wedding gift over the phone.  It's from her registry, but I'm not sure it's what she'll get.  The guy who took the order?  Very confused.  Good thing I've done cashiering.  First, he didn't get the expiration date for my credit card (I had to remind him.  He said, "That's important, isn't it?"  Yes.  They will not process the charge without it.)  Then he promised me someone would call me back with the order details.

WG:  But you never asked for my phone number.
Store guy:  Hmm, I guess I'll need that.

And finally, Jasper, watching kitty TV!

See if yours  is different.

Ri fell out of the shower yesterday.  A little background:  Ri likes to shower.  He loves water.  When I shower, he stands on the edge of the tub, waiting for drips to come his way.  Yesterday, he was standing on his hind legs, catching drips, when he lost his balance.  His face said, "Oh shit, I'm going to fall."  He waved his front legs, much as a biped would wave his arms, to try and catch himself.  Did not work.  He fell backwards off the tub.*  Yes, I laughed. 

*He's fine. 

Results of the Ugly Car Contest.

Yesterday was my riding lesson.  I rode Solie, mostly with no stirrups, because my ankle was sore.  I went for a walk with 2.0 on Wednesday (our normal walk, mind you) and ended up with sharp pain in my ankle.  Still there when I woke up Thursday. 

Anyway, Heather said, "You know, you're a different rider now.  It's like there's a before [Watergirl] and an after [Watergirl]."  It's true.  Actually, I am a better rider since the accident.  Partially because I am not pushing myself to do something that scares me (jumping), but mostly because when I first came back we had to take it slowly and really focus on the basics. 

Oh, the part where I am lame?  Came home, ate dinner, went to bed.  At 2100.  Lame!