Weekend Wrap-Up

Today feels a bit like a hang-over, except no alcohol was consumed. I woke up in a haze of a dream that felt much like yesterday at D-land: a blur of being hot, in crowds, flying dizzily through the air, and lots of colors. Maybe hang-over is the wrong analogy. While I've never actually had one, I think it'd be more akin to some sort of acid trip.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. The day started off w/ the girls too excited too early, and acting out because of it. Which didn't fit with my frame of mind - I just wanted a little quiet time before the madness. And I made them clean their room, which in their eyes, makes me the meanest mommy ever. Yeah. Whatever.

Speaking of "whatever," I decided it was the appropriate shirt to wear for the trip. Later, though, I wondered if we just looked like the epitome of white trash. Then again...whatever.



Photo taken by one of the midgets - I think I only like pics of me when they're either artistic like this or with the girls.



or both



Riley was a little bummed that Thunder Mountain wasn't working for the majority of the day, but she had a blast on Space Mountain. I'm going to see if I can scan the pic they take from work sometime when I have time. It's a perfect picture of Riley and her personality. She's in the front row - by herself - hands way up in the air and the biggest smile. Her lack of fear scares me. But the joy is a sight to see. It's the only time I've ever bought one of those because it is a treasure of who she is today.

The heat was a lot to take, though. Riley took it less well. Which drove on my nerves. Looking back, today, I think I was too hard on her. She is seven after all. I definitely could've shown more patience.

There were no big scenes or anything, but I was very tense at the possibility of one. Usually, I'm much better at that, particularly when at D-land or the like. I need to write this down and remember it so I don't repeat it next time. And next time will be better, too, because we'll have a hotel room to go back to and relax when needed. I'm grateful for the next time.

So I should be catching up on my Reader - which I've whittled down to just over 300. I should be mopping the kitchen. I should be vacuuming. Today, I'm allowing myself to let go of the "shoulds." I think my sanity may collapse completely if I don't.

I finally finished watching Marathon Man. That movie is so good.

I accidentally deleted the final episode of "The Riches" from my DVR. How stupid am I?

I am now recording some work-out show and have yet to play an episode. I'm thinking this past week's moving of boxes and trek at D-land suffice for exercise. Maybe next week.

I have decided that David Archuleta is the next Michael Bolton. I am preparing myself for his inevitable win of AI, but am still planning to actually vote (yes, I'm going to vote) for David Cook on Tuesday. So you can blame me (along with the 12-year-old Archuleta fans) when Cook loses on Wed.

I really want to see the "Sex and the City" movie. I wish I had a group of girlfriends to go with. I'm a loser whose best girlfriends live hundreds and thousands of miles away from me. I want to see it with Kori, Lunanik, Huckdoll, singleworkingmommy, liz, CableGirl, Tranny Head, Natalie, OhMommy, Maria, Mr. Lady and all the rest of the fabulous women over there on the left (I know I left people out - I'm sorry! Even sober, there's still just so much hyperlinking I can do without losing steam). And I'm not even sure if any of them watched the series. In fact, I'm fairly certain Kori did not watch the show, and yet I still want to see the movie with her. Somehow I just know there will be stuff to talk about afterwards.

To end on a happy note, I'd like to take a moment to say how proud and thrilled I am that California has become the 2nd state to make gay marriage legal. (I know, it's just for now, but I refuse to believe that a referendum can pass.) Although this article on the subject infuriates and frustrates me.

I know to some people, I'll look like a liberal elitist, full of righteous indignation. I also know on a lot of points, even though I'll state my opinions so strongly, you'd think I was spouting them off as facts, I don't actually think they are. I'll fully admit that these are opinions, but strong ones.

On the issue of homosexuals deserving equal rights in the United States of America, I'll state it strongly as fact. Just as I would have about women or African-Americans in earlier (and heck, even current) times. To me, it's a clear issue of separation between church and state, and the right of all Americans to pursue happiness.

Having said that, I'm not a firm believer in the institution of marriage, as I've stated before. As the rules stand now, however, and so long as marriage is something that remains in the government's hands, it is incomprehensible to me that every American citizen, regardless of race, creed or sexual orientation, should not be treated the same. In fact, particularly when marriage remains an institution, all the more reason for every American to be treated the same. That little certificate affects so many rights and responsibilities and financial assets and liabilities that all Americans have to be treated equal. And, no separate but equal, as in the case of civil unions, don't cut it. Just as they didn't in Brown v. Board of Education. Separate but equal has been proven not be an acceptable alternative to actually equal. And it never will.

And if you are one of those people that "doesn't believe" in gay marriage, I still don't see how it affects you or your marriage if someone down the road happens to be in such a marriage. I still don't understand how as an American, your duty as an American citizen can't take precedence over your religious choice. I still don't see how you can find any sort of peace or comfort from denying another equal rights.

Yes, it can be a challenge to accept that people believe different things or act in ways that you find reprehensible. But, hey...all of us do it, in little and big ways every day. All of us have to reconcile that we have no control over other human beings. As I say to my girls on a regular basis, "let it go, Louie, let it go."

Not like I let it go all the time, either. I know. But at least I know that. At least I'm aware that it's a fault of mine. People like Ron Prentice can't even do that. But I'll take my own advice now and just let it go. And go back to rejoicing in the fact that right now, my "side" is winning :)

Oh, yeah. One more thing. Back to yesterday at D-land. As we waited in the hour-plus line for Space Mountain (we were too late for Fast Passes and it was cooling down and bearable), we were in front of two men who were still reeling from their own divorces. I couldn't tell if it'd been a year or 2 months or 6 years, but their pain was still so obvious. Their bitterness, their anger was readily apparent in the fact that they couldn't stop talking about it. Oh, sure, they'd move on from time to time and attempt to change the subject, but they always came back to it. At first, I didn't know whether to be indignant about it, considering the names they were calling their ex-wives, and should I be insulted/offended for the sisterhood? But what I took away from it, in the end, was that they felt just as devastated by their experiences as I had. For what it's worth, there was some comfort in that concept by itself.

Wow. This is the longest post I've written in a while. Thanks for roughing through it with me.