Announcing the arrival of P. Willy Hamilton

I went to Blue Ridge this weekend with good friends and came back with a souvenir... After consulting with my fella and sleeping on it... And here he is: little mister P. Willy Hamilton.


In the picture above, you can see how precious he was with his brother... they loved each other through the cages.








I captured these videos while we were working on his fetching skills. So please forgive the silly baby talk. I am incapable of talking like a normal human around puppies and babies. The not-so-great quality is because I was using my phone... but I just needed to share his bouncy preciousness.

The first video is not a successful fetch, but you can see his cuteness in action.



This one shows you what a quick little learner he is!

Hooty hoooooo!!!

It's Friday. So exclamations of joy just come bursting out of me.


It has been a patriotic few weeks, starting with a celebration of my brother-in-law becoming a US citizen (see my sister's blog for a nice synopsis), and then the Ham's came down for the 4th of July to run in the Peachtree Road Race. I didn't exactly "train" this year, so I don't really want to talk about my performance. However, it is still a very fun event, in shape or not, and leaves one feeling very patriotic!

Did anyone catch Florence + the Machine's performance on So You Think You Can Dance last night? Holy moly, has that girl got some pipes. Don't worry, I found it for your convenience:

Oh that Flo!


Look what we saw on our way to Charleston a couple of weekends ago:


I couldn't believe our luck!


I start an internship/fellowship sorta deal at CDC on Monday. Can you believe it? I won't lie, I'm pretty excited.


I apologize for the incohesiveness of my writing today. As a consolation, here's a little Friday treat for you: (You're welcome!!!)

Tree House Rules

I don't know why I didn't think of this earlier... when I have a tree house, admission will be based purely on dancing skills. Bring it!

Headed for the Great Outdoors

We are going on a little camping adventure this weekend. We're celebrating our 3rd Anniversary on Tuesday (May 24th), and this is our quick get-away since neither of us have had a lot of time to think about making big plans. And I think that it is just the perfect little idea. I love camping. I can't wait to eat yummy camp fire food and hang out in the outdoors.

But this will be my (and our) first time camping without my Mom & Dad! So I have a feeling I will leave with a new appreciation for just how much work my Dad always does to make camping trips a success. Actually, I had the idea of going camping just the two of us a while back, but was feeling a little bit like a child that needed my daddy there to protect me... but I quickly remembered that Lee is a grown man, and can serve that purpose just as well. So I texted Lee the idea. He responded "Without your Dad? I think I would be scared!" ...hahaha! It made me laugh. But this time, once we actually started talking about a real camping trip actually happening, the topic didn't even come up. I think we are both growing up. We're gonna brave the wild all by our little selves.
(The picture above is us braving it in the Grand Tetons last year for our second anniversary)

I gotta get to packing up the gear, so I am off! Lee's flight lands in just a few hours and we will be on our way. Enjoy your weekend :)

Warning: Bad Attitude Ahead

Let it be known that I am a little bit ashamed of what you are about to read. It does not reflect a person who is very joyful or kind... so you are about to get a glimpse at my immaturity. However, admitting you have a problem is the first step in changing, right? So, I'll say it: I have a problem! Although I like to think that I am joyful and kind more often than not... I'm not perfect. And I am incapable at this moment of sharing this story without the sarcasm and snide comments just popping right out of my fingertips! So here you have it... the uncensored (well, only partially censored) story:

This past Wednesday I had to go to a 6 hour defensive driving course. And it was... something. You might be picturing images of a now well-educated driver who is ready to get back on the road.




If so, let me just give you a more accurate picture of this experience:


Now, let me just confess to you that this is not my first experience with such a course. Not even my second. It was number 3. However, the first two were both in High School (yes, I had some difficulties learning to practice patience and pay attention). So it has been over 10 years since the last sentencing. And let me tell you... the last 10 years have not been monumental for the defensive driving curriculum. It was just as boring and obvious as ever.

However, I am grateful for it. I now only have to pay a $300 fine and can celebrate a clean driving record, rather than my original $728 fine and 4 points on my license. Yes you read that right. $728!!! Now you might be wondering what I did to be given such a fine. I must be an incredible danger to society to be given such a punishment. Here it is... get ready for it... I was going 81 mph on I-75 South, near the Moore's Mill exit. Let me qualify that by saying EVERYONE goes 81 mph on I-75 South near the Moore's Mill exit. Well... Maybe not everyone. But this is not just outrageous. But that fine certainly is.

I was driving along, mid-morning-ish, and yes, I was speeding. I acknowledge that it was irresponsible of me to not be more aware of my speed. I was a bit distracted with my thoughts (no, I was not on the phone, and no the radio was not even ON), and I was driving along in the middle lane with light traffic around me. All of a sudden I see a cop, putting his radar gun away, and hopping on his bike. I look around me for the speeder, and realize we are all going the same speed, so it's as likely me as it is anyone else. I'm pleading with the forces above that it NOT be me... as he pulls in behind me and turns on his lights and siren. UUuuuggghhhh. If you have not ever been pulled over, let me just tell you, it is not a good feeling.

So the guy pulls me over, can't be bothered to interact with me like a normal human being, and asks me for my license. I hand it to him, thinking I will at least get to interact, have a few words exchanged, maybe even a little eye contact. But no, nothing. And he walks away to write up the ticket. Now... I will save you the story of the [offensive word that so appropriately describes him] cop, because I know these are a dime a dozen. But let me just assure you that he was the exact definition of a [offensive word]. And I wish that I could have told him this. In not-so-few words. But he is protected by the ability to just slap on more fines. And he knows it. And that is why he behaves this way. Oh, and the fact that he is a [offensive word]. But, getting another ticket is not worth it. And so I used all of the strength inside me to hold in the very clear and descriptive words that I wanted to use to tell him exactly what I thought of him. And this took some strength from above. Lee can vouch for what a feat this was as he is typically the one who ends up hearing the passionate description later at home... Oh, and that one unfortunate fellow at Andrews Upstairs that crossed me one too many times in one evening. That guy might be surprised to find out I have any composure.

Let me just tell you, Jesus got an earful in that next prayer for self-control.

So I get my ticket (oh, and that was one ugly signature I signed... I'll show him!), and head on my merry way. Let me just clarify, I was not mad at that guy for pulling me over. I was not happy about this, but I was speeding, and I was the chosen one to get caught that day. Life goes on. I was mad at this guy for his methods. Or lack of methods. Truly, I would have assumed he was mute if he did not have to ask me for my license and tell me to sign the ticket. But I'm getting distracted again... I head on my way. Fast forward 3 weeks (even though my ticket should have been in the system within 2 weeks... add lazy and inefficient on to his lovely qualities), and I finally can see my fine online. I type in my info... and up pops $728. I literally threw up on my keyboard. Ok, not really. But I may have had a few dry heaves. Words can't describe exactly what I felt at that moment. The frustration... the injustice...

Did you guys know that the speed limit on I-75, I-85, and I-285 is 55mph??? Has anyone ever witnessed anyone (who is not driving with their flashers on or receiving the finger) driving 55 mph in Atlanta? Well you would have if you had been on the road the next day. Cause I did. And I felt like I truly was a danger to society and to myself that day. If I wasn't going to be rear-ended, then I was going to be caught in a collision from the unfortunate people behind me trying to merge into the next lane to pass me. It was like watching someone trying to time jumping into double-dutch ropes. They have one split second of a chance, and you aren't quite sure if they're gonna make it. That speed limit is ... comical.

So the moral of all of this... I will not deny that I should not have been going so fast that day. However, I would expect that 81 would be considered 11mph over the speed limit, 16 maybe. But 26 over??? Come on Atlanta. My final thoughts:
1)The speed limit needs to be re-evaluated to be a little more realistic.
2)The fine does not exactly fit the crime.

And just for the record, no this was NOT a "super speeder" ticket. The Super Speeder law tacks $200 onto the original fine if you are going 85mph or more on a multi-lane highway, or 75mph or more on a 2 lane road. So $728 is the standard fine for this offense.

So now, for your records, let it be known that the speed limit in Atlanta is 55mph. Thank you Jimmy Carter for this gem of an idea.
I must apologize to Jimmy Carter for my incorrect information. He was not president until 1977, so this idea of the national law would have originated more during Richard Nixon or Gerald Ford's time I guess. My apologies sir. And thank you for the visual aid.


And also, for your records, you will likely be dealing with a bafoon if you get pulled over in Atlanta. So it will be an all around just unpleasant experience. I for one am a changed woman after this.

In all seriousness, I know I do need to slow it down. And I already have. As I said... I am a changed woman.

And there you have it... the word-vomit in all it's glory!!

Happy Weekend Highlights

Well, let's just pretend I never left. Won't that just be easier on us all? Just business as usual here...

This past Sunday, we spent Mother's Day up at my parents' house, and had a lovely little family-filled afternoon, showering this cherished woman with love. Here is a picture of me and Mom:


I can't help but feel like a giant every time I look at that picture. She's just so dainty. And here is a picture of both of the mothers among us that day. They're some good ones.

And I love that little Alli can always be found cuddling and mingling and trying to convince her aunts (or uncles, or Granny or Grandaddy, etc.) to come play a game with her. She's just so irresistible.

And here are Drew and Evan, in lego-land:

Also that weekend, on Saturday, we went to a wedding of friends Jessica & David. So more picture opportunities. I'm just a big fan of pictures really. I think that I am incapable of posting unless there is some sort of visual aid associated with my writing. Maybe that's why I fizzled... too many barriers to success. But really, it just makes things a little more interesting, don't you think?

Anyways, here is a nice group shot of some great friends:

And one with the fabulous bride and her new hubby:

And an excuse to put up a picture of Lee in a suit. I like a nice suit. Especially on a cute fella.
Apparently mid-sentence, but unfortunately this is the best I got!

So that's a glimpse of our lovely little weekend, filled with lovely celebrations of lovely people.

WHEW!! Look at all those pictures!!

Operation Blog Revival

This is just a dipping of toes back into the water... starting out very slowly. Let's not get too hasty or make any sudden movements. No one can be too sure yet... but I think I might be feeling a little blog action coming on... stay tuned... baby steps...

You're a sucker.

The commercials during the Olympics really pull at my heart strings... You know they're good when the tears well up just before the commercial ends, as they give the product they're promoting... Here are a couple that get me every time.






Ugh! I just watched them again and they didn't disappoint! I'm putty in the advertisers' hands.

"Your blog sucks."

Lee let me know. I'm glad we have each other to keep us in check.



I'm deep into the world of grad school, so I am finding it hard to think of witty and insightful thoughts to bring to my audience that don't center on the daily woes of a graduate student. Here is a nice summary of my daily existence:

title: "Ready, set..."

And I have sadly come to truly appreciate the website PhD Comics. I realize this makes me the ultimate of nerds, and I make my pledge to not bring up the latest comics in general conversation. But, these little strips of humor bring me the light that says that I am not alone in this bizarro world of academia. I stumbled upon this one that changed my life:

title: "Grad student etiquette"

I thought I was the only one who had physical reactions to the questions "What are you working on? How's that going?" or "When are you graduating again?" This one gave me the courage to come out of the closet. When I graduate, don't worry, the chorus of angels from heaven will let everyone know.


And for a couple of other updates that I know you guys have been in suspense over for far too long!... Jeff Probst did in fact bring up Shambo's mullet, and she DID have it on the finale! I knew she wouldn't let me down. And as for the finale of So You Think You Can Dance, the four dancers that I listed ended up being the final four, which I was very pleasantly surprised to see. Russell ended up winning, which I was a little surprised about, but was ok with. It's likely that no one remembers what I'm referring to, but ya know, just following through with my promises. Now we all have closure, whew.

They didn't study...

This document is pretty funny... people who didn't study for their tests. Page 1 reminds me of a lot of tests I graded this semester (a lot of words for the sake of words, communicating nothing). Page 7 very much reminds me of homeworks that I handed in for the class that I just took. Page 8 (the one about cats) made me laugh until I had tears in my eyes. Is that bad? (you can click Fullscreen to see it a little better, or click the little zoom buttons)

They didn't study

Merry Christmas... I'm Yours!

Thanks mama...




Someone please scratch his poor little nose for him!

Hallelujah!!!

Iiiiiiit's official!! The semester is OVER and I can see those memories coming back of a healthy, balanced Erin who did things like work out and clean her house. And what is the best thing about Christmas break?? CHRISTMAS! And I can now embrace it.

Let me back up a bit before I get to the wonderfulness, and review previous events. It was just a pretty jam-packed semester. I'm sure I had rough semesters in undergrad, but that was back in the days when I lived on campus, so I just walked out my door to get to class or to go to the gym, I had luxuries such as the dining hall and a dorm room, so no cooking or cleaning, and I certainly didn't have bills or many responsibilities. So all I really had to do was school. But now, having a rough semester is only compounded by the general responsibilities that come with the "adult" world, or really, just the constant nagging feeling that I'm neglecting them all. Anyway, back to the rough semester. I can't say I handled it with grace... but I "handled" it. And now it's done. I pulled more all-nighters this semester than I can remember ever pulling. And the recent feat of amazingness that my body survived was the survival of 2 consecutive all-nighters. Not planned, but here's what happened. I stayed up all Monday night to get the ridiculous 20-page Senior Design technical reports graded, with some sort of meaningful comments. At some point during that evening, I realized that my Probabilistic Models final exam that I thought was on Thursday was in fact on Wednesday at 8am. Hence the second all-nighter. But don't worry, I slept 13 hours on Wednesday night, and was officially a sloth all day today. And am soaking in the feelings of a well-earned break.

SO on to the Christmas cheer. And Lee and I have a date to go see "A Christmas Carol" with Jim Carrey on Saturday night. I'm pretty excited. And in honor of my month of working from home, I ordered a bunch of "lounging" clothes online today. Some super comfy looking fleece pants and some hoodies, etc. I can't wait for my month of cozyness. But don't worry, I also plan to resume some sort of working out regimen, so no need to plan an intervention.

I watched So You Think You Can Dance on my DVR today, and it was a tragic loss... Legacy was eliminated :( It was painful. I don't want to talk about it. Also, same episode, Mollee got eliminated. And that was pretty painful as well. She wasn't necessarily one of my favorites, but she looked more sad than anyone I think I've ever seen. You know how when little kids get themselves into a sobbing cry and they cry until they're exhausted (she didn't do that), and then once they're tired they just look tragic and every once in a while they do a couple of quick little inhales because they're not quite done crying? That's what she kept doing, those little breaths of her world being crushed. And her face looked pi-ti-ful. So she made me very sad. Anyway, next week is the finale, so I will be sure to report who the winner is. At this point I really think they are all amazing. There are 6 left, but I would be really happy if it were Kathryn (one of my original favorites), Russell, or Jakob. Russell just seems so precious, like he is probably one of the nicest people on the planet. And Jakob might honestly be the best dancer I've ever seen. He's amazing. Here is a broadway dance he did with Mollee this week:




And also, while I'm on the topic, here is a video of another group of dancers called "The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers" that they had on the show I think last week. You need to watch it, they are amazing, I promise it's worth 3 minutes of your time!




You think if I showed up in a beginner's dance class I would get kicked out?
Have a great weekend!!

I see my friend Friday approaching!

Here are my observations for the day...

First, people who go to Georgia Tech are freaks of nature. What the heck am I doing there? GT has the #1 Industrial Engineering Program in the country, so ya know, I know it's no joke. But this class that I'm taking is seriously kicking my butt. I didn't go to bed last night. My last homework assignment took 15 hours. And the handout has 4 problems. And these other crazy people in the class are like at the playground. The most shocking thing... they seem to think this class is normal. I swear I was intelligent once. I know I didn't dream these memories of catching on and understanding things quickly. But this is serious work. I mean hard work. And just to pull a grade that is slightly below the class average. So the only obvious conclusion is that my classmates are from another planet. On the same topic... people at Tech joke about "the ratio" (girls:boys) and I know most academic institutions have above-average amounts of foreigners. I have been taking a count recently. In a class of ~75 students, here are the statistics. 3 Caucasian Females. One of which is confirmed from Germany. 1 Black Female, ~5 Indian/Mid-Eastern Females, and ~5 Asian Females. The rest are all males, the majority of which come from the Eastern half of the world. Today the professor (Sigrun Andradottir, who is herself from Iceland) was handing out tests by calling each person's name one by one. Her accent combined with the names from all ends of the earth made me giggle. And then there was "Jonathan" and "David"... and Erin.

Second, I really enjoy the Fresh Prince of Bel Air. It makes me laugh out loud. It's very silly. I was getting my oil changed today and was having a good old time in the waiting room with the Banks.



Third, every time I get my oil changed, on the drive home I convince myself that my car is on fire. I have this internal talk with myself concerning whether I should pull over or not. The smell is not comforting. Do you think they wash the outside of the motor in oil too?

Fourth, I got my hair cut on Tuesday and I love the girl who cuts my hair. I love that I can walk in and sit in her chair and just go "I don't know, I'm bored... do something new and interesting" and she just goes "ok" and I love it every time. No stress, no decisions, I just know my hair is in good hands. And I appreciate that. Her name is Krista and she works at Urban Body Salon on Ponce de Leon Place if you want to go have her give you a new do. And have you seen my sister Stephanie's hair? I covet it on a regular basis. It's a Krista masterpiece.

And last but not least, I love Travis Wall, one of the choreographers on So You Think You Can Dance (he was a contestant a few years ago!). His dances are so good. The dance he did this week for Ryan and Ellenore was a story of a long-lost couple who ran into each other in the park... it was really good, gave me chills.




That's it for now. My final observation is that I need a nap!


Another good addition to this post... A funny video that Ashley sent me:

Particularly funny is the "utter social ineptitude" ... Does anyone want to take a field trip to Tech? I'm making it seem so awesome huh? Haha, no really, in all honesty, I love Georgia Tech, it holds a dear special place in my heart and there are some fantastically amazing people there. I married one of them :)

Forever Young

I purchased my first bottle of "age defying" lotion. It's never too early, right? I hope I look like a 17 year old in 4 weeks. But really, I just really hope I don't get a saggy neck.

The GT football team pulled through again this weekend and beat Wake Forest. I wish I was a professional athlete. I always feel so excited for the team when they're running off the field after they win and there are so many people cheering them out, particularly when they run by the student section and hit their hands as they go by. I always think what an amazing feeling that must be, to have so many people desperately stretching out to touch you, especially when you're just an 18-20 year old kid. Wouldn't that be amazing? I wish people would come cheer and jump around while I do research and write papers. I can picture them, desperately climbing over my cubicle wall, just to get a glimpse of the action and maybe touch my hair.

Here's a picture Lee took in the stadium. I like it because you can see Tech Tower in the background...

Football season has been really fun this year so far. Only 2 more home games left... hopefully the streak continues.

Welp, it's Sunday night. Lee and I went for about a 5 mile walk, which lasted almost 2 hrs. I love looking at all the houses and making my list of what I do and don't want in our future dream house. And the weather is perfect right now. Then we went and ate wings. Had to refill the calorie bank. Mmmm what a good finish to the weekend. And tomorrow the week starts allllll over again. It's gonna be a productive one, I can feel it.

Shambo's mullet

I am taking a vote. Will Shambo still have her mullet on the Survivor reunion show? I think she'll still have it. When you've rocked it this long, you're committed. And I also am betting on Jeff Probst bringing the mullet up for discussion. What do you think???

Growing Pains

I guess a part of maturing is just a matter of accumulating experiences. For me, first-time experiences generally aren't a complete success, but over time, lessons are learned and added to the knowledge and skill bank. Growing pains come in for example when lessons are learned the hard way, or when they aren't learned the first time, leaving me confused with what's going wrong.

After some time of thinking and processing the past few weeks, I have decided that I am and have been experiencing this semester a good healthy dose of growing pains. I am right smack in the middle of a lot of new roles and experiences, most of which are a good bit outside of my comfort zone (side-note: I willingly chose these things, and don't regret them for a second... just wish I could hit the pause button for a minute). It's not just the new experiences, but the fact that I'm not getting things quite right yet, and have gotten a couple of them quite wrong actually. I generally enjoy new challenges, but the accumulation of so many roles that I'm still figuring out all at once has been making a big mess all over my plate. And the mess of doing so many things "not quite right" in such a short period gets to me every once in a while. It tends to take a toll on the self-esteem. So that is my explanation for my previous, oh-so-dramatic reference to hating life. But after the dust settles, I have to remember that I'm just doing the best I can in situations that I've never been in before.

And the good news is that I am learning so many lessons! I will be so wise. You can just call me Solomon. The top lesson for this week (after coming the all of these realizations) is that I need to not be so hard on myself. And now I will share that lesson with you. Let's all not be so hard on ourselves. We're just doing the best we can with what we know, and when we know better we'll do better. Whew, what a relief.

On another topic, So You Think You Can Dance is BACK! And I've already picked my favorite couple ... [drumroll] ... Legacy and Kathryn. I love them already. Watch for them, you'll see, they're great. This week they had to tell the best thing and the worst thing about their partner (they always do a cheesy intro to their dances), and Legacy's favorite thing about Kathryn was that she's emotional. And the reason he likes this is because he's emotional and it makes him more comfortable that she is too. How precious is that? And I have to admit, Legacy's crying and emotions were part of what won me over, as suuuper-cheesy as that is. But it's not really dramatic or weak or feminine, as you might be picturing. He's definitely male, and he's a breakdancer. It just seems like he can't hold it back. And I find that endearing. So there is my pick. Let's hope my horse wins.

And now I hope you have the theme song to Growing Pains in your head for the rest of the day.
"Show me that smile again (Oooh show me that smile!)... Don't waste another minute on your crying..."

Hello November :)

I feel the need to not have that post at the top any more... Hating life no more. I try not to dwell in my self-pitty for TOO long. So I'll share with you our lovely jack-o-lantern from last night.I love him and I'm sad that he serves no more purpose after last night. We got to see my nieces and nephew in their costumes over Skype last night and they were prrrrecious. They were a skeleton bride, a buccaneer, and Captain Jack Sparrow. And they looked awesome. My sister did an awesome job on their makeup. I got to see them at the beginning of the night, and then at the end of the night. There was quite a difference. When they got back, there was no wig on the skeleton bride, no hat on the buccaneer, and the captain's once awesome beard and eyeliner were a mess of black smear. But as cute as ever of course. It's amazing how such a ragtag bunch of kids can make you wish you were there to squeeeeeeeeeeze them.
Edit: My sister posted pictures of the kids in their costumes on her blog, so you should go look at how cute they are. And her blog is good in general. She's cute and funny and her family is cute.

Well, it is officially November and I won't lie, I can not wait for the holidays. When I hear people talking about how much they are so disgusted by the Christmas stuff already being out in October, inside I'm thinking really?? what's your problem? just close your eyes then. I will admit that I see their point, because the stores might be getting a little out of hand in trying to fully take advantage of the money making business of Christmas. And I do enjoy really taking full advantage of each holiday for its wonderfulness (for example, I'm having a little difficulty letting go of Halloween). But I have to admit that when I see those Christmas trees in October, I try to come up with some excuse to walk through that section and get excited. But don't worry, I don't get the Christmas decorations out til the day after Thanksgiving... I wouldn't want to overshadow. But I can secretly appreciate the crazy stores.

Aaah that extra hour from daylight savings is so wonderful. It gave me time for a blog post while enjoying my morning coffee and listening to our new speaker system (Lee's early birthday present... football is a good enough excuse to get it early). I have to run and get ready for church, which I love that I can not wait to get there. Our church is great (cheesy, I know, but I get excited that I am so excited to get there). And then my parents are coming to have venison chili with us. What a great Sunday!

Have a good week :)

Well Hello...

I kind of hate life right now. I may or may not update the blog world on this once I am thinking more clearly on what is or isn't appropriate to throw out into the void of the world wide web. But for now, just rest assured this is a temporary situation, nothing to panic about. Just kinda ... blah... But. I was wondering what in the world Pandora's Box is. Does anyone know this? Well here you go...

According to Greek mythology, Pandora was the first woman. Apparently, Prometheus stole fire from Zeus and gave it to man (apparently a story itself). Zeus was angry and had this woman created to bring punishment. Each god helped create her by giving her unique gifts. Zeus gave her this box (really a jar) filled with all types of misfortune, evils, illness, etc. He instructed her not to open it (but also gave her the gift of curiosity). He then sent her to Epimetheus (Prometheus's brother), who then married her (against Prometheus's warnings to not accept gifts from Zues). Once she was in, she got too curious and opened the box. When she opened it, all of the evils, ills, diseases, and burdensome labor that mankind had not known previously, escaped from the jar. She tried to close it quickly, but it was too late. The only thing that did not escape was Hope.

So there it is... that's the story behind the phrase about "opening Pandora's Box." And the Aerosmith album. You learn something new every day. Or maybe you already knew, my wise audience.

I think I'm gonna go for a walk... A nice mood booster. Have a lovely evening.

"I believe in equal rights for all ... unless you're religious or conservative..."

"In that case... I'll be sure to tell you why you're wrong and why you need to change. But don't you dare try to express your opinion to me... religious, conservative people are so closed minded and judgmental."

I am SOOOO tired of having this encounter!!! Obviously paraphrased. But pretty much the meat of the conversation. I had a mild one today. And I try to stay calm and express my opinions logically and with kindness (heaven forbid I come off as closed minded or judgmental!) ... But the more I think about it, I get more and more angry. I am so tired of the double standard. The funny thing is that I did not pursue this conversation. I was passive in the whole thing. I merely answered questions I was asked. I very much believe that no one enjoys unsolicited advice or irrationally strong opinions. So yeah, I innocently answer questions, and then my judgment is questioned and I am made to feel like I am judgmental and heartless (which I would just like to say by the way are two things that I constantly strive NOT to be). But here's the kicker. In the same breath, this person was discussing how horrible religious people can be sometimes and he/she concluded with "I am who I am, I'm not gonna change, just let me be." ... And I'm left thinking... ummmm, my thoughts exactly. Who's the one here who is giving the other the right to have their own opinion?

It is truly baffling. And for the record, I TOO believe in equal rights for all. Very much so. I also believe in a benevolent & kind view of humanity. VERY much so. And not to sound arrogant here, but I'm gonna venture out on a limb here and say that consistency is a valuable component when referring to "ALL."




Edit... some follow-up thoughts...

I was stiiiillll thinking about this. Does anyone remember this scene from "You've Got Mail" (one of my favorites) :

Joe Fox: Do you ever feel you've become the worst version of yourself? That a Pandora's box of all the secret, hateful parts - your arrogance, your spite, your condescension - has sprung open? Someone upsets you and instead of smiling and walking away, you zing them? "Hello, it's Mr Nasty." I'm sure you have no idea what I'm talking about.

Kathleen Kelly: No, I know exactly what you mean, and I'm completely jealous. What happens to me when I'm provoked is that I get tongue-tied and my mind goes blank. Then I spend all night tossing and turning trying to figure out what I should have said. What should I have said, for example, to a bottom dweller who recently belittled my existence?
[stops and thinks]
Kathleen Kelly: Nothing. Even now, days later, I can't figure it out.

Joe Fox: Wouldn't it be wonderful if I could pass all my zingers to you? And then I would never behave badly and you could behave badly all the time, and we'd both be happy. But then, on the other hand, I must warn you that when you finally have the pleasure of saying the thing you mean to say at the moment you mean to say it, remorse inevitably follows.

Well I'm on the Kathleen Kelly side, being completely jealous sometimes. Please, Joe Fox, send me your zingers. I would love to experience this. But on the other hand, thank you, Joe Fox, for letting me know that remorse inevitably follows... And for reminding me to appreciate the fact that my arrogance, spite, and condescension has not sprung open. It is a refreshing perspective to realize that I am not weak... I am merely someone who doesn't carry my arrogance and condescension on my sleeves, ready to pounce at any moment. I am rejuvenated. Thank you Tom Hanks.

Dear Kanye West, We get it... you hate white people. You can go away now.

Did anyone watch the MTV VMA's last night?? Well... I didn't. But I did wake up to radio/tv discussions of Kanye West being his usual ridiculous self. And really, who gives a flying flip about anything Kanye West ever has to say? He's responsible for such jewels as suggesting that he's such an inspiration that he should be in the Bible. I mean, really. Who has time to acknowledge he's speaking? But this time he went too far... WHO except a heartless, ridiculous person could do this to Taylor Swift?? In case you didn't see it:

MTV Shows

I think it speaks for itself. I don't think there are words strong enough to express what a ridiculous human being he is.

Anyway, here's the clip of Beyonce totally recovering the whole situation. I love her. Did this bring a tear to anyone else's eye or am I ridiculous?

MTV Shows

Gosh I just really appreciate kindness. That Beyonce is a classy lady.

On another note, Lady GaGa never ceases to amaze me. My neighbor has a nice wreath on her door that I think would look particularly nice wrapped around my face. Thank you Lady GaGa for opening my eyes to the fashion potential of door decor.

But here is one gem resulting from the whole debacle...