Amazing Parents...

Well, today is Fathers Day. I've said it before - and I'm not ashamed of repeating myself - I am a total "Daddy's Girl". Don't worry - my Mom knows that this is true. It doesn't mean that I don't love her, just that he's "mine" as it were. On the whole though, I have just about the best two parents that anyone could ever wish for. My brother is awesome too, but that's another blog altogether.

Let's start with my Dad. There is nothing that my Dad can't do. He is educated in the art of self education and is never afraid to learn a new skill if there's something he needs done. Everything from computers to woodwork, metalwork to gardening, tractors to motorcycles, babies to psychology, police work to guest house manager and about a million things in between!

He's a complex person - possibly the MOST complex person I've ever met. He's the chef in the family, always making sure that there's something yummy heading our way. He is definitely the person you most want in your corner and the one you want to piss off least! When he believes in you, there's nothing that you're not capable of doing and if you lose his trust, it's pretty much gone for good. He'll back you up when you're right and help you when you're not. He's the best judge of character that I've ever met and - yes, I'm admitting this in writing - he's pretty much never wrong!

He is also extremely good at surprising you at the oddest times - like when you're down and he just seems to know it or when you're worried and he offers help out of the blue. He's also totally logical and practical, but has a temper of note :-). He can be completely objective in any situation. He also has a wicked sense of humour!

We have the (mis?)fortune of sharing a star sign, which means that we have very similar personalities. This can often lead to a clash, but we always manage to sort it out in the end. I think it's hard for a Father to see his daughter as a grown up (even if I don't always feel like one), but he knows that no matter what... I'll always be his baby girl!

My Mom - wow! It's one of the first words that springs to mind... WOW! She is probably one of the best friends a girl could ask for. And no - I'm not kidding! As a kid, she was 100% Mom, totally into eating your veggies and all that, but now she is also my friend... a really cool person to hang out with and do stuff with. She's great to talk to and although I don't always follow her advice, I definitely always listen to everything she has to say. It's a benefit of having a smart Mom!

She has such a talent with so many things. She's an admin Goddess (I've mentioned before), she's incredible with people and she's fantabulous with anything creative. She says that she hates to cook (it's not in her job description), but she's actually really great at it. Creative, inventive and modest! I think my Dad has rubbed off on her :-)

She also works incredibly hard in every area of her life and often has the stressful job of standing between the rest of us when we're fighting or just disagreeing in general. One of her biggest talents in these situations is that she's a helluva lot like Switzerland... (no, not cold and full of chocolate!)... she's totally neutral. It can be a real pain if you want her to just take your side and back you up, but it's also great to know that she's always going to be that way. She shares a lot of the qualities that make my Dad so great. She's also a great judge of character and - again - is pretty much never wrong. She can be very emotional (like me), but also has the ability to put that aside (unlike me) and be logical and practical about a situation. She is always there with a smile or advice or a hug when you need it - the best hugs in the world!

She'll also always do anything she can to try and help you. But be warned, you do NOT want to cross her as she has a serious temper. You don't mess with her or her family.... it's such a joy to watch when she's "unleashed" on an unsuspecting tyrant... trust me, I could sell tickets! She doesn't tolerate bullying or unfair treatment of anyone by anyone and is not afraid to speak her mind. She has an evil sense of humour and has been known to keep you in fits of giggles for hours.

I guess you could say that just some of what makes these two people so incredibly great is the following.

• They are totally neutral and fair minded in any situation.
• They are individuals in a society full of conformists.
• They are wickedly funny and share a sometimes dark, sometimes oddball sense of humour.
• They are the best people to have supporting you in any situation.
• They are always willing to help you out, even if they knew you'd end up needing help to begin with.
• They are open and welcoming to other people. They are the kinds of people you WANT to spend time with.
• They enjoy spending time with you. They make you feel wanted and welcome.
• They are quietly supportive of all the people in their lives - be they family or friends.
• They compliment each others strengths and weaknesses.
• They never give up.
• They are always willing to try new things or learn something new.
• They will NEVER be 'old fuddy-duddies'
• They are totally comfortable in their own skin. What an example to grow up with.
• They are always honest.
• They are willing to allow new people into our family - and share their love with them.
• They love each other.

A million other reasons that I haven't listed here!

Everything that I've said applies not only to their own 2 children, but also to the people that have been "adopted" along the way. You know who you are and you know that it's true.

So, to my amazing parents....

I love you!!!!!

For Love...

For he who has been loved by a woman, truly loved, is forever changed - made whole. And she for her part, having gifted to him a part of her heart, shall forever be less and yet, no less capable of love.

For the Price of a Ticket...

Have you ever noticed how so many things promise to change, enhance, repair, solve, etc your life? There's a pill to make you happy, a pill to make you thinner, there are spa's to help you relax and shelves full of books by people who have become obscenely rich telling us things that are total common sense at the end of the day.

There is one thing though that does seem to work - on a short term basis - when you're feeling as if it is all going to get on top of you. For the price of a movie ticket, you can allow yourself to escape all the drudgery of your life, escape the sadness, anger, stress, etc and for a little while, you can live a new life. A better life.

It seems funny to think that redemption can be purchased for the price of a ticket.

Of course, in all fairness, many of you will argue that there are other things that can have the same effect and I agree with you. No... not recreational drugs (although I'm sure that that works for some of you). The other things that can afford you a break from your own life include theatre, music, a good book, even a television programme. The trick is that it has to be something into which you can escape. A place where you feel safe or challenged or loved or scared. Whatever it is that you need when you're escaping from reality.

So... for the price of a ticket. Get out there and live a little fantasy why don't you :-)

Hugs,

Me

All Out Communication...

You know, one of the greatest tools available to us mere mortals in this fantastic day and age is communication. We have satelite phones, cell phones, land lines, cordless phones, pagers, sms, IM, Live Chat, SKYPE, e-mail, faxes, letters, hand written letters, body language, sign language, and of course - talking.

Isn't it highly ammusing then that so many of us don't bother to use ANY of these tools to really communicate with each other? We hold all this rubbish inside us until we feel as though we're going to burst and then - when we can't take it any more - we unleash all this toxic crap on the person nearest us. Or the person most willing to just take it.

Are you an unleasher? Are you a taker?

If you examine that type of situation, the whole *expletive deleted* unpleasant episode could have been avoided by just taking the time to talk to the people around you. Ever considered that a rational conversation could avoid a lot of unpleasantness later? Of course, talking isn't really enough... pay attention, this is the REALLY hard part....

You also have to be HONEST!!

I can imagine all the protesting going on... "of course I'm honest", blah blah bullshit. Being honest means that you have to allow that no matter how ugly it is, the other person's point of view could be right. So... let's say that that person has accused you of being a bigot, a slut, a control freak, a piece of shit, etc, etc - you have to be able to step back and really look for the seed of truth in what they have to say. Then you have to have the honest to God balls to admit it - to yourself and to them. Only then can you both really talk and move on.

The problem is that not all people are able to do this. We get so indignant, so pissed off at the accusation, that we aren't able to look beyond that anger. We can't see that maybe we've been behaving in a way (or saying things) that has lead to the accusation. Who knows, maybe that person does admit to themselves that there might be some truth to what's been said? It's sad how badly the human race communicates to begin with and then to add all the lies and crap in on top of it... is it any wonder we sometimes wonder if there's a point to the whole thing?

Anyway - do yourself a favour. PHONE a friend today, pop round to their house. Leave the sms's and emails for another time.

Until next time,

Me

One Last Time...

Play it again Sam.... (as it were). After this post, I'm going to be done with this shit - I hope. I've decided that I'm not posting any more of this side of my life. First of all because posting about it keeps it alive in my head and secondly because there are people who think that I'm trying to send personal messages to them and I'm not! Additionally, this is an expression of MY opinion and how I feel today. Tomorrow I may feel totally different, but I won't actually know that until I wake up, so deal with it.

To Pooh Bear - NONE of this is aimed at you. You know that in your heart of hearts, because you of all people have been allowed to see how I feel about all of what's happening in my life at the moment and not just one small part. Please don't take any of this onto yourself ok?

I'm not including the whole thing for obvious reasons... there's a lot of repeated lines!!

"In The End"

One thing / I don’t know why

It doesn’t even matter how hard you try

Keep that in mind / I designed this rhyme

To explain in due time

*some text missing*

kept everything inside and even though I tried / it all fell apart

What it meant to me / will eventually / be a memory / of a time when I tried so hard

And got so far

But in the end

It doesn't even matter

*some text missing*

One thing / I don’t know why

It doesn’t even matter how hard you try

Keep that in mind / I designed this rhyme

To remind myself how

I tried so hard

In spite of the way you were mocking me

Acting like I was part of your property

Remembering all the times you fought with me

I’m surprised it got so (far)

Things aren’t the way they were before

You wouldn’t even recognize me anymore

Not that you knew me back then

But it all comes back to me

In the end

You kept everything inside and even though I tried / it all fell apart

What it meant to me / will eventually / be a memory / of a time when I tried so hard

And got so far

But in the end

It doesn’t even matter