DailyPurp20 Nov 2008 06:22 am
Do not pay any attention to the cat behind the curtain!
Random19 Nov 2008 01:51 pm
The server that hosts my site was down earlier today with a RAM chip error. I apologize for those of you that like to read during the lunch hour, but at least you’re reading now.
Thanks for coming back!
It’s mid-November, almost a week until Thanksgiving and only 37 days until Christmas, and I haven’t gotten into the holiday spirit yet. In past years, I have had a sense of relaxation and comfort around the holiday time, but this year it’s not there. At least not yet.
For Thanksgiving, I will be with family on the East Coast as we celebrate my cousin’s wedding. I am looking forward to this, especially because I will be with extended family that I rarely get to see. And I think weddings are a really good time. However, my feeling around this trip is more celebratory and less Thanksgiving-y. Since Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, I sure hope I get to pig out at least a little bit.
Also, I haven’t made plans for Christmas yet. I may be in Fresno with my mom’s side of the family, I may be in Woodland with my dad’s side… just not sure. Add in the fact that my sister won’t be coming home, and the whole thing is just hard to get excited about.
I think once I set some plans for Christmas and once I am in WV with my family over Thanksgiving, I will have a much different attitude. I hope so… otherwise it may mean I am dead inside.
Life18 Nov 2008 08:59 am
While in Vegas this past weekend, I was walking with my friend from our hotel toward the Strip. A man came up from behind us and started asking for money. His story was that he and his wife were living under the on-ramp and they needed money for food. A few dollars for McDonalds is what he asked for, among other things.
We told him we didn’t have anything for him and wished him good luck. He snarled back, “Don’t wish me luck if you aren’t going to help me. That’s like kicking me when I’m down.”
He has a point, but is it my fault that he’s in that position. I could have said far worse things to him. I felt badly for him and wished I could have helped, but the money I did have was not of the usual denomination found in the hands of McDonad’s eaters. Plus, as a rule, I don’t give money to people on the street (I learned this the hard way).
I could have offered to buy him some food, as I’ve done this in the past and we weren’t far from the mall, but the guy’s attitude totally turned me off to the idea. He acted as if he was entitled to help, as if we were supposed to give him some money.
Generally, I have a soft spot for people in rough situations - especially because this is the kind of work my mother has been into for the past decade or so - but when it gets to the point where I feel forced to help rather than my offering to help, that’s when I shut it down and say no.
I think that mentality applies in many situations… when forced to do something, good or bad, it hardly feels worth doing, but when it’s your initiative, it feels complete and satisfying.
DailyPurp18 Nov 2008 06:10 am
