Tea and Honey Bread

Hotmail is now Windows Live mail, 2GB space, heightened security features and more blah blah blah. The only feature I'm currently interested in is the one where you can actually type a complete thought without having to restart the PC. I feel like I'm blogging on Lisa's cell phone.

Things are good today, I spoke to my supervisor over that EBO, looks like I can skip the two week wake and head to the Pearly Gates tomorrow. I'm loving that. I'm ambivalent about outing my unemployed status to the masses. I've been on my own since I was 16 and give away far greater than I take, where matters of family are concerned- but I can already hear the yammers, "Oh, but you're so smart...you need your independence, what about pocket money". I'm so sick of this idea that a woman who chooses not to work to support and otherwise raise (yeah good ol' fashioned child-rearing) her children is somehow defunct, like I'm banished to the masses of child-raising Met Food cashiers. I guess being the nonconformist that I am, I would choose to educate myself extensively and then only apply it towards parenting and homeschooling whilst everyone else is back-biting and ass kissing, kicking and busting for the corner office. I don't know, call me naive, call me crazy, but I'd like to think that these years put in will reap far greater rewards than the latch-key pipe bombers of this generation. Besides, pocket money, schmocket money-I spend it faster than I bring it in.

My grandmother, who I love infinitely fell prey to the women's lib movement in the worst way. She knows better now, thanks to my incessant propagandizing of attachment parenting, nursing and the family bed, but she is still a work in progress. She grew up in the South and upon acquiring her degree and marrying my grandfather joined the movement. She formula fed, with a propped bottle no less and she Ferberized, although I'm sure it was called something totally different then. The whole idea was to have the kid, place it down, prop the bottle and get back to the board room, class room, ladies room etc. It's sad to think that your comeuppance as a woman could so easily be deflected from the obvious, natural reason for your earthly existence. I'm all about feminism as it stands to empower women not create a generation of neglectful stalwarts. At the end of the day my calling in this life is to raise well adjusted, well versed, cultured, educated people. Too bad there is no prestige or pension attached to the most important career around. Or is there?

It appears there just may be, as the Phoenix Police seem to be under the impression that I've deferred my parental judgment to the local "powers that be" (haha, Joe called me Flavor Flav as we were discussing this issue in bed this morning) our son was picked up on a curfew violation this past weekend. He was inside a private residence attending a party that was "broken up" at 12:01 IDs requested and all attendees under age were taken to a curfew violators encampment in the ghetto of West Phoenix. Ok, sounds simple enough except the law states minors cannot be outdoors after 12:00 unless they: are with an accompanying adult 18 or over, and/or have parental consent. Do you follow so far? Ok, so how was he arrested while indoors and never questioned about who accompanied him and ordered not to use his cell phone, which of course would have allowed me to advise the Footloose Police that he had my permission to be in attendance until 2:00 am? I am not partaking in any government subsidized programs and Jordan's dad is not a man in uniform, I'm thoroughly confused about this blatant abuse of power. It is not a rare occurrence in the suburbs I have come to realize while researching my position in preparation of our upcoming juvenile court appearance, "Oh joy". Basically, if Farmer Tom and his wife Peggy partner with Pastor Dave, Sister Sue and Sheriff Joe, "I reckon you can just 'bout outlaw any dern thang". I just read they are outlawing sagging pants in Louisiana. What's next, exposed socks, bad hair weaves? Violating civil liberties of anyone, yes children too, is a slippery slope. I understand many things create quality of life issues or a general annoyance, but that does not constitute an illegal act. If so, I've got a list of shit that I'd like to see stopped immediately. Let's start with seizing the property of people who have old pickup trucks in their backyards, cars with one door spray painted black in the front yard, serviceman ass-crack should be punishable by fine and bellies exposed from under tight ass t-shirts should face up to a 90 day jail term or until said gut has been restored to order. Are you ready to sign my bill? One would just have to think there are far more serious offenses the Sheriff's Office could be allocating tax monies toward. I have personally declared myself exempt for the past two years, citing that I'm broke and I don't want my money being used for the country's defense fund. That's a whole other rant, and yes they, "Let you do that..." semantics, it's all semantics.

At any rate, Joe and I will be there on September 20th complete with as many actual cases regarding this issue as can be obtained from the Internet and local libraries in addition to his current home school portfolio. I refuse to allow this to blemish his pristine record and I am not going to be pressured into abiding by this bureaucratic bullshit. If there is no blog on the 21st you can assume I violated penal code...whatever "arrogant black woman with her facts straight" is filed under in good ol' AZ.

Well, I'm about to start winding down, watch a little mindless television before I head for bed, I've got a big day tomorrow. It's amazing how I'm already feeling relieved (perhaps it is because I've called out all week) I've completed four projects for my gift shoppe, I have the basic design plan for two pairs of earrings, lesson plans are in the works and my house is clean. I know I'm not out of the water with my depression, but as I can best describe it, me working for the EBO is tantamount to being a laborer with a bad back. It is a bad situation that can and will eventually only get worse. I am grateful for the start; getting my feet firmly planted in AZ and putting some grub on the table, but in exchange I have recently been more depressed and without definitive reason than I've been in four years, that just doesn't seem like fair trade. As one door closes another one opens, and if not well, you just kick it down and make your presence known. Laughs and remembers the time I pulled a door off the hinges at one of Joe's gigs...good times.