Oh Tigs

I am not even going to pretend to be a Detroit Tigers fan for the next five minutes.  I am loyal to the Atlanta Braves.  That being said, the Braves did not make the post-season.  It is almost impossible to believe, I know!  Yesterday, I was pulling for the Tigers.  With four games left in the regular season the Tigers were three games up on the Minnesota Twins for victory in the American League Central.  They blew that and ended up in a extra innings tie breaker game last night against the Twins.  Going into the game the Tigers were beyond do or die.  Continuing with Tiger history they went down in a terrible (borderline embarrassing) loss.  Not only did they pretty much have the win in the bottom of the ten (heck, bottom of the seventh) they made fundamental baseball mistakes.  

Pops taught me two things early in my softball days: when batting keep your eye on the ball and when fielding you must always stay in front of the ball.  Ryan Raburn your diving attempt is only cool if you actually make the catch... not when you make your center fielder, Curtis Granderson, run circles to find and control the ball.  He has already been a big enough disappointment this season, no need to make him appear worse.  It was you that made the mistake.  We all make mistakes, luckily most of ours do not deprive our entire team/city full of fans from the post-season.  Harsh?  Probably a little.  I should give you minimal credit.  You followed that play up with a catch and a nice accurate throw to home to end the tenth.  Allowing the Twins to again do enough damage only to tie the game.  We all know that only last for so long (i.e. two more innings).  

If the Tigers had made the post-season I would have become a fair weather fan.  I would have cheered them on, allowed Pops to buy me merchandise, and called g'pa daily to check up on the Detroit Free Press report.  The Tigers shot themselves in the foot when their city and fans needed it most.  Better luck next year!  In the words of Brandon Inge, "They [the Twins] earned it. They did."  

PS: Technically the game should have been played Monday night.  Unfortunately for both teams the game had to be played Tuesday (last night) because the Green Bay Packers were meeting the Minnesota Vikings at the Metrodome for the Monday Night Football!  Speaks worlds for baseball doesn't it?  The sleep deprived Twins are playing the well rested winningest team in baseball, the New York Yankees.  At least they are not post-season deprived.  Sigh!  

You Take Life too Seriously

This summer four year old H.G.W. told me I take life too seriously. Really, that is impossible!  You are four, I refuse to listen to anything you have to say (an issue I will resolve later).  Granted it was probably in response to me freaking out when she tried to throw a half full gatorade bottle in the trash(!!!).  Two problems: the bottle should be recycled and the juice was still fresh.  She immediately reached to grab for a cold gatorade less than one second after improperly disposing of the gatorade.  Sweet little one I know you are only four but let me introduce you to the refrigerator or ice cubes.  No worries, I pulled the bottle out of the trash and drank the gatorade before recycling the bottle.  I'm serious. I did because it mattered that much to me.  

I need a reason for everything so naturally I asked her why (she thought it was okay to dispose of her gatorade this way?!?!).  Only kidding, I really wanted to know why she thinks I take life too seriously.  An answer to the other question would have been nice too... but I was working with the attention span of a four year old.  Her answer, "you turned into a crazy person about the gatorade bottle, you always get your 'lesson' face on when H.T.W. (the two year old brother) throws his trash on the floor, and you never smile."  How I wish it could have been the 100 degree heat making me nauseous on that Virginia summer day, not the four year girl with good intentions.  

I am admitting defeat, H.G.W. might be right.  Let me address each one of her points individually.  I did turn into a "crazy person" when handling the incident.  I probably could have been a tad nicer or understanding... but I wanted to save the bottle before it went swimming in a pile of contaminated trash.  And, unfortunately, unfinished/unrecycled gatorade bottles are not the only things that put me over the edge.  Plastic bags, uneaten leftovers/wasted food, people who take to-go boxes made of Styrofoam, long showers (multiple times a day).  The stir me up list goes on, I will spare you.  Major dilemma!  These things really make me angry and can sometimes ruin my day when I see multiple stir me up list items occur back to back.  This is a problem that obviously needs addressing.  How do you know when you have taken it to far?  I am extremely passionate about the issues surrounding persevering the earth but you have to draw the line somewhere.  Why should I care about saving the world when no one else does? I can't tell you how many children I have encouraged to pick up trash, friends I have encouraged to recycle, the number of strangers I have talked to about Styrofoam to-go boxes and plastic bags, employers I have discussed composting with, and the number of family members I have encouraged to buy only what they need in order to reduce waste.  The ones who catch on make it seem worth it.  When I meet others who are on already on board and teach me something new it seems totally worth it.  I am beat.  Is any of this contagious or is all of this a waste of a life?  I think I am past the line, waste bothers me too much.  Then again, it does not matter whether you are trying to save the world, raise your children, finish med school... the task is probably always daunting.  Passion takes you places, like to Africa!

Point two: first and foremost, I do not think there is anything wrong with forcing a two year old to pick their trash up off the ground.  I would not let a stranger throw trash on the ground, an adult superior, or anyone I consider friend or family in front of me.  I am always extremely patient with H.T.W. when discussing the subject of why we can't just throw our garbage on the ground.  He is two and I understand that.  It's great that he is two, he can be 'trained' to take care of the earth.  When I was taking care of A.L.R.L. she was always so proud to tell me when she did 'earth friendly' things.  Melts my heart every time!  My generation is only the start of the green trend, we need children like H.T.W. and A.L.R.L. to grow up in it, learn about the earth, understand why it is important to save it, and fight to protect it.  It is not too late for H.G.W., she is my work in progress.  Smile.  

Final point: H.G.W. is not the first person to tell me I never smile and I am sure she will not be the last.  She really pushed a button here because no other statement is that annoying!  I have two good friends, H.C.O. and J.L.W., who are also victims of the "you never smile" curse.  We have discussed this issue several times and always draw the same conclusion... just because we do not smile does not mean we are not happy.  I am  actually a pretty happy person.  Maybe you should stop judging and get to know me.  I do not have to broadcast a smile all the time to show it.  I guess my face naturally frowns (or I just think you--the person who told me to smile is super dumb) so please get over it.  I am happy (and very blunt), unless you hurt my friend, planet earth.  Of course, now you probably do not want to get to know me because I called you out for crossing the line.  So be it.  

The conclusion is that I probably do take life to seriously, but my passion for these issues is part of what makes me who I am.  If I gave up, besides being really lame, I would be throwing myself into a group of people I would rather not associate with.  Since the incident I have had a much better sense of humor about saving the earth.  I realize I need to let everyone live the life they have set out to live... even if that means they do not want to become green worker bees.  I am still going to continue to suggest and encourage new ideas and more earth friendly ways of life without being let down when my ideas are not put into practice.  The other valuable lesson I learned is maybe we should all shut up and listen to each other.  If a four year old can get me thinking and revamp the way I tackle a no impact life... it makes me believe lots of you have important messages you are waiting to share.  

Wow, that was a mouthful.  I am still breathing thanks to those trees right outside my window.  Check in tomorrow when the clean air is gone and those trees have been cut down to build one of the 100 houses being added to our neighborhood.  To think my parents bought new.  Have I taught them nothing?    

Losing My Touch

To the families I babysit for, thank you. Babysit, eat, sleep, repeat. That has been the routine for the past ten years of my life, though it seems I am losing my touch. Last weekend while I was watching the neighbors, O.D.M. fell out of the stroller and smacked his head on the pavement. Umm... he is eight months old! It was very scary. He is usually pretty chill and seemed completely normal afterwards, minus the GINORMOUS goose egg on his head! I was still terrified. What if he had a concussion? It was near bedtime but I was not about to let him sleep. I realized in all the time I have spent babysitting I had no idea what to do if a baby bumped (or slammed) their head into pavement. Luckily, everything was fine.

As if it could not get any worse, this past weekend I was babysitting for the (future) professor of sharks. While I was grabbing a game out of the closet for us to play my five year old professor went flying backwards down the stairs. I did not see it happen because my back was to the stairs (as was his) although I heard the bam, thump, pow as he bounced his way down the stairs. He is a super tough cookie, shedding only a few tears, before he was back to normal. While we played the game I watched the bump under his eye grow bigger and redder. Not fun. Thank goodness he was oblivious to my terror!

Both sets of parents were very understanding and assured me this could have just as easily happened when they were around. Their right! In both instances I was standing right there and in no way contributed to the accident. Still, when the parents leave the children are my responsibility. Two freak accidents in two weeks on my watch is more than even I can handle. And while I have ten years of experience, I am not always sure exactly what to do. Just when I think I have seen it all, I'm wrong. Similar to parenting (I presume), babysitting is a never ending learning experience!

Not to make light of these accidents (thankfully both boys are doing fine) nonetheless each experience only makes me a better, more confident babysitter. I am not trying to make a career out of this so called profession, but I have a true understanding of why you want to know, trust, and have an experienced sitter watch your children. I am extremely thankful 90% of the families I have worked for respect me and my time, know me well, truly trust me with their children, and are thankful of my past experience. Thanks again! What ever will I do without you and your children in Lesotho?

The Laughing Stock of Football

Clemson football is a joke! I am so thankful I was raised in the Big Ten, if only I could have been educated in the Big Ten as well. Yesterday the Clemson Tigers lost to the Maryland Terrapins. Does anyone know how bad the Terrapins are? AWFUL! The loss is embarrassing and I hope leads to some major revaluations during next weeks bye. Maryland lost to the California Golden Bears by 39 points. Granted at the time the Golden Bears were ranked 12th and the game was in California. The Terrapins hardly made an appearance in the game against the Golden Bears. They did not represent the ACC or themselves well at all. Okay, so the Golden Bears stomped them... but then they went on to beat James Madison University (JMU) by a field goal in overtime. Please reread that last statement. The Terrapins beat a 1-AA school on their own turf, in overtime, by a field goal. I'll stop because a win is a win (and it gets better). Moving on, Maryland loses their next two games at home. Before getting crushed by Rutgers (better known as "Butgers") from the Big (L)East they lose to Middle Tennessee State.

Now that I have hopefully convinced you how bad the Terrapins are you can understand the severity of a Tigers loss. Losing is nothing new for Tigers fan... but even the Tigers typically manage to pull out the easy wins. Not yesterday. Missed long field goals, little to no offense. I'm complaining. How can I avoid it? This was going to be the year, like the 5th plus straight year, I was promised an ACC Championship title. As of 4:08 PM on October 3rd Maryland was leading the Atlantic half of the ACC. If that does not speak for Clemson, it surely speaks for the ACC.

I'm sorry Dabo. I was excited to see T. Bowden go. Unfortunately, you have not shown me any promise. I am not jumping on any "fire Dabo" bandwagon, but I am all for turning this program around. This can not be sugar coated. Basketball anyone?

It's not for me.

Spending Saturdays watching football and doing nothing else, pure bliss. In spite of this there is one thing about football, or the players, I simply do not understand. By the time these guys are 18-21 years old their arms (and probably their backs too) are smothered in tattoos. I realize football players are not the only ones who tattoo themselves, tattoos just seem most prevalent in athletes.

First and foremost, these designs pasted to their bodies are permanent (definition: everlasting). I can't think of anything that I would want to look at on myself everyday for the rest of my life. Maybe my twice tattooed grandpa impacted my personal decision to never tattoos myself. He regrets both his tattoos a lot! Some people tattoo themselves with extremely personal and meaningful pictures. Good conversation piece? Negative.... which brings me to my second point: lots of people get tattoos places where they can't be seen. This decision really puzzles me! Why would you want a tattoo that people never saw or was only visible with certain wardrobe pieces? Explanation, please!

Let me also comment here, tattoos of butterflies and hearts immediately signal to me you are not at all deep, you barely scratch the surface. I could think of a million things with more meaning. And my other favorite designs are of the religious affiliation. Somewhere in the bible it says, "tattoos are bad" (with slightly more complicated wording). Its seems very hypocritical when people tattoo designs of Jesus (not too mention, how do people know what this guy looks like?) or the cross or bible verses.

My final concern about tattoos is the price at which they are purchased. If money grows on trees, can you tell me where? We are talking upwards of $400. In my college days that would be a 40 hour work week, yikes, definitely not worth it. Okay, I am super cheap so my final point is probably not valid. You could argue these last forever... la, la.

Having said I will never tattoo myself I have nothing wrong with others getting tattoos. Good thing because it is definitely not my decision to tell others how treat their bodies. Darn, I hate that. I can't wrap my head around where they get their money or how they know what they want when they are only 18-21 years old. Then when they do accomplish the first two things... why they hide them?

"Tattoos are like marriage: it's a lifelong commitment, it hurts like hell, and the color fades over time." (Unknown) Except marriage isn't really a lifelong commitment anymore... so this quote is partially expired.

Envirosax

I just ordered these fantastic reusable shopping bags! I know, I know, I am leaving the country. I actually ordered them for my mom. She is a great shopper, translation--lots of plastic bags. As her environmentally friendly daughter I could not stand to see her march in the door with another handful of plastic bags! She has quite a few reusable shopping bags already... although she routinely forgets them in the car on her trips into the grocery. These are prefect because they fold up small enough to fit in her purse. Go shop mom, hurry, there might be a food shortage tomorrow! Oh to encourage others to save the world!

These bags seem a little bit costly at first glance. Remember, though, the cost at which your lifestyle comes to the earth. Trust me, it is going to take more than eight dollars to repair! You can also buy the bags in bulk (a group of five) to reduce the cost a little. This is how I chose to purchase them because I figured the bags would make great gifts or I could selfishly keep them for market day shopping in Lesotho! They're light, they're cute, they're durable! I think I am in love.

Possibly even more exciting than the Envirosax is the shower timer that came free with the bags! Despite my thick medium length hair I am naturally a five minute shower taker. The timer presents a challenge. You must shower in four minutes or be chastised by mother nature. Each minute of showering uses two and a half to seven gallons (depending on your shower fixture) of water. Tonight I am glad to report I beat the clock, four minutes and done. To be competitive with myself! Smile.

Toughen Up

I believe medication is a sign of weakness and therefore never pop pills for minor aches and pains (or the more serious discomforts like wisdom teeth). I would like to totally rid my life of doctors but that will not happen until the Peace Corp releases their control of me. By taking decent to good care of my body it performs like well oiled machine. Lucky for me! Oh and my brain tells me when I am experiencing aches and pain... which then signals me I might be tired or dehydrated or somethings a tad more serious. It does not signal me to pop a pill! Pills simply hide the issue instead of handling the cause from the source. Pills also obstruct the bodys natural ability to combat disease by relaying bogus messages to the brain. Did you ever think for just one second you may be stuffing yourself with junk, rarely drinking water, missed out on this great part of life called sleep, or prehaps indulged in too much alcohol last night? Girls, sure you get cramps... but did you ever think about child bearing? Oh no, you didn't, cause there is medicine for that now too.

Stop and think for just one second about the millions of chemicals in each little pill you pop? Yes, they have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration... but they also approve of Aspartme, that messed up chemical found in all those diet pops you drink. Would you jump off a cliff if someone told you to? No, your brains says that's idiotic. And in every area of your life you listen to your brain... except when it comes to over the counter (heck, even prescription) treatment. You pop pills, cover the symptoms, add new symptoms to the list (thanks to the medication), and you repeat. You my friend, do not make sense.

For me, it's not just pills I refuse to take. It's vitamins and minerals too. Maybe if we stopped eating all the nonsense we shovel into your systems we would have room for foods that naturally give us the vitamins and minerals we need. It's hard to believe, I am not prefect. A life without meat means a life without iron. Okay, not really, but I really struggle to naturally find enough iron for my diet although I will not be defeated with an iron enriched vitamin. Last stop beets, not too bad, but I just can't eat enough of them. I need more iron. The search for natural iron continues...

So there you have it weaklings, whether you are out to lose weight, maintain your perfect health, fight off a head ache, or sleep through the night.... stop and think about that pill you are popping! May we all be freed from magic we call medication.

Signing off, Perfect Me