J&K

It's a little unsettling being in this wonderful, healthy relationship that I've found myself in. I don't know if it's my maturity, spiritual growth, or finding somebody that fits with my personality. A combination of all three is probably correct (though my level of maturity may be up for debate).

I haven't talked about her, and us, a whole lot, more out of a fear for it inevitably ending and then having everyone around you watch it fail. When in the past I've wanted to "show off" who I was with, in this one I've been much more tight-lipped about it, haven't introduced her to my friends or coworkers, etc. Maybe cuz so many have failed in the past.

The approach for this one has been handled differently. A foundation of spiritual growth has really been established and we are open and communicate frequently on our relationships with God. We are going through a devotional guide together which encourages some of these conversations.

It's definitely forcing me to trust in God and his plan because there are numerous parts to it that require his help, such as transitioning from a single bachelor to husband and father of three (which is hopefully far away...). I'm definitely not in a rush to move into either of those roles. Step #1 is finding a job in NH and potentially moving there but I've been reluctant to head in that direction. The past places a healthy fear on the future, in other words.

Anyways, it's been incredible so far...

The Worst Week on Record

It's a mild exaggeration but this week has sucked. Someone in Canada, of all places, decided to make a copy of my debit card and took $192.18 out of an ATM from my account. So Tuesday morning, I get a call from Chase bank (51% shares owned by the devil) automated system to tell me they detected a suspicious transation (which they let go through anyways). I was really caught off my guard that somebody had obtained my card information AND my pin number... but it was more shocking that one of the chimpanzees sitting at a Chase computer had detected it.

NOTE: I ordered some products online, I think from newegg.com, at one point and Chase BLOCKED the transaction and I had to call and verify it. So far, two questionable transactons. They blocked the legitimate one, conducted by me, but allowed the fake one to go through, not conducted by me. Awesome, Chase, awesome.

So I asked the lady, in the nicest possible way and by nicest I mean I was getting pretty irritated and upset, how it was possible that I was using my debit card in Indiana (in the United States) while at the same time that same debit card was being used to withdraw money from an ATM (in another freaking country!). She, of course, had no idea and referred me to claims and said that I would have to be mailed a dispute letter to sign before I could get my money back. When I mentioned that I might need the money that day, she said that would not be possible. Good thing I didn't have any bills due or something important, like my rent. So she transfers me to claims and I was on hold for 20min before I gave up and called the fraud line back (whatever # showed up on my caller ID).

The next lady I get offers up the same copy-and-paste answers and is no help and in the middle of me talking, transfers me over to the claims line (after I told her I was on hold with them for too long and that's why I was calling the fraud number back).

The third lady I spoke with was much nicer and put up with my delightful attitude and explained that once the transaction posted, then I could call and get it taken care of quickly either that evening or in the morning. She also said when Chase found out how they got my information and pin number (which not even my parents know), they would let me know.

The next day when I spoke with the claims department, they immediately credited the money to my account without mailing or faxing a dispute paper for me to sign. But then they asked ME how somebody got my information and then told me I had to go to the police who would subpoena the ATM footage and work with Canadian police.

Needless to say, depending on which employee you talk to, they will each tell you something completely different than the next employee.

This all coming from a company that once charged my bank account (without telling me, of course) for another account which was in the negatives and I had attempted to take care of 5, yes FIVE, months earlier but a Chase employee told me the balance had been taken care of. Oh, and on top of it, after Chase charged my account without telling me, the amount put me in the negatives and they tried charging me $128 for insufficient funds fees. Then, nobody apologized at all and made up excuses like 1. that would never happen (from a Chase manager), 2. a letter probably was sent out but you didn't receive it yet (I never received a letter letting me know they were withdrawing money from my account and then when it put me in the negatives, were going to charge me more money for something that was their fault), 3. you suck and we hate you because you are a stupid customer and you don't make a lot of money, thus meaning Chase doesn't make a lot of money from interest.

Also see http://kiwimoncur.blogspot.com/2009/10/oh-dont-worry-its-just-money-your.html

The World Revolves Around Me

I don't really blog anymore. Mostly because my life is just too awesome to put into words on the internet. And I can't help it if the world revolves around me. I fought it for years but then the results came back and I tested positively for being the center of the universe.

A 2 year old recently told me I was too big to roll the ball too as I sat across from her. I told her comments about my weight were unnecessary and rude and she needed to do some serious thinking about the direction her life was taking.

My credit card balance is zero. This was not due to payments that I was making but because I ran into Captiol One's CEO and the power of my charisma forced him to delete all money that I owed on my credit card. My card also changed from platinum to Center of the Universe status in my wallet later that night.

I haven't had alcohol in many months. That is because the only thing that can get me drunk is Mountain Dew.

I no longer have to go to the bathroom as my body is "Green". It uses alternative fuels and produces no waste.

Every song by The Sword was written about my accomplishments and yes... I did slay the spider priest.

Focus

Man, I absolutely CANNOT focus at work today... at all. Must be my new addiction. I need Fallout 3 rehab. Bethseda is taking up way too many hours of my life that I should be spending doing productive activities like... playing other video games.

It might be time for some sort of change. I can't focus at work. I feel stifled, smothered, as if life is choking... well, the life out of me. My creativity and overactive imagination can't wrap itself around contact notes and monthly reports and treatment plans and medication and therapy issues and transport schedules. I don't really want to do anything at all anymore. Sitting at home is my favorite pasttime.

Part of it is due to my area in life. Not in a singles group, not quite in a newly married group, changing up some of my friendships. Though there are still people that mean a lot to me, I feel forced to limit my time with them. Perhaps it's a part of me "growing up" in a sense while this other part of me is fighting it all the way. That sounds much more complicated than what is actually happening, haha... It would definitely be nice to find a niche that I fit but as of right now, that's not occuring. I'm not aggresively looking for one because I'm not quite sure it actually exists.

Life is pretty good. I new career choice would be fantastic. Working with kids is great but that amounts to such a small percentage of what I actually do. Everything else about the job is just... draining. But I won't leave this job unless some incredible offer comes along and I have yet to encounter an incredible offer in my short 30 years.

Kelly visited last week and met the parents and we just hung out and had a great time. I really wished I lived closer though so that I could build relationships with the 3 kids. But I'm sure that will be at a later date. I'm going to drive there again at the beginning of September when I hit my 2 year mark and get all my new PTO days.

I've also given some serious thought to this relationship. If, for some reason, it ends then I'm probably going to opt for some extended hiatus. I'm not planning on it ending but I've been there before. Things are actually going great and eharmony works. Maybe I'll be doing a commercial someday. As of right now, I need to update the resume and start looking for work in NH. Not really in a rush though since I want to make sure we put some more time into getting to know each other and developing an awesome relationship. Man, time flies though. We met at the end of April and it's almost September already. I feel like I just turned 30 and I'll be 31 in no time.

Live Free or Die...

2 Years...

I've been at my job for almost 2 years now. September 4th will be the date... I'm only counting cuz I get more PTO days which is really the important. Since our society places such little importance on taking care of children, we don't get paid a lot. Not really White's fault, more of the government's fault but hey, who needs money? I live well below my means so I can go out and buy stuff when I want and my demands are pretty small. Some people have extremely expensive hobbies - I play video games. And now that I have Netflix, my DVD purchases have greatly decreased.

There hasn't been much reason to blog lately. It's seems like when life is really good, it's seems pointless to write about it. And I think I've changed a little on how I want people to view my life. I guess I do a lot more in my life now for me, not considering as much how people will receive it.

Kelly and I have been together for about a month and we talked nonstop for two months before we even met. I pestered her with a LOT of questions before we even met, haha. But the trip there was great. Her kids are awesome. I'm a little uncomfortable around Anna, her 9 year old girl, maybe cuz I never really had a sister or any other family members who were female other than my mom. Not sure how to really connect with her. Aiden is 7 and loves playing wii and the Lego games so I easily know how to connect with him. Then there is Ava, the firecracker of a 3 year old. She said some hilarious things while I was there.

Dinner was over one night and I said I had to go the bathroom, to Kelly, who was holding Ava. Ava perks up and yells out so that everybody in the house could hear "Do you have to pee or poop!?" At that age, it's more of a time question than anything else. They want to know when you'll be back.

Then we were eating breakfast one morning, just sitting there, quiet, and out of nowhere Ava looks up at me with a questioning look and says "Are we gonna party or what?"

At one point, she picked up my phone and loudly asked "Why is my mom on your phone?"

Then Kelly and I are relaxing on the couch and she has her legs propped up on mine and I'm rubbing her ankle. Ava charges into the room and suddenly stops and with wide eyes in shocks says "Why are you touching my mom's legs? Are you keeping her warm?"

When we dropped the kids off to spend several days with her ex-husband, Aiden was excited and eager to have me meet his dad. Being 7, he didn't quite catch onto the social ramifications of my presence there and all that it involved, lol. Kelly had talked to them about her dating again so they had some idea of what was going, as young as they are.

Anyways, she'll be here in a couple weeks and then I'll be there in December. Might have to start looking for work there at some point.

Live Free or Die

The NH trip was a fantastic. Kelly is really awesome and we clicked immediately. We'll see what happens... :D

Garbage?

It's sad when the highlight of your week is sneakily getting rid of your garbage in a commercial dumpster, something akin to how Dexter dumps bodies in the ocean. Oh, and beating a video game. I think I prefer life that way though. The past two weekends I have done nothing, really. Sat around, barely left my house, fun times. I had preservice on both Friday nights for our new foster parents. This past Saturday I went and saw TS and got to hold my friend's 3 week old daughter!

I've been talking to a girl for almost two months who lives in NH. I met her on eharmony which was sort of random considering I was very anti-meet-anyone-on-the-internet after the Mexico debacle several years back. I only got on there cuz Matt insisted I check it out. But we clicked and I'm heading out there in less than two weeks. I really haven't been saying much to people since my track record of failed relationship is currently running at 100%. She looks really young, like me, but is 5 months older. She is divorced with three kids, has an awesome personality and is beautiful. I'm driving 1000 miles to meet her so that says it right there.

The kids part doesn't bother me really; it's the ex-husband part that causes me worry. Whatever, God's got it under control. I done my best to get to know her. We've asked each other a million questions. I pretty much put her through a rigorous interview process, haha. Maybe I should focus on how far I've come from the person I used to be instead of all my current flaws.

I've actually reached point where I can go back and read something I've written and be impressed. Not that I'm going to get an ego but... one more step to a dream! I've been putting more time into it but it still needs more. I need a sabbatical.

Ok, peace out...

My Struggle

must be some mistake
'cause i'm not worth the price you paid
with every passing hour
i convince myself that you saw something in me
but i can hear them still
as the whispers laced with hatred fill the room
guess i'm wasting my time
how could you love a man like me

lord i need your strength
'cause i am weak and falling to my knees
who is on my side
'cause i can't tell my friends from enemies
filling up with pain
bitterness controls the air i breathe
what am i fighting for
do you have a plan for me

must be some mistake
'cause i'm not worth the price you paid
with every passing hour
i convince myself that you saw something in me
but i can hear them still
as the whispers laced with hatred fill the room
guess i'm wasting my time
how could you love a man like me

must be some mistake
'cause i'm not worth the price you paid

Countdown

3 weeks, 4 days... hmmmm...

will history repeat itself or will there be a surprising change?

There is no God

The reaction of an aethiest when they die and find themselves in hell has to be priceless. In our stupidity, we think we know more than an all-knowing God... so smart, in fact, that we can proclaim that he does not exist.

I can't read books written by aethiets. I opened one up at Barnes & Noble yesterday. A couple sentences and I start getting mad...

Eastward Bound

I am going to New England at the end of June, for the 4th of July. I think I'm going to throw a Boston Tea Party!

On that note, did you know that are lame government taxes canceled debts? The whole reason debts get canceled (aka settling on credit cards) is cuz you don't freaking have the money to pay it off to begin with. So what does our delightful "Democracy" do? Tax it. That's right.

I love the fact that our government was founded on the fact that people wanted out from under the horrible British rule. A big reason for that? Taxes. Now, we get taxed on everything. They are even talking about raising taxes on cigarettes and alcohol, probably gas, and even adding one onto sugary drinks. Next thing you know, they'll measure your lung capacity and tax you for the air you breath. I probably won't be alive but at some point, if Christ has not returned, our government will be overthrown by a public who is so sick of being screwed over. Democrats, Republicans, it doesn't matter. All wealthy, all liars, and all have the budgeting sense of a 13 year old. If somebody continued to get in debt, would you give them money to help them out? Would you loan money to somebody who would just throw it away? If our government continues to get in more and more debt and can't manage the budget of our nation, why should we continue to give them money?

If it wasn't for the verse that says give to Ceaser's, what is Ceaser's... I wouldn't pay it. $200 wasted cuz the government is greedier than a tax collector...

Level Up!

Is it wrong to get suspicious when something good happens? Haha!

I really don't have much to write about at all. Not yet... maybe later. Been trying to write BUT geez, it takes a long time. I gotta stop trying to edit everything and just write, write, write. It has really helped not working on the weekends. I went from not having enough time to having extra time. And I cut out D&D and haven't been going to Lifeline. I just don't want to go anymore... so I'm just relaxing until God shows me what to do. Maybe I'll try the men's Bible study on Wed nights. Don't know.

On that note... I need to plan a trip to the East Coast. And I think I can easily pull it off... sometime this summer if everything goes well... high fives!

Bridget Jones's Diary

Is it sad that I really enjoyed this movie? And that I had a lot in common with it, haha! Geez, I need a new mancard cuz I think someone stole mine. Dangit... And Gaius Baltar is a gay guy!? What the heck!? The Gaius Baltar! The part where she's running down the street in her underwear... hilarious! I might have to buy that one.

And Moaning Mertle from Harry Potter was in it too, LMAO!

The whole optimistic ending kind of gets old after the same endingto so many movies. Even though it wasn't that great of a movie, I did enjoy the ending of Atonement much better. We need a good ol' pessimistic ending once and awhile.

Btw, the "wonderful" website noaa.gov gives horrible predictions of the weather. It said sunny all day in Demotte with maybe some "scattered sprinkles" BEFORE 1pm. I guess maybe what I failed to look at was what it would be like in Valpo. I left my parents around 3pm and it was raining all the way up until a few miles south of Demotte. I got soaked! On a motorcycle, the rain tends to gather in the crotch and buttcrack areas. Not fun times, haha!

I've been writing again. Actually doing my best to put some time into it. It can be tough. It's so hard to mold sentences together... anyways, it's tough but worth a try, I guess, right...

I don't know if you noticed...

...but I'm kind of a big deal.

Zoom

I haven't driven my car since Thursday... ahhhhhh-sum!

I'm Sorry...

...but I can't hear you over the sound of how awesome I am...

You Need a Reproduction License

I just want to say that people who abandon their kids really have a special punishment awaiting them. Man or woman, if you give up on your kids in some way, you seriously suck. What gives somebody the right to have that responsibility and not care at all? Well, in our society, that is your automatic right.

In order to drive a car, you need to obtain a permit, get some practice in, and then you can get a license. To legally drive, you must have a license. But guess what! To become a parent, all you need to do is... have sex. You can go out right now and either get pregnant, or impregnate someone, with no special certificate, license, diploma, permit, card, or degree. You can be the biggest jackass in the world and become a mother or father.

People might argue that they government would be taking a person's right away. If I don't have the right to drive a car without a license, why does somebody have the right to become a parent (and allegedly take care of that child for 18 years) without a license? There are many, many people who should not be reproducing.

From the jerk who gets a girl pregnant and then wants nothing to do with her or the child to the drug addict who pimps out their toddler for sex so they can get drug money to the girl who gets pregnant just to keep her loser boyfriend around to the dad who is too busy at work to spend time with his son to the mother who is too busy drinking to take her daughter to the mall. I could keep going and going.

Call me a communist but the more I work in this industry, the more I'm in favor of some sort of screening process for people to become parents. That probably is a step in the direction of a THX 1138 or Equilibrium type of controlled society but... I don't know. All I had to take was a 24 question quiz to get a motorcycle permit. Then there is a an actual riding test to get a license. Same goes for a car.

You can kill somebody in either vehicle. And you can kill somebody as a parent. Or completely screw them up for the rest of their lives... but yet anybody can do it.

PS: It's always the people who shouldn't be reproducing that have the most kids...

A Toast to My Former Self

I rode the bike to work on Friday and rode it up to Liberty on Sunday. Fun times. Now we have some stupid thunderstorms today and it's in the 70s. What a waste! My jacket came in. It's mesh and leather and has pads everywhere. It's actually pretty heavy. I like all the horror stories about bike accidents people deem necessary to impart now that they know I have one.

The bike will be paid off this week. Once state taxes and my next reimbursement check come in, that'll take a HUGE chunk out of the credit card and all the crap I had to pay for. Insurance, registration, jacket, gloves, helmet. Sometimes we forget about all the peripherals...

I've decided that my goal is to become completely content where I'm at in life. I'm not going to think about moving to CA or look for work out there. I'm not going to be a part of a "single's" group. I'm still going to go to the Schiller's Bible study as I definitely need the fellowship. Plus, there are no females that go that I would think about dating. I feel that I often have ulterior motives if I go to Lifeline, or the couple times I went to Transit. I just don't want to be like that. Plus, being the stubborn person as I am, I'm going to take whatever steps to make it seem impossible for something like that to happen. That's what my mom did. And I'm partly doing it because I am just trying not to care.

I've also lost some of my focus on God. It seems the world is a big distraction. Friends go out for drinks or what not. I need to make sure that Christ is my #1 focus and everything else is secondary. I haven't been doing a good job of this but I know how important it is. Not that I've traveled very far off the path. Life just distracts me sometimes from what is really important and what I need to focus on.

Phillipians 3:7-8

55mph is Amazing

I road to work today. Took backroads most of the way. 55mph is way different on a bike. It's... scrumtrulescent. I'm addicted.

'93 Honda Nighthawk 750cc

It's now parked in my garage, insured and registered... high fives! I'll probably put up some pics soon. Oh, and I'm off all weekend.

Suuuweeeeet!

Nothing to do with Drugs

I dropped $350 on riding gear this weekend... since I'm a noob on a bike and safety is important. $89.99 helmet, $45.00 gloves, $179.99 leather jacket, not being able to pick the bike up cuz the battery is dead - priceless. He's getting me a new battery. And I think I'm going to try and pick it up so after spending about 8 minutes on a motorcycle 9 years ago and 15 minutes on a dirtbike last fall, I am going to ride it from Valpo to Demotte. I've plotted out a straight path through back, country roads (full of potholes, of course) with minimal traffic. I have to cross route 30, highway 49, and route 8 and I'll end up in Demotte.

I'm thinking that a kind request to have him bring it down to good ol' Jasper county would be smarter. But I really want to get it soooo...

My grandma passed away Sunday morning. She was 97 and it was coming for awhile. She really couldn't get a whole lot older than she was. She was cognisant and lived on her own until she was about 95. I was sad but my brother and I got to go out to Florida 5 or 6 years ago and spend a week with her since she was getting older. I'm more sad for my dad's loss though. But she is with the Lord now.

I Lead a Thrilling Life

The highlight of my week was getting my Expert Combat Sniper and Expert Specialist Sniper badges in Battlefield 2. 100 hours put into the sniper kit... 35 kills IAR for the Expert Combat and 38 kills IAR for the Expert Specialist.

Oh, and I ate Chipotle today...

I know. I know. My life is so exciting, I'm sure everyone reading this wishes they were me...

Pessimism

I have been waiting for a bike since last summer, for about 8 to 9 months now. On the week that I'm getting it, it's rainy, freezing cold, and overcast... and people wonder why I'm a pessimist.

Redo

I would do it all over again... call me crazy...

Yadda yadda yadda

4 days until I pick up my bike...

In other news, due to the lovely tax credit from the government, we all got a nice raise. I make about $36 more per month after taxes. Which is slightly more than the increase in my insurance when I insure the motorcycle. Awesome...

Last night, I took on 3 other people in COD4 on the 360... and mopped the floor with them. Me on 1 team, 3 guys on another team. If video game skills could earn you money, it would be a career for me.

I bought another copy of The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan since I gave my old copy to Alissa. I hope you at least tried to read that book... ;) What an amazing writer. Just the first two sentences stun me with the way he crafts words together to form this perfect mental picture. His books allow me to visualize better than most movies do...

Oh, did I mention. 4 days until I pick up my bike... :P

Parking...

If you thought something bad when you read that title, then... you have the same type of mind that I do. :D

Anyways... we have very narrow parking spaces down here in Renseltucky and people aren't very good at squeezing their aircraft carrier size SUVs into the spots. They stick out into the middle of the street and block everyone's view who is pulling out of their spots there. Now, this is not paralell parking, just slightly angled so it's even easier than pulling straight in, say at Wal-mart. Our office building has several other offices in it. This younger girl, who's face is painted on with a roller, drives this little, red matrix (she doesn't even drive one of the battlecruisers that some of the other people drive!). The other day I pull up and into a spot and she is parked over the line. Well, with my car sitting in the middle of my spot, I'm pretty close to her car so there is barely enough room for her to get in. Being the delightful person that I am, I decide that I'm not adjusting my car and making it so I have barely enough room to get out of my door so she can easily get into her car. She was the one who was parked on the line anyways. Let her squeeze her fat butt into the spot.

I'm in the office all day and I see that her car had left for lunch. After a bit, she comes back and there is an empty spot next to my car so she takes it. (Now, keep it mind, she was the one who parked horribly at the beginning of the day - I parked my car pretty much in the middle of the spot and she still barely had enough room to get into her car). Anyways, she pulls in and backs out several times, each time making sure she is getting closer to my car. This girl purposefully parks extremely close to my car, this time parking over the line, haha!

The truck next to her left and I thought how devious it would be to go move my car to the other side of her but park so close, her door wouldn't be able to open. I decided that it would be better to let it all go and not get into some parking drama war with a tubby, chain-smoking girl who's self-esteem was so low she has to wear a mask each morning. I wonder if she has to use a chisel and hammer washcloth to get that off at night?

Anyways... what I did was just wait until she left for the day before I went out to my car and left, thus defeating the whole point of her purposefully parking so close to my car. If she parks bad again, I'm going to find a flyer (or even make one) with directions to a driving school somewhere nearby... perhaps putting an emphasis on getting a certificate specializing in parking.

Ok, I probably would never do that but the idea amuses me... seriously, though. Someone needs to stand out there with two big, glowing orange sticks in their hand each morning, directing her into the spot. I wonder if she has ever hit anyone pulling into an oil change or car wash? I wouldn't be surprised.

6 days until I pick up my bike... woot!

Summer Time is Here

I borrowed a couple hundred from my roomate so I am getting my motorcycle next week! To say I'm a little excited would be a gross understatement. I gotta get plates for it, get insurance set up, and find a helmet that fits but... other than that, I'm good to go! Hope we get hit with some decent, warmer weather in the coming weeks so I can get some good riding in. I put my two weeks notice in at the phone job. I really don't need it and can't stand it. I also realized that once I'm not paying on my bike or the few hundred on my credit card, that will free up a LOT more money per month. Several hundred actually which is about what I make at the 2nd job...

I can't wait to have my weekends free... then I have no excuse to write... :P

The gym is really calling my name. I think I weigh more now than I ever have before. Blegh... but whatever. I need to cut out the pop and the fast food. That phrase keeps popping up and I know what I need to do but I don't for some reason. It's hard but I need to get off my butt and motivate myself to go exercise. And I have a wii so I have no excuse. Shoot, do the boxing for a couple minutes and that'll make ya sweat.

Although CA is still very attractive, if I'm not happy and content here, I won't be happy and content anywhere. I'm really focusing on accepting life the way it is. I think it's been helpful that my former boss was moved to another position. My focus is just shifting, I guess. I've thought of moving back to Valpo but really not sure. I think I might stay in Demotte but move soon and try and find a newer, nicer place to live. I might get licensed to foster in the next year or so. As long as I have a roomate who can pass the background checks, which I do, then I can contact an agency (other than White's, where I work, of course) and get licensed. Kind of scary but I think it would be a great challenge. One of the hardest but most enjoyable parts of my job is learning how to parent kids, especially the difficult ones. Some of the stuff would blow your mind.

Foster Parents

Nothing tugs at the heart strings quite like a little girl screaming for her mother... as you drive in the opposite direction. All while knowing the pain of that separation is better than the ramifications of allowing immediate reunification... or no removal to begin with.

There still seems to be this stigma in our culture about foster care, as if the foster parents are to blame for the problems in our society... while all along, the birth parents should be the targets. Now, let's assume that it's a given that there will always be people who don't belong where they are... whether it's foster parents in it for the money, judgmental people at your church, or the party animal who works for a Christian organization. There are people who sneak through the cracks, who are in it for the control, for the money, to "save" all the children out there. These people get weeded out. But for every bad seed, there are far more who are in it because they genuinely care about children.

Can these same people argue against the foster care system when a 2 year old comes in says fuck repeatedly, a 5 year old who has killed another human being, or a 4 year old with an STD? There are some who will still argue that these children should belong in their birth home... so that they can be beaten and locked in closets, told they are worthless and stupid and pieces of shit, denied food? And don't even get me started on the sexual abuse...

On top of this, there is very little money for adoption out there these days. Some children aren't getting any money. Children that will need years and years of therapy and counseling, perhaps even stays in residential care due to their extreme issues... and yet we support a war and spend billions on another countries problems while we have an endless supply of our own!?

When you raise children of your own, you have the opportunity to lay the foundation and then build on that. Yet when you foster, you take children into your home who have cracked and broken foundations... and then attempt to repair it.

The next time you encounter foster parents, just remember some of this...

Ross's Leather Pants

I was on my way to court yesterday for one of the kids on my caseload. Having the bad memory that I do, I almost always forget one thing on my way out the door. Forget to brush my teeth, forget my belt, forget my iPod. This particular day I forgot to put gel in my hair. Well, I can't stand just letting my hair sit there. I guess I feel more presentable and professional if my hair looks nice (since I don't just buzz it these days). I'm half an hour early for court so I stop by a Walgreens and finally pick out some super thick hold gel.

I know it will be really sticky but I have toilet paper in my car that I keep for emergency purposes. Spills, runny noses, emergency cleanups. I would keep paper towels but toilet paper is small and easier to hide under my seat. I get in my car and spread some gel on my hands. This stuff is super sticky and I get some on my face. So, I put in my hair, work some magic in the mirror, and then grab some of the toilet paper. The toilet paper doesn't work as I rub and rub, I just end up getting all this little pieces of paper all over my hands. I had to rub my hands together for several minutes to make them unsticky enough to put them on my steering wheel and stick shift.

It wasn't nearly as bad as Ross in the leather pants... but pretty close. I made it to the courthouse and washed my hands before I had to shake anyways hands. It was a pretty funny incident...

Meh

I love that word. Meh. I can't wait to leave this place and go to heaven. No worries, no sickness, no jobs, no drama, no negativity, no failed dreams, no false hopes, no broken relationships, no hurt children...

Maybe when you don't have any good reasons to stay here... I probably gotta put up with another 50 or so years or this crummy place until I get to enjoy eternity.

San Diego, CA

I want to move to California... if I find a job, I'm gone... I'm sick of winters, I'm sick of potholes and crappy roads, I can count my friends on one hand (that I hang out with on a semi-regular basis), I'm not going to meet a girl her and I don't want to meet a girl here, the job market is aweful here... I think I've just lived in Indiana for 21 years and it's time to move somewhere else.

And I want a new job by the end of the summer anyways. Mine isn't horrible but I am stuck unless I get a Masters... I still have zero desire to really return to school. So, we'll see. I don't know why but that's the only thing that has really gotten me excited since August is the thought of moving out there. I've never wanted to move anywhere before, I've been perfectly content here until I went out there for my brother's wedding.

So, we'll see. If God wants it to happen, it'll happen. I would have to make a certain amount but I already have several opportunities for places to rent (which is really weird) soooo...

Bosses, aka The Black Plague

Bosses are like the Black Plague... they lay waste to everything in their path, there is absolutely nothing good about them, they do nothing positive for society, and the world would be a much better place without them.

Rich

If I had a penny for every time I encountered a bad driver, I would be the wealthiest man alive in weeks...

Workin' in the USA

Joe Smith started the day early having set his alarm clock (MADE IN JAPAN) for 6am. While his coffeepot (MADE IN CHINA) was perking, he shaved with his electric razor (MADE IN HONG KONG). He put on a dress shirt (MADE IN SRI LANKA), designer jeans (MADE IN SINGAPORE) and tennis shoes (MADE IN KOREA). After cooking his breakfast in his new electric skillet (MADE IN INDIA), he sat down with his calculator (MADE IN MEXICO) to see how much he could spend today. After setting his watch (MADE IN TAIWAN) to the radio (MADE IN INDIA), he got in his car (MADE IN GERMANY), filled it with gas (FROM SAUDI ARABIA), and continued his search for a good paying job..

At the end of yet another discouraging and fruitless day checking his computer (MADE IN MALAYSIA), Joe decided to relax for a while. He put on his sandals (MADE IN BRAZIL), poured himself a glass of wine (MADE IN FRANCE), turned on his TV
(MADE IN INDONESIA), and then wondered why he can't find a good paying job in the USA.