A while back, I commented on how they spent actual time and money researching the warm fuzzy feeling you get when you hold a hot cuppa something.

Another one has appeared:  Parental rejection can cause gay kids to have higher suicide rates and engage in risky behavior.  Duh.

Or as Djin said, what about straight kids?  Yeah, probably the same result.

Again, I don’t understand why we need to do research on this stuff.  We already knew this, didn’t we?  Do we really need to spend time and money on stuff that should be a great big “DUH”?

I guess in a way it’s good, because now we can force these parents who are in such huge denial that it really is the wrong way to do things.   It just kind of pisses me off that it takes this to get so many people to do what should be their first instinct as a parent.

That’s the sound I’ve been making for almost a week now, puncuated by the occasional cough.  Yay, Bob!  Thanks for bringing me this great Christmas Gift!

Stupid Bob, wanting to work and be able to pay bills and stuff.

What Christmas Means To Me:

Not much.

When I was about 13 or so, I spent a Christmas with my dad.  Actual Christmas, not the week before or after, like usual.  A couple days before the big day, he comes up to the room I was in playing on his computer (yeah, they had ‘em back then, even if it did use a casette tape to play games), and he said to me, “Do you know what Christmas is all about?”

Duh.  No, dad.  I have no idea.  My horrible mother, who you felt comfortable leaving me with for the last 10 years of my life, has raised me in a cave with a pack of Druids with no contact with the outside world.  I have NO idea about that Jesus guy or any other Christian concept, no.  Nope – they haven’t been shoved down my throat on a regular basis since the day I was born.  Make that the day before – they were praying for me, it’s why I lived, dontcha know.

Ugh.  It is a pattern that has held for all of these years, my dad not really knowing a damn thing about me, but thinking he does.  I imagine that we all do that, and it’s probaby easier to do with your kids than anyone else, but it’s like…c’mon.  I don’t know.

What Christmas Means To Me:

Showing people who matter, that they matter.  And that you were paying attention when they went through the past year’s existance.  I got my kid the first season of Bleach on DVD. It’s something we both like, and it’ll be fun watching it with her.  Got my roommate something, but to be honest (and I know he reads these sometimes, so sorry in advance), I had something else totally picked out and then took it back because I decided it wasn’t the right thing and it would be better to let him pick it out himself but that defeats the whole purpose of a gift…um, anyway he ended up with something sorta lame, but I made up for it with good music burned on a Hannah Montana cdr.

I got my mom a cat door.  A magnetic cat door – the cat has to wear a special collar to go through it.  It’ll keep out the neighbor cats and the raccoons.  Spent more on that than anything else…but how could I not?  She’s my mom.

Got my sister’s family Farmopoly.  Got my brother’s kid John Deere boots.  I made candy for anyone else that mattered, and a few people who really didn’t but hey…tis the season.

Wow, how’s that for boring personal stuff?

My point is, Christmas isn’t really about Jesus. Sorry dad, I know I told you that I knew that whole story, and I do, but I really don’t think it applies so much to me and my life.  It’s a nice story, it really is.  But what I know is, it’s the middle of winter, we’re cold and half of us are sick and the sun isn’t shining down it’s vitamin D and making us happy.  So we have to do it ourselves – make each other happy if we can.  Warm each other up.  Make each other sick.  Oh, scratch that last one…

Cold Bleach

One time, a long time ago, my mom told me, “Lonely isn’t the same thing as love”.  I hate to admit it, but she was right.  It took me a long time to figure it out, but she was right.  And then I learned something else – alone doesn’t have to mean lonely.

So I’m thinking about this today because my mom is about to be alone, for maybe the first time in her life.

I have a brother, he’s 16 and several handfuls.  ADHD, bipolar disorder, dose of fetal alcohol syndrome.  He is biologically my cousin’s son, but my mom has been his mother since he was 2.  In more bitter moments, I wonder if his “condition” is related to how she raised her kids.  She was always a drinker, she was married to abusive men, we weren’t really raised in a healthy way.   So maybe all of her sins were visited upon her son…but what do I know, huh?

Anyway.  After years of trying, he’s finally got a spot at a residential place up in Portland.   It’s probably the best thing for him – and for her.  He’s damaged everything she has, she has to lock her valuables in her car to keep them from him.  He defacates wherever – on the floor, smears it on the walls, doorknobs, lightswitches…comes home with expensive items that he got from “friends”.  A month or so ago, he admitted to having touched some neighbor boys inapropriately.

And this isn’t new – it’s been escalating for years.  Mom’s been trying to get him help for years.  She was terrified that it was going to take him commiting a felony before anything was done.  So this is a good thing.  It’s what we’ve been hoping for.

But it leaves her alone.  She went from parents and sisters to husband and kids to kids and husband to kids…now she’s closing in on 60 and will be alone for the first time in her life.  She lives only about 100 miles from me, but she is arthritic and works all the time, and me without a car makes it hard to visit her.

I don’t know how she’s going to do it.  I’d like to think that she’ll find that she likes it, and does great.  But I worry that she won’t.  She’s gotten her drinking under control, but what now?

Cross your fingers for her, please.

Brrrrrrr.

Yep, I’d say it’s cold.

I lived in Arizona for a couple years.  Would never do it again.  Yes, it’s a bit nippy outside here…but you know, I like balance.  When the 112+ degree summer weather is balanced by 78 degrees in winter…I just can’t figure it.  When 100 degrees is balanced by 16…somehow that makes more sense.

I made candy this weekend, first time in a long time I’ve bothered.  I’ll take some to work, send some to friends.  The rest…well screw ya’all, we’re keeping it.  You can make your own.

Here’s what I made:

Buckeyes (Peanut Butter and Chocolate Candies)

45 min | 45 min prep

80 Buckeyes
1 (18 ounce) jar creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup butter or margarine (softened)
1 lb confectioners’ sugar (about 3.5 cups)
1 tablespoon vanilla
12 ounces chocolate chips (milk or semi-sweet)
3-4 ounces paraffin wax (I use 1/4 of a standard block)
Cream peanut butter and butter.
Add sugar and vanilla and mix well.
Form into 1 inch balls and refrigerate.
Melt chocolate chips with parafin wax in a double boiler.
Dip balls into chocolate with a toothpick about 3/4 of the way covered.
Place chocolate side down on waxed paper.
Let set at room temperature or refrigerate.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Frango Mints Recipe

20 min | 20 min prep

30 pieces
1 (12 ounce) package milk chocolate chips or semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 lb butter (not margarine)
1 1/8 cups powdered sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons imitation vanilla
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract or rum extract
Melt the chololate over hot water, then cool.
Cream butter.
Add powdered sugar.
Mix.
Add eggs; beat well.
Add cooled chocolate, vanilla and flavoring.
Mix well and drip on waxed paper.
Place in fridge for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
Store in cool, dry place.
++++++++++++++++++++++

Enjoy.

Thought I’d fill you in on what I’ve done lately in SL.

First, I don’t know if I’ve mentioned but I’m a member of a group on SL that is working towards getting rid of the microplots that are used for ugly ads and extortion.  The group was instrumental in pushing for the new rules to come about, and now that there are positive changes occuring, they are shifting tone a bit towards  fixing what is there.

One of the things they have done is to form a special project group that will be wandering through all the plots of land that the group owns that are too small to be really useful, but big enough to support multi-pim builds, and making them perty.

I’m fortunate to be part of that group.  So far my contribution has been to make a sign to place on the site that will give an informational notecard:

So, when you see this in SL, you will know that a group of concerned citizens have been there, and tried to make it a better place.

Next:  I’ve been working on setting up a meeting space in my Rat Run location.  Not as easy as it sounds, I’m about to go for dirty laminate and folding chairs.  I haven’t been happy with anything so far.  First meeting there is on this coming Sunday, so I am running out of time.  I made a nice table, decided not to use it.  Made a huge corner fireplace, decided not to use it.  Made a nice bench, decided not to use it.  So far the only thing I’ve made specifically for that room that I’ve kept are the wall textures.

I did complete my reorganization of the gallery, so now it holds work from both Flossy Gomez and Vicious Kind:

And since it is the season for freezin, I have made a few winter-themed items as well as changed my look to reflect the season a bit:

I guess that’s all for now…