In keeping with today’s theme of “what the hell is wrong with people?” I offer this link to the Team Amber Alert home page about a boycott of a planned reality television show by CBS called “Recovery” that would send mercenaries to re-abduct kids who have been snatched. Thanks to Kathryn Cramer for calling attention to this insanity.
I’m telling you, it’s only a matter of time before we’re watching executions on television. Pass the popcorn, please.
File this under the heading “Reason #3947 Why I Love My Job.”
A patron brings two of her three children in to use the children’s computers. The oldest is sent off to sign up on an adult computer. Patron is on her cell phone the entire time she is dealing with me and also while helping one of the girls start her game. She’s not even attempting to moderate her voice (or even address me directly-- she simply flings the kids’ library cards at me), so I get to hear her side of the conversation. It goes something like this:
Patron on cell phone: Well, she needs to stay out of my business.
Pause while she listens for response.
Patron: People do it all the time. Robin does it, Barbara does it. She doesn’t know what she’s talking about it. There’s nothing wrong with it.
Pause.
Patron: People leave their kids alone all the time. It’s no big deal.
Pause.
Patron: I know, she told me she’d call the police. But I already did. I told them the girls’ ages and they said there is no age limit and it’s fine. I’m not doing anything wrong. I’m a good parent.
Pause.
Patron: I’ve got things to do. I can’t be home with them all the time.
(Insert gagging noise made by annoyed library assistant.)
Pause. More excuses. Pause. A couple expletives. Pause. More defense of leaving her children alone. She eventually wanders out of the children’s room to use an adult computer, still on her cell phone. That was forty minutes ago and she’s still on the phone. I can hear the occasional bit of conversation because she’s talking that loudly.
For the record, the girls’ ages are 13, 11 and 4. While I will grudgingly acknowledge that the average 13 year old could probably manage pretty well on her own-- occasionally-- I take serious issue with leaving a kid younger than that home alone. Not to mention how unfair it is to expect the older kids to watch a rambunctious 4 year old (who is currently attempting to destroy one of the puzzles). Most adults find it exhausting to chase after a 4 year old, so how can she expect a kid who has the attention span of my dog to keep track of a 4 year old’s whereabouts? Answer: she doesn’t care.
And the “everyone does it” excuse just makes me want to vomit. Sometimes bad things happen to kids who are left home alone. Her rationalizing and justifying her actions won’t be able to undo a tragedy if it happens. Then who will she blame? The police? Her kids? Someone else? Probably. Because people like this are selfish and don’t understand responsibility and accountability. It’s all well and good to leave her children home alone to do those things she needs to do (and I didn’t get the impression she was talking about work), but I guess she never considered the fact that children need their parents. Parents who don’t have a cell phone glued to their ear all the time.
Don’t have ‘em if you can’t raise ‘em.
I know I’ve been quiet. As is always the case when I go away for a few days, it takes a little while to readjust to reality. There are e-mails that need to be written and phone calls that need to be returned and, always, writing I need to do. I’m working on getting caught up. Unfortunately, pesky little details like work and doctor’s appointments and paying bills have gotten in the way of the fun stuff.
On another note, am I the only one who hasn’t yet done their taxes? I have no idea why I have procrastinated so long, especially since we’ll probably get at least a small refund. I just hate the process. It amazes me that I not only got an A in accounting, I also did so well on an H&R Block tax preparation class a few years back that they offered me a job. One season of that was quite enough for me, thanks. I’ve always believed that if I’m good at something, I should pursue it. Tax prep is the exception to the rule. I’d rather listen to George W. give a speech.
As much as I despise filling out federal tax forms, doing my Virginia state taxes as a Virginia resident married to a non-resident is a nightmare. This state hates the military, which is reflected in their tortuous (and also torturous-- and if you don’t know the difference, you should look it up) tax forms. Thankfully, I don’t have to do both federal and state in one sitting. I get a couple more weeks to procrastinate on the state taxes!
The nice thing about getting a state tax refund is that I feel fully justified in spending it entirely on myself. Now… what shall I buy in June when my little check comes in the mail?
I had a great time in DC, and Joe and I have both returned to our respective homes unscathed and no worse for wear (though we may have killed a few brain cells Saturday night...). Wish y’all could have been there with us. On second thought, no I don’t. I hate sharing a bathroom with even one person.
How did I spend my weekend, you ask? Ahh…
I had a couple nice dinners with some of Joe’s friends-- Saturday night it was at Logan Tavern (nice atmosphere, long wait, several yummy desserts we all shared and an excellent bottle of wine recommended by the fabulous waitress), Sunday night it was a French bistro, the name of which I can’t remember--I looked it up-- Bistrot du Coin (a lovely setting and a wonderful meal of ravioli in Swiss gruyere with a delicous sparkling house wine, but a snotty waitress) ; got my palm read (2004 is supposed to be lucky for me! Wooo...); saw a couple hundred hot looking guys in a bar and not a single one of them was straight; danced and drank amongst the hot (and, in some cases, bare-chested) gay guys until my body started shutting down from lack of sleep; shopped, shopped, shopped-- for walking shoes, a great new perfume, a beautiful red crystal necklace, lots o’ Lush!!-- in Pentagon City, Georgetown and elsewhere and would have shopped more if I’d had more time; I drank tons of coffee and hot chocolate because it was ridiculously cold and windy for April; saw the cherry blossoms in bloom; visited the Phillips Collection, the Hirshhorn Museum and made a brief run around the National Gallery of Art (mostly the gift shop...); spent a considerable amount of time in traffic getting to the hotel after picking Joe up from Reagan National, which was fine because it gave us a chance to catch up; rode the Metro, walked and took a cab once I turned my keys over to the valet-- which are the only ways to get around DC because driving is frustrating; spent a relaxing evening watching Kill Bill (a bizarre little flick); tried to visit the Spy Museum, but tickets had sold out; saw the White House, the Capitol and the Washington Monument-- all from a distance; hit a few bookstores and Starbucks; and, most importantly, got to spend some quality time with an old friend. Hopefully it won’t be another five years before we get to do it again.
Great weekend… but it’s nice to be home.
I need to get to bed because I’m out of here in about seven hours. My cable modem threw a temper tantrum yesterday otherwise I would have had more to say in the past couple of days. I’ll save the stories for Monday night when I get back from D.C. and (hopefully) have more than two brain cells functioning.
Anyone know if there is a patron saint for directionally challenged people? I know St. Christopher takes care of travelers, but given my knack for getting lost, I think I need a little extra help.
Catch you all later.
What’s it all about?
Life. Love. Writing. Editing. Sex. Books. Romance. Movies. Friendship. Photography. Teaching. Coffee. (Lots of coffee.) Travel. Feminism. Academia. Insomnia. Memories. Experiences. Rants. Raves. Reviews. Chocolate. Mmm… chocolate. Musings of an insomniac writer. Want to know more?
