Riding the Roller Coaster

I am constantly amazed at how much life is like a roller coaster. You have the highs, the lows, the parts that scare you to death, the parts where you scream at the top of your lungs, and the part where you finally get to get off the ride and find a more level path to follow. I still don't seem to have found that more level path, or should I say the people I associate with, my family, my co-workers, my friends keep throwing me back on that ride--I think they think I enjoy it. Honestly, folks, I hate roller coasters-I love the level path, and one day, dang you guys, I'm gonna get there, if I have to take all of you with me kicking and screaming. I would like to think that I can have more than 2 days in a row of relative peace, quiet, and everybody on an even keel.

So the latest person to throw me back on the ride has been my second son. He has been living in Albuquerque, and for the most part doing a damn good job of being independent. He moved back to New Mexico about 16 months ago. I had given him my old Suzuki Sidekick (the cheapest 4WD you can get) when he moved. He sold the car , and flew home for a visit and hoping to find a used car in Atlanta to drive back with. Well, let's just say, people have some pretty crappy junk cars that they think are worth their weight in gold. It was pretty depressing, and since I had offered him my car, my cute little Suzuki wagon,(see picture in previous post), I felt compelled to go ahead and give it to him. Well, we had a little different on the agreed upon price, but we had come to an understanding(I understood that if we wanted the rest of his vacation to be peaceful, I needed to give a little, and so did he). So, we had come to a middle ground, and he was spending the day trying to get a stereo system installed in the car for the ride home. Well, in the midst of that, he got his debit card and cash that he had brought from New Mexico stolen. By the time we got the bank to cancel the card, they had run off with over 600 dollars in cash and 700 dollars in the account. I'm sorry, but I absolutely hate the fact that we can't trust anyone anymore. I hate the fact that people prey on others and take advantage of them. Fuck them all.(excuse my language) It is one of those times that if I could find the crooks, I honestly think that I could inflict bodily harm on them. How dare they hurt my son. He is one of those kids that have had enough tough knocks to take out an elephant. Why him? Why now when we were just getting to place of mutual understanding. I know life isn't fair, but it does seem that some folks get more than their share, and I'm tired of it. So, I can tell you, if you fit the description, you better keep your distance, a mother mad is a force to reckon with.

And, to top it off, my poor husband, having to work outside during this heat spell, with a heat index of 110, fell down a hill, hurt his back, ripped his pants, and will have to go back out there again tomorrow.

I sure hope tomorrow is a better day. I don't want to ride tomorrow.

And you wonder why this blog is called "Stranded in Atlanta"

Nancy

The Center of the Universe

When I lived on Hopi, I was told that the Hopi Reservation was the Center of the Universe. The story was that the Four Corners Area of the Southwest and the Himalayan Mountains have more land based lightening that anywhere else in the world, therefore setting up the flow of negative ions. The whole negative ion thing is pretty interesting. You find negative ions at the beach, the mountains, around waterfalls, and when lightening strikes. So, all those places that often makes me feel good are full of negative ions.(except you don't want to be too close to the lightning--I do love to watch it though)

I'm not sure I always felt good on Hopi--it is a challenging environment to move into, being a "bahana" on the Res. It was my first long term experience in living in a culture for which English is not the primary language, and I'm sure I was the brunt of many jokes that I never knew about while I was there.

It was also my first experience of not having all the things we take for granted. During our stay, I had to haul water for drinking and bathing(and flushing the toilet), haul coal for heating, and plan grocery shopping carefully since Winslow was the closest nontrading post grocery store.

But, we also got to do things I never thought I would get to do, like barter for a mustang foal(horse not car) and raise him, attend night dances in a kiva, be the brunt of the Hopi clowns at a bean dance, and get to experience a very traditional intact culture. I learned to shoot a rifle at beer cans on the side of the mesa, ride horses out on the range, through the arroyos, explore ancient ruins and petroglyphs, and step outside of my comfort zone.

So, in some ways, I definitely understand for four years, I was at the center of the universe.

Our Guardian Angels

My Dad died unexpectedly last November. He was 88, had successfully gone through colon cancer surgery and had bright prospects for a full recovery, when the physicians in this small North Carolina hospital, didn't keep on top of his situation and he developed blood clots in both sides of his lungs. They transported him to Asheville, but it was too late. He died on November 5, 2005. It was a devastating blow for all of us. He and my Mom had been married for 60 years. They had celebrated their anniversary in July, his birthday in August, and no one had any thoughts other than he would recover with no problems. He still went to the gym 5 days a week, walked on the treadmill and lifted weights. He could have probably still out arm wrestled us all.

Needless to say our family was thrown into turmoil. Then, several things happened to make us realize that he was still with us, as our guardian angel. The first strange occurrence was when I was putting together a slide show for the funeral. The picture of him at his 88th birthday party at the gym was now my desktop wallpaper. My husband and I looked at each other--"Did you do that?" Not me, my husband said--I don't even know how to do that. So, every day when we get on the computer, there is my Dad.

Then, at Spring break, my daughter was driving back from Orlando when she took the kids to Disney World. She watched as this Lexus sedan with two young women went tearing around her, and then around a school bus. As the car cut back into it's lane, it lost control and when flipping across the median and on top of another car. My daughter-said it was like someone put their hands over her ears. She saw the wreck as if in slow motion, but she didn't hear one sound, not the crushing of metal, or collision. Not one piece of flying metal (and given that the car was going around 80 mph) flew towards her car. She pulled to the side of the road and called 911 to report the wreck. She called me a few minutes later, still shaking to tell me what had happened.

Then, a month or so later, my Mom was driving my uncle's car while her car was being repaired. She got T-boned by a car that came out of no where going about 60 mph. She was taken by ambulance to the Hospital, but other than soreness, she was unhurt.

I think God realized how much this family needed a guardian angel and took my Dad so he could help look after us. Not a day goes by that I don't think about him and miss him, but I know he is looking out for us.

Thanks Dad,

Nancy

Clinton Soup

From a show on Canadian TV. there was a black comedian who said he misses
Bill Clinton.
"Yep, that's right - I miss Bill Clinton! He was the closest thing we ever
got to having a black man as President.
Number 1 - He played the sax.
Number 2 - He smoked weed.
Number 3 - He had his way with ugly white women.
Even now? Look at him... his wife works, and he don't!
And, he gets a check from the government every month.

Manufacturers announced today that they will be stocking America's shelves
this week with "Clinton Soup," in honor of one of the nations' most
distinguished men. It consists primarily of a weenie in hot water.

Chrysler Corporation is adding a new car to its line to honor Bill
Clinton The Dodge Drafter will be built in Canada.

When asked what he thought about foreign affairs, Clinton replied, " I
don't know, I never had one."

The Clinton revised judicial oath: "I solemnly swear to tell the truth as I
know it, the whole truth as I believe it to be, and nothing but what I
think you need to know."

Clinton will be recorded in history as the only President to do Hanky Panky
between Bushes."