Magnets that DO NOT attract....

Ok, time to write about my kids. Well, just one of them for now.

Emily, my darling 15-year old, is utterly and completely amazing, as I have mentioned before. She started playing the guitar a few years ago, and she's gotten really, really good. She's writing songs - music and lyrics - and I think it's just the coolest thing ever. She's also taking Journalism this year, and she seems to have a knack for writing as well. So, in order to cultivate her many talents, I had decided last summer to try and get her enrolled in one of the magnet schools in Dallas for the next school year - either performing arts or communications.

And that, my friends, is where the happiness ends.

We obtained an application from her school - with no instructions or information, thanks very much. I filled out the form and gathered the necessary documents. The application did have one specific request - No Faxed Applications Accepted. Fine, that's not a problem, I can mail it to them since I still don't have a car. I actually sent it to her first-choice school (performing arts) via FedEx so I could track it and everything. A week later, I received the application back in the mail with a sticky note attached that said "We do not accept applications thru the mail." Really? Ok, so no faxing, no mailing, I guess this means I have to deliver it in person? I called the school to ask them about this policy and to explain my transportation situation. The lady was so rude to me! I don't think I have ever been talked down to so badly! She told me over and over (as if I didn't hear her the first 3 times she said it) that the application states 'No mailed applications'. Well, I was staring right at it while on the phone with her, and nowhere did it say that! She argued with me, called me sir, and eventually hung up on me.

I was pissed. The deadline for applying was around the corner, and I didn't know what to do. I talked to Emily. She says she would rather apply for the Journalism program at the other magnet school. Great! So I called them. Not only were they nice, but their deadline was a few weeks away! Awesome! That would give me plenty of time to arrange a ride over there - which actually turned out to be a much bigger pain in the ass than I thought, but that's another story. I got my google map and we headed to the school.

Sight unseen, this sounded like a great school. But when we got there, and looked around the neighborhood, I began to wonder if this was a good idea. The school is *literally* across the street from the projects. Right at the corner of Hatcher and Malcolm X Boulevard - I should have known. The school was ok, but not terribly impressive. I'm pretty sure we were the only white people in the entire building. After much consideration, and much freaking-out by my lovely daughter, we've decided that it's just not the right place for her.

I don't understand why they would put a magnet school in such an awful neighborhood. She would have been scared to go there, and I would have been terrified of her having to take a bus to get there. Does that make me racist? I don't know. It was just way out of our comfort zone.

Freaking Sweet

I was happy to read this article today:

"Penalty upheld for pharmacist's refusal to fill birth control"
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080325/ap_on_re_us/contraceptive_complaint;_ylt=AvbXnLqbuYZGD4JoLyOgEB1H2ocA

I am so sick of people pushing their religious views on others, and I'm glad that the court upheld the decision. If you're going to enter a profession knowing that at some point your beliefs may be 'compromised', then dammit, don't go into that profession! Moral objections are one thing - but he could have easily referred her to another pharmacy. Just do your job, dude.

from the article: "Noesen said the discipline "critically devastated" his business as a traveling pharmacist because some pharmacies refused to hire him and he lost his liability insurance, court records said."

Oh really? Well wah, wah, wah! I'm sorry that I don't have any empathy for you. Imagine how that poor girl would have felt had she ended up pregnant because of your negligence.

It's nice when the system works.

I never wanted to be the 'crazy cat lady'

Howdy folks. It's been a while, and honestly, it's not due to laziness or anything like that, it's just that nothing much had been going on recently.

Well, until last week.

Last week I was on vacation from work. Yes, I took a well-earned week away from my job, with the hopes of not really doing much. Some resting, some cleaning, hanging out with my daughter cuz she was her spring break. Well she got a really bad case of strep and mostly cried and slept for the better part of the week. My oldest daughter showed up on my doorstep with her cat in tow cuz her and her boyfriend are splitting up and she may be moving back in with me.

I've been really angry and sad lately. Both of my daughters are going thru some pretty big things right now and I'm trying to deal with it all. I won't go into details. Let's just say that I've been where each of them are, and it's not a pleasant place to be.

I feel like writing, but I'm not motivated. I had a break down at work earlier this week. I just sat at my desk and sobbed off and on pretty much all day. It was so bad, I had co-workers calling me at home that nite to see if I was ok. How embarrassing.

I'm just super stressed right now. I know it will pass, and things will work out, as they always do. But sometimes it's hard to see the light at the end of that awful tunnel.

I do have 3 very cute cats in my house though, and that makes me smile.

Old.

I was really sad to hear an awesome song by The Cult - on the 'classic rock' station today.

Damn, I'm old.

My life is chaos right now. Bleh.