Here in Arizona school has already started for some, and is in the process of starting for others. I grew up in places where school usually started the week after Memorial Day [oops, I mean Labor Day!] in early September but not here. It starts early, and it ends early so as to avoid the hottest days of summer. Stores are full of "Back to School" specials and kids buying supplies. I so remember those days. I'm glad they're in the past. But the point is that the beginning of school represents the beginning of fall....
We had quite the monsoon thunderstorm last night. When I went to bed at midnight most of the noise had moved into the distance but the rain was still coming down very hard. When it gets like that the temperature often plummets, and the high today was 20 degrees below normal - only 88 degrees,
The story of the case to deny the widow of a fallen firefighter in Wharton, TX continues to get odder. Among recent revelations:
The case of whether a fallen Wharton firefighter's benefits should go to his transgender widow. lt just gets exponentially weirder: Frank Mann, the lawyer representing Thomas Araguz's ex-wife, is facing investigation by the State Bar of Texas's disciplinary office for a possible ethics violation related to an e-mail he sent "outing" the widow, Nikki Araguz, during her mayoral campaign.Jeez.
Mann represented Araguz and her first husband in a 2002 bankruptcy case. Earlier this year, he represented Heather Delgado, Thomas Araguz's ex-wife, in a bitter custody dispute, and is now representing her in a motion to void Nikki's and Thomas' 2008 marriage.
Read entire story here
And here's a story that's been percolating for a week or so that exposes a nightmare for far too many of us - a woman who went to the hospital for treatment and was treated with ridicule and disrespect:
MUNCIE, Ind. — A transgender woman said she was ridiculed by hospital staff and eventually denied treatment when she went to a Muncie emergency room coughing up blood.I made a short video of a recent hike up Squaw Peak and copied it to YouTube. I'll probably only keep it there for a little while before I delete it so if you want to see it - now's the time:
Officials at Ball Memorial Hospital said they are investigating Erin Vaught's allegations, which triggered complaints from advocacy groups.
"The irony here is that we spend so much time teaching about transgender issues at Ball State University," said Vivian Benge, president of the Indiana Transgender Rights Advocacy Alliance. "And yet there is Ball Memorial Hospital treading a transgender like this. It is so sad."
Read the story here
That particular day - July 18 - was my wedding anniversary.
As I type this the TV is on in the background and Matrix Reloaded is on. The Oracle is talking to Neo as they sit on a park bench (watch it here, if you want). I've written before about the profound nature of these movies for me, particularly the first one. Some get it and some don't and that's fine - I find it fascinating about what connects with any of us and what doesn't. Anyway, in this particular scene there are three significant quotes that have as much to do with "real life" as anything as anything I typically see. Here are the lines:
- "You did't come here to make the choice. You've already made it. You've come here to understand WHY you've made it."
- "We're all here to do what we're all here to do."
- "We can never see past the choices we don't understand."
5 comments:
Uhm.......sweetie, Memorial day is in May. Surely you meant Labor Day? :-) You may be glad those days are behind you, but don't you miss the joy of getting a new pencil box, or other school supplies?
We had some severe thunderstorms roll through the Virginia Piedmont a couple of days ago blowing trees down onto people's houses. I went outside on the deck and the big oak tree in the back yard was swaying severely. I just went back inside and tried to shut it out of my mind. I've had branches break off before, and one punched a hole in the roof that I had to repair. Fortunately we didn't take the brunt of the storm but those to our southeast had some major damage. One woman had to be taken to the hospital, when a big oak fell over and cut her house in half like a loaf of bread! Scary stuff!
Melissa XX
There is little I like to remember from those early years but the smell of a freshly sharpened pencil does it for me.
Thank you Donna for posting your hiking video. I enjoyed that although I don't think I could manage it myself in that heat. It makes me think that on a nice day like it is here to day perhaps I should be out walking rather that sitting watching other people videos :-)
Some mountain so close to the city, hope there was some high factor something on those shoulders, don't want you going all wrinkly or worse.
Caroline xxx
understanding the choice - aye, there's the rub
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