Happy 4th of July! Have you burned anything yet today?

It's been a while but I am still here, being mean and saying "NO" whenever possible.

Since my last posting She-Child has turned 12 of all horrible numbers and completed the 6th grade. We had a hellish year with a disturbingly emotional teacher who was fired, rehired, quit, rehired and fired again before years end. Had I been blogging during this time period I surely would've typed things that would make you cover your innocent little eyes, so I am somewhat glad I was absent during that chapter. I could go one and on about this teacher but I don't want to give her any more of my energy. I'll just leave it at this; She-Child is tougher than I thought she was and He-Parent is not the dad whose child you want to mess with.

I also witnessed a horrific perspective-altering event while I was away. On my way to work one Tuesday morning, I crossed over the train tracks as I have done every day for three years and stopped about four cars ahead of the tracks because of a red light. I looked back and noticed the signal lights coming on and the arms coming down. I also noticed a woman inching forward with her back wheels still on the tracks. I and the cars behind me inched up as much as we could but before she could get off the tracks, her car was struck as we all watched in our rear-view mirrors. I threw my truck in park and jumped out to see if she was OK. She was trapped in her car but she was not visibly hurt and a man yanked the passenger door open to help her get out. She walked out of her car without a scratch on her. I then notice that another car had also been hit and thrown across the median. I could tell that nobody would have survived what had happened to that red mass of metal. I couldn't even make out what kind of car it was. I found out later that the man inside, a father and husband to his pregnant wife, had died immediately upon impact. He was 32 and was just on his way to work on a Tuesday morning, just like everyone else.

I still cross those tracks everyday, twice a day and everyday I still see people trying to inch over the tracks at the last minute just like that 32 yr old father did seconds before he left his children fatherless and his wife to pick up the pieces alone. It's just absolutely senseless. Some things are worth just waiting for and your life is one of them.


:deep breath:


So now it's summertime and we're on to new things; drama camp, trip to San Fransisco, the purchase of our home, some new freedoms for She-Child and the addition of a Wii to our household.

I will try to keep writing.... no really, I will.

Happy Independence Day! Feel free to rain hot ash from the skies in celebration!