OrganiSed Chaos

Once on the plane to Boston, we decided to try and sleep.
Fat chance!
I was wide awake and jumping out of my skin, as I had been for some days before we left, on the plane to the states and the whole time we’d been in LA.
The chances of me being able to sleep were slim.
Mark on the other hand could sleep through a nuclear holocaust, and pretty much slept all the way.
I managed about half an hour, but the rest of the 6 hour flight {that seemed like 26 hours BTW!} was spent thinking about what, or more the point, who awaited us in Boston.
More on this shortly….
Once we eventually landed at Logan airport {quite late I might add} disembarking was reasonably quick, yet still not quick enough for me!
I wanted off, I wanted our luggage, and I wanted in the car Michael had booked to take us to his place, and I wanted it R.I.G.H.T N.O.W!!!!
I was a woman on a mission!!
Suitcases and bags were reasonably prompt.
Annie got hers, we got ours, and the only thing we were waiting on was the didg as it had to come though special luggage.
I went around to the collection area just as the guy was closing the roller door after putting everything out where it could be collected.
“Hang on” says I, quite innocently, “Ours is missing”
“What was it” he says.
“A cylinder about 4ft long, it has a didg in it”
“A what???”
“An indigenous Australian musical instrument. It’s not here”
“I’m sure I got everything off the plane, let me go check”
{small amount of nerves are creeping in at this point}
Waiting, waiting, waiting…
Eventually, he’s back.
“Sorry ma’am, there’s nothing left on the plane. That’s it. You sure you bought it with you?”
Well no, fuck knuckle, because of course, I’m a dick wad who has no fucking idea what she did and didn’t bring 10,000 miles!!!!
As I shot him a withering look, I headed to the customer service office, telling Mark and Annie what the problem was as I went past.
Mark got “that” look on his face, and decided to leave it to me.
Wise move I thought.
Enter one condescending, patronising airline employee.
Whislt I’m in there explaining the situation, Annie has rung Michael and let him know we were in Boston, but there was a small problem.
{~m did a post about it here, to get his perspective}
I explained the problem to the woman in the office, and at this point, I was quite calm.
Her reaction was indifferent to say the least.
She had the whole “I really don’t want to be here, and really don’t give a shit about your luggage, but I’ll do what I have to in order to shut you up” look on her face.
Even after explaining the importance of this luggage to her, the fact this really is irreplaceable, and I’m quite distressed by it’s absence {all quite calmly} her reaction, as I said, was quite indifferent.
“Ma’am, I understand your concern, but it’s really not THAT big a deal. This happens all the time….” in that condescending, patronising tone that seems to be par for course with any type of airline employee.
Mistake, lady.
Big mistake!
“Well no, I don’t think you do understand, and I don’t really like your “I don’t give a damn” attitude. If you put a million of these instruments side by side, no 2 would be the same. It is U.N.I.Q.U.E. Do you understand the word unique? Never mind that we had it custom made, don’t even mind the monetary value, it’s fucking unique!! Do you get that??? It C.A.N.N.O.T be replaced. Not E.V.E.R! Now would you please explain to me the process you’re going to follow to find my damned luggage, and how long you think it will take, or even if you have any idea of how freaking important this thing is now????”
This as I’m starting towards the desk to rip this woman’s head off and shit down her throat.
I’m not calm anymore…..
Enter Annie.
She stepped between me and the desk {read the cow I was going to murder} and bought a level of calm to the situation that I simply wasn’t capable of at that time.
In what seemed double quick time, our details had been given, phone numbers taken, descriptions written down, and we were assured that once it was located, we would be notified, and it would be delivered by courier to the house down the Cape.
By this time, I’m in tears, Mark is pissed because I’m upset, and a driver is still waiting patiently out the front to take us to Michael and Pamela’s.
I guess having been up for over 24 hours and the anticipation wasn’t helping my cause.
Nor was the fact that if they had lost anything else, it wouldn’t really have been that bad.
But not the didg.
It was THE one thing we could never replace.
Eventually we’re in the car and headed to the burbs.
I’m still in tears, close to inconsolable, Mark is telling me it’s going to be fine and Annie is trying to bring some semblance of normality to what is, a rather tense situation {to say the least}
The driver is telling us all about Boston, pointing out landmarks, giving us some history, Annie is talking to him, and things are starting to settle down a little.
After what seemed like hours, and many windy roads, the car stopped outside a quaint little house.
We’d been waiting 15 months for this remember.
For different reasons, once again a small amount of nerves were creeping in here.
The first time face to face with someone is always nerve wracking, no matter how well you get along with them.
I’ll struggle to describe the emotions that ran through me as I stepped out of the car, so I’m not even going to attempt that one.
Pamela.
Not only a gorgeous woman, but the most amazing person you could wish to imagine.
Her patience in relation to mine and Michael’s friendship will never cease to amaze me.
Cannot begin to put into words how good it was to finally meet her.
I’m thinking she was just as happy to see me though, because she came close to fracturing a rib hugging me!
Hannah.
I was told she would be the welcome wagon, and she was.
What a fabulous kid she is! Turned out to be quite the little surprise package in more ways than one!
Finally, Michael.
As I said, we’d been waiting for this for 15 months, and what did I do you ask?
Well hell, I burst into tears like a 2 year old of course!!!
I hung onto him like someone possessed and sooked all over his shirt {I think I managed to avoid snotting on his shirt though}
What else could I do??
Watching Michael come face to face with Annie was quite something too.
These 2 have been friends for close to 10 years and never met.
How could this meeting in suburban Boston be anything less than special in more ways than one?
Mark was as emotional and teary as the rest of us were, and given I spend almost as much time talking to Michael as I do to him, his patience too has been nothing less than remarkable, for which I thank him more than I can ever say.
Once we settled down it was inside to meet Sarah and Jenna who are both as gorgeous as their mother, and just as welcoming.
I have no idea how our luggage got inside, but it did, and apparently Mark tipped the driver {he deserved it after waiting as long as he did}
Damned if I saw either of these things happen.
A shower and clean clothes were the first order of the day.
I was heartily sick of the ones I had on let me tell you.
Above the window in the kitchen are blocks with letters on them.
Someone had fashioned them into the following:
Welcome Mark, Moe, Annie
Next to those words was just one other word.
Australia.
It was as close to coming home as a person could ask for, and it felt like home too.
The next chapter in our little adventure will see us at the Cape eating some wonderful seafood, drinking lots of bourbon, getting some much needed sleep, and the one thing many have been waiting for, I know.
The introduction of that hunk of spunk we all know and love…Evyl!!
Stay tuned folks, we’re just getting warmed up.
Trust me!

i was going to do a proper post today, got to work and changed my mind inside half an hour! If i had posted it would have NOTHING but 4 lettered words…all of them…i don’t mind the odd profuse swearing spasm, but this would have been too much even for me..might feel different when i get home..maybe?

In the last week or so, here in Oz there have been some interesting comments from leaders in the Islamic community regarding women, and yesterday the whole discrimination card was played just to add insult to injury. Now when I say interesting, what I really mean is downright offensive. Women were likened to meat, and it was said “if they are not in their room and decently covered then harm would befall them”. There was much more than this, but it was this particular one that got up my nose. I make NO apologies for what I am about to say people, because I’ve had more than enough.
I recently did a post regarding being “PC” and how sick I was of having to be this way because of morons bitching and whinging about being called what they considered “derogatory” names. Well, here’s a heads up you cretins….comments like those you’ve made recently are the reason people say some nasty things about you!! I for one find it insulting to be first, compared to a piece of meat, and secondly to be told I should be in my room decently covered. If this is how you choose to treat YOUR women in YOUR country, then I can’t say a lot. It is after all, your beliefs, your religion, and your ways. It may not be how we do things here, and I may not agree with it, but that doesn’t make it wrong, merely different to what I believe. But, DO NOT come to OUR country and tell us how WE should live! DO NOT have the audacity to leave YOUR country for a better way of life and then try and change the way WE live, what WE believe in, or what WE think is right, wrong or otherwise. Your beliefs are your beliefs and I will defend to the death your right to believe in whatever you choose. If you had the same attitude towards our way of life and our beliefs, well and good, but you don’t, as far as you’re concerned our way is wrong, that much is obvious to blind Freddy. My question is this. WHY THE HELL DID YOU COME HERE IN THE FIRST PLACE??? If our country is such a den of iniquity why choose to live here? Why not find another country that holds with your beliefs and values? There are quite a few to choose from you know. If you don’t like it, go back where you came from and leave us to live how we want to live. I can assure you, there are few here that would actually give a damn if you did go and you may even find someone to pay your bloody air fares!
The second issuse I have is the discrimination crap you’ve now started on. Some time ago there was a gang rape in Sydney. A young girl was raped by something like 14 youths, who it turned out were Muslim. Now these guys were prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law in this country and are now languishing behind bars for a long time, as any person, male or female, Muslim or Christian should be for what they did. There is no place in a civilised society for animals such as these and it’s just a shame we don’t have the death penalty here, because there are many who believe that’s just what they deserved. One of the senior Muslim leaders in Sydney has now stated publicly he believes our courts discriminate against Muslims in rape cases. Another heads up for you cretins….they weren’t dealt with harshly for any other reason than they behaved like animals. It has NOTHING to do with the fact they’re Muslims, it has everthing to do with the fact that they used a young woman as their own personal sex slave in a park after having lured her there under false pretences! Each and every one of them raped this poor young female one after the other, took turns with her, however you want to say it. They then laughed at her, made fun of her and threatened her with diabolical consequences should she have the audacity to complain to the law! When are you going to realise the way they behaved is not acceptable here? It may be in your country, but not here.
Our politicians bleat (about the Mufti’s making these outrageous public comments) “we can’t deport them, they’re Australian citizens” Well, heads up for you as well, REVOKE the citizenship and send them back where they came from. You are, after all, the government, you have no trouble passing legislation in a hurry when it comes to a pay rise for yourself, or a new tax to put more into your already overflowing coffers. You have the power and ability to change the law, so why aren’t you doing it when it comes to situations such as these?
The Mufti that made the original comments regarding “uncovered meat” has since apologised. Not good enough from where I sit! Nowhere near good enough. GO HOME!
You may find it hard to believe, but I am NOT a racist. I have no problem with different coloured skin, different beliefs, or different religions. Live and let live I say. But it’s becoming increasingly difficult to NOT hate some of these people. Hate is a strong word, and to hate is, I believe, not a good feeling to have running around our heads. It’s the type of thing that has the ability to create wars, and in the past has done exactly that.
But as the title of the post says “when is enough, enough?”

I am so over everything having to be “politically correct”. To those who advocate this bullshit, here are just 2 of the things you need think about before you spew out anymore. (It’s ok, I won’t give you too many, your freaking brain may implode!!)

It doesn’t matter whether you call someone indigenous, of middle-east appearance, or whatever other terms you have deemed acceptable, at the end of the day, some of these people DO have darker skin than others. Why is it such a crime to actually say “he/she is black or he/she is dark skinned, he/she is Asian, Arabic, Lebanese, whatever the case may be? Not every time someone says those heinous words is it meant in a derogatory manner, which is how you have reacted. Perhaps you need to look up the word “FACT” in the dictionary. Part of the meaning is “The realities of a situation”. And the reality of this is that some are black, some are white, come from different countries and are different nationalities. Perhaps you need to remove your know it all butts from your chairs and listen to those who are on the receiving end of the inane laws that prosecute people for having the audacity to state facts.
When did gender become generic? Again, let’s turn to the dictionary shall we? Part of the meaning is “general, not specific or special” Now I can’t speak for anyone else but I think I’m special. As are most women and men. HE is a foreman/storeman/spokesman, SHE is a forewoman/storewoman/spokeswoman right? Wrong!! They’re all referred to as spokesPERSON. Where is the harm in mentioning, within a title, job description, (whatever it may) that the person in question is either male or female? In the big scheme of things, does it REALLY make a difference? Yes, everybody is a person, we shouldn’t be defined by gender in some things and equality is a bloody good thing, but get real! This particular instance is the epitome of stupidity.

As I said, these are but 2 of the many asinine situations that have been created by the so called experts.
So where does it end? Will people soon be required to change their surname from Black, White, or Brown etc so as not to offend people who have these skin colours? What about those with a surname such as Foreman? Do they now need to be known as Foreperson? Tell me when that little conversation is going to be held with George can you please. I’m going for popcorn and beer before you start!
Why should we acknowledge different countries and cultures if we’re not allowed to refer to them by their correct name? What makes you think people from China are offended because someone calls them Chinese? I’m Australian, bloody proud of it and will tell anybody who enquires. What makes you think Chinese/Lebanese/Turkish, whoever, don’t feel the same way?
I do not, in any way, shape or form, suggest there is no such thing as prejudice or hate for other cultures in this world because there is, but I have a problem with the way our politicians are going about addressing it. Why is it deemed acceptable for me to be walking down a street in the country where I was born and have shouted at me “hey, you, white trash bitch! We’re so much better than you and don’t you fucking forget it”
And I know it’s acceptable because when I took the number plate of the car involved and went to the police in an effort to have something done, I was told “it’s not illegal for someone to call you white trash, the best we can do is charge them with using profanities in a public place and that’s assuming we can ascertain which of those in the car said it”
Yet I can be held accountable for saying in public that a person is Lebanese,Chinese, has black skin or is a spokesman/spokeswoman as opposed to a spokesPERSON?
Give me a freakin’ break!!!

I work in an aged care faclity here in oz. I acknowledge the need for facilities such as ours. They fill a need when elderly people become incapable of looking after themslves, or require clinical assitance from nursing staff, something that is outside the scope of family capabilities.

We have around 200 residents, the bulk with family in the local area or within 30-40k’s. Why then do 90% these of people NOT visit their parents/grandparents??? Why the fuck do they put them in these places then seemingly forget they exist? Some of the residents are lucky if they see their rellies at Christmas let alone birthdays or any other holiday/special occasion. These old people are those that have fed, clothed, nurtured, supported for a big part of their lives, the pricks who refuse to acknowledge they ARE still alive. The same residents that without fail, send birthday cards to the granchildren, ring weekly to see how they are and generally act in the manner that normal parents do.

In many cases the same people that refuse to acknowledge they exist are those that have taken over the finances of the residents and dole this money out to them as if it’s their god given right. Of course I’m talking about money for the little things in life like clothes, shoes maybe the odd hair cut, nothing too important hey??? We have to fight in some cases to get the money out of them for the fees! This money comes from the residents old age pension that the government pays, it’s not like it’s coming out of their own bloody pocket. Protecting their inheritance is the only thing I can come up with…
Some of the residents are not nice people I’ll agree. Some of them were abusive, alcoholic or simply nasty. These I can understand their families not wanting a lot to do with. It’s hard to forgive being kicked in the guts and told to get up….which is what some of the ressies would have been like. You have only to speak to them and you know from what they say. The more you speak to them the more you realise they’re just downright horrible. Terrible thing to say you may think, but true all the same.

For those who had what would be considered the normal upbringing, my question is this? What would their childhood have been like if the parents had been this way? Would they have been educated, fed, clothed, had toys to play with, gone on holidays, all the things that are part and parcel of having provided for you when growing up?

Don’t get me wrong, some of these families are 100% devoted to the ressies. They visit off and on all week when they have time away from work, bring their kids to see them after school, take them home for weekends, make funds available for whatever is required. So it’s not all bad.

I appreciate people are busy, have lives of their own, all those things. What I cannot understand is the way they appear to have forgotten the fact that if it hadn’t been for their parents they would not be the person they are today. Does it say they were raised to be selfish, self absorbed and downrght incosiderate? I don’t think so. I spend time with the residents if for no other reason than to listen to them talk about their past, their achievments, some of which are quite outstanding in the face of unbelievable odds. But the most I hear about are families. The same families that have left them in an unfamiliar place, with unfamiliar faces and unfamiliar routines. The same families that forget one day THEY will be old and perhaps a bit hard to get along with.

You just gotta read this – it’s unfreakinbelievable
As I said, there was a reason why I started this blog. Michael over at Smoke and Mirrors did a post about the above story. Please read it first, then this will make more sense.

There are people in this world that should be sterilised, and not in a particularly gentle, pain saving way, but in a horrible blood letting way. She’s one of them. After what this thing did to a 4 week old child she deserves nothing less. She has 4 other children that authorities have now removed from the home. No bloody surprise there!

What makes a person like this tick? What thought patterns go through the minds of those who can do something like this? Was their own childhood so sad that this is the only way they know? You wouldn’t think so given that she’s still stealing oxygen from civilised people, because if whoever raised her had been this bad she may not have survived.

The most frustrating part of all this is there are thousands of people who would sell their soul to the devil for just 1 child let alone 5. People, who SHOULD have children, people who have more love in their little toe than this one obviously had in her entire body. People who spend thousands and thousands of dollars on fertility treatment in an effort to get pregnant, yet still they’re unsuccessful and childless. They pray, they hope, they cry, but to no avail. Many of them eventually lose faith; give up on hope, have no tears left to cry and they’re left with an empty feeling inside of them forever.

People like an aunty of mine. Married for 30 years, tried for most of them to have a family but didn’t succeed. Her family was me, my sister and my brother and our parents. This is a person who would have been THE most wonderful mother, someone who had an enormous capacity to love, and a heart bigger than herself. But it was not meant to be, so it never happened. And she is but one of many.

And all while women like this one continue to churn them out seemingly at will. And in many cases it’s the taxes of people like you and me that pay to support them.

It makes me want to puke!

I’m a great believer in fate, that what will be, will be, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it. It’s a pretty sick and twisted fate at times isn’t it? It’s almost enough to make me give up on the human race when I see things like this.