The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Relax. They're all me.

The Good:

1. Fairly happy disposition in the early part of the day today. Wonder if the change in the weather - including episodes of sunshine - might've had something to do with this? Okay, no "might've" about it.


2. Finished school with the Bear until after the New Year. Students aren't the only people glad for holiday vacations!


3. Got some work done around the house. This hasn't been easy lately. The possibility of a naked teen-aged boy (which would've been "survivable" on a warm day like today) compelled me to action. Warm weather or not, clothes are not optional in this house.


4. Nice day = dog outside in kennel. This also did wonders for my disposition.


5. Big family get-togethers coming up! Happy thoughts!


6. Due to circumstances beyond my control (a snow day), a cooperative husband, and earlier practice than usual (as in, during the daylight hours) the basketball schedule has been tolerable this week!


7. My dad's DNA results were accepted by one of our surname's study groups! Waiting....

The Bad:

1. I haven't finished my Christmas shopping yet. I know! You must be thinking, "Then why are you sitting at the computer lady? Get out and shop!"


2. I admitted some things on the 50 Questions list that I really never wanted to answer, but pleading the 5th only makes one look guilty, so thought I might as well go ahead and admit guilt. I've felt bad ever since. Now you know where Lou gets that whole conscience thing.


3. Got a bit testy with a telemarketer from a Christian organization. In my defense, this person was not going to take "no" for an answer. She did anyway. Pastor Dad and I are very generous (and I won't elaborate) but even preachers have limits in how much money they can philanthropically give away (said with tongue planted firmly in cheek).


4. Someone asked me recently where the Bear goes to school. When I answered that I home school him she said, "Oh, so you're okay with experimenting with your child's education?" HOLD ME BACK!!!!! Big breath here. Okay, I'll admit that "perhaps" those first few years were experimental, but honey, I've been doing this since Sept. 1986 and have graduated 3 students who have been the top students at all colleges and universities, public or private, secular or Christian, that they've attended. We're LONG PAST the experimental stage, thankyouverymuch! (Maybe this one should be moved down to the ugly list. Then again, I think I was only bad-bordering-on-ugly in this encounter.)

The Ugly:

1. I am convinced that some IWU (Idiots of the World Unite!) convention is meeting this week and have me on their target list of people to irritate.


2. Example A: Some crafty person gave my cell phone to a doctor's office months ago as their contact number. Said person never paid her bill. The debt collector calls me almost every night, and during basketball practices and games, too. You can only imagine how many times I get tired of telling the collectors, "No, my name is not Gloria!!!!" And no, I don't give out my real name. After the latest nasty call I did consider changing my number but thought what an inconvenience this would be after so many years. I think the Bear actually has it memorized now. Such a shame to change it.


3. Example B: Some people in my genealogical society seem to think I have nothing better to do than to answer their phone calls, relay their mail and messages, and generally do the work of all 256 members. Granted, 75% of the people in our society are older than I am. Okay, maybe 90% is a closer estimate and we all know that I'm no spring chicken, but really, folks, can we not harass the "young people?" You have a directory. Use it!


4. Example C: I recently submitted an application for someone to our genealogical society. As a registrar, this is my job. An overzealous genealogist in the home office sent me notice "Request Denied" because "Person B might not be the son of Person A" even though the people both have rather obscure names, lived next to each other in the same county during major census years, and the father left notes listing the names and birth dates of his children, including the name of the son. Said notes are now found in a state archive. The names are almost as unique as John and Humperdink Rumplestiltskin, but o.g. said "I think there might've been more than one man named Humperdink Rumplestiltskin so we really can't say that the one you've listed is the son of John Rumplestiltskin." Really? Two people were crazy enough to give their sons that name? How odd. And more importantly, I asked her, where's the proof there was more than one? Only one person by each name was enumerated ANYWHERE in those census abstracts (10 years apart for you non-Americans), forget about specifically in that exact location. She wrote back stating that it was up to me to prove that there was only one. What? How am I supposed to prove a negative? Especially since I am the one convinced that there really was only one! I wrote the o.g. a second very guarded letter basically calling her a member of her local IWU group without actually coming out and saying it. We will now see what transpires. Perhaps I will be leaving my term as registrar a few months ahead of schedule due to the fact that any future applications submitted will automatically rate a big bull's eyes painted around my signature where it states that I found such applications sufficiently proven to be considered. It wouldn't be fair to fresh-faced, excited applicants, you see, if they found out their application is doomed the moment I add my signature to it.

One more "good" thing to add to my list before I leave to go Christmas shopping is that Pastor Dad paid me a wonderful compliment a little bit ago. He said, "I sure am glad you aren't dumb!" Hershey bar included. Whatta guy! (Luv ya!)