February 2010 Open Mic

The sassosphere microphone is open, sistas and mistas.

Please step up and dish whatever you like.  We're listening.

The Sassistas! sponsor Open Mic the last Friday of every month.

Comments

[Flannista]

The wind is howling outside. Though our area isn't getting much snow accumulation in the monster Northeast "Snowicane" -- sustained winds are anywhere between 30 and 40 mph with gusts up to 60 mph. Alas, we could lose power because of the mushy ground from melting snow and trees weakened by heavy snow.

So I'm sassing in while I can! All to say, February was one snow month for the Sassistas!

[Flannista]

The Women's United States Hockey Team should have worn skirts last night. They lost the Gold Medal game to the Canadian women 2-0, who then proceeded to celebrate on the ice with champagne, beer and cigars! Now that's a party!

[Flannista]

Any one in the 'sphere been devoted to the Winter Olympics? Any special moments for you?

I love Shaun White's hair.

[Flannista]

Any opinions out there about our current economic downturn? Do things (job availability, etc.) in your neck of the woods seem to be getting better or worse?

TRM says we're heading for "another" dip; that this will be "a two-dip recession," mainly because "America has lost its moral backbone, therefore everyone cares more about entitlements than personal responsibility."

After saying this, he asked his assistant to get him a cup of coffee with "just a little cream. Not too much."

[Carolyn]

I don't know anything about hockey, (as far as settin up plays and strategy), but I DO know that the puck needs to be in your end of the rink to score -- and that puck hardly never made it to our end . . . thus, no score. Nada. We was played like a cheap fiddle.

I hear that the IOC ain't exactly appreciatin' the Canadian women acting like men with their beer and cigars out on the ice. It was unseemly, I've read, and the committee is "looking into it".

Sorry, Flann, that your weather woes continue. Consider yourself in the belly of the whale my friend, and carry on. You will be spit out eventually, I promise, under a spring sky and a gentle breeze.

Shaun White's hair has grown on me, just as he has. I like the guy. He is just so alive and joyful, both in his sport and attitude. His hair expresses that joy, I suppose.

I meant to comment on the South Korean woman who won gold last night for figure skating. She at least deserves to be mentioned by name, but for the life of me, I can't remember hers. Sorry. She was so beautiful in her facial expression, in her movement -- she was just perfection and she broke my heart. If any ya'll didn't see her skate, try to catch it on a highlight reel, you won't regret the finding-effort.

[Carolyn]

KIM YU-NA

[Flannista]

Thanks for your inimitable sass, Carolyn.

Though Matissta and I watched part of the Women's Hockey match, I had to go back to speechifying for TRM. Then, of course, I feel asleep during the ice skating competition. Is there another way to find Kim Yu-Na's performance other than via MSNBC? You can see the performance there, but you have to download some Microsoft platform to do it and I don't want to download that. I wonder if the performance is available on Youtube.

I read that the Canadian woman who won Bronze also broke a lot of hearts this week as her mother died suddenly just four days ago.

To jump from the sublime to the ridiculous, I also wouldn't mind dressing like Shaun White.

[Flannista]

At the risk of offending Sea World aficionados everywhere . . . a five-ton orca or killer whale should NEVER be kept in a tank. Of course it is tragic that Sea World veteran trainer was killed by an orca she had personally trained, but it is also tragic that the killer whale was trained to begin with.

[treesta]

Well, good morning, everyone. I'm having a very leisurely morning, as I've taken the day off. I really do enjoy it when I don't have to run from the house no later than 6:30, hair still dripping a bit. I'm sitting here with my oatmeal and a nice, hot cup of coffee. Aah, the little luxuries in life really are the best.

Today's the first anniversary of Mom's death. My sister and I are driving to Pennsylvania to visit her gravesite. Joyce gets enormous comfort from visiting the gravesite. She goes almost every month, puts a blanket down and eats her lunch if the weather allows, and just visits with Mom. Sometimes she even gets a room in a local hotel and stays the night so she doesn't have to rush.

I find it interesting how we each have dealt with grief in our own ways. Dad spends an enormous amount of time compiling electronic photo albums in his ancestry web site. His grief over Mom has kind of morphed to an acknowledgement of the grief for all those he has lost in his lifetime, but for whom he's never allowed himself to feel the emotions. So he's working on a combination photo album/journal for "Those Who Have Gone Before".

Jan really relies on her friends, and chats her way through the grief. I think she really would like to get totally away for a week by herself, to go to Ft. Myer's Beach, Florida. She'd like to walk the beach, go shelling, and remember Mom in that way. But family responsibilities and financial limitations keep her from doing that.

My brother, Pete, keeps his grief to himself, pretty much. He always has been a doting father, and this past year even more, he has immersed himself in his daughter's activities. This is Hill's last year at home before college, however. What will next year bring when she goes out of state? I think then the grief will really kick in for him.

For me, I've tried to befriend Grief. Earlier this year, Grief was like standing in the ocean, trying to keep my footing as the currents in the water battered me about, rogue waves knocking me silly from time to time. It's morphed a bit over the past months. Certainly, I'm at the age where Grief will become more and more of a companion as the years go along. Certainly, his presence is a reminder of shared lives and loves. Sometimes I almost imagine myself sitting at the shoreline, watching the sun light the water ablaze at the end of the day, Grief quietly at my side, as memories of my mother reflect in the water. It's not a bad picture. I'll take it for now, and see what comes next.

[treesta]

I like your comment about TRM and the economy. Made me sigh. What I do know about the economy is that families in my school are hurting. Parents can't make it to meetings because they finally just got a job, and can't afford to take off. Families doubling up, and sharing homes as the foreclosure "crisis", statistics for so many economists and politicians, shows up as real people trying to take care of their families. Last week, when we finally went back to school, but the start time was delayed by two hours because of the snowblocked bus stops, we opened our school an hour early to help parents out. The relief was evident, not just for those who joked about the kids needing to get back to school, but for those who NEEDED to get to work on time and yet didn't want the children to fend for themselves to get to school.

Times are tough.

[Flannista]

The last paragraph in your 9:01 a.m. comment, treesta, is simply beautiful. Thanks so much for sharing it in the sassosphere. The Sassistas! are honored to be your companions in Grief in our own small way by offering you this place to express yourself.

Travel blessings today. I hope the Snowicane winds aren't too bad along the way to visit Julia's resting place.

I also appreciate your school perspective on the state of the economy. Opening the school just one hour early gave many families an extra hour of income. Think about that. That's how perilously fragile many household budgets are.

[treesta]

I applaud the Canadian women for their celebration, so long as they didn't 'dis their rivals. They earned the gold, they should celebrate.

Now, I'm off to PA. Wish I could sass through the day, but if I don't get back too late, I'll chime back in.

[Carolyn]

Betterhalf has a flashlight app on her iphone that does all sorts of fancy things. There's one feature that I refer to as "grief," where the rainbow of colors cascade down in a wave, build, stack, then spill over into a vacuum. I thought about that app when I read your words, treesta. Strange-funny, yeah? You write a palpable post always, and I glean it for manual-info on how to bear to lose a parent. If all is predictable, I will lose my dad soon. I think, '"treesta lost her mom, so let's see how she dealt". A foolish thought, I know, since grief is such a isolating, individual emotion that morphs into all sorts of other things. I think of that picture of you that you posted to "The White," drink in hand, shorts on, sitting in your laboriously shovelled snowpile, grinning, and think "life does go on and the grief did not permanently consume her". I know that the world will grind on a little differently once my dad is gone, just as it has done for you since you lost your mom. But it doesn't have to be an end-all, as you have so eloquently expressed.

[Jerseysista]

treesta, I always enjoy reading what you write but today's was particularly beautiful. There are good writers on this blog. Some have a parochial voice that pulls you into the memories and scenery, some have a marvelous way of finding the pivot point and touchstone and exposing it, some have the knack for humor and some have the storyteller's eye. Yours is a thoughtful and intimate narrative that sounds like conversation over coffee.

[babysis]

Cool, how treesta is helping Carolyn, just by expressing herself here. It helps all of us actually. Blessings on you treesta, especially today.

I'm into the Olympics because, well, they are sports after all. Don't like the Winter ones as much as Summer, but these have been rather enjoyable. I agree with Carolyn's description of Kim Yu-Na winning last night. Overall, it seems there has been far less controversy about the subjectiveness of judges scores this time.

Watching the Canadian skater who lost her mom has been pure heartbreak and joy mixed together, because she skated beautifully as well.

I find myself thinking they make all these sports look so easy, but when you imagine all the pain and practice these athletes have endured, it all makes sense when they explode into jubilation or emotion when they win or set a new personal best. So I kinda hope they go easy on the Canadian hockey gals beginning their celebration a little early.

[Flannista]

Jersey -- your comment was particularly beautiful and thoughtful as well.

I left the speechifying about 45 minutes ago to catch up on scripture readings and sit and ponder how birds fare in these winds. I just returned to the 'sphere and read Carolyn's last comment, yours and then babysis' and thought, "Why did I leave to go read some holy words when they were right here under my nose all along?" Pivot points, touchstones, stories, intimate narratives.

The contrast between the thoughtfulness here and the tripe I'm pulling together for TRM could not be more profound.

Thank you all for keeping my heart beating.

[Flannista]

A week ago, the Sassistas! posted about front-page news. Here's what greeted me on yesterday's front page -- honestly, good news:

http://www.sassistas.com/sassistas_our_dish_on_the/2010/26/front_page.jpg

[babysis]

So glad your heart is still beating, Flann.

Using the Open Mic now to vent just a little. Had some drama on the home repair front last night, and we're in the lull before the hopeful resolution of the story. At 12:30 this afternoon, I have the honor of attempting to turn the water back on out at the street, and then finding out if the garage pipes my husband glued back together do indeed hold. At which point, I can actually get a shower, flush a toilet, and wash my hands using soap and water. Fortunately the overnight guests booked for tonight are my two sisters, so they won't care if the house isn't spotless. They will care if we don't have running water.

Anticipating Flann's next question, my husband has been a champ about this, and did choose to go in late to work after fixing it. My frustration is with the reality of stuff breaking. At least I'm feeling more thankful than usual for indoor plumbing today.

[Flannista]

Vent away, babysis, and good for you for cutting me off from the husband jab.

As someone with chronic winter plumbing problems, know that I'll be standing with you, while walking the dog, at 12:30 today. Please report back what happens. Have duct tape at the ready. You'll have to forgive me, but I've watched enough professional plumbers here in my home (and their butt cracks when they bend over because of huge beer bellies) to be a bit skeptical of a glue fix. There's always a glue miracle, of course.

Glad your sisters won't care if the house isn't spotless. Keep in mind that they already know that they wouldn't be getting a shower anyway, as the bathtub would be filled with last-minute junk from the kitchen, dining and living room floors, right?

[babysis]

Flann, you got me on that one!

[Flannista]

It's never easy to get you, O Wry One, but that I did is more fuel to get me through the TRM hogwash I'm presenting whitewashing.

Maybe duct tape would help.

(Oops, sorry to use a couple words associated with running water, babysis.)

[Matissta]

treesta's comment was extremely thoughtful and beautifully written.

I always find it interesting how differently people grieve. Reading her comment brought me back to the year when my father passed away and then my nephew several months later. I learned to live with the grieving, but my nephew's passing, because it was so sudden, definitely knocked the entire family down again.

[Carolyn]

Babesis, as I remember we discussed various toilets yesterday, especially those of the outdoor variety. Sorry that you've got those issues today. I do know what that's like, though I didn't have kids to consider or houseguests, (if the sisters count), to complicate the conundrum. You seem to be taking it in stride, something crackers are known for. Hopefully, you'll experience a 'glue miracle', as I'd find you deserving of such. Keep us in the loop.

[Carolyn]

Flann, I find your advocacy of duct tape as a plumbing fix a charming delusion---have you actually seen that work? I am curious.

[Matissta]

I was happy for the Canadian women. They totally outplayed the Americans. A well-deserved celebration.

I must admit for the first time ever, I was excited to follow the Nordic Combined, which involves ski jumping and cross-country skiing. In the team event, the Americans took silver, and then yesterday Bill Demong won the gold for the individual event. Shortly there after, he proposed to his girlfriend. A sweet story.

The level of training and dedication by these athletes is remarkable.