Sunthing Special

This morning at the bus stop another mom was telling me about how her boyfriend’s mom works for the Red Cross, who works with refugees coming to the Akron area from Uzbeskistan. Apparently there is some kind of “holy war” going on and according to one of the refugees, people are being put in burlap bags and, well, shot to death. Apparently anyone looking kind of Muslim, which is a third of the population, is a target. I didn’t find much online, but here’s what one article http://motherjones.com/politics/2000/09/uzbekistans-not-so-holy-war said: 

Ugly allegations have surfaced about the fates of the arrested, thousands of whom have disappeared without a trace.

“Someday they’ll find the bodies,” an elderly woman moneychanger whispered to me … “Everyone knows they kill them out in the desert.”

It’s simply horrific. My life may not be perfect, but I’m sure counting my blessings right now …

P.S. I am now packing up toys and clothes and books for the refugees who have come to America with absolutely nothing except their lives, so at least I feel like I’m doing something …

I’m not sure how common this practice was in other high schools or if it’s practiced at all now, but back when my BFF and I were in high school, one sign a girl was “going with” a guy was if she didn’t wear makeup at all (this was in addition to the more traditional customs as wearing the guy’s class ring on a chain around your neck, each wearing a “half heart”, and/or prominent hickies). This was so she wouldn’t look attractive to any other boy. I don’t know if it were ever stated implicitly by the guy or if was just “understood” by everyone that that’s what a “taken” girl did. I don’t know much about Muslim traditions, but it seems to me that that’s not too far removed from women wearing veils. And I went to a Catholic school.  Anyhow, I’m embarrassed to admit that I too “proudly” followed that practice when “going with” a guy who was, surprise surprise, abusive. I wonder how many of those other guys who “didn’t let” their girlfriends wear makeup are abusive husbands or fathers now? (BTW my ex-boyfriend’s dad abused his mom. I may have been living in la-la land but at least I wasn’t completely stupid enough to continue a relationship with him that went on way too long as it was.)

I was talking to a mom friend this morning and she told me how she totally forgot about her daughter’s 4:30 orthodontist appt. yesterday, a first for her. I thought, “Boy, I’m always going all directions but at least I haven’t ever missed any appointments.” Then, just several hours later, guess who forgot about their children’s 4:30 haircut appt.? Sigh. I actually can’t believe it hasn’t ever happened before, but you can bet it’s going to happen again … and again …. and again … and again …

So today I go to get my annual mammogram through a place which has several different locations in the Akron area. I always go to the one in Hudson because it’s the least crowded. But because I only go there once a year I went online to make sure I had the address and directions. I go the office and guess what?? The office is completely vacant. Ohhhhkay. I didn’t have the phone number but fortunately my phone has Web access so I got the number, listed under the Hudson address, and called. “We’re not in Hudson anymore,” the receptionist tells me. Yeah, I know. I’m sitting in the empty parking lot, lady. “We moved to Stow. They should have told you that when you made the appointment,” she explains. They hadn’t, obviously. When I made the appointment, I specifically requested the Hudson office, and when someone called yesterday to verify my insurance, again I clarified that I was going to the Hudson location. And let’s not forget that the Web site lists a Hudson location!! Needless to say I was a bit peeved as I drove to their Stow office. “Don’t feel too bad,” the receptionist assured me when I told her who I was. “You’re the fourth person today to go to the wrong place.” What?!!!! What-ever. At least I got a pen out of the deal. A pen that lists one of their locations as … Hudson.

Last week I had to take my car to get repaired. The repair place is about 2 miles away so I thought I’d leave the car there and just walk home. As I handed over the keys, I realized that I didn’t have a house key. I went to my car to get the garage door opener because we have an attached garage. When I got to my car I remembered that I don’t have a separate garage door opener because it’s programmed into my car. But the keypad by the garage has been broken for about a year so I can’t get in that way either. I didn’t have a house key on my keychain either — I had taken it off a couple months ago to give to a friend who was keeping an eye on our house and never put it back on — which was okay because I’ve never had to use it. And we don’t have an extra key hidden outside. Luckily I realized this before I walked 2 miles home then realized I had no way of getting in my house. So I had to drive home, unlock the front door, then drive back to the car place, then walk home. The moral of the story being, carry a house key with you when you leave the house!! (But do you think I put the house key back on my key ring yet? I would, if I could find it …)

The English millionaire who bought the Segway business earlier this year died the other day after accidentally falling off a cliff (on his estate) and into a river while riding his own Segway. Weird.