Tin foil is for cooking

While it's no secret I tip a bit to the left politically, I have friends and family members who span the political spectrum. It's not a big deal because for the most part we've learned that if we are going to discuss things, we do it respectfully and we drop stuff if things look like they are headed to a bad place, discussion-wise. I know the people I discuss things with are intelligent and while we disagree on the how, we ultimately want what is best for the country.

Recently a friend who tips a bit to the right brought up the "Obama is really from Kenya" theory.

I love you, truly - but don't lets start

Here's the thing...I recognize there is absolutely some legitimate criticism that can be made against this administration. NSA? I can't say I'm a fan. ACA - I definitely don't think it's the boon that it was made out to be and I still get upset when I think of a few very specific examples of people I know for whom, while improvements may have been made, it's still not affordable or complete enough. I hardly think the president is a saint above all criticism! While I'd cheerfully repeat my vote against his opponents for him again, I think it's beyond ridiculous to act as if he had no flaws.

But *sigh* Kenya???

Why in the hell do people go there in the first place? (Crazy theories not to the actual country of Kenya)When there are real things to take issue with, why do people enjoy believing and spreading the crazy stuff? And note I said "people", not "conservatives" or "right-wingers". Not too long before the secret Kenyan incident, there were lots of left leaning folks gleefully crowing over a news article detailing another horrible thing a republican candidate said - only to find the article was from a parody site and then get horribly offended when I pointed it out. I got private hate messages from a left leaning person, complete with salty language telling me to shut up because my attempt to silence them (by pointing out the obvious) was setting back the woman's movement.

I'm a woman too you twit - so by your "logic" your attempt to silence me by disagreeing is also setting back the woman's movement - and possibly racist since I'm a minority. 

There's no pretty way to say it - when people buy into the wilder stuff they look ignorant. It makes them appear as if they are unable to discuss legitimate issues (whether because it almost seems as if they have no faith in the legitimate points of criticism that can be made or they lack the patience or the mental faculties to have a rational discussion). I want legitimate debate back in our country. I want the demonization of both sides to stop because then maybe we have a chance to move forward as a country. Buying into the crazy crap means you've made a decision not only to shut down your mind to any other information, but yep, it makes you look crazy and makes it easier for your opponents to shut themselves down to any good and legitimate points you have to say ( Such and such buys into theory X? Well they must be stupid so now we are free to blow off any valid issues with situation Y)

Just Stop. Really.

By Rommy Cortez-Driks

The Waiting

I am in the process of purging myself of a pesky habit. I wouldn't even call it a bad habit necessarily, but a bit like a bad habit, giving it too much space in my life eats up time and energy better spent someplace else. Habits like that are like little mice in a granary. The whole harvest may not be ruined or lost but those pesky things nibble at the good and poop where you don't want them to.

It's not a big deal. I've done this with little peccadilloes before (I love that word by the way - it makes me think of little sins anthropomorphized to resemble a cross between a woodpecker and an armadillo - yes I am weird). In a month, it won't be a thought. But it's that annoying time between now and the end of the month's waiting, when it's still a thing, when it's still pecking at you - bah! It makes me want to wish the time away to the end of that month.

Which is stupid really. There'd be a lot of awesome I'd miss in that month like:

-playing with the kids
-quality time with the hubby
-a cool day trip into Jersey to a Japanese marketplace with an old friend
-a cool weekend trip to New York where I'll meet a new friend
- books to read (I am loving Stardust!)
-bellydance class
-tea ceremony class

Alas, there is nothing for it but to take the slow path. The month will come and go faster than I expected, with fun experiences to fill it up and the absence of a mutant woodpecker-armadillo to celebrate.

By Rommy Cortez-Driks

A Bit O' Sunshine

Woot! Got nominated for another blogger award.

OK, let's get the 11 facts out of the way:

1.) I'm an unrepentant food snob. It's actually a fabulous way to keep charge of my health. I only blow my calories on stuff I really like. As Anton Ego said in Ratatouille, "If I don't love it, I don't swallow."

2.) That may be the most unintentionally dirty line in a Pixar movie ever.

3.) I am the shortest person at my office.

4.) I actually don't mind snow days too much - unless my house loses power!

5.) I adore Indian food.

6.) Even though Valentine's Day was a snow day with the kids, the hubby made sure to grab some Indian food to eat in once the roads were clear.

7.) The first Valentine's Day I spent with the hubby we watched Army of Darkness.

8.) Though our Valentine's evening was delayed, we continued the tradition by watching an episode of Dexter on our date night.

9.) Although the hubby and I are different religions, we agreed about the way our children should be brought up - as geeks.

10.) Dr. Who is family TV at our place, along with Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

11.) My daughter returned the favor by introducing me to My Little Pony. As much as I wanted to avoid that show, I ended up liking it.

I am also going to stick with just 3 blogs to nominate for this award:

She Who Seeks
Rhissanna
Rue and Hyssop

By Rommy Cortez-Driks

Like Kids in a Candy Store

This post is part of The Vampire Day Soiree at Holly's Horrorland

“It isn’t fair, Xander!” Emma said, stamping her Mary Jane clad foot. “You always get to go first!” Several nonpareils skittered off the counter to join the larger mess of candy on the floor. One of the few unbroken fluorescent lights in the store flickered and died, which would have made it difficult for the average person to navigate around the shambles. Emma scowled at the light, as if it too was part of a larger conspiracy to make sure she was last, but easily made her way to stand beside her brother without so much as a stumble.

Xander looked at his little sister smugly. “It’s very fair. You didn’t get up right away when I knocked so I went hunting alone. I caught it and I get to go first. You’re lucky I came back to get you. What if it had gotten away?”

Emma crossed her arms over her polka dotted dress and pouted. “I hate you,” she hissed.

The teenage boy circled the bound and gagged man struggling on the floor. He nudged the man with the toe of his designer sneaker. “Aw c’mon, look at him Em. He’s bigger than the last one. Plenty for us both.”

“If you waited for me I could have gotten a bigger one, maybe even two or three!” A sly look crossed her face. “I know where some big ones are and I know how to catch them,” she said in a sing song voice. Emma picked up a sprinkle covered candy apple. She started picking off the sprinkles, tossing them at the man one by one as she circled him. “I’m still going to be hungry right after we’re done here.”

“Oh alright,” Xander said, looking at the man appraisingly. “If you're still hungry, we’ll go after the ones you were talking about right after we get done here. You can even lead the hunt. Happy now?”

Emma tossed the apple at the man’s head, clapped her hands and ran over to hug Xander.

“Get off,” he snapped. “God, do you have to do that all the time? You’re such a baby.”

She giggled, pleased that the hug irritated him. Xander dusted himself off and ran his hands through his blonde hair as if to remove some dirt that had gotten on him.

“Can you take out his gag,” she asked, still giggling. “I like to hear the screams.”

“Do it yourself brat.”

Emma stuck her tongue out at Xander and removed the gag. Immediately the man began to plead. “Let me go kid. Please. All that stuff I said before. I was just kidding. I wasn’t going to hurt you. We were going to have fun. We could still have fun, all of us together.”

“Emma, cover your ears,” Xander said.

Emma recognized the face he made meant business and covered her ears right away.

Xander started kicking the man. “Don’t - you – ever- talk like that around my sister! She’s still innocent you fucking asshole!” He grabbed one of the few unbroken glass bins filled with gumballs and smashed it over the man’s head.

Emma uncovered her ears, looked at the dead man and then looked over at Xander. “You said swear words!”

“You were supposed to have your ears covered. And who are you going to tell? Mom? She taught me how to swear.”

Emma looked at the pulpy mess. “He’s not going to scream anymore. It’s not fair.”

Xander shrugged, then smiled for the first time that evening, long incisors gleaming. “There’s still plenty to eat.  And maybe the next ones will scream a lot.”

“You always cheer me up. I love you Xander.”

“Geez Em, make up your mind. You said you hated me a few minutes ago. C’mon. Dinner’s getting cold.”

“You mean appetizer,” Emma said happily, revealing her own set of fangs. She picked up a bright yellow gumball, swirling it in the remains of the man’s head and popped it in her mouth. “You have to try one like this – it’s so good!”

“You are just too weird Em. Can’t you do anything normal?” Xander said before biting down on the man’s neck.

“You’re too scared to try anything new. I’m going to save more of these to dip in tonight’s dinner,” Emma said, grabbing a handful of gumballs and stuffing them in her pocket.

And with that, she settled down and ate.

By Rommy Cortez-Driks

That Kind of Love Affair Or An Insecure Writer's Support Group Blog Post

This is part of the Insecure Writer's Support Group blog posts. Sorry it's a day late, but blogs are electricity and internet dependent - which is an issue in the Northeast right now!

I made a simple but fascinating observation about the writing process. I'm moving at a decent clip and being fairly consistent with writing - well, except when I wasn't. Sick family members and snow days are a legitimate excuse I suppose. But I had gotten so good at squeezing my minimum in, that I knew it was just that - an excuse. I know it's because I felt a bit stuck as to where my characters were going, how to get them from point A to point B, and how to do it without it taking forever.

"That's it!" I thought. "I suck as a writer. I don't know if I can manage a full novel. Short stories, sure, but who am I kidding?"

And then while returning from ferrying my newly recuperated offspring someplace or replenishing my pantry (I forget which), something hit me. I knew exactly how I wanted to word things, exactly where the characters were going. I couldn't promise less wordy, but I had an idea. I was so wrapped up in it, I took the wrong exit driving home which irked me because it meant I couldn't get to my laptop as fast as I would like.

Yep, I'm a writer.

I did take a break from novel writing to get a short story ready for the Vampire's Day Soiree at Holly's Horrorland

I still do think short stories are most likely my thing, but I've grown fond of the challenge of novel writing, in a masochistic sort of way. One might say my relationship to writing goes a little something like this...

By Rommy Cortez-Driks