tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89827485194731087952024-03-05T23:35:56.683-08:00Words on a pageI blog when I am inspired to by something - in other words, pretty much like a lot of other bloggers. I don't blog often, but when I do, I try to make it count.Tonyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02840761111063734444noreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982748519473108795.post-77824863519291302272012-09-12T20:44:00.001-07:002012-09-12T22:26:40.993-07:00Bullying By a Teacher - UNACCEPTABLEBy now, many of you may have read about the boy in a Washington state middle school who was bullied by classmates AND the teacher in charge of his care and safety. There's no "he said/she said" here - the ordeal was video-recorded on someone's cell phone.
At this point, the teacher, John Rosi, was reassigned to a different school within the Peninsula district and suspended without pay for 10 Tonyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02840761111063734444noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982748519473108795.post-39149031832944324202012-04-02T14:42:00.002-07:002012-04-02T14:42:50.612-07:00Adulthood - do I have unreasonable expectations about this?I realize that by writing this post I am, in a sense, doing precisely what I'm about to rail against. However, these issues continue to swirl around in my mind and I've got to find a way to let it out. I've got far more important things to think about than immature drama. I'll be using real initials of real people, so I'm certain I'll get some backlash, but as some of those involved refuse to Tonyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02840761111063734444noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982748519473108795.post-79163616374331619662011-12-08T11:44:00.001-08:002011-12-08T12:28:04.924-08:00Holidazed and ConfusedI'm prepping to do something this weekend that I haven't done in years! I'm actually inviting people into my home!
To put it in the simplest terms, my house is so embarrassingly messy and cluttered that it's prevented me from inviting friends over to just hang out, eat, play games, watch movies, or whatever. One reason it's this way is because things have spun out of control in terms of my Tonyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02840761111063734444noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982748519473108795.post-22671252524839178482011-12-08T11:36:00.000-08:002011-12-08T12:29:25.251-08:00Missing toddler Sky MetalwalaAs we approach the weekend, I find myself pondering the case of Sky Metalwala, who was reported missing on the morning of November 6. This coming Sunday will mark six weeks since little Sky was reported as missing by his mother, Julia Biryukova. Her story rapidly fell apart, yet there have been no new leads for weeks now. Mommy and her family still refuse to cooperate with the police. JuliaTonyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02840761111063734444noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982748519473108795.post-9460414358058562182011-11-17T15:39:00.000-08:002011-11-17T15:39:35.916-08:00When "cutting spending" results in tragedyAs many of you know, I've been a long-time advocate of mental health issues. My ex-husband is on permanent disability due to his bipolar disorder (which was well-treated until insurances changed and he had to switch to a doctor who I personally believe is responsible for making my ex-husband into a man who can no longer work). My daughter was diagnosed with Early Onset Bipolar Disorder (NOS - NotTonyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02840761111063734444noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982748519473108795.post-83880450249590213902011-11-11T11:28:00.000-08:002011-11-11T12:09:35.822-08:00Doing what’s RIGHT, not just what’s “legally required”There are some things I’ll never understand.
Trigonometry.
The fascination with “Jersey Shores”.
How anyone could catch a pedophile IN THE ACT OF ABUSING A CHILD and just walk away. Without stopping the sicko (and following up with kicking the living shit out of him). Without calling the police immediately to report the sleazebag.
Or how anyone who’d been told “I just witnessed a boy being Tonyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02840761111063734444noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982748519473108795.post-90124559767128442562011-09-03T15:58:00.000-07:002011-09-03T15:58:10.188-07:00My health and how it impacts my life
I know this starts out on a low note, but gets uplifting at the end. I promise!
My health impacts my family every day.
My kids already know that Mom is going to say "maybe" or "we'll see" no matter what they ask to do later in the day or the week. They know this because they've had to live with a Mom who has fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, persistent nerve damage in my foot, and a tendency to Tonyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02840761111063734444noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982748519473108795.post-78828703593496959772011-01-24T10:19:00.000-08:002011-01-24T10:21:34.164-08:00The WriteRunner: Writers Digest ’11 Conference ReportThe WriteRunner: Writers Digest ’11 Conference Report
My husband, an aspiring author, wrote about his experience this weekend in which he traversed the country to attend a writer's conference. It's pretty darn exciting! :)Tonyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02840761111063734444noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982748519473108795.post-529571951105837032011-01-12T19:36:00.000-08:002011-01-12T20:55:57.960-08:00Tragedy in Tuscon - gun violence, politics, and mental illnessIt's taken me a few days to try and process my feelings about the violence that erupted when 22 year old Jared Loughner opened fire in a grocery store parking lot on January 8, 2011, wounding 14, including Democratic Representative Gabrielle Giffords, who remains in critical condition, and killing six.
This is such a complex issue. Whether politics was to blame, both the right and Tonyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02840761111063734444noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982748519473108795.post-56309538642179977732011-01-07T11:26:00.000-08:002011-01-07T11:26:41.617-08:00Something pretty personal - miscarriageI'm lucky to have two relatively healthy, happy kids.
My daughter, Emily, has grown into an incredibly artistic and intelligent young lady at 16 years old. My son, Noah, is 11 and already showing glances of the kind, smart young man he will be some day.
Two children - one girl and one boy. A husband. A dog. It's the perfect family.
However, there should have been three children.
I was very Tonyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02840761111063734444noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982748519473108795.post-64470266435191563292010-11-17T12:04:00.000-08:002010-11-17T12:04:00.295-08:00TSA and their "enhanced pat-downs"FOURTH AMENDMENT
'The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.'
There's been a great deal of Tonyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02840761111063734444noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982748519473108795.post-60099241728919241902010-10-28T14:48:00.000-07:002010-10-28T16:16:08.836-07:00Fat - the last "acceptable" prejudice?The interwebs are all abuzz about a recent blog on the Marie Claire magazine website. Go read it before continuing - it will help you understand just WHY there has been such an uproar.
There have been many VERY good counter blogs, including ones at Fatshionista, The Polymath Chronicals, and Blogger Body Calendar.
There have also been bloggers who've written, essentially, "Tonyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02840761111063734444noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982748519473108795.post-7883411729366474732010-10-19T10:17:00.000-07:002010-10-24T20:59:17.933-07:00Big fundraising push for my sister's medical expensesSo far using the ChipIn! widget on the side of this blog, I've raised $330 to go towards my sister's medical expenses, and a friend mailed a check for $25. That's a total of $355 so far. I recently found out that friends and family back home in Tennessee are holding a benefit for her on November 6. I'd LOVE to be able to send her a check for $500 that she could open at or before the benefit.
Tonyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02840761111063734444noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982748519473108795.post-10792798522591495312010-10-11T14:48:00.000-07:002010-10-11T14:48:43.357-07:00News about my sister's cancer & related strugglesMy sister is recovering well from her breast cancer surgery and her hysterectomy. Health-wise, it seems like good news at this point in terms of those issues.
Of course she will always have to deal with her fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, peripheral neuropathy, and so on. This will impact her ability to obtain and hold a job once her best friend (for whom she currently works as her Tonyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02840761111063734444noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982748519473108795.post-38299963049126182762010-10-08T13:59:00.000-07:002010-10-08T13:59:14.062-07:00I love the 80s!My 40th birthday is coming up, and it's making me relive some of (the cool parts) of my youth. Specifically, I'm reminiscing about television, movies and music from the 1980s.
Do you have favorite things you remember from that decade? Toys, games, technology, music, television shows, movies, clothing styles, etc. are all fair game.Tonyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02840761111063734444noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982748519473108795.post-4406525453992175612010-09-15T13:22:00.000-07:002010-09-21T14:00:28.494-07:00Updates on my sisterI'll be posting updates on this blog in the form of replies. You are welcome to add your own replies if you like, of course.
I just got off the phone with my Mom.
Sissy has finished the radiation from her breast cancer removal surgery. Apparently they put some sort of balloon in the place where the cancer in her breast was removed, and then were able to administer radiation treatment twice a Tonyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02840761111063734444noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982748519473108795.post-12145567584676693442010-09-03T13:35:00.001-07:002010-09-03T21:56:03.802-07:00Please help my big sister
My sister is 16 years older than me. She's had to become a very strong lady as life has thrown more than a fair share of curve balls her way.
I can remember watching her dig for potatoes in our garden when, as a single parent, she was struggling to make ends meet. I know for a fact there were many times she literally went hungry to ensure my nephew would have food to eat.
As a teenager, I Tonyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02840761111063734444noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982748519473108795.post-7675811397998212902010-07-12T21:00:00.000-07:002010-07-13T00:26:54.412-07:00My convention checklistSince it's almost time for San Diego Comic Con, I thought it'd be good to revisit this blog post. PLEASE feel free to add your suggestions, as this post was originally written more for the average convention rather than a BIG con like SDCC.
I attended my first convention way back in 1998, when I flew from TN to St. Louis for a Hercules/Xena convention. That was also the first time I boarded an Tonyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02840761111063734444noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982748519473108795.post-86978482014182894752010-04-04T10:29:00.001-07:002010-04-04T10:29:57.521-07:00The Break Up LetterI'm sorry to do this in a letter, but you MUST have seen this coming. We've never really gotten along. Sure, you've been in my life for what seems like forever, but I'm honestly just SO ready to move on.
I'd love to say something like "it's not you, it's me" to soften the blow, but it'd be a big cliche. It'd also be untrue, because you know what? It isn't me. It IS you.
You have the Tonyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02840761111063734444noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982748519473108795.post-17064084935018343292010-03-26T23:50:00.000-07:002010-03-26T23:50:32.599-07:00wish listAdd this to my wishlist (the items, plus the body to go with it):
http://www.hipsandcurves.com/plus-size-lingerie/p-255-plus-size-parisian-style-floor-length-skirt-default.aspxTonyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02840761111063734444noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982748519473108795.post-33157260868919580322010-02-16T02:43:00.000-08:002010-02-16T02:43:05.234-08:00My take on the Southwest vs. Kevin Smith Fattie ThrowdownI've been following the story of director and actor Kevin Smith's recent travel woes with popular carrier Southwest Airlines with more than a little interest. The issue surrounds the apparently long-standing policy of Southwest to allow it's individual employees to make judgment calls about a passenger's size and whether a given passenger is "too fat to fly". I've got a horse in this race Tonyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02840761111063734444noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982748519473108795.post-21121754632294334312010-02-04T23:33:00.000-08:002010-02-04T23:33:27.787-08:00"Jon Stewart Wipes the Floor with Dick Sweat"So tonight Jon Stewart had a segment about blogs and how the titles of political blogs are a bit more "intense" than the topic warrants, siting blog titles that use terms like "eviscerates" for situations that are actually quite reasonable and polite.
After the break, he had a funny segment in which he showed President Barack Obama being addressed by a man named Dick Sweat, who's apparently a Tonyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02840761111063734444noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982748519473108795.post-43745057870750883832010-01-15T15:30:00.000-08:002010-01-15T15:30:36.052-08:00Team CoCo updates, link roundups hereIn case you missed it, there are lots of great links out there about this whole fiasco. I thought I'd try to collect some of my favorites here. Please leave comments if you think I've missed something (but let's be honest, I don't really CARE if I miss any pro-Leno links).
The Week Late Night Went to War has been a hotbed of controversy. Some late night talk show hosts have addressed it head-onTonyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02840761111063734444noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982748519473108795.post-74008270333119118382010-01-14T13:28:00.000-08:002010-01-14T13:45:26.019-08:00The Conan v. Leno debate
I'm With COCO,
originally uploaded by stevegarfield.
Yeah, I know EVERYONE seems to be blogging about it. Twitter has seen lots of action with trending topics like "Conan" and "Leno", plus hashtags like #teamconan, #teamcoco and #imwithcoco. Clearly, while it may not be the most important news story in the history of mankind, it's a fairly popular topic of conversation. I'll tell you Tonyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02840761111063734444noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982748519473108795.post-4320662354622021912009-12-03T01:56:00.000-08:002009-12-03T01:56:52.441-08:00Fighting for that "Gratitude Attitude"As you may or may not know, many years ago I created a website to reach out and offer peer support to other mothers who understood what it's like to experience PostPartum Mood Disorders (the main web page is at http://www.ppdsupportpage.com/ if you would like to visit, but I've not been great about updating it). I sometimes journal there, and the following is the body of my most recent entry. I Tonyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02840761111063734444noreply@blogger.com1