FFS Friday

It's my favourite part of the week, for more reasons than one but also because it means that it's FFS Friday with Dear Baby G again! 

This week the state of QLD has been in flood. It seems to bring the dickheads out in full force FFS

We received close to 500mm in under 48 hours. It destroyed roads and bridges. Still people were stupid enough to drive through the water FFS

Stretched rescue teams then had to spend time rescuing these dickheads, taking precious resources away from people who didn't put themselves in the situation FFS

People were letting their children swim in swollen creeks and storm water drains FFS

The roads were cut on Saturday so of course people started panic buying. Maccas ran out of chips FFS

It's been a struggle all week to get most food, especially milk.  There has been limited fresh food. There was even no potatoes. What on earth are people expecting to do with it all? FFS

A woman was removed by security from one of the supermarkets after abusing a checkout chic because she was enforcing the restrictions put in place because of the limited food. She proceeded to jump all over her extra loaves of bread, exclaiming that if she couldn't have them, no one could. FFS

The shops had less people in them at Christmas. People were less rude too FFS

There have been reports of fights between customers over the dwindling stock FFS

The Fitzroy hasn't even reached it's peak yet.  FFS

We still have a few more days to go of this FFS

Despite entire communities still being cut off due to their bridges being swept away in the flood waters, they haven't been declared disaster zones. The people here aren't able to receive assistance to help them get back on their feet unless the area is declared a disaster zone. FFS

Already people are preying on the weak and vulnerable by door knocking, and telling people they are with the electrical, phone, etc and are here to help clean up. They then swindle people out of their money. It's disgraceful FFS

 What's been pissing you off this week? Let me know so I don't feel like the only whinging bitch.  If you have a blog, then head on over to Dear Baby G and link up your post. Also don't forget to read all of the other great posts.

 

 

What not to say to someone who self harms

After reading the post Kate from Kate Says Stuff wrote about 5 things you shouldn't say to someone who is depressed it got me thinking about things that have been said to me why well meaning people.  Not about depression, but about self harm and being in hospital. 
 

Here is my list of things to not say to someone who has just self harmed and/or has found themselves in hospitial.
 

1. Why would you do that to yourself, there are people out there who have it worse than you.
This is one of my biggest pet hates around depression and mental illness.  People are always quick to remark that there is always someone out there who has it worse.  Do they not think that we are aware of that...sometimes there is nothing we can do, its all about a chemical imbalance.  Everyone has different levels of being able to cope. What may seem small to you, could be insurmountable to another person.  Don't judge them, they have enough guilt as it is.
 

2. You did this to yourself, so you don't deserve to be treated with respect.
This is more aimed at medical professionals and I use the term 'professionals' loosely.  There has been many times when I have be stitched or stapled without anesthetic. Or they have done it so soon after administering it, that it doesn't have a chance to work before they start stitching.  Contrary to small minded belief, self harmers do actually feel pain.  A small minded Dr refusing to use anesthetic is not the same as an act of self harm. 
 

3. People who self harm are people to be feared.
The key word in the term is SELF harm. We don't set out to directly harm others, we may indirectly hurt loved ones emotionally, but very rarely does an act of SELF harm involve another person.  I was removed from UNI housing as the UNI was afraid for the safety of other students.  Another example of how far small minded stigma spreads.
 

4. Why are you in the 'looney bin' it's full of 'crazy' people.
To put things a bit simply...in order to want to harm yourself to 'feel better' you have to kind of be a little bit crazy. Also, the other people in hospital are no different from your friend, they are lost like them. Their medication might have stopped working, or they fell into old habits and they found themselves at rock bottom again.  Hospital is a place to gather yourself, you won't be instantly better, but it helps to get yourself back on your own two feet.
 

5. I won't visit them or call them because they might want to be alone.
Don't make this assumption.  Hospital is a lonely place, the days seem to tick by so slowly.  There isn't much to do other than to be lost in your own thoughts.  At least not in the public wards I have been in.  Make a phone call. Sometimes even a 5 minute conversation can make someone feel like there is people out there who care about them.  Why is it that when someone is in hospital for a medical issue, people have no issue in going for a visit but as soon as someone is in the 'looney bin' then they are something that is to be feared.  Step outside your comfort zone and make someone feel a bit special.
 

What can you do to make your friend feel better?
The truth is there might not be much, but just being there, judge free can be enough.  Lending a listening ear and letting them know that they aren't alone.  

Listmania: Currently I am

On my usual morning social media read, I stumbled across a new linky party by Deb from Home Life Simplified. It's brand new for 2013 and has a new list of prompts each week.  The linky is open for a week so if you are a blogger then come along and join the party!

 This weeks prompt is Currently I am:

 Reading: I just finished The Perks of Being a Wallflower.  I quite enjoyed it.  I think I'll read a Janet Evanovich one next as I like to have a filler in between 'heavy' books.

Listening to: Napoleon. Devil Spawn has taken a liking to the movie. I'm just waiting for the disc to die from overuse.

Laughing at: The phrases that Devil Spawn comes out with. It's amazing seeing how his brain works when he comes out with some of the stuff he does! 

Swooning over: In light of the Breastfeeding debate that was sparked by a woman getting asked to leave a pool, the images of Ryan Gosling that are circulating. He thinks Breastfeeding is sexy ;)

Planning: I've gotten into the swing of the Menu Planning and it's actually working, most of the time.  

Eating lots of: Lattice Slice. It is yum yum and the recipe can be found here

Feeling: Completely overwhelmed...still

Discovering: Not everything is as it appears. It's better to to stabbed in the front by an enemy than stabbed in the back by a friend.

Looking at: Ways to improve the blog. Let me know what YOU want to see more of here 

Wearing: As little clothes as possible when I'm at home. It is ridiculously hot here at the moment. I feel like I am sitting in a giant pool of sweat, even at midnight.

Cooking: More meals that are easy, but still nutritious. Ones that also appeal to a fussy toddler are also winners.

Wondering: If I am taking the right steps to making 2013 my bitch. It feels like two steps forward, one step back at the moment. I will OWN it!

Trying out: A bit of goal orientated exercise with Kate and signed up for Operation Move. 

What are you currently....

 

Personal Space

I have a giant personal space bubble. Christmas shopping, being in crowded spaces in general invades that personal space bubble. I don't like it. It's something that grates on my nerves.  I don't like being touched without warning, and I do not appreciate strangers coming and touching me.  I even flinch when Papa Devil and Devil Spawn touch me.  I'm not a touchy feely kind of person.  If I hug you, know that it comes from a place that I really had to reach deep down to do it.
 

This week I had a woman invade my personal space and stroke my scars.  I looked at her in horror, completely speechless as to what would possess someone to stroke a person, who they didn't know's arm. I would never touch someone I didn't know. At least not while sober! My look of horror must have worked as she recoiled pretty quickly. No apology was offered though. It was not an accidental brush, we were the only two people standing at the bus stop. 
 

This weekend I went out with a few girlfriends.  Clubbing is a BIG breach of my personal space bubble. Occasional, accidental bumps I can handle. In my face, being obnoxious I cannot. This seems to be the only thing that males think exists when it comes to the dance floor.  Seriously what is with that? I am here to dance, trying not to feel like a complete dickhead, I do not need you grinding yourself on my leg like a dog humping it's favourite toy.  One guy attempted to get close to me and spilt his drink down my leg.  Drink wastage is not cool!
Do you have a giant personal space bubble or are you happy to be close to people?
 

Just a short one from me tonight.  Head to my Facebook Page to vote for this weeks Reader's Choice. It will be the last one for the year so make it a good one :)

Boycott

Welcome to Reader's Choice Thursday again! The weeks are just getting away from me lately. I have started to write everything down so that I don't forget anything.  Phew so much to do, so little time.
This weeks winning Reader's Choice is 'Who I boycott and why'.
 

There are some companies that I avoid just because of their dismal customer service. Standing in a store for 20 minutes and receiving no help, is not the way to go about getting more customers through your door.  This company however isn't a boycott. If I need something and know exactly what I want, then I will go in there. 
 

However there is one store that I refuse to spend my money at.  I will not enter competitions held by them and would not accept marketing from them on this blog.  It is something that I feel that strong about.  What is this company you ask?  Gloria Jeans Coffee.  Now this isn't something that I came about because I had a bad experience with them but something reached because of research.
 

I wasn't aware of their partnerships until reading an article last year.  I was appalled and vowed to never shop there again.  Gloria Jeans have been linked to Anti-Gay campaigns and in 2012, in my eyes, this is just not acceptable.  In 2010, reporter Doug Pollard revealed that Gloria Jeans had donated $30,000 to the Australia Christian Lobby.  Upon questioning the Franchise of Gloria Jeans admitted to donating the money, but that they did not support the thinkings of of the ACL.  Why on earth would you donate then? We give money to things that we believe in, or have a place that is close to our hearts, or in a business sense, suit the persona that the business wants to show to the public.  I have no idea why a company in 2012 would feel it necessary to just throw money at a cause that they both don't believe in and had the potential to harm their business.
 

Gloria Jeans have also been linked to Mercy Ministries, an inpatient facility that provided treatment for women with 'life controlling issues'.  It was reported that these therapies also involved 'gay curing'.  In 2009, all Gloria Jeans stores displayed a collection box to raise funds for Mercy Ministries.  Mercy Ministries was allegedly closed due to violations of the trade act, it was only after this happened that Gloria Jeans stopped the partnership. 
 

There have been sites set up to help support those who have been effected by the Mercy Ministries, as well as a Boycott page that provides information in regards to the Anti Gay Movement. 
 

For more information check out these websites:

 http://boycottgloriajeans.com/

 http://www.mercysurvivors.com/about-2/

 https://www.facebook.com/BoycottGloriaJeans

Do you avoid any places? Is it more of a lack of customer service issue or something a bit deeper?

If you have a blog, please feel free to link up with your Reader's Choice.

 

I still feel like a child playing dress up

Over the weekend a parody hashtag was created on twitter called #fakemamamia. I personally thought it was hilarious. It bought together many like minded women who weren’t afraid to laugh at a situation and who realised that being a mum wasn’t all sunshine and lollipops and shit.  What was created from this hashtag was Unreal Women. The start of a woman's online mag that was breaking the norm. Until the mainstream got a hold of it.  Sadly it’s over before it even began. All over a typo. Seriously.  Death threats were sent. Seriously.

Where I am going with this is that the following post was a submission I made to be included in the mag. The mag is no longer going ahead but I wanted to help tell it’s story.  To show the damage that can be done.  

I'm 24. I have been living out on my own for the last five years. Yet I am still waiting for someone to come along and tell me they caught me out, that I'm just pretending.  I don't feel like a real grown up.

When I was little I always loved bags. I still do and get a new one every couple of months. If my bank account allowed it I think I would get a new one every month.  One thing I always dreamed about when I was little was that I would have enough 'stuff' for a 'proper' handbag.  You know all the 'grown up' stuff that we see our mums stuff their bag with.  I now have the oversized handbag, complete with all the stuff. I still feel like a child playing dress up.

I always buy organisers when I get the chance. I love stationary and have way too much of it.  The diary is another thing that I saw as a 'grown up' thing.  I couldn't wait to be old enough to fill it with all of the activities I would do. All of the appointments I would be attending. The outings I would be invited to.  I have those things. I still feel like a child playing dress up.

As a female, the go to present is smelly stuff. I have enough lotions and potions to sink a battle ship.  I wear perfume every day. It's another thing that I equate with being a 'grown up'. You have places to be so you need to smell pretty.  'Grown up' things.  I still feel like a child playing dress up.

I always had a large collection of hand me down make up when I was growing up. I would sit in my room trying on different colours.  When I feel like being 'pretty' I put make up on. Sometimes it's for a night out. Other times it's to just do the grocery shopping.  I use foundation, mascara and lipstick. I'm not particularly good at applying it. I still feel like a child playing dress up.

Growing up I would fantasize about making my own home. I would think about all the stuff that I would buy and fill my house with.  I would picture all of the things I would use to decorate and how I could finally be able to display all of the ornaments I had collected.  I have all of that. I have so much stuff. My house is set up into a little home. It's not perfect but it's mine. I still feel like a child playing dress up.

Unlike other little girls, I never dreamed about having kids. They just didn't factor into my future plans.  I now have a 3 year old son.  He depends on me for everything and loves me to death. I teach him things without even realising it, I'm moulding a little human being. I still feel like a child playing dress up.

My whole life feels pretty surreal to me most days. I try not to think too far ahead or I get overwhelmed. I do things my way. Not everyone agrees with it, but I speak my mind.  I might feel like a child playing dress up but I'm an adult who's learning to cope in the big bad world.

Linking up with Essentially Jess for IBOT.

Dissection

I decided to do a bit of dissecting today. What on you ask? The Shopping Centre of course.  Yep it's all hard hitting action around here.
There are many different kinds of inhabitants that frequent The Shopping Centre.  Not all of them are rant worthy, most of them are.
 

The Teenager: This is one of the inhabitants that get on my last nerve frequently.  Sure there are nice ones around....those ones don't hang around shopping centres acting like wankers.  You know the ones, they are loud, obnoxious and always in large groups.  The local Shopping Centre tried to stamp down on these creatures by saying people under the age of 18 couldn't be in groups of more than 4. Yeh it worked for a whole week I think.
 

The Senior Citizen: This inhabitant tends to save all of their shopping adventures to one day. The dreaded Pension Day.  The general consensus is that this day is a Thursday.  Around here it seems to lean more towards a Friday.  The Senior Citizen has two very distinct categories. There is the cute little old lady/man. They fill you with all good stuff and remind you of the Disney industry generated Grandparent figure. Then there is the complete polar opposite.  The nasty, rude little old lady/man.  I understand that we should respect our elders BUT respect should be something that is returned.  You being over the age of 60 doesn't give you the right to push in front of me and my son at the checkout. If you have less things than me, I might have let you go first anyway.  You being rude about it just leaves a sour taste in my mouth.
 

The Bogan Family: This group of inhabitants don't have shoes, clothes are usually ripped and dirty, just like their foul mouth.  Don't get me wrong I drop the F-Bomb like the best of them, but there is a time and a place.  Walking through your local Shopping Centre is not that place.  Also please try to keep your kids in some kind of control.  We all know that Shopping Centres are like drugs for small kids but if you're too busy snogging your latest Baby Daddy, then that shit is not cool.
The 'Whoops is this a Shopping Centre, not a nightclub': There is a whole post dedicated to this right over here
 

The Large Group: When I say large group, I am talking more that 5.  A large group on its own is not annoying.  It's when said large group insists on walking in a straight line across the walkway.  You know, blocking the whole fucking thing! Have you ever tried to navigate a pram or trolley through one of these groups? It's damn impossible.  None of them move, none of them acknowledge that there are OTHER FUCKING PEOPLE WHO ARE TRYING TO SHOP TOO!
 

The Dreamer: Although the name may lead you to think that this person is all arty and swish. No. This person is too busy in their own world to realise that there is actually other people in the Shopping Centre.  You know, people who are trying to get shit done.  They wander around, saying hello to the 500 people they know, usually done in a door way of a store.  Don't even try saying 'excuse me'. It will fall of deaf ears and you'll be forced to look like you are a member of 'The Bogan Family' by cursing them out.
 

The Get In, Get Your Shit and Get Out: This is me. I don't like shopping for the sake of shopping anymore.  All of the above inhabitants have ruined that for me. 

Which inhabitant are you? Are you a little bit of different ones?
 

Linking up with Essentially Jess for IBOT

Hindsight

Unfortunately sometimes in life it takes a big event for people to show their true colours.  It can feel like a slap in the face and hindsight is a bitch.
 

It can really be a knock to your self esteem.  I've started to wonder if it's something I do that attracts these kind of people.  The kind of people who will hug you with one hand and stab you in the back with the other.  Do I invite these people or am I just not perceptive enough to see the true colours that lurk beneath the surface? Or are these people so cunning that they hide their true colours until a situation arises that forces their real personality to the surface?
 

For the duration of 2012 I have been an angry ball of fury.  Everyone and everything got on my nerves.  Life became an unbearable pit of anger. I hated leaving the house because everything pissed me off and I was constantly on edge.  A scowl was a permanent fixture on my face and I wasn't very approachable.  I thought I needed new meds.  I think a lot of it was down to the fact that I was in fact surrounded by arseholes.
 

I've had a facebook acc since 2007. It wasn't until this year that it started to become more of a burden than a help.  It made me paranoid and untrusting as knives were coming from every direction and I didn't know who was throwing them.  It revealed it's underbelly of gossip and back stabbing behaviour and I didn't like it.  I spent more time worrying and talking about the latest drama that had happened on facebook instead of focusing on my own life and bettering myself. 
 

Then a few weeks ago an incident happened.  An incident that I do not wish to go into detail about on here because I am trying to put it behind me and not dwell on it anymore.  My group of friends were supportive during this time...until some of them weren't.  Actions started to become underhanded and immoral behaviours were expected to be forgiven and forgotten.  It wasn't that simple, it's never that simple.  A small group began to form who supported and excused the incident.  Saying that I didn't know the full story, despite me being the only person in the group who was there when the incident occured.  It all came to a head and I thought fuck it and did a friends list cull.
 

The weight off my shoulders and out of my mind was immense. I left mutual groups, so had no reason to interact at all.  I suddenly felt my brow start to uncrease.  I felt my shoulders to to unhunch.  I felt the ball of fury becoming smaller as each day passed.  Facebook has become a safe haven again. It has become somewhere that I can vent and talk to my friends withouth having to worry about a game of chinese whispers. 
 

So before you decide that you are an angry person with a problem or a person deserving of the treatment they receive, first make sure that the people you are surrounding yourself with aren't putting those behaviours in your psyche.  Be who you are and you will find people who let your real personality and nature shine. 

Put some clothes on yo!

It's FFS Friday today so I have my ranty pants on.  Unlike the teen female population however, my pants are big, baggy and sufficiently cover my arse.

I got to my local shopping centre fairly regularly and my eyes are always assaulted with what seems to be the new fashion of leggings as pants and short shorts.  

The trouble is they think they look like this:

 When in fact 90% of them look like this:

 Girls, girls, girls.  

If you can't wear undies under your shorts because you are worried they will show out THE BOTTOM of your shorts, they shouldn't be worn in public.

If you can feel a breeze on your v-jay jay, they shouldn't be worn in public.

If your thighs have more cottage cheese than the dairy section in Coles, they shouldn't be worn in public.  

If you have to go to the plus size section to get your short shorts, they shouldn't be worn in public.

If your friends tell you, you look fine and sexy when you are unsure about how much arse you are showing, don't listen to them, they are arseholes.

If I can see the lace on your undies at the front of your shorts, they shouldn't be worn in public.

If you have to be anywhere that involves children, these shouldn't be worn in public.  Yes that involves picking up your kids from Daycare or School.  Your kid doesn't run out of the place because they're excited to get home, they want to get as far away from you as possible lest they be taunted for the rest of their school lives.

Please girls for the love of god, have some self respect. What happened to leaving shit to the imagination.  At least save the dental floss shorts for a night club where I'm not likely to be assaulted by them while buying a bottle of milk.

Need to get something off your chest? Head on over to Dear Baby G and let rip or read about other people's shit house days to know you aren't alone.

Mouth Sewn Shut

Unless you have been living under a rock then no doubt you would have heard or read about the Charlotte Dawson Saga.

Some people are saying she brought it on herself, that she should have just ignored the trolls.  But should she really have?  

All of the 'bully chats' when I was at school told us to ignore the bully. They just want attention. They just want a reaction from you.  It will be better if you ignore it.  Is it really?  None of my recollection of being taunted from school is that ignoring them is good.  I'm a stewer, I sit on things until I explode.  Clearly ignoring it doesn't work.  

It's really kind of a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation.  It all depends on your inner workings.  If you can turn something off and not think about it again, then go with the ignoring option. If not, then do what works for you.

I'm kind of a blow it all out in the open kind of person.  If someone has the 'balls' to say something nasty then I call them on it.  If they act one way in private and completely different way in public, then I call them on it.  I try to stand by the thought of 'If you wouldn't say it to their face then don't say it online.'  If you are so 'proactive' in letting someone know what you think about them, then why the need for secrecy.  

This week my brother was suspended.  One of the reasons given was that he kept having outbursts at other students when the were saying stuff to him on the sly.  So in short, he got suspended for sticking up for himself.  My mum brought this up with the teacher....apparently what he is doing is worse.  So again, in short standing up for yourself against bullies is worse than the bullying itself.  No wonder the rate of teen suicide is so high.

If you or someone you know is being bullied and doesn't know what to do please contact either Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 46 36

It's Party Time.

It's Dyllan's 3rd birthday on the 19th of July and this year I have decided to throw him a party this year.  I am going with a 'Construction' theme and have been scouring Ebay looking for fun stuff to decorate my house with.  My Aunty said that I am going to too much trouble for his birthday and it got me thinking about the trouble that people really do go to, to celebrate their kids birthdays.

This woman in the UK spent a staggering $32,000 on her daughter's sixth birthday party.  $32,000! I think that is 'out there' for a wedding so I was gobsmacked to find a mother had spent it on ONE birthday party.

The Birthday Girl's Nine Tier Cake that set the parents back $2,100

This is such a common practice that there has been a show created that showcases some of the most extravagant kids birthday parties.  

This article makes me a little sad.  Is our generation so stupid that people are making great profit from showing people how to have a tradition birthday party.  People have forgotten how to play party games? I think we have just gotten so caught up on 'Keeping up with the Jonses' that we have forgotten how to just relax and have fun.  I've told Dyllan that he is having a 'truck' party and he is over the moon.  I think we forget that it's the simple things that make the kids happy.

Dyllan's 1st Birthday Party.  Cost me all of about $100 and everyone had a ball!

Crisis Schmisis

Last night I realised the positive power of social media and once again the short falls of my local after hours crisis centre.  I am both amazed and appalled that women who I have never met IRL helped more than trained 'professionals'.

Things came to a head like a great big pussy pimple and I needed help stat!  I had been texting my best friend back and forth most of the day.  I had been waiting a week for my case manager to call me back, I missed her call.  I spent the rest of the day building up the confidence to call back and working out what to say.  I finally called her back and she told the receptionist that she would call me back...she didn't...again.

I have very, very, very little faith in my local crisis team and inpatient unit.  So the fact that I relented and called them, I think shows the frame of mind that I was in, and the distress that I was feeling.  

As soon as a voice answered on the other end I blurted out "I want to cut myself".  He asked if I had spoken to anyone else about this and I said that I had been waiting for my case manager to call me back but she hadn't.  What did he surmise from this? That the solution to my crisis was to send my case manager an email and problem fixed.  I started crying and asked what I was supposed to do in the mean time? His answer? I sent your case manager an email, problem solved.  I called him a wanker and hung up.

He called back...I won't bore you with the details but the conversation pretty much followed the same line as the first one...my problem was already solved.  I told him I wasn't coping with my child and the care of him and he told me that everyone goes through that and to suck it up, go watch a movie and it will blow over. I. Am. Not. Kidding.

The scary thing about this experience? It's not a one off, they weren't just having a bad night.  I can count on one finger the amount of times that they  have been helpful.  They are the first port of call before being hospitalised.  If you present at the ED, you have to pass these gate keepers.  Depending on the time that you present...you might not even see a doctor before being sent on your merry way.  Regardless of your state you can be sent on your way without seeing a doctor.

I have been dragged to the ED by police and still they said that the Dr didn't want to leave the comfort of his bed and send me on my way.  Even the police were appalled.  

The first time I had contact with them my parents had driven 8 hours for the 'privilege' only to be told 'she's not old enough to be in our unit' even though at the time I was 18 and a half.  Our referring GP was told that I was guaranteed a bed and that I needed to be hospitalised.  It took my mum 'making a scene' for them to admit me.  Even though I had just gone through surgery to fix something I had done to myself, I wasn't considered 'sick enough'.

I am really appalled that as a developed country we still have this fight to have mental illness treated and to be treated with respect.  Most of the time we don't have the energy to jump through the hoops they set for us and self harm, criminal activity, drinking, taking drugs is just 'easier' than having to deal with the crap these 'professionals' deal us.

Decided to link up with Dear Baby G's For Fuck Sake Friday.  Pop over and show some comment love or link up with a post if you have something that has been driving you up the wall this week.

FFS Friday 20th January 2012

Here we are again.  It's the verbal diarrhoea known as FFS Friday.  It is quite possibly my favourite time of the week because I get to ranty rant and it's the norm :)

This week the weather has been insane! I wish it would just make up it's mind.  On Sunday we were in jumpers and tracksuit pants (oh so glamorous) and right now I am naked and still sweating!  FFS

I bought Mini Man a new lunch box on Tuesday for $13, opened the Kmart catalogue this morning and the same lunch box is in there for $9.  This happens every single time. FFS

My house looks like a bomb has hit it.  Every. Single. Day FFS

I told my psychiatrist that I am not really coping with my son and don't feel a great deal for him emotionally.  His response? To tell me he thinks it might be time to discharge from the Mental Health Service. FFS

After I specifically told them not to, Daycare let Mini Man have a sleep.  He stayed up until 3am! I am not paying these people for him to sleep away the afternoon FFS

When I got to Daycare they were playing tag in the play area.  Did I mention that it's been stinking hot here?  They had no drink bottles with them, or access to drink fountains.  Did I mention it's been stinking hot here? Mini Man's first word to me? Drink! He proceeded to drink 400ml of water in the space of 10 minutes.  When I rang to complain, they assured me that he had been given water.  Bullshit FFS

The welfare system in this country, most of the time sucks balls.  So many innocent children are suffering needlessly because of an overworked, underfunded system.  These are innocent lives we are dealing with FFS

This week I started 'eating healthy' and I am failing miserably and old habits are dying hard.  FFS


Make sure to head over to Dear Baby G and show some comment love or if you feel like having a ranty rant, then go ahead and link up your post.


Happy Friday!

Hello Moron

I've decided that it must be a prerequisite of working in the fast food industry to be a complete moron.  I'm constantly amazed at just how stupid one person can be.

They are also usually rude and impatient.  I deal with a toddler all day....sometimes you are the only 'conversation' I have during a day...a little politeness wouldn't go astray. 

Tonight we went to our local "unnamed fast food eatery".  There was lots of people...I knew that it was a recipe for meal fuck ups.

Firstly they skipped the guy in front of me and got my meal first...but it was wrong.  They had it on a tray when I had specifically asked for take away.  

Secondly, I hadn't been given my drinks.  They bought them over asking if there were both cokes....no they weren't and they weren't both small either.  Cue eye rolling.  

Thirdly they put so much ice in my drink that I got about 5 mouthfuls before it was empty.

Oh yeh it was soooo worth breaking my attempts at healthy eating over.

What the?

It's the silly season again.....

This year I managed to sweet (ha!) talk Major Man into being a bit more organised with the grand babies Christmas presents and put a layby on so we aren't forking out hundreds of dollars just before Christmas. Also because I am the one who has the honour of doing the Christmas shopping and the sooner I get it over with the better.

It took me an hour to get it all done.  Major Man always buys the grand babies clothes.  I spent almost half of that time looking for something for his 7 year old grand daughter.  Why you ask? It's because apparently all girls like to dress like they are prostitutes...regardless of their age.

Exhibit A:

These are GIRLS size 8 shorts.  The legs aren't even as long as my hand....and yes that is the fork you can see sticking up at the front because the legs are so short.

I've written about the over sell of sex to young girls before yet it still doesn't cease to amaze me.  Anyone with kids knows that sometimes it feels like a blink and you'll miss it experience when it comes to children growing up.  Why is it then that we are having these images and 'ideals' shoved down our throats about what our girls should be wearing from a young age.  There's plenty of time for them to grow up and dress like a prostitute if that's what they desire.  

The thing that possibly worries me most? That these young girls parents are buying this stuff for them.  Retail outlets work on a demand process...if no one buys it, then they don't sell it.  What kind of messages are we sending our young girls when we say it's alright for a 7 year old to dress like an adult?

A little compassion ploise

One of the major things that stopped me from going to classes at the gym was that I didn't want to be the fat chick struggling through the class while all the gym bunnies breezed through it.  How I was wrong.  You know what? I am glad that I am wrong...at least at my gym anyway.

There is one woman who goes to most of the classes I go to and to me she is so inspirational.  Not because she is a size 8 gym bunny but because she is overweight and is actively doing something about it.  She has been doing double classes, struggling through them but still coming back anyway.  By her own admission she still has a lot of weight to lose but I admire her for getting out there and doing it.  She can't always do all of the exercises but she does them to her level and that's the most important.  We all have to start somewhere.

What I am not happy about is comments that other gym goers have made about this woman giving it a go.  One in particular that got my back up was 'she can't even do things properly. Why does she bother?'  She is probably 'bothering' for the same reason that everyone starts exercising, because she wants to be a healthier version of herself.  There is a bit of a 'culture' surrounding the gym scene that it is only for skinny, fit people and this persons comments just help to cement this misconception.

Just as I said thin people exercise too, this goes both ways...unhealthy, unfit, overweight people use the gym too.  There just needs to be a bit more support for everyone who gets out there and 'just fucking does it'. 

School Holidays

School Holidays.  Two words that strike fear into parents and shopping centre security guards everywhere. 

Mini Man is only 2 and I hate them already.  There is teenage delinquents everywhere!  Teenagers are the reason I do not go anywhere on a Thursday night.

My patience levels can go from 0 to -10,000 in 30 seconds in a normal shopping situation...add moody teenagers who think their shit doesn't stink and you can halve that time.  

Now don't get me wrong...not all teenagers are put on this earth to annoy me...just the ones that hang out in shopping centres, making nuisances of themselves.  

So keep sane and avoid the shopping centres these school holidays ;)

Isn't love all that matters

Image from here

I was reading through my Facebook feed earlier in the week and stumbled across a very worrisome article about chair of Beyond Blue, Jeff Kennet.  His words that worried me so much.... “Happy heterosexual marriages are the best environment for the mental health of children.” Read more here....

I really thought that we were living in the 21st century...obviously I was wrong.

Beyond Blue has distanced themselves from the comments made by Jeff Kennet.  With good reason.  

His comments really were a kick in the guts of progress and also to those families who aren't doing things by the 'norm'.  Plenty of kids have turned out a-ok in single parent families because they are loved...who is to say that someone's sexual orientation makes them incapable of love?

Even Centrestink now recognise same sex couples as what they are...couples.  You really are behind the times if you are more backward thinking than centrestink.

Dunnet's comments make the implication that children in heterosexual relationships have good mental health.  I can tell you that most of the people I know with a mental illness came from a two parent heterosexual family.  

I'm not saying that one family dynamic or another is more likely to create unstable mental health, just that all a child needs is to know that they are loved and they have a safe place to come home to.  

Mummy Sins

I most likely commit 'mummy sins' every single day.

What's a mummy sin you ask?  It's one of those things that you do that 'the experts' would shudder and shake their head if they found out you were committing them.

What's my reaction to this? 

I DON'T GIVE A FLYING FUCK!

None of these so called 'sins' are hurting mini man and  they help us get through the day.

So just what are these so called sins you ask?

Well....sometimes we have sandwiches for dinner *gasps*

Mini Man doesn't have a shower every single day *gasps*

sometimes I have a nap when Mini Man doesn't *gasps*

The kicker is that he faces forwards while in his pram and has from day dot.  According to 'experts' this is cruel and selfish. *cue eye rolling*

What mummy sins do you commit? Do you give a flying fuck or do you feel guilty?

Oh Wow....Just Wow

Today I was doing my daily blog stalk reading and came across this

I'm dumb founded....speechless.  What could possess someone to do this to their child.  

A child modelling is one thing but to me this borders on child porn.  I don't think it's art.  It would be art if it was a woman, who can legally consent to these provocative images being shown to the world and understand the full ramifications of it.

These clothes or poses aren't age appropriate or even close to it.  In Australia a child can't even be considered legally responsible for a crime until they reach 10 years of age (take a gander) so how can a child be deemed responsible enough to pose this way.

Ok I'll step down from my soap box now....as you were