in Other News From The Pond

I think I have 27 different posts floating around in my pea sized brain right now.  Not a one of them is fighting too hard to get out, but I present the one that is freshest in my mind. . .

Fourth of July is coming! WOOHOO!  Basically, I am excited because any holiday that has a calendar date means family. And food.  Trust me when I say that give me time I could figure out a menu for Arbor Day.  Then again, . . . .hmmmmm

The Fourth of July is different tho'.  It is like Thanksgiving to me.  A day we give thanks that we live in this country, although far from perfect, we still get to practice our own religions, be protected from hate and speak our mind without fear of persecution. After the Supreme Courts decision on DOMA this past week, I can hitch up my boots a little tighter that my country may finally getting it.

There are occasions that my country wounds me and embarrasses me, but I am an American, and well - it's a pretty important holiday.  I am happy being an American.

So. . . . the Fourth means that we get to go over the mountain and snatch up Squirrel to celebrate on Thursday. YAY!  And Wallene will be home from visiting her friends in Sterling - and? If we get extra, special lucky. . .we might get an older kid here too. Stay tuned.

Meanwhile, here is a pic' from Wallene. She took it on an early morning bike ride last week.

our neighborhood. Wallene 06.25.13

Now, here is a conversation I had with Squirrel in regards to picking her up for the Fourth. 

She told me she had to work.  [Note:  Squirrel is a paid intern in the biology department at her University.] 

This is the way the conversation went:

Mom:  "Are you coming home for Fourth of July sweetie?"
Squirrel:  "Mom we don't have Thursday off."
Mom:  "What do you mean you don't have the Fourth of July off? It is the biggest holiday in the U.S. next to Thanksgiving and Christmas. It's OUR national holiday."
Squirrel:  "But Mom we have people working our lab from Kyrgyzstan.  It isn't their holiday. So yeah. I don't think so."

Dead silence.

I literally had to think about that for a minute. 

How politically correct has this country become that we are denying Americans the right to be excused from work on OUR national holiday because they are working along side people that have immigrated here from another country? People that seemingly choose to ignore the importance of the freedoms that this particular day has endowed on citizens of the United States of America, but still continue to enjoy those same freedoms it has given to all people living here, legal or not.

It frustrated me.
This discussion.
 I love the acceptance that this country is bringing about everyday, but why was my assumption that my daughter would have our National Holiday off wrong? I can understand if she worked in retail or customer service.  It's a shame that those places remain open, even on days of importance to our country, but it is what it is. Society now dictates it.  But, really? 
She works in a lab. 
Yes.
An important job. [You have no idea what they are trying to do with grass. Fabulous!]
I respect it and please appreciate the admiration I have for my daughter.
 I find her so brilliant I hardly understand her half the time and she is so truly hardworking. 

Still. . . . I wonder.

Why did I have to call her back today to confirm that I could pick her up to come home and appreciate what this day is all about?

While we were on the phone she excused herself and I heard her ask her boss about the day off. [Btw, he is a a wonderful man and the perfect mentor to Squirrel. Not a bad bone in this man's body. I trust and admire him for taking Squirrel under his wing.]

Squirrel:  "Hey Dr. N, do I have Thursday off. The Fourth of July?"
Dr. N:  "You do if you want it."
Squirrel:  "Okay, cool. Thanks."
Squirrel:  "See Mom, did you hear that? I have it off."

Yeah, but no.

Her boss would give her a week off if she asked, but my question is, why isn't this particular day scheduled to be a holiday, yet she has to ask for it? 

Okay, stepping off and kicking my soapbox to the side.

I have bigger things to worry about.
I can't change this country and I don't want my children to change who the are.

This country is what it it, but am I allowed to ask. . .why?


And this is simply about a frustration with an assumption I had about thinking my daughter would automatically be here on the Fourth of July.
 It isn't a political rant. 
You are welcome to your opinions, always, in comments.
I respect them and appreciate them. I do. 

Will you, for one moment, just understand my confusion about this? Please?

Happier notes coming. . .

Oh, look I have to get off now! It's Early Shift Week! WOOHOO. Steven is home in the daylight today. BONUS!  He'll be home in one hour. YAY! [Now ask me how bad it sucks that we have to get up at 4 am to get him on the road by 4:30 am. And he has to drive two and a half hours.

Heard in our bedroom this morning:

"Dude do NOT ask me for the keys to Ozcarz at 4:15 am.  My manual dexterity is limited to making you coffee and hoping I don't fall over. LOOK! My purse. MY PURSE. It's a good place to look. First.  Oh and the night before is a better choice for getting things lined up for the morning. ::sound of keys being tossed out the bedroom door.:: I think I hit the dog. By accident.  I wasn't aiming for anything. HONEST.  hee.]

I can't stay serious for long, can I? 

Y'all have a great day.

We'll see you on the flipside! xo Janine

[I need to point this out. I am not the best blogger, but I do try to keep my punctuation, spelling and sentence structure as correct as I can.  I make no apologies for my overuse of commas, hee, but with this limited internet right now, I am not proof reading anything and some of my posts scare me.  So, if you could, please look past it for right now. Oh, and my comments too.  They have always been sort of not proofread, but I am afraid that they worse now.  So-o-or-r-r-yy. Really!]