Extended Dysfunctional Family

When you spend more time at work than what you do with your own family you begin to think of you co-workers as your family. You become close to one another. You love one another. Hate one another. Talk about one another. Defend one another. You share in each others joys: meeting new ppl, dating, engagements, weddings, having babies, birthdays, anniversaries. You also share in each others sorrow: sickness, worry over loved ones, family moving out and moving on, deaths of loved ones. The people you work with often know more about what is going on in your life than your actual family. They are quick to tell you they love you, need your help or tell you thank you. And they are also quick to tell you when you screwed up or when should keep your mouth shut and quick to offer their opinion whether you want it or not.

Webster's defines family as a basic social unit consisting of parents and their children, considered as a group, whether dwelling together or not. It defines extended family as a kinship group consisting of a family nucleus and various relatives, as grandparents, usually living in one household and functioning as a larger unit. And dysfunctional is defined socially impaired. Not sure I agree with the definition of dysfunctional as it relates to the family but we will go with it for the time being. So lets take the parts to make the whole of the term extended dysfunctional family. A basic social unit, not dwelling together consisting of a family nucleus, functioning as a larger unit which is socially impaired. Yeah, that works.

So what makes up the extended dysfunctional family. The "mother figure", someone that cooks for all the family meals, tends to all your needs and is good at letting you know when you are out of hand. The "kind and caring aunt", she keeps things together and softens the words of the mother figure when you get out of hand. The "big brother", always quick to crack a joke, get on your nerve and make fun of you in front of the rest of the family. The "big sister", she is the one that gives good advice and you try to follow her lead. The "fitness guru", the one that is always in shape, eats right, working out or playing sports that you only wish you could be half as good. The "twin", the one that you are most like that your other "family members" would swear you were switched at birth. The "weird little sister", probably bought from the gypsies because at times she is a little awkward and is a bit artsy. The "crazy aunt", you never know what is going to come out of her mouth, sometimes it doesn't make sense so you just smile and nod. And the "uncle that is a sports nut" so you just let him be in his recliner with his cooler of beer and stay out of the way when the Steelers are down. There are many other dynamic individuals that make up the extended dysfunctional family but there is no need to make the list go on forever. You get the picture.

I was going to ramble on some more about the parts of the "family" but I think most of  you get the picture. And I must say, I do love each person in my crazy extended family, even though we have our differences, we all know we have each others back when the time counts.

Storage Wars

I am an addict. I can't help it. It's like a moth to a flame. I will stay up late to get my fix. I have to have it. Seems like I can't go one day without it. I am a reality show addict. There, I said it. Hello, my name is Michele and I'm addicted to reality tv shows. My fav one of all was the Bret Michaels series of smut and sluts. Oh! he should have used that as one of his titles. Right now I am addicted to You're Cut Off and Storage Wars. The first one is a new one. And the girls are psycho spoiled brats. The parents have decided that they are tired of supporting all of the spoiled ADULTS and send them off to live in a house that looks like it was decorated by a grandmother with every tacky piece of yardsale junk she could find. They have to share bedrooms and actually work. Oh, interesting twist. The one that works the hardest as some weird job gets a room of her own that some 13 year old girl would envy. The first job was picking up tennis balls and golf balls at some country club. I will admit I was a little jealous that they were finding so many golf balls. (like I don't have enough). The second one is just an obsession with finding out what is in those stupid storage buildings. I even stayed up late Sunday nite so I could find out what was worth so darn much in one of them. Now you want to know to, don't ya? Profitted the guy well of 6000 and he only spent 400! I want to own storage buildings!
Oh the time I have wasted watching stupid stuff on tv. Just think of all the things I could have done if I weren't checking facebook, blogging, watching tv. I could be exercising (though my excuse right now is it is just to darn cold). I could be doing something productive like cleaning my house or organizing the upstairs. Or I could be spending time with the family. Playing games. Talking. So, tonight my blog is short. I will BE INSPIRED to spend time hanging with the kids. Doing something other than homework. I will let you know how that turns out!
Oh and as for the storage building-it was rare coins and paper money! Got him a mint full. He decided to keep it for his kids!

Random Thought #1

It is 12:46am and I have no idea why I am awake. In an effort to make myself sleepy I have read the latest updates on FB, played some stupid game where you make words out of 5 random letters, checked out the other blogs I follow and then decided to post one. This should be interesting! Please ignore any misspelled words, lack of capitalization where needed or lack of proper punctuation. And 5 minutes ago i had a really good idea to blog about and now it has left me.
For future reference: any similarities to persons real or fictitious are purely coincidental! you know yada yada...blah blah. that thing they post at the beginning of movies so no one gets upset or sues them. yeah that is what goes here.
So i decided i want to read the book Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother. It's about a Chinese woman living in the states that is a graduate of Yale, married to a Yale graduate, Jewish. They have both written other books. I think he is a lawyer. I can't remember exactly. Anyway, she has decided to raise the kids "the Chinese way". No sleepovers, no play dates, no participating in school plays, they must master the music instrument of her choice: violin and piano. And practice several hours a day. Any grade below and A is unacceptable including an A-. The list goes on but that is all i can remember right now. (and it is bothering the heck out of me that i am not capitalizing the i's but not enough to go back and change them) (random thought #1: for those of you that want to keep count). So i read an excerpt from the book online. In it she refers to pretty much anyone not of Chinese decent a Westerner. And refers to herself as a Chinese mother but not all mothers that are Chinese belong in that same category. yeah that was confusing. Anyway, what I found interesting is that she believes that Westerners have coddled their children too much and raised them to be weak and not living up to their full potential. Or so that is what I have gathered from the excerpt. I really need to read the book. There has been a lot of controversy over the book and I understand why. She belittles her children. Makes them feel less than human. But on the other hand I do understand what she is trying to do. Be it right or wrong. I'm not the one to judge that. After all, I'm not Chinese. But I think what she is trying to do is make them better ppl by pushing them to always do their best and sometimes in order to be your best you have to be pushed by others. And I think she feels that it is her job to do that. (yes, I started cap. the I's: random thought #2). Anyway, I will have to read the book and then let you know what I thought afterward. That is just my first opinion. Don't we all do that? Form an opinion before we get all the facts or read into things that may not be true.
We form opinions of ppl all the time. Co-workers, friends, not-so-friends, family. But do we ever stop and just ask ppl if things are true or do we just go on believing what we are told? Happens all the time. Funny how when we here something we believe it to be the truth when it comes from someone we trust. And why is it always easier to believe the bad stuff? We hear ppl gossiping all the time at work. All work. Yours, mine, your spouses work. But how often do we stop to say "hey, do you really think that is true?" We just go on, and maybe even spread it around ourselves. Funny how when we don't think facts are straight when it comes to other things or want to get information we go to "the source" be it internet or a book. But why do we never go to "the source" when we choose to talk about one another at work or our family? Is it because we are afraid that the gossip is just to good not to keep talking about it? Is it because we just don't care enough to find out the truth? Maybe it is that we just don't want to get involved or hurt someones feelings. Well, today I aspire to BE A BETTER PERSON. Get the facts, man.

Peanut M&M's

I am a football fan! And I LOVE the Patriots. Yes, I am watching the game as I type this and I am not a happy camper.
I have always liked football but never really got to know all the ins and outs of the game. Until this year. I joined on of those fantasy football leagues and I will brag that I came in second in my league. (Brian came in first in his, but he has been doing this for years.) So i think I have the better bragging rights since it was my first go around. This has been a great learning experience for me.
So I was inspired. Check one off the bucket list. Not that being on a fantasy league was on my bucket list but that learning something new was.
I think we should seize the opportunity to learn something new everyday. Sometimes it just doesn't reach out and grab you. And sometimes it doesn't have to be anything major.
What did I learn new today? I learned that the 1956 movie Davy Crockett and the River Pirates was filmed at Cave In Rock. See, it doesn't have to be anything major.
I also learned that I don't have to eat peanut M&M's while watching the game. Since I had the stomach bug nothing seems good. So this weekend I have passed up on peanut butter pie, Friday nite Mexican food, anything on Saturday, peanut M&M's, fun-dip and peanut M&M's. All in my quest to eat better (and not feeling well helps).

Be Inspired: Learn something new each day!

Be Inspired!

I have been inspired!
Along with the New Year comes changes that everyone wishes to make. My changes are posted on my bulletin board at work as a daily reminder. One change I hope to make is to BE A BETTER PERSON. Easier said than done when you work with some of the ppl I do! The second one is EMBRACE CHANGE. This one was originally directed solely at work but I have come to find it ringing through my head at other times during the day! We will see how those work out.
I have also decided to BE INSPIRED. This one I will have to post at work tomorrow. I am being inspired by my sister. She has decided to make a blog so I thought to myself---"self, this sounds like a great idea. you should try it."
What do I hope to gain form doing a blog? I hope to be able to touch a life, inspire myself and do something totally out of character.
SO here goes....we shall see what happens!