What is wrong with Bella ??

I am hardly a Twilight fanatic. I can tolerate it. I went to the opening night midnight showing of New Moon, mainly because a good friend of mine is a nut for this stuff and I wanted to spend time with her. I am a good friend like that. :)

As I was watching New Moon with her the second time the other night (because I am still a good friend :) and didn’t care what was on the TV in my post surgery haze, as long as I had some company) I got annoyed by the characters. So I started to analyze why I might be so annoyed.

Then I figured it out. Everyone in this movie is MISERABLE!! No one is happy. No one is smiling. Bella and Edward seem to have to force themselves to be together. If they are really so much in “love” where is the happiness and joy? They are just so obsessed with the frustration of the mortal vs. immortal thing … just be happy if that’s what you want!! Bella’s entire life is consumed by her relationship with Edward. He even watches her sleep. That’s unhealthy … even by vampire boyfriend standards.

Then something else occurred to me, and it infuriated me.

When Edward left, Bella became a recluse. She didn’t leave the house; she was miserable, so sad and forlorn. She tried to hurt herself so that Edward would come and save her.

When she finally came out of her funk, she started spending every waking moment with Jacob. This guy then consumes her whole life. She lives and breathes for this new relationship/friendship with Jacob. Then he gets a fever and has to turn into a werewolf and can’t see her anymore. So, she slips back into her depression.

Is this really the message we want to be sending to our young girls?? That their entire lives are defined by if they have a boyfriend or not? Why isn’t Bella focusing more on herself? Why can’t she find happiness in being an independent woman? I am pretty sure the author was going for it being “romantic” but it comes across to me as all wrong. Bella has no life and no identity without either Edward or Jacob.

Sadly, I have adult girlfriends who act the same way. Their life is defined by if they have a man, and who or what that man is. They become so engrossed in being someone’s “girlfriend”, “fiancé” or “wife” they have no individuality or self worth with out that.

I am not saying I have never experienced such emotions. But I am proud to say I was able to see past such self-destructive patterns and as I grew and matured into the woman I am today. I am Steve’s wife, I am Jake’s mom … but I am also Michele, a woman who loves her family and friends, movies and true crime documentaries and stupid reality shows. I love my job and career and someday hope to change the world into fiscally responsible adults who pay their bills on time, aren’t drowning in credit card debt because they want things they don’t need and can’t afford. That’s me.

Perhaps I need to write my own story of a female who conquers the world all on her own … oh and by the way, she is happily married as well.

Sports Therapy

I am super frustrated and annoyed today. I was perfectly fine being snowed in when I had no where to be and no desire to go anywhere. But all week long I having been saying to myself, "It's alright, I have somewhere to go Friday morning, I will get out of the house then", and then find out I cannot get out of the driveway has put me in quite a funk.

So to help lift my spirits a little I thought I would take care of one of the topics I jotted down to blog about when I had a moment. I have only been internally blogging for awhile, so let's get some stuff off my mind.

As I flipped the calendar from January to February last week I noticed something odd. It's a Penguins & Paws calendar done by the Pittsburgh Penguins for charity. So not only does it have my favorite players with cute puppies and kitties, it has each game listed on there.

But as I flipped to February, it's almost blank!! What in the world?? Is the season over already???

Absolutely not, IT'S TIME FOR THE OLYMPICS!!!!

I am so ridiculously excited for the Olympics to start tonight. There is no way the opening ceremonies can top what China did for the summer games - but I can't wait to see them try.

And then the games begin! Skiing, figure skating, snowboarding, speed skating, curling! I love it all! I am quite a sports fan anyway, I will watch pretty much anything. So add patriotism to sports and you have me on the couch watching as much as I can.

So now my only conflict will be: During the Hockey tournament, do I cheer for Team USA? Or Team Canada? Or Team Russia? All three will have my favorite Penguins on the ice.

Playing with Daisies

I'll give YOU da BOOT!!

So I have to wear this boot for at least two weeks. The doctor is hoping total immobilization will help heal the synovitis and then we can work on keeping it from happening again.
I mention this not for you to feel sorry for me but to make two points.

Point #1
FU first podiatrist who 4 weeks ago wanted me to go to physical therapy when you had NO CLUE what was causing the pain in my ankle!! It’s a good thing I am not one of those people who trust doctors blindly. It’s also a good thing I have a very well educated husband who told me absolutely do NOT go to physical therapy until they have a definitive diagnosis. I wonder how much damage they would have done to my ankle before they realized they are incompetent idiots?!??!

I really just want to call that guy and get his opinion on the total polar opposite treatment plan from a doctor who bothered to investigate and find a reason for my pain!!

Point #2
My sister-in-law rocks like the Flintstones! Look what she did to make my stupid boot look beautiful!!!

BIG weather in Texas

I'm sorry, I can't stop laughing. I know people are hurt in this alleged tornado in Texas, but I am cracking up at the Weather Channel's attempt to do phone interviews with people in the area who witnessed the storm.

One lady keeps calling what she saw a "tunnel" cloud. No one is listening to the anchor peoples' questions and are just going on and on rambling aimlessly about what happened and what they saw - no one on the phone actually saw the aforementioned "tunnel" cloud . The anchor people are trying to hide their frustrations that are mixed with amusement. They finally had to just hang up on one lady because she wouldn't stop talking.

They might think twice before they put random people on air. A better pre-screening process may be in their future.

Dogs & Tigers, Oh My

I did eventually watch the Michael Vick interview last night. Because ultimately, I do believe some people are deserving of a second chance.

But he isn’t.

I thought I might see some truth or feeling in his eyes, not even a speck. Instead he had a cocky smirk on his face the whole time and actually said “I don’t know how many times I have to say this, what I did was wrong.” So in his “very first interview” he is already being belligerent and thinks he doesn’t have more apologizing to do? I truly believe if he hadn’t been caught he would still be doing what he was doing.

He mentioned he had been fighting dogs since he was a kid on the streets of Newport News VA. He said that’s just what was done, and when the cops pulled up and saw what was happening, they got in their car and drove away. That might be true, but it’s no excuse.

Loving animals shouldn’t be something you have to learn. It’s a part of your character. There are plenty of people, even people in MY life who aren’t animal lovers. While I don’t understand that, I can respect its part of who they are. But never in a million years would they even fathom inflicting pain on them.

Vick says he is now sickened and disgusted by his own behavior. He now loves animals and preaches such to children as a spokesperson for the Humane Society of America.

I say BS. People don’t go their whole life thinking an animal’s life is expendable and cruelty is acceptable and then just one day change that because they are in jail for it.

Every word that comes out of his mouth on this subject is fed to him by his lawyers, agents and publicists in an effort to revive his career.

In other news, Tiger showed what little class he had when he stomped into the clubhouse with no interview yesterday. Scores of losers have given interviews in the past but I guess he feels he is above that? What a pompous ass. Did he give an interview later? I don’t know, I don’t care.

I was talking to my father during golf and I realized that while I love to watch Tiger do the amazing things he does on the golf course, I also love to watch him lose. No one else seems to notice or comment on the fact that he walked away from the 17th hole before Yang had finished. Now I am no expert on golf course etiquette, but I am pretty sure that’s not proper. That man acts like the golf course and everyone on it owes him something. He could use more lessons in humility.

The World Outside My Window

My office window looks out the front of the house and I look out at what’s going on during the day. Doing this is what has made me yearn for retirement as I watch my neighbors, Ed and his wife, who I forget her name, sorry guys.

Now that spring has arrived, most days Ed spends piddling around in his yard. Picking up any trash blown in from the road, weeding, mowing, etc. Sometimes he works on his car. When he wants to take a break, he sits on his front porch swing and watches the traffic go by. He might be snoozing, can’t tell from here.

All day he and his wife are coming and going and just busy as bees. They have lots of visitors and lots to do.

Whenever they are out in the yard about 90% of the minimal traffic on our road beeps and waves at them.

And now, Ed is putting his American flags on his fence posts to celebrate the upcoming Memorial Day holiday.

So thank you Ed and his wife, for showing me what Steve and I are working so hard for – a relaxing fulfilling retirement. A retirement filled with spending days together, doing whatever needs doing, going where needs going and just enjoying life.