11th, OCD and Nuttiness in General

Abchinadoll | Pet Peeves, Obsession, Confession | Tuesday, 01 July 2008

It’s cryptic, I know.

This past Saturday Matt and I celebrated (sort of) our 11th wedding anniversary. Yes, we got married quite young by society’s current standards. But I had just graduated from college and Matt finished shortly thereafter. I say “sort of” in terms of celebration because we had a house full of out-of-town guests: My friend and her two sons, and her twin sister and her three sons. And those five boys plus my son meant we had six boys all under the age of six-and-a-half running around, plus my two little girls. Let’s just say my cream berber carpet is now quite black in some areas. Hopefully I’ll find some good carpet cleaner!

As they were preparing to leave, one of the friends mentioned her 2 year-old son had suffered constant diarrhea during the last 2 days. To my horror, I watched as he shoved his hands down his diaper and then touch all of the baby’s toys. After the herd of friends left, my OCD kicked in and I proceeded that very night to clean the bathrooms, the floors, lysol down the toys, door knobs and anything else that might bring upon the dreaded Montezuma’s Revenge. I don’t know why, but lately I’ve become a bit of a germaphobe. I noticed it kicked in after my third child and I’m trying to figure out why… I’m obsessive and insistent with the hand sanitizer and hand washing and I feel uncomfortable whenever my children play with toys that don’t belong to them or when other children play with my children’s toys. I worry that they’ll catch gross diseases. For example, last summer my two year-old daughter caught hand-foot-mouth disease from who-knows-where and passed it to my five year-old. Last winter my son caught the stomach flu, twice, and passed the vomiting/diarrhea to my two year-old, twice. I realize that’s just the nature of the beast of childhood diseases; it goes around and then around and around some more.

As for the “nuttiness” of it all, I use the term in reference to my OCD, to seven little kids running around my house for three days (the baby is still immobile) and to laughing and having a good time with our friends. We did conduct a blind taste test of peanut butter between my fave Skippy and her fave Jif. We both preferred Jif. It was definitely a “nutty” weekend.

Fear

Abchinadoll | Pet Peeves, Confession | Friday, 20 June 2008

sweaty, shaking, heart palpitations, dizziness… I feel like I could pass out. I just saw THIS in my backyard. It looked like the size of a baby rodent. Ok, that’s a slight exaggeration. It was probably 2 inches in length, fat, furry and UGLY.

By the time I grabbed my camera, he was gone. Hidden somewhere in my garden, awaiting to pounce on me and give me a heart attack. It’s poor quailty, but I found this photo on a web site which categorized him as Phidippus audax, a harmless jumping spider. (I can’t believe I’m posting this picture to remember this. I’ll have nightmares!) I’ve seen this spider many times during my childhood, as tiny harmless spiders, crawling on ceilings or the pavement. This one must have been on steroids. Serious ‘roids. He was the size of a baby tarantula. I swear!

Did I mention I hate spiders? Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!

Black or White

Abchinadoll | Pet Peeves, Confession | Thursday, 19 June 2008

No, this is not in reference to the Michael Jackson song.

According the WSJ China Journal blog, a high court in South Africa ruled yesterday that Chinese-South Africans will be classified as “black,” thereby giving them benefits previously denied them. Wait, it gets better. Apparently in the 1940s Chinese people were classified as “colored” and forced to live in segregation. Then in the 1970s, Taiwanese were given “honorary white” status, allowing them privileges to vote, drink from the same drinking fountains as everyone else (I assume), etc. But with the end of apartheid, “white” became a negative class and Chinese people were lumped in as “white” and denied benefits and privileges. With “black” status, they receive denied rights, and educational and business opportunities are now restored to them.

Is it just me or is this just sad? Why do we have to see the world in terms of color?!!! Why do I have to be black or white? Why can’t I just be a girl who happens to be Chinese? (And if we really have to discuss color, I’m technically yellow.)

In the words of MJ’s Black or White:

I’m not going to spend my life being a color.

Power

Abchinadoll | Eureka!, Pet Peeves, Confession | Saturday, 19 April 2008

I recently created a mantra for myself, now posted on my refrigerator and bathroom mirror:

I will not allow others’ lameness affect my personal happiness.

Of course the word “lameness” is a slang term referring to anything negative, which includes but is not limited to:

  • acts of unkindness
  • rudeness
  • inconsiderateness
  • selfishness
  • judgment
  • baggage/issues
  • gossip

It’s difficult to be a caring and considerate person in our current society because, frankly (Scarlett), most people just don’t give a damn. (Cue Gone With The Wind music.) I’m at a point in my life where I deserve to be happy and have a healthy sense of self-esteem and self-respect. I know I am a good person, but I find that I am sometimes hurt by others’ actions. I’ve realized lately that I can still be a kind and considerate person, but I don’t need to subject myself to the negativity of others. I will no longer give them power over me.

The Price of Being a Woman

Abchinadoll | Pet Peeves | Tuesday, 25 March 2008

Why is an intelligent, hard working, talented actress like Sarah Jessica Parker considered “unsexy” (click to read article about Maxim) and yet a high-priced whore (oops, I mean “call girl”) is glamorized for bringing down the governor of NYC? It’s truly demoralizing to know that in the 21st century, our worth as human beings in a supposedly progressive society is still based on sex: how tiny our waists are, how big our boobs are, how pretty our faces are, how sexy we look, how sexy we dress, how good at sex we are… it makes me want to vomit!

We live in a society where everything is sexualized. Our children are sexualized, their clothing and costumes are sexualized; even their toys are sexualized. (Have you seen the baby dolls?) No wonder our kids walk around looking like “prosti-tots.” Why are we willing to allow society to dictate to us what a “beautiful” woman should be? Shame on Maxim, and shame on the men who support such garbage. If you don’t care about the impact of such trash on your wives’ self-esteem, just think of your daughters. It’s a high cost to pay.

Wrong Kinda

Abchinadoll | Pet Peeves, It's not you/It's me, Confession | Friday, 14 March 2008

PHAT.

As much as I like the look of Baby Phat, I’ve decided to make me a workout t-shirt with the words “baby FAT” on them. (I know, I will look like a megadork. But who cares; we already know that about me.) It’s been six months since I gave birth to child #3 and the poundage no longer melts away. It’s hugging my hips like a tight pair of Baby Phat jeans. It’s hot. (Trust me, it’s not.) My goal this year is to work my PHAT bod back to where I was after baby #1, which means miraculously dropping 20 pounds. The horrors we women go through. Wish me luck!

No one & Everyone

Abchinadoll | Pet Peeves | Monday, 10 March 2008

Who notices when laundry’s washed and cleared,

No one.

Who decries there are no clean socks to wear,

Everyone.

Who marks the floors are mopped and cleaned,

No one.

Who feels as the sticky touches feet,

Everyone.

Who sees the toilet scrubbed and glistening,

No one.

Who sniffs at stains and rings,

Everyone.

Who hears the vacuum’s constant humming,

No one.

Who feels the crusties and some crumblings,

Everyone.

Who notes the unending dusting,

No one.

Who fingers the filthy fluffy,

Everyone.

Who says, “Thank you!” when it’s done,

No one.

But who will notice the dirty and the scum,

Everyone.

(copyright 2008)

Housekeeping is the most thankless job I’ve ever had.