Author: Angie World

Nancy Regan it, that is my motto. Does anyone remember her just say no campaign in the 1980’s? I do, it was awesome, and she was everywhere, even on Different Strokes. She was an incredibly classy lady that is not a word I use lightly. Well two words, classy and lady. I have known very few ladies in my lifetime; Webster’s defines lady as a woman of refinement and gentle manners, that was Nancy Regan and that was my great aunt Effie,  my mother and more recently Almetta. In my life I have known very few women who fit that definition, me included. So it begs the question, where did all of the ladies go? When did we lose our refinement and gentle manners?
From what I have seen the generation coming up has never been taught manners, children are asking inappropriate questions, eating with their mouths open and talking with their mouths full of food! Where are the parents who enforce good manners and why are children not being taught said manners? I see it in young adults as well, typically with 20 something males, not my son of course, he was taught manners from the time he could walk and talk. I have never seen him talk with his mouth full. But at work, I see a lot of young men who have absolutely no concept of good manners; they belch and expel gas then laugh about it. This is not a good thing people, not only is it in incredibly bad taste it is unprofessional. I once had a manager who actually had to address the issue in a; team meeting. Seriously, these people should have been taught at home not to do these things.
So if you are the parent of a young child out there, please understand that one day you will unleash these beings into the world, we expect them to behave, so teach them accordingly.
I had the good fortune of being taught manners not only at home but at school, in Owasso, in 8h grade English class, I wish I could remember this teachers name, she taught etiquette, she said you never knew where you were going to end up, you could be having dinner at the White House one day and she expected each and every one of us to know how to behave. Greatness. Where are the great teachers? Where are the parents that teach their children how to behave in any social situation? Have parents become lazy? Or are they too overwhelmed to care about good manners?

Does anyone out there ever feel like a complete and utter failure as a parent? I do. I raised three amazing children, however, one, the youngest is determined to stumble through life the hard way. I try to be a good parent even though he is technically an adult now. I try to be there without being smothering, without giving advice unless asked specifically for it. I try the tough love; you have to do that when they are out of control, throwing things, breaking things, just angry at the world.
You can’t let the wild accusations pierce your heart, although that one is a tough one, you have to stand firm and not allow the one to override the obvious good you have achieved as a parent.
No one tells you that this is the tough part, oh they all talk about potty training and teaching manners, and getting through the horrendous homework load phase, but no one ever tells you about this.
This is the most difficult part of being a parent, the letting go, while still being there for your child, guiding but not demanding, giving but not enabling. My own mother did this with such aplomb, I wish she were still here for me to ask how she did it.
I myself was a difficult teenager that seemed to stumble for a bit, my mother never judged, never blamed and never offered ultimatums, however, she was always there to listen and gently guide. I remember asking her what I should do one time, she so did not want to tell me, finally, after much badgering on my part she said, well, I’ll tell you but I don’t expect you to do what I would do as you are a different person. I try to be that way; it is hard with this one.
No one tells you the pain of letting go when you see that they are stumbling on the wrong path, no one tells you how difficult it is to be on the outside of your child’s life watching them suffer, no one tells you parenting doesn’t end at 18. Oh the government tries to tell you that, by not allowing you to make doctor appointments and by limiting your knowledge of their medical information, doesn’t matter that you pay the doctor bills or the insurance premiums. The government says that you should never know anything medically about your child. Even when you finally make a breakthrough and they say they are willing to go see someone for the problems they have been having.
I am telling everyone, the hard part is not watching them get on a bus to go to school for the first time, or watching them fall down physically on the baseball field when a they get hit by a ball, the hard part is not being able to help them when they are considered adults and you see them making horrendous mistakes. That is truly the hard part of parenting.

Yesterday was a stellar day for United Way Soliciting! We hit the mother lode at the Starbucks at 15th and Central Expressway in Plano; they were way beyond generous with us. Please, if you are in need or want of a Coffee Treat stop by there.
We also have Rangers tickets for the game on October 3rd with a parking pass, please contact me if you want to purchase a raffle ticket, they are 1 for $1.00 or 6 for $5.00. We also have a Kindle we are raffling off, same purchase price on the tickets. We will draw on September 27, 2010 for the Rangers tickets and on October 21, 2010 for the Kindle. More raffle opportunities coming your way, those are just the largest and immediate right now!
I fully expect another day full of adventure today. Well I am off to gather more items and get things ready for our big kickoff on September 13, 2010! Have a great Friday!

Another day is upon us, another day to go get stuff donated for United Way! Yippeee! I am very excited about this year, I know without a doubt you all are going to get tired of me writing about it; however it is such an amazing organization. It helps the communities that are all around us, if you have ever been a part of the Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts or joined a YMCA or been a part of the Big Brothers/Big Sisters programs you have partaken in a United Way funded program.
We have already gotten amazing donations for us to raffle off which I will be unveiling next week, I hope all of my readers buy a raffle ticket for at least one item that we have available.
I keep having strange dreams, the other night I dreamed that I was asleep and that my cell phone kept calling random people. When I woke up for real, I found that it had indeed called someone; at 4 am our time, 2 am the callee’s time. Luckily she takes sleeping pills and never heard the phone go off. She called later in the day very concerned that I had tried to call her at such an odd hour. When I explained what happened with my phone we both had a good chuckle over it.
But it has me thinking, remember when I had the dream about Chewie running away in the city, in the rain, when we were on vacation? Is that going to come true? Will I be vacationing in New York City with the dogs? If so, why??? And if there is anyone else who could accompany us, to help wrangle the Wookie of course, please volunteer. You will of course have to pay your own way; I’m not made of money ya know

Since when did we coin the phrase “my man” I hate that phrase. I have a fiancé, I never ever say the words “my man”, and to me it just sounds needy. I am appalled when I hear that particular phrase; I hear it more and more and would like an end to it please.
I believe we should all be independent creatures, one that can be alone, and not depend on anyone for our happiness, entertainment or anything else. Well except if they live with you, then half the bills, half the rent, half of the house cleaning and half of the groceries and so on and so forth.
Did anyone happen to catch the reunion show of The Real Housewives of New Jersey? Turns out Danny is a real actor, however he really did go to prison on racketeering charges. He bragged during an interview that he knew real mob bosses and hung out with them, so the Feds saw that and started investigating him. Off to prison for him, for three years. I have no doubt he was playing a part on the show, however I have no doubt he is a stupidly dangerous man as well.
I cannot work myself up into a rant today; I am too worn out and have a long day ahead of me. The Irishman and I made a decision a couple of weeks ago, as I have stated here his schedule has changed to something horrendous and we had a huge discussion about it. The only way to truly make it work so we could spend time together was to merge households. So he moved in yesterday. Yes, I am living in sin. When I spoke to my son Jeffrey about the decision he said Mom your generation invented that, he went on to give me his approval. I would not have done this without their approval.
So that is my big news. What does everyone else have?

What can I say, Caroline put it best “you’re like Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride” and what a ride it was! And it is not over yet, one more episode next week. I am not going to give anything away as some may not have watched the part 1 of the reunion show of The Real Housewives of New Jersey, let’s just say, I love Caroline Manzo and well Danielle Staub just proves over and over she is crazy, creepy and contentious, my heart breaks for her two girls.
I am currently working to raise money for United Way, it is a cause near and dear to my heart, the nursing home my mother lived at in Oklahoma received funding from United Way, a fact I did not know until after she had passed.
I am looking for donations to raffle off, if you have a business you would like to promote or something you would like to donate for a raffle or silent auction, please contact me here, if you don’t know me personally or call me if you do know me!
This is the 3rd year I have done this and I love it more every year, it is incredibly rewarding and can be a lot of fun, it is hard work, and I go to bed every night and pass out! But it is a good exhaustion, knowing that I have made a slight difference in my corner of the world.
I believe everyone should volunteer for something, when my children were little I was not able to, now that they are grown and I have more time on my hands I can devote some of my time to a worthwhile cause and this is the one I choose. This one and The Mary Kay Ash foundation, that is another one dear to my heart, they give money for research into cures for cancers that effect women, and also give funds to help end violence against women.
I hope everyone has a great day and if you can donate to United Way please, please, please contact me!!!

Have I bragged yet that I bought the new Katy Perry CD? Yes the physical CD not the ITunes one. I did immediately upload to my ITunes so I could download to my IPhone. Such a great CD, love her. I don’t know why people insist on comparing her to Lady GaGa, Katy is not weird or avante garde. She does dress with certain flair but she doesn’t cover her face or drown herself in paint to make a point. She is pure old fashioned bubble gum fun.
I had a fully busy evening yesterday, first on the agenda was celebrating my amazing sons birthday, had a wonderful time with him, his wife, daughter, Elizabeth, Freddy, Alex, Jessica and yes even my ex-husband his wife was there. We went to a new place in McKinney, an Italian place, it was fun and casual and the conversation was fun and never stilted or awkward. A great time.
Then to come home to the Emmy’s, well let me tell you that was just the cherry on the Sundae. I love, love, love award shows and the Emmy’s are my favorite. I love television and anything that celebrates my love is just, well, wonderful. Jimmy Fallon did a great job hosting, he kept everything moving with just the right amount of humor, loved that Betty White won for her SNL guest appearance and that Neil Patrick Harris won for his guest appearance on Glee. Really love that Jim Parson’s won for The Big Bang Theory and that Eric Stonestreet won for Modern Family. What a great night.
I hope everyone had an Emmy night!

Today is Jeffrey Andrew’s birthday. He is 25 years old. I still remember the day he was born so vividly. He was two weeks early because back then that is what they did for a scheduled C-section. He was born with water on his lungs and spent 5 of the longest days of my life in intensive care. One of the doctors there told me that he would never be normal, would never play sports, would never be able to breathe normally; in fact he would more than likely have asthma and a host of other breathing issues.
Jeffrey proved him wrong, he not only was a great breather, and he went on to play soccer, baseball and football. He never had asthma; he does have allergies; however that is hereditary as his father has them as well.
I am so proud of my son, he has grown into a man that takes responsibility for his life, he doesn’t wallow in things when they go bad and if he makes a mistake he admits it and works toward correcting the issue.
I love you so much son, from the moment I found out you existed you have been an amazing miracle. I hope that today you have the best birthday ever.

The other day, while on my way home from work, Pink Floyd’s The Wall was playing on the radio. This song brings back so many memories and latent emotions. When I was in high school and I listened to it, it represented education, which the song says, “we don’t need no education”, but this time it was the “just another brick in the wall” that got me.
Is that what I am? Have I become just another brick in the wall? In the machine that is corporate America? Have I lost my individuality? And if so when did that happen? I thought about this for days, and while yes, there are times through out the day where I do have to blend and become a brick in the wall that is corporate America, there are days I can paint myself lime green and stand out.
I do this in my thought process, my fashion sense and my innate ability to make every situation about myself. So totally kidding on the last part of that sentence, however the rest of it, yes, I believe we can keep our individuality and still be a part of something that is bigger than ourselves.
So this is what I say to you, foster your individuality, keep your sense of self, fly your freak flag high and proud! Let everyone see that although you work in the corporate world you have individualistic thoughts and a keen fashion sense, wear your designer shoes proudly. Let your voice be heard, your thoughts are worthy of hearing, well not all of you, but most of you, if the thoughts are too way out there save them for Facebook status updates or 140 character tweets.
I refuse to become another brick in the wall, I will eat my pudding when I haven’t had any meat, and I will continue to voice my individual voice while working for a major telecommunications corporation. I will continue to be an individual part of a whole.

I am officially annoyed. I read an article today that talked about the vampire craze going on in society right now. It listed the CW as being the groundbreaker for the teen influence with The Vampire Diaries. SERIOUSLY! Before the CW was the CW it was the WB there was Joss Whedon, who gave us Buffy the Vampire Slayer and her broody vampire boyfriend Angel. This show defined teen angst and the vampire mythology. Why is he not being celebrated in proper form? That is the question of the day.
The show was total greatness, it had all of the characters you expect to see in high school, the nerdy smart girl (Willow), the nerdy not so book smart guy (Xander) the totally snobby “mean” girl (me, I mean Cordelia) and the new transfer student who didn’t really fit in (Buffy) who ends up saving the whole student body on a weekly basis. This show appealed to more than just teenagers. As an adult the appeal for me was seeing a girl empowered every week, she was the hero, she had the brute strength, didn’t need to be rescued, she did the rescuing, she had no desire to be turned, had a killer vamp boyfriend that she kept in check. The gang she had surrounding her had their own abilities that they discovered along the way. The characters evolved, grew, yet kept their core personalities intact.
I totally fail to understand how the greatness of Joss Whedons’ creation continues to be overlooked in the annals of television history. His characters were flawed and driven and at times evil, at times conflicted by their desire to do good. Now that was new, conflicted by their desire to do good. That was Spike, even when his soul was returned he was still conflicted, he knew he was supposed to be evil, but here he was with a soul, driven to do good. Don’t get me wrong, Spike retained his innate ability to break every situation down to a sarcastic sound bite, let’s face it, Spike was quotable, almost as quotable as Cordelia Chase.
In Cordelia Chase Joss created a character that said exactly what she was thinking at every moment, we all secretly want to do that in real life. She did what we wanted to do, she was what we wanted to be, the person who realizes she is not a sheep and she will do what she wants, wear what she wants and date who she wants. No matter the price she paid for it. Cordelia Chase is the most amazing female character brought to life on television. I miss her.
Joss writes amazing women characters, I don’t know his personal history, but I have to wonder, why don’t women write women this way? In Twilight the girl is not strong, when her boyfriend leaves her she falls apart and tries to kill herself. Really? We want young girls immolating that behavior? Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the books, but I am not an impressionable 14 year old girl.
Joss continued to write strong female roles in Angel, Cordelia moved there, and then there was Lila, who did not revel in her evilness! Fred was brought in along with Faith making an appearance, all strong female characters. He moved on to Firefly; once again, creating very strong female roles and breaking the rules in the form of the little lady did not, in fact need rescuing. Dollhouse brought it all home. I am having a hard time understanding why the networks have such a hard time with Joss and his vision, I believe he should be on cable, like SyFy, FX or a premium channel like Showtime where they foster the different and give shows a chance to grow.
Here is hoping Joss’ Avenger movie totally rocks and is a huge financial success, I really hope he comes back to television, soon. I miss real vampires and I miss strong female characters.