No Superman, No Batman, No Wonder Woman, Oh My!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi!





These two little ones are still  in the pre-school demographic, but a bunch of post-toddlers from this part of the world will be starting the next school year very soon, in fact some already have.


This time of year, the subject of dress codes, and school policies come, once again to the forefront.


Some schools have pretty strict rules about sleeves, or lack thereof, length of skirts and/or shorts, logos and the like.

I find it fascinating.


Dressing appropriately for different situations is a skill. I mean, you don't wear jeans to a black tie event, and you don't wear a toga to church. As far as dress "codes" go? I guess I'm not convinced that it's really in the school's realm of authority to dictate.

I don't really understand the whole tank top or sun dress thing. How is dressing according to the weather endangering fellow students' education?  If a sleeveless arm, or a shoulder covered only by a strap is so disruptive and distracting, I think the energy of the school staff would be much better spent working with those so easily distracted.

Have we really gotten to a place in our society where we have  hyper-sexualized school aged kids to the point that we find it necessary for our schools to police their clothing to this extent? Bare arms, for cryin' out loud?

Kids will push limits. It's their job. Even as teenagers, their brains aren't completely developed. Their impulse control and decision making skills are not fully there. That's why they have parents/guardians.

 As a parent/guardian, you carry the cash, therefore you have a say in what gets purchased. If they don't own shorts that could double as a belt, they can't wear said shorts. They buy it with their own money? You are still the parent, as such, it is your job to help with, and guide decisions.

Kids are figuring things out. They need some freedom to do so properly. Their choices in clothes is just one way they dig into the process. It's balance, just like anything else. They can sport the purple hair, but the booty shorts stay in the store. Balance.

I guess I don't know if it is truly in the best interest of the children, to have their attire dictated by people who form policies and run educational institutions. I think I'd rather leave it in the very capable hands of the people that have been loving, caring and providing for them since they were born.

The schools seem to be taking it to a whole new level, this year. I saw a story on the news in which a child was sent home with a note saying that her "Wonder Woman" lunch kit would not be welcome in the school. They won't allow anything with action heroes on it, stating they believe it promotes violence.

I fail to see how a woman who spins at lightning speed to change into a red, blue and gold shiny outfit; that flies around in an invisible helicopter and whose weapon of choice is a golden lasso, and who uses that lasso only for the good of mankind, fosters violence.

So, it seems that their thought, the strategy of these schools is, to make girls believe that they, and what they wear, are responsible for male response.  That somehow males of our species are incapable of being responsible for their own actions and reactions. I'm not sure that is such a good idea, for any gender.

They want a school devoid of Wonder Woman, Superman, Batman and all of their superhero friends. Because superheroes promote or invoke violence..................all of a sudden.

These characters have been around for generations. Have we somehow suddenly sprouted a generation incapable of imagination and so incredibly thirsty for violence? Do they have no distinction between reality and story? If that is the case, then, by all means, we need to correct that. If that is an actual problem, I don't think it will be remedied by banning a Wonder Woman lunch kit, or a Superman backpack.

If violence is such an issue with our young people, then banning superheroes won't fix that problem any more than forcing sleeves.

Maybe we should put more emphasis on teaching kindness, empathy and respect so these kids can enjoy each other's company while they share from their Wonder Woman lunch kits, tank tops and all.


Anywhooooooooooooo................................................................



It's been another full week...........



Well, we played for our last scheduled wedding of the year......Thank you to all of this year's fantastic newlyweds for allowing us to be a part of your special day!

Had to buy a new light for our shows, as one of our lasers crapped out while we were setting up......thankfully the store where we buy the majority of our equipment was open! Whew!

It was, thankfully, another busy one at the shop...........


Killed some dust bunnies, and beat the crap out the laundry monster.............


Got to put in some quality time with the munchkin crowd................


Did a bit of writing......


As for the upcoming week?...............


Month end and fixin' trailers at the shop.............


Squeeze some kidlins...............


Enjoy the last of the Summer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



With "back to school" in mind, I'll leave you with this wish.............



May the first days back in your school routine go smoothly, nothing forgotten, nothing left behind.
May the bus be on time, kids at the ready...... milk on her nose? Socks don't match??? Nevermind.

May you, if sending off your first, hide your tears til their gone, for your baby is a baby no more.
May you, if this is your last, hide your tears, yes, this is the last, you know all that's in store.

May you take in stride the homework notes, permission slips, strange requests and yes you'd love to be a field trip volunteer.
May you try to remember these are great days, there are likely will be screw ups, and there are only another 210 more school days until the next Summer break is here!!!


Happy first days of school!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Until next time.............


www.margyreidbooks.com

Working On Depth Perception.......................

Hi,



This little one is growing leaps and bounds right before our eyes. She is talking, trying to tell jokes, playing pretend, exploring her abilities and discovering limitations. She is, however, still working on depth perception, and determining what the cat will and will not put up with as far as being "fed" by hand, and being covered up with blankies.

I guess we all need to get hissed at once in a while when we go too far.


Speaking of which....................



I have recently heard in the news, as we all have, about this Ashley Madison website and the fact it was hacked and a bunch of the client info was put out there for all of the world to see.



First, I just think it's sad that sites like this exist, let alone accumulate such a vast clientele.  I just feel that if you want to be married, then you should be married. Period. If you don't want to be married, you shouldn't be. But, I think it only fair to let your spouse be the first to know.

My heart goes out to the spouses and families of those who are now forcibly famous, with their dirty undies waving on the line, for all to see, inspect, and judge.

The hurt would be palpable. To be so completely disrespected and betrayed by the one you trust most in the world, the one person who vowed to have your back no matter what life threw at you. Then, to have that betrayal made so public. It would be devastating.

I'm in no position to judge anybody, for perfection is not even on the radar of my self-perception. It's just sad.

What makes a person go to those sites, fill out the info and act on it? It takes thought, time, and there would be that moment before the final click, before entering credit card info, before hitting submit, to change your mind, thinking of the depth of the consequences. This, I can say with confidence, as I've done it a ton where shoes and handbags are involved.

It just makes me sad. I guess some adults still have trouble with depth perception and knowing what will and will not be put up with.

If you're unhappy, unfulfilled, bored, feeling neglected, unsatisfied..........talk. Talk to your spouse. Reconnect. Find that "something" that drew you to them in the first place. Be the things you'd love your spouse to be. Be thoughtful, attentive, romantic, funny, hold hands, touch more, kiss more.....whatever you are missing......you will be amazed how quickly it will be reflected back in their actions.

I may not be a genius, but I am smart enough to know that I know very little. However, I have gathered a bit of intel being happily married to the love of my life for 29 years.

*You can work anything out if you really want to..........
*Quitting on each other is never an option...........
*Don't fight in circles............
*NEVER sink to name calling...............
* Don't keep score..........
*TALK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!..........
*Be each other's greatest ally, the world provides enough haters.................



Well, time to, once again, dismount from my soap box................




This week has been another busy one........

Busy busy at the shop......it's awesome.........

Got everything ready to DJ the wedding this weekend.............

Didn't get much writing in..........


I can always tell when I'm not getting enough writing time in...........my imagination starts kicking into overdrive while I sleep.....

I spent one restless night trying to DJ our Prime Minister's daughter's wedding. It was a horrible venue. The room was tiny and slathered in sea foam green and brown, with gigantic, dusty, plastic foliage in every corner. The wait staff had sea foam and egg plant fortrell (other kids of the 70's will know what I'm talking about) uniforms that were cut from some long lost fifties diner pattern, and they were NOT happy to be there.

The power connections in this place were atrocious. We were having to run miles of cable in every direction.

This poor bride was trying so hard to make things fit into her "black tie" theme.........

I just kept thinking........he's the Prime Minister, for cryin' in the sink, couldn't he have sprung for a bit of a nicer place for his daughter to get married?


Anyway............


So as to what's in store for the next little while............


Playing for a wedding this weekend! (In a nice place, with good power......no sea foam)

The shop will be hopping................

Write..........................

Squish some toddlers........................


Well, that about does it for another week................


Until then I'll leave you with this wish....................





May your love grow stronger as you grow older, deepening as life rolls by.
May your history become an epic tale, one of romance and heroism, only happy tears to cry.

May you brave every storm, holding strong, anchored in devotion and trust.
May you reach only for each other for comfort, for love, for romance, for lust.

May you rediscover the longing, the love, the desire to stay true.
May you be forever happily in love with the one to whom you said "I do."


Until next time.........

www.margyreidbooks.com

To Curl Up, Cry, Or Punch Somebody In The Throat, That Is The Question.........................

Hi!



Have you ever been so frustrated you don't know whether you want to curl up in the fetal position, cry, or punch somebody in the throat?




It's been one of those days...........................




First......................music and icloud................


For DJ purposes, I need to have instant access to our fairly extensive music library....all of it....instantly.  Imagine my dismay when I opened up my music program to find that all of my music had been shuffled on up to the cloud.  I can still access everything.....as long as I don't mind a 15 to 20 sec delay in playing, and I have a good wifi connection. Now, the majority of places we play for weddings and other occasions, either don't have wifi at all, or I don't have access to it.

Why don't you use your phone as a hotspot, you may ask? Well a lot of places don't have great cell service either. Even if I could secure magical wifi, 20 seconds of dead air between songs is just not going to cut it.

So, yesterday I began the process of downloading all the music off of the cloud, presumably, back on to the hard drive of my good ol' laptop. Yup, spent three hours clicking my brains out. I was not thrilled when, this morning, I went to continue demonstrating my clicking prowess, and discovered that all of my previous, diligent clicking was for not. Everything had climbed back up to the cloud overnight.


As luck would have it, my big sis is awesome. One of her superpowers is techy crap. Yay! I'm thinking of designing her a cape.........hmmmmm........So she waved her magic wand and I will be picking up a very functional version of what I once had on Tuesday! Did I mention she is awesome?


Last, but oh, not even close to the least...................


So, the debit terminal we use at the shop quit working. Well, not completely, but the swiper thingy was getting more and more persnickety and, I think a little predjudice as to which cards it would read, and the chip reader, well, that hasn't worked since day one.

So I called the help desk. Ooooohhhhhh they use that term extremely loosely....................

45 minutes later, I have new terminal on the way in 3 to 5 business days........awesome......

What they failed to mention, was that they were going to deactivate my current terminal immediately.

Not a good surprise.


So, I was delighted when the new terminal showed up today, actually a day ahead of schedule. The delight quickly faded when I discovered a letter in the box with instructions that involved calling in to the "help desk" to activate the new terminal, as it was sent in "locked" mode..... for my security.

I follow the directions to the tee.....call blah blah blah press "1" for english, enter your blah blah blah number, press option 3........

Now let me be clear, the instructions were plain as day. One number to call. In bold letters, "Call this number to activate your new terminal".

After taking up residence on hold for about 25 minutes, and answering all of the security questions, I was promptly informed that this was NOT the number to call for activation. "You need to call "this" number for that."

Before she can disconnect the call I ask if the number she gave me is for Canadian customers (not my first rodeo with these folks), she assures me that it is. I thank her, and dial once again.

At this point I am beginning to write lyrics in my head for the fantabulous organ/tambourine groove they have going on for the "on hold" crowd.

This time, when they pick up, it's like they are speaking on a cell phone, while riding in a helicopter about 10 feet from the hoover dam. Nice.

After 10 minutes of me getting the lady to repeat herself and answering what I hope are the questions she is asking, I find out that this is the line for American customers. "You need to call this number"

Yeah.

I dial............, this time after I once again verify who I am, and that I have every right to be on hold incessantly for this purpose, it sort of sounds, from what I can hear, that she is making headway in this apparently brain surgeryesque maneuver, I'm on hold.......45 minutes into this call, waiting for a third party to join the party and hopefully speed things along.............tambourines, then silence. Then dial tone...............crap.

I once again convince my fingers to push the buttons, with hope upon hope that I actually get a "help" desk, and enter a conversation that will be productive, uncomplicated and above all, audible.

The phone is picked up by Anthony. A clear, strong voice, no helicopter. Things are looking up, I am hopeful.....................briefly.

He did his best. He really was at least a "try to help" person. But, sadly after a shade over 3 hours, I was informed that he will do his best to help me, and will call me back. Not sure if I'd take odds on that in Vegas...........................


Almost seven hours over two days spent in futility and frustration.

As I sit here writing, I'm still on the fence about the whole curl up, cry or punch somebody in the throat thing. Maybe I will ditch all three options, go for a bike ride, and squeeze a grandbaby or two. No regrets that way, and a lot less chance of getting arrested.

Lesson?......... Patience, I suppose, or maybe, song writing for tambourines............................



Other than the aforementioned crap, the week was pretty awesome. We were able to get all of the needed jobs completed, and didn't even have to stay late for too many nights.


As for the upcoming week?

Prep my now functional music for the wedding we are playing for on the 22nd...........

Fix trailers and things of that nature..........

Run errands............

Kill dust bunnies, and slay laundry monster...............

Squeeze some small sticky people...........

WRITE!.............



Aaaannnnnd that about does it for me for another week....................


Until next time, I'll leave you with this wish.................



May every person at the help desk live up to the distinction.
May being bounced and transferred become a victim of extinction.

May every question you have be answered correctly, with confidence, and clarity.
May each word in the conversation lead you closer to a successful conclusion, prosperity.

May every frustrating task have a favourable outcome, a rainbow at the end of a storm.
May you remember,when there are times the rainbow just can't happen, above all, do no harm.


Until next time, please check out my website....www.margyreidbooks.com

They May All Be A Little Bit Crazy, But They're All Mine!

Hi!



What a great week!



There are so many out there who don't get along with their families. There are a ton who have no family, DNA sharing, or otherwise.  There are many who shudder at the words "Family Reunion," as one of those things you are "obligated" to attend.

At the risk of sounding a bit on the braggy side, I've got to say I have a pretty fabulously, crazy group of people that I get to call family.

It's a good sized group, enough for 4 full ball teams with a good amount left over to cheer, using the term "cheer" rather loosely. Maybe "heckle" would be a bit more accurate. It's really too bad that not everyone could make it!

We are as diverse as we are many. There are medical professionals, teachers, singers, musicians, oil workers, farmers, writers, welders, mechanics, chefs and many more.....

We rage from octogenarian to on-the-verge-of-being-born, spanning 4 very full generations.

We've lost some to age and illness, having them present only in our hearts. We have survivors of life and all it can throw. We are very different, but share some commonalities.

We are strong....we are resilient......we like a cold one on a hot day........we are brave.......we are smart asses.....we love to give each other a hard time.....we love music almost as much as we love food, we all have our own spattering of harmless crazy,.........we are protective..........and what I love most?....we cherish our children.

So after the food, the laughs, the music, the water balloon war, the hugs, and the games, it was time to say good-bye, until next time..........

It is not lost on me how lucky I am.

The remainder of the week was a bit mundane by comparison.....


It's been, thankfully, another busy one at the shop.....helping to put smiles on customers' faces never gets old.......

A few more books landed in some very cute little hands..........

Many grandbaby snuggles were enjoyed..........................



As for the next week?......


Going to spend a bit of time with a great friend............

It will be another busy one at the shop.....

Prep music to play for upcoming wedding............

Squeeze some people...........

Write!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Well, that about does it for another week. Until next time, I'll leave you with this wish...........





May you have the opportunity awarded you, to squeeze those who have your heart.
May you use all at your disposal to stay in touch, no matter how far apart.

May you never take for granted the luxury having a tangible family tree allows.
May any past hurts be forgiven, set free, lightening the weight of the boughs.

May every linked soul know their worth, discover their place in this grand design.
May all be accepted, cherished, loved, enveloped, "family"....defined.




Until next week,


www.margyreidbooks.com