Stupology.

I'd like to say I'm working nights, and then that would imply sleeping days. As it turns out I'm on a weird 24 hour shift with naps here and there. Phil asked me if I was starting to feel paranoid. I don't know, why's he want to know?

The other stressors in my life have made it very difficult to deal with stupid people, of which lately there seem to be an abundance. And sadly enough I'm too tired to deal with them. For instance, at the post office - the muppet behind the counter who is on transmit only and apparently can't get enough of the sound of his own voice. Look up the definition of metrosexual or effeminate in the dictionary- you'll see him. So perhaps that is why he thinks the bald child in the purple Dora robe is a boy and continues to say- Happy Boy's Day little buddy, Happy Boy's Day. After a third time, the lady behind me in line and I both say "she's a girl". Oh really? I'm sorry, she doesn't have any hair.



Oh well that certainly makes up for his stupidity and ignorance. Of course, she doesn't have any hair, she therefore must be a boy. Because culturally speaking, where we live there is an abundance of boys with short hair. (sarcasm) Apparently boys with short hair are generally only the military brats- which I guess we qualify(again sarcasm)- so maybe he was just trying to relate to the haole kine. Which brings me to my second stupology point-I'm so over racism and the justification of it here. It's publicly allowed by stating- it's not meant in a harmful way. I get that but at some point you pull your head out of the sand and realize that by assigning names to a group of people based on skin color is wrong- whether it is deragotory or not. If someone asks- what color was the man who robbed the store? Haole. OK. Haole means white folk. I was too tired to bring his stupidity to his attention by merely stating the fact that she is in chemo and let's face it- with someone of his intellectual status, such a revelation would mean nothing. The 12 people in line behind me got it and then I had to endure the smiles on our way out- only to see he charged me for 3 books of stamps when I only bought 2 and have to turn around and go right back in.

Then Phillip comes home with yet another notice about needing to pay damages for yet some other book or school something or other. Last week it was the school portrait package. I HATE that they print up an entire package and send it home. Not only is it wasteful. period. dot. Lifetouch apparently shuns the green movement openly. The idea is that stupid folk just pay for the package, the smart folk pick out the sheet they like, pay for that and send the rest back, the illegal folk scan it and send the whole thing back, and the brilliant people realize that the pictures really aren't that good and print copies of a photo from the beach and call it good. So they send the pictures home the week before spring break. And since I am slightly distracted with much much much bigger life issues- I don't notice they are still on the desk until mid spring break. I pick out the sheet I want, because they are flipping entertaining, not because they are good. Both kids have good smiles and are posed nicely, Phillip is sporting a crooked fauxhawk and kiera's hair looks like it's sticking out the side of her head. I pick the page with 4 copies- 1 to torture them with when they get older, 3 for the grandparents. Insert check- give to children- tell children to return to school. SO I get this notice that Phillip's pictures were never turned in. I look in his backpack- they're shoved in there. Ok. We have a long talk about responsibility and I read him the letter. I let him know either he returns the pictures or he shells out the $45 for the package- got it? Yep. Even he doesn't think the cool fauxhawk is worth that. The I notice the back side of the notice has a page's worth of typing. The principal actually printed out the statute about damage to school property. I am assuming the office staff did it, but who knows- maybe she did it herself because lord knows she isn't doing anything physically out and about the school grounds. I'm not a lawyer, but unfortunately I have had experience deciphering legalese in my not distant enough past. I look for the full text online and I am pretty sure this is in reference to school property, book damage, grounds damage, whatnot- not school pictures from a third party. Seriously? How about a notice on a sliver of paper that says- we noticed that your pictures haven't been turned in. They were due such and such date. Because on the picture envelope is a sticker that says pictures or payment is due 10 days from delivery- but no date. I have no flipping recollection of when they were delivered so how can I possible know what 10 days from that is?. If you are going to get all technical on my a** then make sure you print the date on the flippin school property in question. But I let it go. I have bigger tumors to fry. And I am assuming he returned them as they have not yet foreclosed on my house or claimed my car for restitution. You know what they say about assumptions.

So last night I hear he and Phil in discussion over a book on Hawaiian heritage. Apparently we got another notice( same statute printed out) This time from the library at school regarding a book that was damaged so severely we owe $61 for it. Phillip is explaining that Lily did it and Phil is utterly perplexed that he has no knowledge of such a severe offense in our household. I am feeling the same thing. I know we are distracted and many many many things slide under the radar- but I don't remember Lily eating a book and then sending it back to school. Because for $61 damage she must have ripped the cover clean off, digested it and then puked it back up. Phil is stating he wants to see the damage, Phillip needs to get that book.....easy tiger- don't send the boy in- have them call us or we can go in. He writes our numbers on the form. Like we have time for this. I look at Phillip- which book buddy? MOM! You remember, Lily got it wet and when I tried to dry it.....and it comes flooding back- Phillip screaming like a banshee from his room that Lily ripped the cover off of his book. She had drooled on it, or dripped juice, it wasn't even the cover page- it was the white page that connects the cover page to the cover of a book that's been rebound- which is most books in schools these days because they are all older than me. There was a bona fide hole in the page. It was a white page, no typing, no title, no copywrite, nothing. It was the size of a quarter. I did not think the world would end over this. I was tempted to just rip the page out as it had nothing on it, but that would be defacing school property. I told him to just give it back, it would be fine. $61 YGTBSM!

So needless to say Phil and I are both tired, a bit punchy and this is like fuel to our already angry collective fire. He writes a lengthy response on the paper and sends it back to school. This outta be interesting. I agree with Phil- If they are going to charge us $61, that book is ours- they are not gonna rip the page out, use the book and plug $61 into whatever fund is lacking. There are right and wrong ways to go about things. And this is just stupid. And this is another prime example of when you have stuff going on, little, stupid things can send you right on over the edge.

But right now I have to go. Bella picked open a scab and is screaming that she needs to go to the sospital because there is blood. I think a band aid will fix this one up nicely, the emotional issues may require years and years of therapy. And I would love to tend to her emotionl needs, but evidently I need to get a job to pay for or account for all of the school's property this week or I am going to go to jail. Hmmm, 3 squares, mandatory exercise, limited nightly interruptions- maybe that's my window. Everything happens for a reason!