madameblogalot

Permanent. It’s there forever. (Unless you change your mind, spend a lot of money and go through some amount of pain, so I hear.) Otherwise, you will be forever marked. If you have a tattoo placed on your body.

The movement in body art has shifted dramatically over the last five to ten years. Many mainstream people are having “works of art” forever immortalized on their very flesh. It is something that is not only for those just coming of age, many middle aged folks are deciding to permanently ink their bodies as well. But when it comes to allowing a child to have his body tattooed, there are certain limits that are in place.

It seems that the laws vary from state to state, most stating you must be 18, while some states do allow minors to receive a tattoo with parental consent. So when I heard today about the 10 year old who recently received a tattoo, I was pretty taken aback. When I found out why he wanted the tattoo, I could at least understand-to a point- why he wanted it. He wanted it to honor his brother who has died. While I don’t agree with this form of honoring the dead, I do know it has become a fairly normal response among some groups of people. When everywhere kids look they see people with such body art-store clerks, waiters, athletes, their parents, even Barbie-why would they not see this as a normal and acceptable way of responding to their grief, or as everyday/mainstream/normal.

Should a child ever be allowed to have such a permanent reminder on their flesh? Though I know what I would say in response to that, I also think I have an idea of what some close to me would say….So while I think ten is way too young to make such a permanent decision, I am not sure I can actually say it’s “wrong”.

I heard a clip on “The Doctors” today stating that testosterone levels in men are lowering about 20% over a generation ago. The doctor stated they don’t know why the levels are lowering but feel like there is some biological issue taking place, whether caused by pollution, the environment or some other cause. I do wonder if environment does play a role in this. I also wonder if it is just a reflection of demographics. With the baby boomers aging and getting into the years where testosterone levels will decline, then there will be more men reported with lower testosterone levels. I also wonder if the pressure we put on our boys to “feminize” them, or at least “urbanize” them (ie-the “metro male”) is somehow quashing the levels of testosterone output. All very interesting and I guess we’ll see in the future how this question can affect all of us….

Here are the first lines from the first blog post of each month from 2011. I need some variety!

Jan: My dad said I needed to write the date down somewhere today.

A fun date to write (too bad I missed 11.11.11) and fit well with my blogging year in review.

Feb: Staying busy

A rhyming tribute to my life.

March: Just a reminder to spring ahead one hour tonight/tomorrow morning at 2.

A reminder of why we have to “spring forward” each year.

April: In my husband’s training for Iron man it calls for lots of drill training.

Incorporating drill training helps build strength and speed.

May: Fahrenheit 451: I read this book several years ago and liked it.

A HIT or MISS post.

June: I am frugal.

Some things never change!

July: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy: When I saw this book for $2 at Barnes and Noble I thought I’d pick it up for a Christmas present.

Another HIT or MISS post. Reading a book I am going to give as a gift doesn’t count as “re-gifting”…

Aug: It took me most of June and half of July to finish this book.

Another HIT or MISS post. I need to try to keep that from being my first post each month!

Sept: …I finished my first ever Olympic distance triathlon.

YAY!

Oct: The Prestige: Wow! What an interesting movie!

surprise, surprise, a HIT or MISS post…

Nov: The Dark Ages: I actually watched this History Channel presentation in Sept. but forgot to list it.

I lead an exciting life…..

Dec: Pirate Latitudes: I found this Michael Crichton book on sale at the grocery store.

I guess I am blogging on autopilot!

The Help: A very moving and poignant look at 1960s Mississippi, told from the perspective of “The Help”. This one is a HIT for the way the story is told.

Bladerunner: I did not even finish this movie. The original book (Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?) is much better. I guess the movie was a MISS for me.

Sherlock Holmes: Since my husband and daughter went to see the release of the newest Sherlock Holmes, I decided to watch the first one. About half way through my husband woke me up and said he could tell I did not like it. I said no, I thought it was stupid but I would finish it. We did not finish it that night and I did not realize it was only rented for two days so I missed seeing the end of it. I guess it was another MISS.

Arctic Drift: I felt this novel was on the hokey side and took til nearly chapter 70 before it got good. I would rate it as a MISS for me too, though I did appreciate the lack of vulgar language and situations.

Studio White: This book is a collaboration in which my sister was involved. It was interesting though maybe not quite my style. I will rate it as neither a HIT or MISS.

Sarah May Be Listening: Influencing the People Who Matter the Most: This is a small book my dad wrote years ago. I can appreciate the thoughts he is bringing to the reader’s attention, though I will rate the book as neither a HIT or MISS for me.

I have been looking for a part time weekend job since October. I have been extremely surprised at how hard it is to get this kind of job. I thought particularly at this time of year it would be pretty easy. So far I’ve only had one interview, a handful of rejections and many no-answers.

I heard on the radio the other day part of a conversation about this very fact, that there are many advertised job openings but companies are not actually hiring! It did not really make sense to me until my latest attempt at a part time job.

I filled out an application for an “off hours stocking” job thinking that would be just perfect (evenings and weekends.) Most jobs now have to have the application filled out online, so you never really get to talk to anybody. After filling out this most recent app, I immediately got an email back saying they are unable to consider my application at this time. I truly don’t know why. But the one idea that struck me is the fact that they will hold on to my app until Feb. It’s almost as if they are just trying to collect a pool of applicants that they can pull from if needed. So I am still unsure why there are so many advertised positions and so many people looking for work and so many rejected applications….

Pirate Latitudes: I found this Michael Crichton book on sale at the grocery store. Reading the cover flap I learned that this complete manuscript was found in his files after his death. I wondered why he never had it published. While reading it I just did not feel drawn in to the story. It was fine but just felt like something was missing. I thought maybe he had not really finished it or polished it and that is why it was not published during his lifetime. When I finished the story I felt that this is the first MISS Crichton novel I’ve read. Then I read the epilogue. It was very short. Too short. And too sparse. I decided that is what was missing from the story, the depth. And there was no bibliography. So it made me wonder if he had not finished his research and that is why he never had it published. Or maybe I am just not into pirate stories….

Airframe: Back to good classic Crichton. Good story. Drawn in from beginning. Another HIT.

National Treasure 2: While I missed the beginning of this one, I was happy to watch it since I had seen the first one last month. Even better, my nephew came in before this one was over so we got to finish this one together too. All of us watching, from preteen to grandparents, enjoy these movies and rate them a HIT.

Jurassic Park (novel): I held off reading this book since I remember not being a big fan of the movie. But I have to say that while this book is pretty gruesome in the killing scenes, I sped through those and really enjoyed this novel. I like the ending. I rate it a definite HIT and am hoping to even see the movie again. I also want to go back and see how the original Lost World ends.

Secretariat: A nice family movie, though my family did not watch with me. It was neither a HIT or MISS for me (though more of a HIT than not.) I did enjoy the ending and the blurbs about the real people portrayed in the movie.

Whew! What a busy couple of weeks. We traveled to Phoenix to watch (help) my husband participate in his first Ironman triathlon. I don’t think it will be his last!

It was an amazing day (weekend; nearly a week for him) with Ironman village being set up out in the Town park. I was blessed to be able to volunteer for race day, beginning at 5:45 am with the swim exit. It was a lot of fun to see everyone get to the finish of the first third of the race. Nearly everyone made it to the cutoff time of 2hrs 20min. We cheered those who were close to the cutoff time and were saddened with those 10-12 who did not make the cutoff.

After lunch I helped in the women’s change tent for their T2 transition from the bike to the run. After their 112 mile bike ride through the desert and back to town, the athletes headed out for their 26.2 mile run. It was fun to see all the different kinds of ladies who undertook to finish the Ironman race (my husband’s aunt being one of them!) I learned different ways the ladies prepare themselves for such an undertaking and the different things they pack to help them through the day. So many asked me if I was going to do next year’s race. I think I surprised many with my “no” answer! (Volunteers get a preferred registration, after race day and this year’s athletes. Many people volunteer just to be able to get in that line! Lots of this year’s racers were last years volunteers!)

Earlier in the day I met the lady who was captain of the finish line and she said I could come help that evening at the finish to be able to greet my husband. I was glad for that, since by volunteering all day I was never able to see him out on the course (luckily he spotted me at the swim exit and came over and gave me a big wet kiss!) I sat that evening opening medals and rolling t-shirts waiting for him to come in. I was thrilled to hear his name announced and got to him seconds after he crossed the finish line, now and forevermore an IRONMAN!!

Today the neighborhood kids strung a rope across a yard and we had a neighborhood volleyball game. It was great fun and we hated to have to leave. Later when we got home it was still going on. The little 15 month old girl I keep was with me and she ran to get in on the action. When she tripped over one of the older girl’s legs and fell face down on the sidewalk, all the kids came over to check on her. She got up squalling and a little red on the forehead but seemed ok. As I picked her up and carried her to the house to get some ice, all the kids started applauding for her! It was so cute and so sweet! While it may have been a simple playground ovation, it sure made a big statement. I sure am proud of how all those big kids treat a little one year old! (And I would bet her uncle who plays football for Tulane would be impressed that his little niece has gotten such an ovation!)

The Dark Ages: I actually watched this History Channel presentation in Sept. but forgot to list it. I “enjoyed” this film and felt like I learned something and actually put some history together as well. And, as my daughter was studying her world history that week, she quizzed me and it was over some of the things I had just watched! I got some of the questions right! So I guess I will rate this one as a HIT.

Nineteen Minutes: I am not a Jodie Picoult fan. This is only the second book by her I’ve read but daughter may use this as one of her choice readers so I wanted to read ahead of her. This novel about a school shooting is a tough one, which I guess Ms. Picoult writes about (tough current social events.) I just cannot wrap my mind around the way that teen behavior and even some adult behaviors, are normalized in her books-and in so many stories as well. Maybe I have been too naive, or maybe it really is just living in a conservative area of the country. At any rate, the story here is not enjoyable though I was drawn in and wanted to read the book, finishing the 455 page novel in less than a week. Even though I have never been in a school shooting setting I was able to relate to some of the feelings of some of the characters in the book so in that aspect I guess I would rate it a HIT. As for the storyline it is obviously not enjoyable and I hated the ending. I will rate this one as both a HIT and MISS.

the first part last: Another book daughter may read. Not my choice of reading material, but again focuses on a current social issue-teen pregnancy and parenthood. While I hate the language used I did feel like this one was perhaps a bit more realistic, being set in a large city. And the biggest difference in this story is that it is told from the teenage father’s perspective. A good twist. While it does delve into some places I would rather not have my daughter go, it was still descriptive without being too graphic (except for the language.) I did like the tone in which the story was told and felt the bond between the teen father and his newborn baby was beautifully and pretty realistically handled. I love the idea that lends itself to the book’s title: “But I figure if the world were really right, humans would live life backward and do the first part last. They’d be all knowing in the beginning and innocent in the end. Then everybody could end their life on their momma or daddy’s stomach in a warm room, waiting for the soft morning light.” This kind of beauty leads me to go ahead and rate the story as a HIT.

Buck: This documentary about the real Horse Whisperer was very interesting and informative. While I have no interactions with horses, I found Buck’s way with horses to be the same way we should be in relationships with people. Buck is amazing; he came from an abusive childhood and instead of becoming an abuser himself, has turned around to help others over come abuse and to avoid abuse in relationships. While he focuses mainly on the relationship between horse and human, it is so readily applicable to any relationship. It sure made me wish I would have been a better parent. I will rate this one a HIT.

The Wildest Dream: I was intrigued by this movie title and “cast list” so I decided to watch while training on my bike one morning. It was narrated by Liam Neeson and is about the question as to whether George Mallory did in fact make it to the summit of Mt. Everest in 1924. I honestly did not know there was a question about it so found the story very interesting. Apparently in 1999 Conrad Anker, a mountaineer, found George Mallory’s body on his own quest to climb Everest. Mallory’s body was below the summit but it is unclear whether he made it to the top first or not. So Anker decided to recreate the expedition to see if it could indeed have been possible for Mallory to have summited in 1924. The story of Anker’s recreation is interesting. I think the one part that hit me the most though was when Anker showed his family the clothing they had recreated to match Mallory’s. By todays ideals, it could be considered substandard. When Conrad showed his wife and stepsons, the youngest boy, a preteen whose father died while climbing in the Himalayas, was asked if he would wear such clothing to climb Everest. When he replied “NO” his mother asked what he would wear. His response, a quiet, fervent “I wouldn’t climb Everest.”

I was also fascinated by the fact that Mallory used oxygen to aid him on the climb to the top, as well as the fact that his final ascent was filmed. As for Conrad and his partner’s remake of the expedition, it too was fascinating. I was really impressed with Leo’s (Anker’s partner) strength in rock climbing as well as how much altitude affects the climbers. All in all, I rate this film a HIT.

American Assassin: The story itself was fairly intriguing. If you like espionage and intrigue and don’t mind rough language, this might be a good one to read. I will rate this one as neither a HIT or MISS for me.

National Treasure: I watched this one with my oldest nephew while on a trip together. I had resisted before but enjoyed the second one so much I thought I’d give it a try. I really enjoy the history of these movies and thought this was a fun one. Towards the end of the movie I realized I had seen the ending already before. I rate this one as a HIT.

This morning before church I did the first leg of a triathlon relay event. I was the swimmer for our team. Our wave start consisted of men 45+, mens clydesdale (a weight division) and relay teams. Each wave had three minutes in between and they allowed us to jump off the dock into the bay to warm up for those three minutes. The water was pretty chilly when we jumped in. Thankfully I had on my wetsuit and that helped a great deal.

It seems in my limited experience I still have a hard time getting adjusted in the open water swim. Today it still took me some time, being one of the last swimmers to get started in our wave. By the first buoy however, I had caught up with the group. By the second buoy I was even passing a few people!

I never saw any of the women in the wave (other relay swimmers) but I know I was not the last finisher in our wave. I had estimated that I would finish the 1500 meter swim somewhere between 40-60 minutes. I was hoping for closer to 40. And I finished today in 38:38! I was thrilled with that time.

As soon as I finished swimming I ran out as quickly as I could to meet our next team member. I gave her the timing chip and she took off on her bike. Unfortunately I could not stay for more of the race but I did make it to church on time (after showering of course!) Our cyclist finished her 25 miles in 1:17 and our runner finished her 6.2 miles in 50+ minutes!! Good enough to earn us second place in our division!! And since we lost to some of my other team members, I didn’t feel too badly about it at all!!