Neighbors Suck!

So my upstairs neighbor sucks a fat one. She has complained that Lucy has been barking during the day...during the day when nobody is sleeping... so if a dog is going to bark any time, shouldn't that time be when it's ok? Not to mention, during the day when I am at work and can do nothing about it. Oh, and keep in mind that Ivan is home on Mondays & Tuesdays usually, so that only leaves 3 days a week that the dog could be barking during waking hours. And not to mention she's never alone for more than 7ish hours, and is not barking when I get home SO that means she stopped at some point during the day, correct? AND this horrible soul who lives above us, actually has a dog! Aren't other dog-people supposed to know/understand that there's this thing that dogs do sometimes, called barking!

So here's my list of questions/comments/concerns:

**Is there any protection for the pet owners who live here? I was home until 11:00 yesterday and a complaint was made at 11:30; if the dog started barking the second I walked out of the door, which she didn't, that would have her barking for 30 minutes. Is that classified as unreasonable? I don't think that should be counted as one of the "3 strikes." Dogs will bark. I don't think it's fair to say that a 30 minute barking occurrence is enough to count as a 3rd strike. At least wait it out, see if she was actually going to bark all day, ya know?

**We do in fact live in a place that allows dogs. Residents moving in should be aware of that and not complain every time they hear a dog bark, because it will happen from time to time. At this point, I am trying to correct the problem and now I can't even do that because my three strikes are up, 2 in the matter of one week. That didn't give any time to even correct a problem. There should be a reasonable amount of time for a pet owner to attempt to train their pet. Two complaints in a week's time is not sufficient to correct the problem.

**I think there should be more chances. Correcting a dog barking is a trial & error process. So now I know what I was doing wasn't working, I need a chance to try other things. The only way I do know if it is working or not is getting a notice stuck to my door saying one more chance is gone. I would like to be able to work together with the management and/or neighbors to assist in this problem and solution. Let me know in a less threatening manner that my solution didn't work. Ok, I will then try something else. I think the tone and implication of the letter is unnecessary and not a pro-active way of dealing with the issue.

**Did we get new neighbors? Why was there no complaints for 3 months and in the last month my 3 strikes are up? Again, it is unreasonable for a behavior to be changed that quickly. One week between complaints does nothing.

**Do you ask your residents with children to leave or get rid of their children when they cry? I assume not. This is the same thing.

**Also, we pay for this pet to live here (a $500 deposit and $50 each month!). Going back to the first bullet point- doesn't that buy us some right or protection against neighbors who can't deal with pets in their building?

Yesterday I was pretty much distraught because if she complains one more time, Lucy's out. I will have to send her home to my parents until this lease is up (June 15th!!). Clearly that would be really hard to do. I love Lucy and need her around and would miss her too much. I might just throw myself into the mall off the balcony if they make me do that...maybe not, but you know, she is my baby :) People couldn't just get rid of their children, and I can't understand how people just get rid of dogs!

So, I am doing my best because I want Lucy here, and as much as I'd like to march upstairs and kick this lady's face in, I can't. I have to live here. And you know what else-- she's the only person complaining! Out of hundreds of people in this building, and 4 other apartments directly beside us, she is holding all of the power because she is a miserable little bitch...with horrible acne by the way. Yes now I'm getting petty, but she's out to get my baby, you would too! I told Ivan I was going to leave some Pro-Active on her doorstep.... :)

So anyway, like I said, I'm trying. I have been on constant contact with the management to let them know my side of the story. I used to gate Lucy in the bathroom during the day-- now she runs free in hopes she won't start barking. The radio is left on for her to have company. She is wearing a ($120!) collar that sprays citrinilla in her nose if she barks, tomorrow she is getting more shots & on a flea program so she can go to an overpriced day care 3 days a week, all because 1 pimple faced whore is a little annoyed that a 7 pound dog, 1 floor beneath her barks 3 days a week. A little ridiculous don't you think? I thought so.

And now we live in fear of any noise ever being made in our own apartment. It's like we're in prison...no really, we have concrete floors and walls...it really is like prison right now!

"Don't you think you deserved that?"

Crazy story...

Today I was crossing the street, yes I was jaywalking. There was only 1 car coming on this 4 lane one way street. It was in the far opposite lane from me. I start to cross the street because by the time I would get to the 3rd lane, the car would have passed...right? I do this several times a day, so ya know, I know this. Well this bastard decides to slow waaay down so then I'm standing in like lane 2 thinking "are you stopping for me to cross or what the hell?" And on top of slowing down, he switches to lane 3. He has forced me to cross in front of him at this point, which means he has to stop. Please keep in mind that this is all his fault, because if he had just stuck to the plan of staying in the 4th lane and driving at a normal speed, none of this would have happened. Anyway, I'm crossing, as I cross, he starts driving towards me at like 1 mile an hour!! I look at the car and yell "What the f$@# are you doing!!???" He rolls down his window and says "Don't you think you deserved that?" What? I said "No because if you had stayed in your f*ing lane this wouldn't have happened." He goes "But Madame" and then I flipped him off and walked away.

So, is that one of the most F*ed up stories you've ever heard? Is this man so againist jaywalking that he had to make an example of me? Did he think I expected him to stop for me? Did he think he was funny? I'm not sure. What I know is that he was a dumbf*ck.

So bizarre.

Shopping Cart

So we were really excited tonight about the new shopping carts at Ralph's. You may have seen them before but we hadn't...all four wheels turn independantly. So you can push it sideways and do sharp turns. Very exciting. Actually the shopping carts are from Gelson's (the overpriced grocery store downstairs). See we go get groceries at Ralph's, come home and park, come into our building to get a grocery cart, go back to the car, load up & come back in. This is actually much easier than trying to just carry everything in-- across the street, up the elevator & down the hall to our place. Anyway, we took pictures & video! The video is actually good to see our apartment. I think I will make another just to show you what it looks like.

My Horoscope today:

Review & reflect. Yes, you're still the best. A superior attitude shouldn't keep you from being considerate. Everyone is their own hero.

I love it! ha

Nancy Grace

Do you ever watch Nancy Grace? She's this lawyer who has a show and discusses court cases and just different stuff. She acts like she's just trying to find out the facts from experts regarding the topic, but all she does is speak her own opinion and yell at the experts who are just providing facts and have nothing to do with the case. Anyway, last night I was like yelling at the TV, I couldn't take it. She was discussing how this family of a special needs child (the girl has the capacity of a 3 month old and will never have more than that) are stunting her growth so that she is more manageable to care for as she ages. Ok, form your own opinions. I think it's fine. The people who have to deal with caring for adults who can do nothing, absolutely nothing for themselves, let alone even tell you what's wrong--it's not like these people are just elderly, they can't even communicate with you!-- well, it can't be easy and nobody should be able to judge their decision to do this. That's how I feel. So if that didn't just get me mad enough because she's trying to say that these parents should be charged with something, etc. You know what she was most concerned about?? That her uterus and breast tissue were removed. Grace went on & on about that, "why'd they have to remove that?" Why should she need to keep it? It won't make her life any better-- she's not going to pro-create, what's the purpose in putting her through PMS and menopause and all of that for no reason? Let alone, the parents who have to deal with that as well. AND, I'm sure she's not the first special needs female to have a hysterectomy, I'm sure it's more common than you think. Because yes, it saves her discomfort and it saves caregivers from having to take care of it. I was so mad. This woman pisses me off big time. Don't act like you are just trying to get the facts when you already have your mind made up, and how can you speak for something you've never had to do? She did say that in her life she has been a caregiver for a grown man...I bet he didn't have the capacity of a 3 month old, I bet whatever made him this way didn't happen as a child, and I bet your just pissed off that you didn't have the option!

Anyway, one article about it is below in case you wanted to read it.
I do agree with the article in that there aren't good enough options for caring for these people, but I don't think you should hold it againist some people who found a different option.

CHICAGO -- In a case fraught with ethical questions, the parents of a severely mentally and physically disabled child have stunted her growth to keep their little "pillow angel" a manageable and more portable size.

The bedridden 9-year-old girl had her uterus and breast tissue removed at a Seattle hospital and received large doses of hormones to halt her growth. She is now 4-foot-5; her parents say she would otherwise probably reach a normal 5-foot-6.

Some ethicists question the parents' claim that the drastic treatment will benefit their daughter and allow them to continue caring for her at home.


The case has captured attention nationwide and abroad. "Offensive if not perverse," wrote one person on an online bulletin board. "This smacks of eugenics," another wrote.

Right or wrong, the couple's decision highlights a dilemma thousands of parents face in struggling to care for severely disabled children as they grow up.

"This particular treatment, even if it's OK in this situation, and I think it probably is, is not a widespread solution and ignores the large social issues about caring for people with disabilities," Dr. Joel Frader, a medical ethicist at Chicago's Children's Memorial Hospital, said Thursday. "As a society, we do a pretty rotten job of helping caregivers provide what's necessary for these patients."

The case involves a girl identified only as Ashley on a blog her parents created after her doctors wrote about her treatment in October's Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. The journal did not disclose the parents' names or where they live; the coupld do not identify themselves on their blog, either.

Shortly after birth, Ashley had feeding problems and showed severe developmental delays. Her doctors diagnosed static encephalopathy, which means severe brain damage. They do not know what caused it.

Her condition has left her in an infant state, unable to sit up, roll over, hold a toy or walk or talk. Her parents say she will never get better. She is alert, startles easily, and smiles, but does not maintain eye contact, according to her parents, who call the brown-haired little girl their "pillow angel."

She goes to school for disabled children, but her parents care for her at home and say they have been unable to find suitable outside help.

An editorial in the medical journal called "the Ashley treatment" ill-advised and questioned whether it will even work. But her parents says it has succeeded so far.

She had surgery in July 2004 and recently completed the hormone treatment. She weighs about 65 pounds, and is about 13 inches shorter and 50 pounds lighter than she would be as an adult, according to her parents' blog.

"Ashley's smaller and lighter size makes it more possible to include her in the typical family life and activities that provide her with needed comfort, closeness, security and love: meal time, car trips, touch, snuggles, etc.," her parents wrote.

University of Pennsylvania ethicist Art Caplan said the case is troubling and questioned how preventing normal growth could benefit the patient. Treatment that is not for a patient's direct benefit "only seems wrong to me," Caplan said.

He called it another example of the "slippery slope issue, with other parents thinking the way to deal with my kid with permanent behavioral problems is to put them into permanent childhood. It's not the right strategy."

But Ashley's parents say keeping her small will help reduce risks for bedsores and other conditions that can afflict bedridden patients. Also, they say preventing her from going through puberty means she won't experience the discomfort of having periods or growing breasts that might develop breast cancer, which runs in the family.

"Even though caring for Ashley involves hard and continual work, she is a blessing and not a burden," her parents' blog says. Still, they wrote, "Unless you are living the experience ... you have no clue what it is like to be the bedridden child or their caregivers."

Sleepy time...

This is why I'm always on the computer, these two are asleep on the couch all the time! Cute though huh?

Lao Tzu

I saw this quote from Lao Tzu (you know he was like a chinese philosopher thousands of years ago--wrote the Tao Te Ching). Anyway, thought I'd share it-

"Time is a created thing. To say 'I don't have time' is to say 'I don't want to.'"

Think about that the next time you say you don't have time for something...all you are really saying is I don't want to!

Back to Sunny California

HEY! I'm back in Cali. The trip was good...it seemed very short, I was busy almost non-stop the whole time I was home. Whenever I'm home I always think, why don't I just move back home? Someday I will, but it's exciting to only be home for short periods of time and then get moving again. Yesterday we got to the airport in St. Louis about 2:30 and found out our connecting flight had been cancelled, so they booked us on a later flight, but it was nonstop! YAY! I love non-stop flights. Anyway, we had to sit in the airport until 7:45 (from 2:30!) but it didn't seem as long as it was I guess. All of Ivan's friends/family was busy and/or working so they couldn't come pick us back up. Oh well. Lucy did good, she always does good no matter how long she's in that bag. I did get her out at the aiport and took her outside and just ran her in circles for awhile. This morning I was unpacking everything and she saw her bag and hopped into it...strange since she was in it for about 10-12 hours yesterday! But it makes me feel better for shoving her in there, she's not having adverse reactions to the bag.

So everything is unpacked, just need to do some laundry and take Lucy to the park. I plan to let her run A LOT.

Thanks to everyone for a wonderful trip home!! It's always great to see you. There are some pictures below. If you want any of them, email me which ones and I will send it to you separately. There's not very many though...must have been too busy to even stop for a picture :)

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