Entitled

Yesterday this 55 year old big angry black woman came out of me.  I am at a place where I feel so angry, and empowered, like nothing & nobody can tell me "no," that I can't possibly be a 22 year old small framed ginger girl, so that only leaves one person- a 55 year old big angry black woman.  Still confused?  Have I mentioned before that being a newcomer to military life isn't fun?  Oh have I?  Thought so.  Let me rephrase this- I think it is specifically the Air Force that does this poorly- this "Welcome to The Air Force you bright-eyed, bushy-tailed, newlywed, you!  Let us give you support and a booklet and an advocate and all the information that you could ever need!"  No.  I'm literally sitting here laughing at the prospect of that.  Now, I have a sneaking suspicion that the Army & probably even the Marine Corps does this, at least better than the Air Force has done for Karl & I.  Disclaimer: I wouldn't trade Karl's branch of service for anything.  The AF (Air Force) is wonderful for other reasons and I would choose it for us over and over again before I would choose another branch.  I will also take about 9% of the blame for not putting myself out there more and seeking out this 'support' and 'information' that I speak of when Karl & I first got married... although if I had I would've just been disappointed 10 months sooner than I am.  I checked this book (above) out at the library yesterday.  Back to my opener- yesterday this thing crept up in me... I am entitled to information, to knowledge that affects Karl & my life, to knowing how the system works.  I am sooooo sick of trying to get questions answered only to be shuffled around from person to person or for someone to look at me and respond in a, "how dare you ask that?  Don't you know you are just supposed to wait around and see how it plays out??"  Or "What?  You want to know now??  Before it's too late for you to do anything about it??"  No.  Not anymore.  I may not have a choice to comply or not with your office hours that look a little something like this: MWF- closed, TuTh- 8-10, 1-3 (y'all, this is SO NORMAL and not a joke!  Remember my husband that works hmmm, like 12 hours a day, sometimes 7 days a week??  Like 90% of this base has hours like this!!  That is a whole different issue...) but I am done sitting around waiting for Karl to acquire all the information or thinking that someone is going to come knocking on my door with a sliver platter full of sweetness, honey, & pamphlets.  We are in the throws of trying to figure out what is next for Karl after South Korea- that is, more specifically, what I'm talking about.  Well, that AND what South Korea will look like for him- logistics wise.  We have missed out on several things because of being misinformed or not informed at all.  For example, if Karl separates from the Air Force when his contract is up in 2013 he will have no choice on how he is able to pay for education (to put it simply)- this is a problem because had we been informed on the issue when he joined in 2007, he would have a choice, because he had to choose then.  But we missed that boat.  Sweet.  Just one example of probably the 3,000 that we have encountered.  I'm not trying to rewrite any laws here, step on any toes, or be disrespectful toward anyone- I have Karl's best interest in mind for sure.  I am just done feeling bulldozed.  We are just praying for The Lord's guidance in our future- Karl's career path, Air Force, blind steps of faith in where we will live (so hard for me).  So while I am not trying to secure or plan our future, I am trying to gather information so we have knowledge and are not ignorant about what may lie ahead or things we may need to do as responsible adults (financially speaking, things that need to get done for Korea, etc).  So, yesterday, after I reminded myself that 55 year old big angry black women don't cry, they get it done, I marched my ginger self up to the office that wouldn't answer their phone.  Don't want to answer?  That's fine.  I'll come to you and I'll get it done because I am fearfully and wonderfully made and I am entitled... OK I added the entitled part.

Watch out,
Big Angry Black Woman

Wordless Wednesday

WT.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Complainer and whiner

I'm writing this from my pedicure chair... The most uncomfortable pedicure chair I've ever sat in. I was tweeting about this experience but decided that I have more than 140 characters to share. I'm getting a pedi for the first time in Sumter... Here is a list of why it does not measure up to 1st Nails in Arlington
1. It smells like sick nasty feet
2. The chair is uncomfortable and swivels from side-to-side so everything they do to my feet involves my whole body
3. It's $10 more
4. They massaged my legs/feet for less than 15 seconds each, no joke
5. The language barrier won't allow for me to explaining dissatisfaction
6. They had about 30 color choices, all of which sucked
7. There aren't a bunch of girls I recognize from high school coming in and out that I can stare at and make myself feel better by thinking about how many hours they have spent in a tanning bed since we graduated.
8. "hero" by Enrique Iglesias is playing
9. The woman in the chair next to me is giving me the stink eye for asking my lady to fix her whack job of a pedi.

Worst.pedi.ever. And don't tell me I'm so lucky and blessed to be able to get a pedi because there are children in Africa that don't even have toes. I don't want to hear it.

A woman just came in asking for a pedi. I'm thinking about telling her to run for the hills.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

25 things

I was thinking in the car today about how weird it is that Karl didn't know me before high school, as didn't 80% of my current friends so I started thinking about weird parts of my history that really help make up who I am... enter one of my favorite things: a list.  A list of 25 things about me you may or may not know.  Enjoy.  Or fall asleep.
1. I've never broken a bone or had stitches
2. I didn't think I suffered from claustrophobia until I got married and Karl started cuddling me a lot... now I think I do.
3. When it comes to food, I am extreme and a little obsessive.  See this post
4. I spent 1st-3rd grades living in Atlanta, Georgia and 4th grade in St. Louis, Missouri.
5. I loved Georgia and hated Missouri... everyone called me Ginger Spice in Missouri.
6. In 6th grade I was the tiniest girl in the grade
7. because of #6, at a friends birthday party, a bully picked me up by my overalls and punched me.  Yep.
8. I remember the first time my mom said a bad word.  I was 8, she said "crap" and I cried.  Damaged goods, this girl.
9. I credit my mom for teaching me how to hold my own when interacting with stubborn store managers
10. I've talked my way out of an U of A parking ticket- I think this is worthy of listing.
11. My mom wouldn't let my sister's and I start to shave our legs until we had "the talk" with her
12. "the talk" would happen when you stayed home from school sick
13. I had perfect attendance until 7th grade... that was no accident.
14. I now have a love/hate relationship with bribery and leverage so Karl & I have a "no bribery" policy
15. Me & my older sister, Callie, kept a basket full of junk in our rooms as "prizes" to get our little sisters to do our chores for us and to not tattle on us when we hurt them
16. I H-A-T-E dancing shows and I have no idea why- so you think you can dance, dancing with the stars... they all make me want to rip my eyes out
17. I'm obsessed with babies
18. I'm a makeup snob/label holder
19. Since weaning from my daily wedding blog reads, I've moved on to interior design blogs
20. When my family moved back to Texas when I was 10, we lived with my cousins while we looked for a house... that means there were 8 girls between the ages of 4 & 14 under 1 roof.
21. #20 comprised the most fun months of my life; I don't think our dads can say the same.
22. When I was in nursing school, sometimes I ignored the call lights during clinicals... shameful
23. Karl & I eat hot dogs for dinner at least once a week
24. I rarely eat dessert- not much of a sweet tooth at all.  Chips, on the other hand...
25. My favorite thing to purchase- pillows.  I LOVE pillows.

Hannah K.C. Burton

unacceptable behavior

The home Karl & I live in is managed by Century 21 here in Sumter, when we need anything related to the house, we call them.  Let me tell ya, this is the most unprofessional and frustrating company to deal with.  I know, I have ridiculously high expectations when it comes to, well, every single person in this world and their job.  Here's what I'm saying: you choose your job, you are trained for your job.  Do your job and do it well.  Raise your children to be polite, professional people who follow social norms and do socially acceptable things while saying and performing in an outstanding manner in society.  That's all I'm asking for.  In what lifetime did it become acceptable to act otherwise?  To talk about your personal life to customers and clients, to not be punctual, to not work extra super crazy hard to make every customer extremely happy?  I'm sorry, is my being here an inconvenience to you?  Oh, you don't know how to place a special order?  Well then allow me to take my business elsewhere, to somewhere that does know how to place a special order because when you want to make a $400 sale you will learn how to place a special order.  Yes, I'm talking to YOU Crate & Barrel 4 stores that I had to call before I found the 1 that could help me.  I digress.  Back to what started this plea for a revolution in customer service... this Century 21 branch that I speak of is ridiculous.  They send repairmen and maintenance people to our home without calling first- can I interject my own monologue here to add that I have asked these people AT LEAST 5 times to CALL BEFORE THEY COME!!  Ever heard of scheduling an appointment?  Huh?  No?  Foreign concept to ya?  Can I get an amen from my old 'mates?  I feel like I'm in some sort of Groundhog Day experiment or show.  Never have I ever lived in a day where renters were treated with an ounce of common courtesy.  Chew on this Century 21 and landlords I'm paying your mortgage AND giving you a hearty little bolus on top of that every month.  Respect that.  So, today a man called and said that he would be at my home in less than 5 minutes to repair the electrical problems that are going on in our house and the following transpired...

"Hello, my name is Hank and Crap 21 sent me to repair the electrical problems and I'll be there in 4 minutes"
in my head I'm thinking, well, you say you're Hank and that Crap 21 sent you but for all I know, you're a rapist and thief who didn't call ahead and schedule an appointment... and I'm busy [not]
"Well, Hank, I see nobody bothered to call and make an appointment to come fix the electrical problems, this 4 minute warning certainly does not count and I find that unacceptable.  If you would like to schedule something for a later time and date that would be fine but 4 minutes from now is totally ridiculous to anyone, especially me.  Please enlighten me, what exactly was your plan had you shown up to find no answer when you knocked on the door because that is a likely scenario considering your scare tactic?
Hank didn't have much to say.

After giving similar... lessons to various stores, companies, professors, and offices over the years I have found that I do often get the result I'm looking for.  I've also found that I'm asked to leave and never return.  I always, always try very hard to maintain respect toward the person I'm talking to but obviously, despite my polite tone and respectful attitude, my message is not always well received.  I've found that offices on Karl's Air Force base particularly don't like these messages...

Now don't cross me or I'll educate you
Hannah K.C. Burton

MOPS

Last fall I started working at a local Mothers of Preschoolers meeting that meets every other Thursday.  I knew it would be a great way to continue to be around kids like I always have been, mostly because I knew there was no telling how long it would be before Karl & I made friends with anyone... let alone people with children.  I have such a soft spot in my heart for kids- I LOVE them all and just die everytime I get to spend time with them (especially babies & toddlers).  Anyways, I was initially placed in the 16-24 month room- such a fun age!  Sweet babies, some a little unsteady on their feet, exploring their voices and learning to put words together, starting to share or maybe be selfish... anyways, it was so fun... except for Deb.  I think Deb (slightly changing name for the sake of her dignity) walked right off the SNL set.  I legitimately laughed out loud during my first interaction with her but then had to recover it when I realized she wasn't joking... I actually don't even know how to put Deb's behavior into words.  She walks around the classroom with Lysol wipes in her hands, won't allow the other workers to use waterless hand sanitizer because the children "may touch our hands and then put their hands in their mouths and get alcohol poisoning," and hypervigilantly watches to ensure that not a second goes by that a child's wet diaper sits unchanged... as in, some children will have their diapers changed 4 or 5 times during the less than 3 hour meeting and most of the time they are dry.  waste.ful.  I typically sit back and watch in awe.  I never considered myself super laid back, until now.  I literally prayed that either Deb or I would be moved to another room- she was not tolerable.  I know, that is so super ridiculous.  Well, after about 5 weeks of Deb-suffrage I was moved to the infant room!  YAYYY!!!  I'm in there with 2 grandmothers who know best, oh lord.  It is infinitely better being in that room and who doesn't love teeny tiny babies?!  And I know that these two women have more experience with babies and kids than most of the mommas that bring in their little ones combined but if they take one more headband off of a baby girl because "that mom doesn't know she is changing her head growth and development" I might scream.  I finally got so irritated last week that I said, "well my mom put headbands on me and my sisters and we've all made it just fine." Ha.  I'm not even sure that we wore headbands but I couldn't handle the wiser than thou comments anymore.  Thennnnnnn, a woman comes in to lend an extra hand that isn't normally in the infant room with us and sees a fussy baby.  I know that this baby has horrible reflux issues and I know that this baby is a thumb sucker.  This woman, we'll call her Pat, immediately and dramatically sweeps this baby up and says, "OH MY GOSH this baby is HUN.GRY. she needs to be fed now!  I had this baby one week and I told the mom that she wasn't feeding this baby enough ounces often enough.  Oh this baby is ready for rice cereal.  Yes, yes she is.  Oh poor baby, you're just starving."  Well, actually this baby is on a strict schedule, she just ate and she is suffering from reflux and gas pain.  "OMG look, she's so hungry she is EATING HER HAND."  Are you kidding me??  She sucks her thumb, similarly to half the world's population under the age of 5.  So, Pat proceeds to make a bottle and begin to feel the baby but she is feeding the baby sitting up so the baby is having issues sucking and swallowing.  Well Pat then proceeds with the following, "OH baby, you are just so hungry you are just inhaling this!!"  Well actually, she is sort of choking because she is eating in an unfamiliar position.  "Well I'm going to have to take this bottle away from you if you're going to suck it down this fast!!"  Well that's smart.  Punish the 4 month old for taking her bottle in a way you see unsuitable.  That'll fix the situation.  THEN it was time to change said baby's diaper.  Oh lord.  Pat did the changing, "OH MY GOSH, Momma needs to air this baby out at home!!  These cloth diapers are just HORRIBLE!  All these 'green' people..."  Seriously?  Because I was under the impression that until about 20 years ago, cloth was all that existed and all of our booties turned out just fine.  Needless to say, that was the longest 3 hours of my life... well, since I was in a classroom with Deb.  I'm hoping Pat decides to NOT make an appearance in the infant room for a looonnnggg time.  And her shenanigans carried on like this with pretty much every single baby, "How about Mom worries more about putting socks on her than a headband?"  Were you not listening when the mom said the baby will not keep socks on? And "Nobody wears smocking anymore.  Why can't more moms dress their babies that way?"  Where I come from, smocking still exists and I see it all the time.  Open.your.eyes.  Pat made matter-of-fact statements for 3 hours straight about everything from autism to reflux to headbands and teenagers.  I wanted to die.  She didn't know that I am a nurse and could literally see full paragraphs in my head out of my med/surg textbook stating the exact opposite of what she was saying.  Get outta here, Pat.

Despite what the previous may seem, MOPS is so fun for me and I really look forward to it all week!  ANND I protect the babies AND moms from people like Pat.  Not only that but I suppose Pat (and Deb) mean well and despite what they say, they take very good care of the kids so nobody is in harm or suffering at all.  But, obviously, I know everything and am the ultimate babysitter.

Hannah K.C. Burton