Permeance

You've found a chapter of my life. A closed one that involved a trip to Australia.

If you'd like to read through it, I've actually arranged it in reverse order so it can be read straight through from beginning to end.

I can always be found at www.getsoutmore.com

Cheers.

In A Nutshell

Without even looking at what prompted this (partial) recounting of beliefs by Kaetlan, it's perfect. And perfectly stand-alone.

My feminism is confined to the freedom to make choices, and for equalization inside the social sphere. I support equal pay for equal work, but I reject the condescension of Affirmative Action. I support the woman who wants to pursue a prestigious education and career. I also support the woman who wants to stay at home, whether she's raising children or not. I even support the woman who feels she can 'have it all', no matter how misguided I feel that notion to be -- have at 'er, just don't complain to me about how tired you are.

I want women to be able to have abortions should they want to and NO, I don't include any qualifiers. I want women to be proud of themselves, but I also want that for men. I despise violence against women, but I despise violence against any person, irrespective of sex. I support advocacy for women living in countries where they're treated like chattel, and can be killed by their menfolk for whatever supposed breaches of family honour they've committed. (I won't even address how idiotic is the cognitive dissonance to believe murder is somehow not dishonourable.) The voiceless need a voice, and we, with our greater resources and cultural tolerance, are morally obliged to speak for them out of principle.

This advocacy doesn't include anyone currently residing inside another human's body. Sorry. That's just me.

I don't hate men, and I don't believe them to be the source of everything wrong with women's status in this society. For that, I blame Nature. I don't believe women are possessed of moral superiority to men. I don't believe if women ruled the world, violence would magically disappear --violence is the ravening wolf in all our hearts, and requires constant suppression by conscious decisions negotiated through moral and ethical codes. I don't believe women should be afforded any special privileges, and that includes the fascist 'safe office' policies and speech codes employed by an alarming number of corporations and universities. These policies infantilize women, and I wholly reject the idea we're all frail, hot-house orchids who need protection from Big Bad Men. I don't believe porn degrades women. I don't believe strip clubs degrade women simply by virtue of their existence, nor do I believe the women who work in them are degraded. I don't believe prostitutes are victims, though it's a dangerous line of work, and it's obvious the more visible of their number (the streetwalkers) are more likely to be victimized, whether as a result of prevailing public attitude (including the indifference of police officers), or through their very real vulnerability on darkened city streets.

And, having borne witness to the sheer fickleness and spite with which women can treat other women, I believe the idea of an all-embracing sisterhood to be a colossal joke, but conspicuously lacking a clever punchline.

You Gonna Eat That? *wink wink*

Whut?

Four point restraints. Gown ripped off = naked patient. Straining to sit up and yelling. Unaccompanied by any staff. Parked in OUR hallway by the ER staff so we can run a CT.

Tell me again why you can't understand how a CT scan is impossible?

(You know, other than the obvious - that patients need to LIE STILL for these things.)

Or, please, why you think I'm the idiot?

Enter the recently learned coping mechanism these busy days - loosely defined as ... "As long as I know I'm right, I don't care what YOU think. And I get to wear scrubs for work! No more ironing! It's all good!"

It works, too. Quite well.

Besides, 365 days ago, I quit smoking. And four days from now, I'll be in Australia. HA!

I win..

But jeez, it's gotta be time to go home now? This place is MADness.

I Have Achieved the Impossible

The big container of hummus I bought last week ran out at exactly the same time as my pita bread.

I KNOW! I am the amazing Jen!

The amazing Jen who just realized that in two days she is leaving for a month and all the food in the house must be eaten so that nothing goes to waste.

Do you think turkey, stuffing, scrambled eggs and salsa go together well? Because, you see, the mayonnaise confounded me and ran out before the turkey. But I still have a dozen eggs, which I like to eat with salsa.

(Which sounds nasty until you've been to a Calgary Stampede breakfast, served with large amounts of alcohol. Trust me. Go. Don't leave it until the last minute in that, "I'll go to N'Orleans for mardi gras next year." kind of way.)

Since I decided that I would 'slim' down a month ago I have eaten everything I can get my hands on - at least 10 times a day. Because is that not the law of vacation preparation?

On the other hand, once they've jammed me into my seat - I will be on my way to see T3 and Yeti - two people I absolutely adore.

Absolutely.

Adore.

Yeti may even have recovered from the torture of the endless Matt stories in June. Of which I no longer have any cause I'm over the 'hump' (so to speak).

I owe him tons for letting me babble on and to be able to talk to someone who actually knew Matt - about Matt, was probably the best thing for me. Beers for Yeti.

And I talked to someone today who knew exactly what I meant when I said lick a slug cause SHE'S DONE IT TOO! I knew I wasn't the only one! HA!

I am, however, a little afraid of what I assume to be his plans to get me back for that. What boy would not have some nefarious plan to pay me back? (A nice boy, of course. Yeti, are you here? Nice Yeti.)

And yes, I know not to lick any toads.

But, still.....