Travel By Air

Ok people!  It has been 10 years!  10 years since our world changed forever.   You are not special!  You are not entitled to special treatment!  We all have to follow the same rules!  

I feel like a PSA for the TSA.  Really it is not that hard.  First, when going through security you may NOT take 2 cans, 12oz each, of super hold hair spray. You must remove your shoes. Place all liquids in containers that are 3oz or smaller into a quart size baggie. Your laptop has to go in a bin all by itself.  And please, if you forget (we all have lapses in memory) be nice to the TSA folks. They are just doing their job. Yelling at them doesn’t get you a free pass on your $5 Starbucks coffee that you just purchased outside of security.  

When you finally get through security and board your plane, be nice to the flight attendants. They have a thankless job, and they are not well paid. It is just not that hard to be nice to the flight attendant.

You are allowed 2 carry-on items. NOT 3, or 4, or 5.  I boarded a flight last week, placed my carry-on bag in the overhead bin and my laptop bag under the seat in front of me. I opened my kindle and patiently waited for the rest of my fellow travel companions to board. Imagine my fury when the last woman to board the plane had 3 carry-on items and the nerve to try to rearrange the overhead bin above me when she is sitting about 15 rows behind me.  Really? Yes, I had a few choice words for her.  The flight attendant was kind enough to check one of her “carry-on” items. She wasn’t happy; I wasn’t happy, and the poor flight attendant was exhausted.

One more thing: when the fasten seat belt sign is on, stay in your seat! Why is it that immediately after the pilot announces the the plane will be landing in 20 minutes and turns the fasten set belt sign on everybody runs for the bathroom? Did the bell make you have to pee? The poor flight attendants now have to be the bad guys and tell you to sit down. On the same flight as the carry on offender, an elderly woman jumped up as soon as the bell rang. She tried to open the door to the cockpit instead of the bathroom door. A nice gentleman in the front row jumped up to “help” direct her to the correct door. Now I know she was just lost and not a threat, but damn people, pay attention to your surroundings.  

10 years! The rules have been in affect for 10 years! After 9-11 the world changed, and I doubt we will ever go back to a more innocent time. Just get over it and play by the rules, or risk my wrath if I happen to be in line behind you trying to get through security, so I catch my flight.

Yes, it was a bad flight.  But I was flying to see Queen Bees and dear friends, so in the end it was worth the annoying people on my flight and in front of me in the security line to get to spend time with people I love.

Automatic Weapons

My dad is a lifetime member of the NRA, and I grew up in a home with a gun closet locked with a dead bolt. To this day I have no idea where the key was kept, but if I ever even thought about opening the gun closet I would have had my ass tanned. My family was and still is full of hunters. I believe in the right to bear arms. As a child I spent many weekends at a gun range or in a deer blind, and I wouldn’t take anything for those memories. We were taught to respect guns and never to pick up one in anger. I am a gun owner, and you can bet your last dollar that if someone were invading my home I would shoot first and ask questions later. I actually have shot an Uzi at a gun range A range attendant NEVER left my side while I was shooting paper targets. Without him I actually would have fallen on my ass! At the time I only weighed 100 pounds (yes it was years ago), and if the attendant hadn’t stood behind me I would have sprayed the ceiling with who knows how many rounds. I had fun, and I am thankful for the opportunity. It was in a controlled environment, but I never would have thought about bringing one into my house.

But here is where I draw the line. Why on earth does any citizen in this country ever need to possess an automatic weapon or an extended clip for a semi automatic weapon? I get that automatic weapons with extended clips are completely necessary for the marine on the front line in war. As far as I am concerned give him or her every possible weapon to fight the enemy. I want my military armed to the teeth, and I don’t mind my tax dollars paying for it.

I just don’t understand why the gun lobbyist and the NRA find it necessary to push the message that if we let the government take away our extended clip and automatic weapons that we will loose our right to bear arms granted to us under the constitution. Really? Where is the sanity in that argument? I also want a 30-day waiting period to purchase any weapon. File the appropriate paperwork; let the background search take its course, and then wait 30 days. It is not asking too much, and it gives a pissed off person time to calm down. If, God forbid, our country were ever invaded, then by all means let every citizen be armed to the hilt.

Yes, a deranged young man in Tucson cleared the background check and bought the gun legally. But I dare say that if he had not been able to buy an extended clip that held 30 rounds the massacre might not have been as bad. 30 rounds! Maybe after 1 or 2 shots those heroes could have subdued him. Maybe, but we will never know. However, I am willing to give up my right to purchase an extended clip in the hopes that in the future a deranged individual seeking his 15 minutes of fame will be unable to arm himself like our marines. Good grief!  We need more rational thought and a little less irrational behavior. We need to live like compassionate human beings. It’s not that hard!

Who am I, and why am I writing a blog?

A dear friend recently confronted me after sending an email to her and a few other friends regarding recent events that were in the news. She said, “why aren’t you writing a blog?” I said, “I don’t know.” After more discussion about her challenge I decided to give it a try. But I reserve the right to stop at any moment.

Why the title – Somebody Hold My Purse!? – I have a tall soap box, and I need both hands to crawl up and get my balance before I start to vent.

Who am I? First and foremost I am a mom. I have two children who are currently in college, and I feel like my greatest accomplishment is raising them to be compassionate contributing human beings. They are not perfect by any definition and are still growing into who they will become, but at this point I am pretty damn proud of both of them. I am a wife. I have been married for 24+ years to an amazing man. We have supported each other through thick and thin. I am very lucky to have him in my life.

Now the rest of me. Politically, I am fiscally conservative and socially liberal. I have a very deep faith in God. I call a spade a spade. I curse. There is very little that I am frightened of. I have no problem speaking my mind (hence the blog). I am loud, although I have recently learned that one reason I am loud is because of a genetic hearing loss. Who knew? I can’t believe that at my age I have to wear a hearing aide. But I am sure the people in my life are ok with it. I love exclamation marks. It helps me get my point across. My friends have described me as loyal. It is true. I love hard, I fight hard, and I have deep compassion and empathy for things that matter to me. I have also been called a Bitch …. and I am completely ok with that.

So here we are--my first blog. A few ground rules.

1.  I reserve the right to delete any comment that I feel is not adding to or contributing to the discussion.

2.    I don’t have a problem with different points of view, in fact I invite them, but it will be done with respect, and dignity or it will not stand. No name calling in the comment section. Although, I reserve the right to name call if I deem it appropriate.

3.    If there are two ways to take my point of view and one of them offends you then stop and take the other point of view.

4.    I will not tolerate the spewing of hate towards any person. Humor and wit are greatly appreciated.

The beauty of writing a blog, it is completely my opinion. It is my blog and if you don’t approve, then write your own blog.

I have an editor or two. They will help me with facts, punctuation and grammar but not opinion. I fully expect that they will be posting in the comment section because even though we are dear friends we do not agree on all subjects. I trust, respect, and value their opinions.

Welcome! As my sister has stated: “Oh Lord! Ya’ll are going to let her loose? Hang on, it will be a fantastic but bumpy ride."  I love my sister!

Somebody Hold My Purse

This will be my personal soapbox to vent about things I find insane.  Welcome