Monday, Jul. 12, 2004 @ 9:06 pm
no butter on my frickin' waffle

I survived. The themes for my visit to AL were racism, yard sales, and jewelry. I got there on Friday at about 10:30 or 11:00am their time. Barb had gone to the doctor, so it was just me and Dad. Here's where the racism starts. We were flipping through the channels to find something on TV. Clean Sweep was coming on, and I told him he should watch it (he's a major packrat). When he saw that the homeowners were a black man and white woman, he said "Is that his wife?" Exasperated, I said, "We don't have to watch it if it bothers you." Then later as we were heading to the flea market to put some stuff in Barb's booth, we passed a Schlotsky's. Dad saw a white girl leaving with two black guys, and getting into a car. He said something like, "Look at that shit." Barb said, "Well, you know what she is? A n***** lover. Yeah, get in that car with them and let them pass you around." What the FUCK? If it was 2 white guys and a black girl (3 white people, 3 black people, or virtually any combination) would she have said the same thing? I just don't get that mentality.

And then there's the fact that as soon as a black man bought the house behind his, he rushes out to put up another section of 8 foot security fence (one side already had it, the other side is tall shrubs and chain link...I think I mentioned this before). What, is he afraid someone will see his big belly in the pool? Now, Barb even said that this was not necessary. She said that there are nice black people (?!!!??!), and that if he didn't bother them, they wouldn't bother him. And she even said something about what the guy muct have thought when Dad did that as soon as he moved in. Wow. From the n***** lover comment to this. I certainly would not want to be a minority in that town. I'd end up in jail, or worse.

Jewelry. I went to the flea market thing where Barb has a booth looking for a couple items I'd seen and not bought last time I was there. One thing was a blue glass hand that is supposed to be for holding rings. I almost bought it a) because I love cobalt glass and b) because it was funny and cool, but it was more than I wanted to pay for it. This time, there was a green one and a red one, but no blue one. I also was looking for this silver (-tone?) ring with a huge glass (?) emerald cut stone in it. Barb said it was gaudy, and it was, but I liked it. Of course it was gone, too since it had been about a year since I'd been there. D'oh! Surprisingly I didn't get anything despite the going out of business sale and Barb offering me anything I wanted from her booth.

She was cleaning out her china cabinets and giving me whatever I wanted, including a bunch of depression glass that belonged to my grandmother. (She wanted to make room for the W@tt Pottery she's collecting.) She sent the collector's book home with me so I could look up the patterns and their values, but that is of no concern to me. I'm just glad to own stuff that was my grandmother's. I will also get the rounded glass china cabinet that was hers (that Dad and I refinished when I was a kid) when Dad is dead (his words). They also gave me a miniature anvil and hammer that my great-great grandfather, who was a blacksmith, hand made.

Dad took me on 'the tour' of places he lived as a kid. The first place is right behind Monsanto. It's amazing how close it was. We also went to see my grandmother, great-grandmother, and infant cousin's graves. While there, we went up to the old part of the cemetery to look at the older and civil war era graves. Surprisingly, my dad has the same fascination as me about the older graves. Of course, his fascination may be more with the civil war.

Barb and I went to a few yard sales Saturday morning. At the first few, I didn't buy anything. The last 2 or 3 were fruitful, though. I ended up with an old football game like my brothers had when we were kids (50�), 5 pairs of jeans for $10 (including Gap & CK), 3 old glass milk bottles ($2), a smallish cooler ($1.50), a thesaurus (50� - good thing, since my old one is disintegrating), and a few other assorted items.

All in all I had a good time. I had to bite my tongue quite a few times. Barb flew off the handle a few times, too. Not at me, at Dad. I know she gets frustrated because he doesn't talk much, but it seems out of the blue when it happens. Oh, and I got another weapon. Woohoo!

Random rant, copied from a post I made on a message board (because I'm tired):

...We were having blueberry waffles (stepmother couldn't find her pancake mix), and her sister asked if I wanted butter for my waffle. When I said no, she asked if I ate butter. I said not very often. She then raised her voice saying, "Oh, good god, skinny minnie, it won't hurt you!!!" So I raised my voice too - "I know that, I just don't want butter on my frickin' waffle!" I won't comment on her weight, since that would be rude, but geez. If I make you feel large because I'm a healthy weight and eat a healthy diet, that's no reason to be a judgemental bitch.

And also...

I know that not all overweight or obese people have unhealthy diets or are inactive, but I know that this particular woman and my stepmother do. And this bugs me more than the fact that they are overweight and making assumptions about me. (Actually, my stepmother now admires my healthy ways, whereas before she was just as critical as her sister.)

That's all for now. I'll post whatever I've forgotten or left out later this week.



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Reading: Fat Land: How Americans Became the Fattest People in the World - Greg Critser
Listening to: nothing


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The last five:
See ya! - Friday, Mar. 17, 2006
Where's the Excedrin? - Saturday, Mar. 11, 2006
don't even get me started - Tuesday, Mar. 07, 2006
I'm not mean, you're just a sissy. - Monday, Mar. 06, 2006
countdown to defection - Sunday, Mar. 05, 2006

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