AtomicMrX

Friday at work I was working away like usual and Kim (not their real names) tells Sarah that “Tom said that my stuffed Halloween spider is so gay!”. Sarah replies with “Yea, well Tom is gay!” - followed by chuckles and laughter by all parties overhearing the conversation (except for me). These are co-workers with the ages of: 20, 23, 43, and overhearing it - 50. So we are not talking about teenagers here.

I was suddenly filled with feelings of disrespect, unwanted, unsafe, and anger. I am not completely out at work but I think everyone “knows” but just chooses to “over look it.” Now I don’t know what to do or say. I remembered seeing some videos on this exact topic and I can’t remember what they said in response. So I become 10 years old and pretend I didn’t hear it and say nothing… letting the homophobic remarks appear acceptable.

Here are the 30 second TV Ads:

Here is the Ad campaign web site: ThinkB4YouSpeak. Here is the New York Times article A Push to Curb the Casual Use of Ugly Phrases. Finally, here is the GLSEN and Ad Council Launch First Campaign to Address Anti-Gay Language Among Teens.

So, my Friday ended early with me taking a half day of vacation so I could escape what I had experienced at work because I couldn’t come up with the words to address the situation properly. Hopefully next time (sad to say there will be a next time), I will handle the problem better.

I took a long nap with Jaki when I got home and she put me in my happy place but not quite. I’m non-confrontational by nature so I hope I will be able to stand up for myself (and others in the department - I’m not the only Gay in the village at work) when this all rolls around again.

It was a great day Sunday to work in the yard. Shannon mowed while I broke sticks into small 1 foot lengths (so they will fit into our cast iron Chiminea to burn them). Jaki enjoyed being outside so much and ate up the sun as much as possible. She was very exhausted later that evening and into the next morning. She was definitely walking like an “old lady” the next morning after she ate her food.

Shannon wrapped the garden “cross” with red Christmas lights so it’s ready for winter to hit. I still have to clean out the gutters and then put the blue “old time” Christmas lights up onto the gutters around the house. I’m kind of procrastinating on that job!

It was great to do stuff around the yard instead of running around town like I usually do on Shannon’s day off.

Enjoy the pictures! They are located under Photos (across the top of the web site) click on Fall Garden.

Shannon has today off and he’s off somewhere doing something right now. I’ve gotten all the laundry done and lunch out of the way. Jaki is on my lap and curling up for her afternoon nap.

So now I get to just do what ever. I’m going to take pictures of the yard around the house later when the heat isn’t so bad. Or maybe even tomorrow morning when the lighting would be best.

I played PREY again last night. Believe it or not, that was only the second time since I got it that I’ve played. I’ve been trying to play sparingly. Last night was freaky, frightening, and fantastic. At one point these ghost children started taunting me with “I don’t like you!” and “Wanna play!” and then they would through these white static balls at me and kill me. It took forever to get through that area. I couldn’t figure out which weapon would kill them. Finally made it thought and into some really cool areas of the game. Occasionally I think I’ve gone to the wrong area or got lost, till I find the solution and then I’m on to the next puzzle in the game.

I’m gonna have dinner with Jim at 6:00 tonight. We’ll be at Mi Cocina’s. I love that place. Hopefully we’ll have our coffee/tea afterwards like we were suppose to last time but I bailed due to tummy problems.

Diet is going well. I lost half a pound from last week. Not much but at least I lost instead of gain. I officially broke the 200 mark. I now weigh 199.5 pounds.

Shannon mowed last night and the lawn looks fantastic! It has changed a lot in the past three going on four years I’ve lived here. Most of that work is because of Shannon. He works hard on the lawn. I do the inside stuff… he does the outside stuff. It works. Except in the winter time… I have to shovel snow. I lost in that battle.

Happy Mother’s Day everyone!