Worst Songs

I am listening to Every Breath You Take, by the Police. Thats got to be the worst song to listen to while depressed.

Can anyone who reads this blog think of a more pathetic one?

That's depressing

I've been in a depressed funk for the last few days and couldn't make myself write anything worth reading. I'm so tired of dealing with life.

I'm having trouble with my ex husband. He has custody of our 13 yr. old daughter and he is just such an ass when it comes to visitation. I lost custody of her when we divorced. I was not a bad mother, but when I left him, I came home toTexas with my daughter. I left him in Phoenix. Then he filed for divorce on me before I could file for divorce on him, and the AZ court demanded my daughter's return to AZ. The court delayed our divorce proceedings 4 times, and after almost 2 years we were finally divorced. I lost her because thet court found that he was "more stable" because he had a house, and I was the one that left. 3 months later he was living with a woman and her daughter in an apartment. But the court didn't see that. She wasn't school age at the time so all the divorce decree said was that I get her for 2 weeks every 90 days. When she started school he dictated when visitation was. I couldn't afford to get a lawyer and take it all back to court. Every time I threatened to, he threatened to not let her see me at all.I have put a recorder on my phone to capture the ridiculous stuff he says, so that the next time we are in court I can replay it for the Judge.

We have "joint" custody but I usually only get about 8 weeks a year. I should get way more than that but the system in Arizona is beyond screwed up. This last time I sued him for custody, after he kept her from me for 10 months, I asked the court to give us a written custody agreement. They didn't. So basically, her dad gets to decide how much I see her. And even the year I didn't get her wasn't enough to get him in trouble with Arizona. See, he started her in counselling a few weeks before the scheduled visit. The court bought that she was "stressed" about coming to see me. When what she was really stressed about was her dad's marriage. A few months after the counselling was over, he was separated. Now he's going through a divorce and even with all that, the court still thinks she should stay where she is. Its perplexing to say the least. The outcome was a shock.

Later I looked up this Judge, and she is fairly new. She's only been a judge for 2 years. I just can't believe she didn't even see fit to get a written visitation schedule, when that was so obviously our problem all along.

My daughter is under the impression that she can choose whether to see me or not.

This year I get to see her this summer and a few days at Thanksgiving. Thats it. Thats all.

Thats sick.

No penis envy here

Professor Mikhail Sokolshchik of Russia's National Medical Surgical Center performed a two-stage penile lengthening early this year on a 28-year-old virgin, adding 5 inches to what was an almost dysfunctionally small organ. Sokolshchik first removed the tip and stitched it onto the patient's forearm so that he could graft more tissue onto it (from elsewhere on the arm). After the tip lengthened, he reattached it to its proper place. According to an April dispatch from Moscow in London's Daily Telegraph, Sokolshchik is optimistic that all functions will be restored (though he said the man will probably be permanently semi-erect). [Daily Telegraph (London), 4-10-05]


There is a surgery for this?! Does it have to be "dysfunctionally" small? And is 6 inches dysfunctionally small? Who determines whether it is , or is not dysfunctionally small?

Also, how long did this skin graft take? And what did the 28 year old guy do in the meantime? Was if from his right arm or the left? Is this why Russian women want to come here so bad?

I missed my calling. I should have been a journalist. This would have been such a great interview! It would have been huge.

I'm so distraught I can't poop

Not the Hardiest of Citizens: Windsor, Ontario, hair stylist Waddah (Martin) Mustapha was awarded the equivalent of about US$270,000 by a court in April after he testified that he became racked with depression upon seeing a fly inside a commercial bottle of water at his salon. Presumably, damages would have been more if Mustapha had actually drunk from the bottle (or even opened it). As it was, he and his wife vomited, and he required extensive psychotherapy for nightmares, loss of sense of humor, increased argumentativeness, lack of desire to shower regularly, and constipation. [Windsor Star, 4-23-05]


Now why the hell can't I do this kinda thing? I certainly could use $270,000!!!! Racked with depression over a fly in a bottle of water? Constipation ?? I'm SO distraught I can't poop!

in Memory of Dominic

Dominic Overton was a beautiful 4 year old boy who died Tuesday, May 17. He wandered off from his grandmother's home. They found him 3 hours later, and flew him to the hospital where he later died. He had autism. This was here in North Texas. Last year there was a 9 year old boy in Pennsylvania who wandered off in the night. It was winter. He died of exposure.


I am so upset by this, and I didn't even know these boys. But I saw their pictures and their big brown eyes and it just hit a little too close to home. My son has run off from home 3 times. He has no fear. He can unlock locks. I live with the fear that he will wake in the night and wander off. We live a block away from a big street.


My son takes the bus to and from school. The driver stops right in front of my house. Several times I have seen people drive around the bus as I am walking toward it to get my son. Today I saw someone doing it and I actually walked in front of the bus and screamed at the woman that she has to stop. (I never know if he will run off from me into the street.) She just kept driving. Nice.

Its very hard to have a child with a disability that doesn't look like a disability. I've gotten the dirty looks when Tiger's been too loud in a store. I've had one lady talk about my mothering skills , in Spanish, to the cashier as we were in line.(Hello! Just cos I am white doesn't mean I don't understand Spanish!) I was even asked to leave a store once because he was loud. On the way out of a doctor's appointment an old man told me that allowing my child to behave that way was very rude. I unfortunately don't have the time to educate these people about Autism. I can't predict when Tiger will be good or when he will be upset, loud and trying to run off from me.
But I take him in public as much as I can. He has to learn how to behave in public. I can only do that in public.

I find myself praying harder than ever that he learns to talk. That he stops trying to run away. That I can keep him safe from himself, and stupid drivers. That I never have to be in the cold dark place that Dominic's mother is in tonight.

Don't touch me

My son Tiger has autism, and has some quirks about him to say the least. Some of them are strange, but also funny. Like he only wants to be touched on his own terms. If I so much as touch his arm and he didn't like it, he touches it in reverse. If I kiss him he wipes it off. He doesn't get upset, he just does it very matter of factly. He does this everytime.
Then there are days when he wants to be touched. He will take my hand and put it on his so I can rub it.Or he'll take my hand to rub his head. Or he will go for a big bear hug. But those days are rare. He will sometimes give you a kiss when you ask, but , again, only when he wants to.

I was waiting in line the other day at a restaurant, looking up at the enormous menu. I didn't notice there was a 3rd cashier waiting til the woman behind me poked me on the shoulder! I couldn't believe how rude that was. How dare she !!! I was so flabbergasted I couldn't say a thing. I was seriously hacked. And of course her order was to go, so by the time I got myself together there was nothing I could do about it but sit there and feel violated.

A few hours later I looked over at my son and suddenly it hit me how he must feel. So many of his weird quirks are also my weird quirks, but to the extreme. Does he feel that way when he's touched? Are we invaders of his personal space? I guess until he learns to talk I will never know.

I long for the day he tells me he loves me. He has spoken here and there, in frustrated , halting baby talk. He struggles to get it out. And then, other times it rolls right of his tongue. Like one year at Christmas I had been gone half the day at the airport. I got back late at night, but he saw me and said, "Mommy!" WOW!! Beautiful! That was 2 years ago.Last year he and his dad were play wrestling/tickling on the floor, and he said, "Get off me!" Clear as day. We laughed for half an hour.

He was 2 when we noticed there was something wrong. He didn't speak, didn't point, didn't play with toys right. He lined things up, by color or size. The teachers and therapists were perplexed because he was too affectionate to be Autistic. I am thankful for his affection every day, no matter how it comes.

Tiger 

Weiner Dogs

I have a little black weiner dog that I just love to pieces. He has such a crazy personality.
I am printing out a series of bumper stickers, and I need some input on good sayings.

Vote!

1. Whats up Dach?
2. I heart My Weiner
3. Weiners R Us
4. Fear the Weiner
5. das Weiner

popularity?

The last 3 people to leave comments on my blog were 20-something Indian guys. Very cool. I feel like now I finally have a following. LOL!

When I was 18 I didn't date this young man of Indian descent. I was in Illinois back then. I didn't date him because I was involved with someone else at the time, but I am not sure if I ever made that clear to him. He was so sweet and all that. He came to see me at work a lot. He helped me enroll in community college, because he thought it was so important that I go. It kills me to think about it because he seemed the kind of guy that would have spoiled me rotten with attention. We went out to eat pizza one night and the place was full of sailors. I think I was the only girl there besides the waitress. Anyway, he sat through about 6 sailors coming up to our table to ask me out! And he just laughed at me. I asked if he wanted to leave and he laughed and said , "No, this is entertaining!"

About a month later I moved to Phoenix, and I never knew what happened to him.

Sigh...

A Quizzy

3 names you go by
1. Claudia
2. babe
3. Mom

3 screen names you have had
1. echotig
2. cmwpretty
3. claudia_petty2000

3 physical things you like about yourself
1. eyes
2. nose
3. shoulders

3 physical things you don't like about yourself
1. my feet
2. my hind end
3. my belly

3 parts of your heritage
1. German
2. Prussian
3. Texan

3 things you are wearing right now
1. pajamas
2. make up
3. underwears

3 Favorite bands/Musical artists
1. Los Lonely Boys
2. Erykah Badu
3. Duran Duran

3 favorite songs
1. Dime mi Amor
2. Hold back the rain
3. Tyrone

3 things you want in a relationship
1. Romance
2. trust
3. honesty

3 physical things about the preferred sex that appeal to you
1. brown eyes
2. nice, fairly big nose
3. big shoulders

3 of your favorite hobbies
1. blogging
2. music
3. cross stitching

3 things you want to do really badly right now
1. sex
2. have a huge breakfast
3. go back to sleep

3 things that scare you
1. Pedophiles
2. roaches
3. getting really fat

3 of your everday essentials
1. hugs and kisses
2. iced tea
3. blogging

3 careers you have considered/are considering
1. Photography
2. Modelling (before I found out I was too short, and before I got scarred up.)
3. Nursing

3 places you want to go on vacation
1. San Antonio
2. Germany
3. Australia

3 kids names you like
1. Zoe
2. Kalista
3. Jacqueline, Jacqui

3 things you wanna do before you die
1. be a grandma
2. own a sports car
3. learn to play guitar

3 ways you are stereotypically a boy
1. I love cars
2. I check out every body's butt
3. I don't listen

3 ways you are stereotypically a chick
1. I really love to shop
2. I love to get pampered
3. I put lipstick on while driving

3 celeb crushes
1. Owen Wilson
2. Tom Selleck
3. Matthew MacCon....a hey? can't spell his crazy last name.

3 people I would like to see take this quiz now
1. You
2. You
3. and You

Los Lonely Boys... Texicans

Holy Crap I love this song!!!

Dime mi Amor.( Its on the Live at the Fillmore album.) Every once in awhile a song comes along that just gets my heart going. Don't know why. These guys are from San Angelo.

Maybe I am just homesick. How can I be homesick while living here in Texas? Its a damn big state! And although I love it here in Plano, its not the same as West Texas. Its a West Texas thing, you wouldn't understand.(hahaha!!!) Sometimes I just want some really good Mexican food. I want to breathe some hot, dry, dusty air. I want to hear the wind blowing around outside as I fall asleep. I want to see the biggest sky I have ever seen in all my life. I want to hear the deafening cicadas. Drive down a caliche road to nowhere. I want to hear all my Texican friends that have a thicker Texan accent than me.

Yup, I am completely missing home.

...on threats of suicide

(Jerry I just read your thoughts on people who threaten suicide. I don't think you cold hearted at all.)


I never thought I would write about my dad. I never knew him. He died when I was 9 months old. When I was 6/7 my mom told me what really happened. He shot himself in the head. He didn't die right away. I don't know much more of the story. Its obviously a painful subject for my mom to talk about. Actually, if she is like me, she doesn't remember all the details.

So I went through the rest of my childhood feeling like he must have hated me. Kids blame themselves for things they have no control over. I did that too. I figured it out as an adult.

When I was a teenager my mom came home from work one day, obviously upset. She told me that a boy I dated briefly tried to kill himself. His mom had worked late and came home to find him in a bloody mess. He had slit his wrists and neck. Anyway, my mom asked me point blank if I had ever thought of doing that. I hadn't seriously. I said NO to her , of course. We talked the rest of the evening about it and what peoples motivations could be for doing it. He and I were friends and his actions had absolutely nothing to do with me. I think he was a little upset over some girl and he was very intoxicated when he did it. I saw him weeks later, bandaged and scarred. I don't know what ever happened to him . But I bet he is still scarred up.

I have always been less than patient with anyone who threatens suicide. I always tell them what my dad did, and how it affected me my entire life. What he did was selfish and wrong, but in a way it protected me. Because I love my mom so much, I never ever threatened suicide. I never really even contemplated it because I knew how bad it would hurt her. Later in life, after I had children, I went through some depression. I never let it go there because I loved my kids too much to hurt them in that way. I feel in a twisted sort of way my dad's selfish act kept me from ever going that far.

Suicide is a cruel and selfish act. Threatening to do it is even worse. I forgive my dad.

Sleeplessness is not good for Blogging

I have nothing even remotely interesting to write. I slept here and there on the couch today. The dog situation hasn't changed. I somehow got about 3.5 hours of sleep last night.

I am watching Dr. Phil's 500th episode. I usually like the show. Sometimes it gets really Jerry Springer like. I like his show better than Oprah's. He just gave somebody a car for being a loyal fan. Thats cool.

My kids get out for the summer on May 20th. Its going to be busy busy around here.

Geez...what a boring post.

Fill in the Blank

In a note to my beloved neighbors,


Your dogs kept me awake all night last night. If your dogs keep me up again tonight I will____________________________________________________________.


??????????

I will write an angry letter?


In a related story,

2 men were shot today in Plano in a road rage related incident. They drove themselves to the hospital. The shooter was later arrested. He's probably getting a nap now. Maybe his neighbor's dogs kept him up all night. See, here in Texas we are very much allowed to have guns. Maybe thats how I should finish that sentence. (insert evil laugh here.)


Help me fill in the blank. I am open to any and all suggestions.

unbelievable

I can't believe how tired I am this morning.

Those dogs next door are pure evil. Everytime I even came close to falling asleep they'd go at it again.

So I finally call the cops at 2:30. It got much quieter around 3:00 so I thought, "Ahhh...he must have talked to them, it worked!"

WRONG

Around 3:25 their puppy starts doing its puppy whine. SO I call the police, Again. This time I say yes, I do want to talk to the officer. He's at my door by 3:55 and says there is pretty much nothing he can do. He knocked on their door and they didn't answer. He looked back there to see if anyone was our there for the dogs to be barking at. Then he gives me the number for Animal Control to call in the morning. The whole time he is on my front porch its dead quiet, peaceful even.

My son is already asleep on the couch for the night. So I begrudgingly head back to my bed. I must have fallen asleep around 5 or so. They did indeed start barking and whining again. But I somehow got an hour in there. The alarm went off at 6:20.

I have to be on the highway on my way to work by 8:30.Lets hope I don't fal asleep behind the wheel. By the time I get home from work it will be 1:30, and I have to get Alex at 2:45. Then all my kids will be home and I won't get a chance for sleep til tonight. And we all know what tonight is going to be like.

Good Night

I slept unnaturally well last night. It was great!

I was pretty well drunk on champagne. (well, asti spumanti really.) It put me right to sleep. If dogs were barking I had no clue. If the house fell down, I had no clue.

It was really hard to read my regular amount of blogs while intoxicated.

Anyway, I hope all my friends out there have a beautiful day. Its a good one here in Texas!

Sleep Deprivation part 2

The neighbors dogs woke me from a dead sleep in the middle of the night. I had to get up and move to the livingroom couch. I was too tired to even do anything about it.

The Plano Police non emergency number is 972-424-5678. Its going on speed dial tonight.

More Lists

Did I mention I love lists?

This one is going out to my friends who may or may not already know these things about me. Like everything else in my life, its not complete.

1. I never went to my highschool prom.
2. I graduated from highschool a semester early.
3. I can sing, but have never sang in public. Or Karaoke.
4. English is my second language.
5. I play with my ears to relax or fall asleep.
6. I really still love Duran Duran.
7. I love bald guys with goatees.
8. I am a sucker for a really pretty face.
9. I think Brad Pitt is overrated.
10. Brown eyes are my favorite.
11. I eat sunflower seeds faster than anyone I know.
12. Halloween is my favorite holiday.
13. I have had 13 different jobs.
14. I love Martha Stewart.
15. I am a dog person, but I like the cats too.
16. I think Rush limbaugh is funny.
17. My dad's name was Wolfgang.
18. I'm a good speller.
19. My oldest son wants to be President someday.
20.My left foot is slightly larger than the right one.
21. Same goes for my boobs.
22. I've been told i think like a man. I take that as a compliment.
23. Rodeos get me..um, rowdy.
24. I hate trendy kid names.
25. I love being a Texan.
26. I love being a Scorpio.
27. I really want to be on "Who Wants to be a Millionaire."
28. I like Eminem.
29. I am truly not a morning person.
30. I never went to college, and it bugs me.
31. I hate poetry.
32. I have had 16 dogs, and 2 cats. Not at the same time.
33. I have lived in 33 different houses/apartments.

Things that make me wince

I am feeling like a judgemental little monkey today. I just have those days where I want to call almost everybody a name (Dumbass is a favorite.) One of those days that my face can't settle down into a warm smile. No, its too busy scowling, scrunching up eyebrows,pursing my lips, and rolling the eyes. Its just me.

So I am thinking if I put it all down in a list, it may purge my brain a little and I will feel better. Maybe.

Lets start with...

1. Midgets doing termite commercials. God I hope thats only local DFW TV, not national.
2. Actresses portraying women in labor on TV, or in movies.
3. People that stay together for the kids.
4. People who equate their pets with my kids.
5. Feminine hygiene commercials.
6. Male erectile dysfunction/enhancement commercials.
7. Single people that give marital advice.
8. Women who've been cheated on, more than once, and don't know whether to leave or stay in the marriage.
9. Men who have cheated on their wives multiple times but want to stay in the marriage.
10. How Dr. Phil's is getting very Springer-esque this year.
11. Mullets.
12. Country Music.
13. Recording artists that feel they need to be political.
14. Teenagers that over pluck their eyebrows.
15. Women that wear their pants so low that I can't help but see their midsections.
16. People that play their car radio so loud that it shakes my car. Or my house.
17. Pierced tongues.

I could go on. But I will save it for another day that I'm feeling like this. Coming soon.

Yellow Roses

I called my mom at home this morning and got the answering machine. I knew it. I knew she wasn't at home on Mother's day, she never is. She's always at work.

20 minutes later she calls me back. I ask if she got her flowers yet. She acts surprised and says no. Probably because I had them delivered to her house, not work. What was I thinking? I got her yellow roses for two reasons. One is that I think the meaning of yellow roses is to say you miss someone. And that I totally do. I miss my mom alot. I'm in Texas and she is in Kentucky. The second reason is the whole yellow rose of Texas thing, and I try to take every opportunity I can to remind her about Texas.

Texas will always be home for my Mother. She is very very homesick. Even though she has been living in Kentucky for 16 years, she still claims Texas as home. The only reason she is still in Kentucky is that she married a man from there. He's an ok guy, except for the fact he took my mom away from me.

She had bad news for me today though. My step dad, her hubby of 16 years has been diagnosed with Alzheimers. I don't know if I spelled it right. I don't care. He has been losing it for a few years, and its been getting harder and harder on my mom. He is 65. He's also been threatening suicide for a few years as well. WTF? This makes me so mad. I mean no one should have to put up with their spouse making such threats, but to do that to MY mom. Suicide already left her a widow at the tender age of 17. I don't think she ever got over that completely. She was the one that found my dad, not quite dead yet. Gruesome. And then to have this guy say such crap!

I'm furious with him. I hate when people use the threat of suicide, its the ultimate in emotional blackmail. The worst part is that a part of me hopes he does it and gets it over with. Then I can have my mom back. I know thats cruel and selfish, but deep down thats how I feel. I'm a terrible person for feeling that way. I want my mom back here. I know I should be patient and cut him some slack. He's not in his right mind. I do care about him, but I care about my mom more.

I'm furious with his four adult sons, who don't help out at all. Only one technically knows about the diagnosis, but he's been acting off for some time now. How could the other three not know?
I can just see how this is going to play out. My mom is going to wear herself out tryng to work full time and take care of him. I have never talked to his son's. Maybe now is a damn good time. I refuse to sit back and watch my mom suffer.

Maybe I will be surprised and they will step up and help their own father. I won't hold my breath.

Tiger 

Sleep Deprivation

I haven't slept much in the last two days. Well, who am I kidding, in the last 9 years! But here lately it hasn't really been my fault.

My neighbors have three dogs. Two little poodle types and a mystery puppy. Night time is their time, apparently. My bedroom window is close to their yard. They put said mystery pup in a crate, at night, by their fence, by my window. They seem like nice enough people. They are a quiet couple,with two fairly quiet kids. But every once in awhile they do weird stuff.

Last year they put a rabbit in a cage up against my fence. I have two dogs, a German Shep mix, and a dachsund. He was losing his little weiner head over this. He barked all high pitched and crazy, he almost dug a hole under the fence. I finally went over to see what he was freakin out over. I look through a tiny hole and see a rabbit in a cage. I am surprised the rabbit was even alive. I mean my dog had been barking so loud, and digging frantically towards this poor rabbit for 2 days. Zane finally asked them to move the cage.

But now, for over a week I haven't been able to go over there and just tell them about how loud their dogs are at all hours of the night and early morning. I even slept on the couch last night, and still I heard them. Zane won't do it because he isn't here most nights. (working...) he sleeps like a dead man anyway. He tells me to call the police.

It seems like an easy thing to do. I've never been good with confrontation. I guess I will just find the non emergency number and have it on hand tonight.

Meanwhile, my weiner dog has had his way with their front lawn every morning this week.

me at 17. Big hair 80's! 

Mom

My mother grew up in post War Germany. West Germany as it were. She was the youngest daughter of a survivor of the Russian POW camps. She was a wild child, even by her own admission! Her mother had severe diabetes and was in and out of "hospitals." Her dad was always busy in his shop. He was a carpenter. She was his favorite.

At age 16 she met my dad, who was 20. Mom had already had a job since age 14 and was "all grown up" by her standards. Then she got pregnant with me. Her Daddy was none too pleased. No one was pleased about it actually. But mom did the right thing. She never said, "this baby is going to ruin my life." Instead she said, "How can I make this baby's life wonderful?"

At 17 my dad was dead, and she was a Widow. At 20 she and I were on a plane flying from Frankfurt to Texas. 20. That age never hit me til I was well past 20 and realized how young 20 really is. 20 seems younger everyday, actually! ;)

She left her home and her family to start a better one for me. It was insanely courageous. She gave up a lot of things and chose many paths that were for me and my best interest. She will tell you that she felt she was a terrible mother. That she made nothing but mistakes. That she can't figure out how I turned out so "good" in spite of everything she messed up.

After becoming a mom at 20 my respect for my mom grew in leaps and bounds. Riding home from the hospital with my newborn daughter I was almost panic stricken. I didn't know what to do with her, or myself at that point. I thought about how hard this would have been at 16. I thought about how hard my mom was on me growing up. It was all so crystal clear to me now.

Thanks mom, for never once letting me down. For never saying I told you so. For being so selfless and in turn teaching me to be selfless with my children. You taught me what love is.

Is Zoe reading my blog?

Out of the blue today Zoe says, "My toes aren't all piggies, 'cause this big one is called a toe!"

I stand corrected.

Cutie Patootie

Cutie Patootie

Zoe

This is my beautiful daughter. She is my youngest. She starts kindergarden on August 8th, only four days after her 5th birthday! She is as pretty on the inside as she is on the outside. Its been very difficult for me not to just spoil her completely rotten.

Zoe 

Zoe-ism

Ever since I can recall I have referred to my children's toes as piggies. As in, "Oh! Wook at your widdle piggies!"

Zoe also refers to them as piggies. But on her hands? Pingers of course.

The Tiger...by Skye Dakota

The zebra's stripes are lacking hues
They can't compare to you know whose
Orange and black is what to wear
Its a challenge for those who dare
No green, no white, no brown, no blue
Yes, Tiger's are the best its true
Tiger's are perfect
The E-pit-o-me of good looks, grace and dignity


Skye Dakota, a 5th grader and part time classmate of my son wrote this for him. She thinks he is very cute.

Can I get personal?

Should I get personal? Should I just write about meaningless crap? Craptastic events of the day!

Really, I enjoy writing, but I really enjoy reading other people's stuff. I think maybe deep down I am a little evil though. I have these terrible urges to leave snarky comments on peoples blogs. I haven't really said anything too bad. But boy that Anonymous button sure does tempt me sometimes.

Ok...today's personal tid bit of information on me is...I'm an only child. Shhh... don't tell anybody. I love reading those books on birth order and how "onlies" are just kinda out in the wind, anti-social. Spoiled,lonely, self centered. I think the writers of thos books are First borns. HA. I want to see a book on birth order pop psychology written by an "only." Pop psychology fascinates me.

well, the dryer is buzzing. back to the laundry...