jessicapecota.com

Day Four

August 5, 2011
1:44am
8 pounds, 8 ounces
20.5 inches

This post is totally off the cuff, and I reserve rights to edit tomorrow.

But today, not only did I get a nifty new little (seriously little) laptop, but I also finally got a smartphone.

I am kinda embarrassed to admit I haven’t yet had such a phone, but I’m getting over that.

So, I think it’ll be a lot of fun to document my experience figuring out said phone here on this blog.

From the title of this post, you already know I got a DROID 2.

I purchased it yesterday, but picked it up today. Melissa, the Verizon sales rep, was fabulous. She gave me a quick tutorial, with which not I’d already be dead in the water with this phone. She led me around the basics, and we explored a little app or two. And then, vrrrrooomm!–on my own with the thing.

Now, I can more-or-less turn the thing on, make calls (yet to receive a call), check voice mail, send & receive texts, take & share photos, go online, plus a bit more.

But. But what I really want to share is my experience with the apps.

My first app?

No, not Facebook for Android. Not Twitter for Android.

It was Animal Sounds.

I’ll say it’s because I knew Samantha would like it. And she does, of course. She’s already got the flingy-finger thing down better than I do.

But really, it just sounded easy and unintimidating.

So, the sounds are very cool and realistic.

Now I just need to figure out how to utilize the turkey sound for something fun before Thanksgiving.

So, just how is it that three weeks have gone by since my last little post here?

Don’t know.

But, but the way, do you realize that Halloween has come and gone?

Wait.
What?

I just received my People magazine. It’s something I so look forward to every week.
But this week the cover story is on the recent rash of teen suicide tragedies, spurred on by bullying.

Without even having read the article, I immediately thought of an email my sister sent earlier this week. She forwarded it from her friend-from her girlfriend–from her cousin. It is apparently written from a mother to her daughter–which makes it even more resounding for me.

As I could not even possibly equate the message in my words, I have copied the email below:

Hello my girl,

I  wanted to say hi and tell you how much I miss you and that I hope your classes are going well and that you are having fun too.

But I also have to have a mommy moment- bear with me here.  I won’t take long, and I won’t be saying anything I haven’t already said in one form or another,  but it is important.

You may or may not have heard about the NJ college student who killed himself last week because his room-mate had posted videotape of him having sex with another guy.  A terrible, senseless tragedy.

My mommy job requires that I remind you of two essential things:

One: Nothing ruins your life forever. NOTHING.
Two: Nothing ruins your life forever. NOTHING.

If that young man had only waited a couple of weeks nobody would have cared- he’d have gotten past it.  People have short memories- life would have gotten better, much better.  His parents and friends? They loved him prior to the tape- they would have loved him afterward too.  A few awkward moments and then life goes on.

But when you are young you don’t know that even the awkward moments are fleeting.  On this,  you just have to trust the old people.  Remember when you were really small and cried and cried over something?  Well,  it didn’t last.  That’s kind of what it’s like- awful things happen, you feel like there’s a rock in the pit of your stomach, somehow time goes by and it gets better.  I promise you, it ALWAYS gets better.

The students, a girl and boy, who were involved in the taping and posting– they are being charged with bias crime, invasion of privacy and possibly other things.  Their college life is over.  They will have to live with this death the rest of their lives– and their families are devastated.  What they did was so wrong- but also so kid-stupid.  Not to mention mean. And so their lives will be different forever- but even so- their families will love them and they will have time enough to hopefully live in such a way as to make meaning from their mistake.

So, my beautiful girl, never, ever think something is unfixable.  NOTHING you do will ever keep us from loving you.  NOTHING you do could be so awful you can’t get past it.

And if someone is mean to you, and it isn’t something you can ignore– seek out people to talk to about it.  Surround yourself with people who are supportive.  If you ever need help and don’t know how to ask- try writing a letter instead.  And right now- before you might need such help- think about who you would talk to if needed.  In the midst of turmoil sometimes we don’t always think as clearly- having a plan makes it easier to find help in crisis.  And remember there are always alternatives. Always.

Finally, don’t be mean.  Don’t let other people be mean.

Stand up for the underdog, protect those who aren’t as smart or confident or easygoing as yourself.  Treat people’s feelings like fragile little puppies- if you play with them- be gentle.

I love you so much and I know you really don’t need me to tell you this stuff…. but it’s my job.

Love and hugs,
Mommy

Like one of my favorite bloggers, I just don’t feel up to posting on my usual topic(s) today when thousands upon thousands of people in Haiti are suffering.

Here is a list of six ways that you can help.

I have spent so many hours of the past several weeks worrying, analyzing, stressing, nit-picking, interpreting and regretting that, I just realized, I have made it all worse than it had to be.

Today, in one of those end-of-year articles on resolutions–specifically the author’s resolution to stress less–I read this line (or something pretty similar):

Will it matter a year from now?

In applying that question to all these things that have been bothering me so much lately, I found that I answered yes in only a handful of cases.

Hm, now there’s that perspective-gaining I’ve been looking for.

So, as any parent can relate, it’s Friday night and it is late. I am not about to write anything.

But, heh, I’ve posted. AND IT COUNTS.

So this is one of those. See you tomorrow.

(Yeah, I know this doesn’t totally count as a post on the theme, but I am still putting sumpthin up)

Oy, today I turned 35 (gasp).

This is my first birthday that I’ve felt old. OK, well, old-ER.

I know I’m not really that old, but…I just always thought 35 was, well,  when-you-have-it-all-figured-out.

And I am so far from that.

Yet I have the brown skin spots and the forehead wrinkles.

Maybe I just need to stay out of the sun more and frown less.

Maybe I should finally start on that Retin-A creamstuff.

Or, maybe I should Just.Simply.Relax. And Enjoy.

Yep, that’s it.

So you’ve noticed I haven’t been doing much here lately. Um, yeah, make that for a while.

We’ve been busy with moving.

Although we’ve moved just across town–not even a five minute drive–this has been one of the most stressful moves we’ve ever made.

Maybe it’s that now it is all about Samantha. Maybe it’s that we really didn’t want to leave the old house. Maybe it’s that the new house we originally decided on (signed papers and bunches of money included) we ended up deciding against–at the last minute (see, there was this crazy complication). Maybe it’s that we didn’t know if we’d even get this new (new) house until yesterday morning.

Maybe it’s just that moving plain sucks. Really sucks.

In a few years, when I am blubbering on about some-fault-or-other about this house, please remind me to read the archives.

Anyway, I’d post some photos but I am still having the camera issue (I even took some photos this evening). Getting it fixed is on my list. Along with a lot of other things…

We are more or less settled in here. It’s a nice house. We’re happy. And some good friends–and new neighbors–have already stopped by to welcome us…

We’re happy.

We’re good.