Sans.Dreamscape.net

The Story behind Trex

April 1, 2010 by Chelle · Leave a Comment

Most can relate when someone refers to the wrath of a parent. More so if you were part of that generation when all that was needed to get you to behave was the question, ‘Do I have to call your $relation-whose-wrath-you-don’t-want-to-incur?’ You just flashed back to that stopped-cold-in-your-tracks feeling that happened each time you heard those words, didn’t you?

Veteran readers know that I’m of that camp. When my mother asked if she needed to pull the car over, or similar, we knew to say ‘No ma’am,’ knowing full well there was no bluff to call. My parents didn’t bluff when it came to disciplining us. At least early on. They may have used a bluff knowing that we knew they’d never bluffed and therefore could bluff and still get results. Either way, I can say there were firm in standing ground and when we were ungrounded or less grounded due to good behavior- we had earned that, via good behavior. It didn’t take much incentive, we liked being outside having our adventures and when we were older, our phone privileges and being able to hang out with friends. I’m sure my parents were some kind of awesome tacticians in their past lives.

Friends may think I jest when I talk about not disobeying or crossing for fear of a fate worse that death and I am, but not as much as they think. My parents established early that choices have consequences and did well to foster the notion that I’d like the good consequences as opposed to the bad consequences. Believe you me, I only needed a one time arrangement of making a choice whose consequences resulted in punishment to know my preference. Not to say that I didn’t have a repeat offense here or there…but it wasn’t because I was channeling a kind of rebel yell. Being grounded or having things taken away was counter to my having adventures [in a very versatile large hedge in our front yard] and later that undiscovered country that is on your own, [as much as I'd be allowed, which was directly proportionate to my age]. Besides, my sister took it upon herself to QA the established boundaries, so why reinvent the wheel?

Growing up we had ‘rules’ that were nothing out of the ordinary- ask permission to go to the park down the way, or bike to the store to go buy candy, homework first, then we could go play outside. If we were going to play a few houses down, we had to obtain a blessing in the form of ‘We’re gonna go play at $so-so’s house, is that OK?’ We were to be polite to adults, even if there was a problem- be polite, then tell mom or dad. I remember this plainly. One because of the aforementioned disobeying was asking for a fate worse than ANYTHING and two, I remember wondering why would I, a child, have a problem with an adult. This seemed silly to me, mainly because I hadn’t been given an example of an adult behaving badly. You have to remember my age, such things were dynamic, but this edict was put into effect when I started school and reiterated when my sister followed suit. No matter how silly or odd I thought it was, it was what my parents had instructed us to do. For a long while, there was no need to ‘tattle’ on an adult.

I can’t tell you the first instance where an adult was tattled on to my mother. I can tell… Continue reading

Honor

February 15, 2009 by Chelle · 1 Comment

It was October 31st 2008.  After putting in a half day at work, I was in my car, headed towards my hometown.  I’d be there in about four and half hours, depending on traffic and how heavy my foot was on the accelerator.

Long time readers are aware that I observe Dia de los Muertos.  When I learned about this way back in high school it resonated with me.  I think it was in part because of my own heritage and how we view life, death and dealing when someone that matters to us passes.  Anyone that’s born witness to an Irish or Scottish wake may have a hard time referring to it as a wake.  For most, it seems more like a party and some people have a hard time wrapping their head around doing something like that right after someone passes.  I guess we see it as there’s plenty of time to be saddened by the whole thing.  So we want to celebrate, all of us gathered, the life of the person we’ve just lost.

Operation LCD 4 Trex

January 5, 2009 by Chelle · 1 Comment

Veteran readers know I am notorious for not  really being able to keep things of an awesome nature to myself.  Mainly this has to do with planned surprises/gifts.  It pretty much plays out as follows:  I obtain said gift, make it pretty, give it to its recipient and lay on heavy that it’s more than perfectly A-OK with me if they open it.  Right now.  That pretty much sums up the reasoning that had Trex conclude Christmas turns me into a little kid.  Albeit one that can drive and has charge cards, a kid nevertheless.  That doesn’t help with my excitement when I have something very…exciting in the works.  I’m pretty much wired to spoil my own surprises because I’m impatient to unleash them.  I should have the willpower of some omniscient uber something.  Orsaid willpower should be like Superman’s chest but impervious to anything, Kryptonite included.

Times like Christmas and birthdays are where I find Twitter rise in the orders of how extremely awesome it is.  More on that later, because it has been one of those ‘why did I ignore it way back when?!’ deals.  I’ve been able to channel those energies that would otherwise spoil surprises too early by tweeting my excitement feeling safe Trex won’t stumble across it.  While she has a Twitter account and a Myspace..she rarely logs on.

Veteran readers also know that when I embark on such things, they’re planned, they don’t ever go off without a hitch and I enjoy every drop of weariness, pain and absorption of Bad Thoughts™ directed my way when it’s all said and done.

This year has been no exception.  I called it Operation LCD 4 Trex.