gag me with a spoon

.
or long distance love.

The girl across the hall (yes fellow red deathers, it is the youngest member of our party to whom I refer) fell fully and madly for a girl in north carolina a little while ago.

They emailed. They instant messaged. One of them broke up with her then girlfriend. There were photos. There were dirty photos and there were lots and lots of phone calls. And even more dirty phone calls!

It was particularly funny when camping to watch la belle T jones for her girlfriend that she hadn't even met yet. T was threatening to walk into town or at least to the nearest store to make phone calls. Extra funny because one wrong turn and her walk would have gone from an hour to days and days and days. I was tempted but then I would have had to drive around for hours looking for the lost girl having the nic fit.

So, fairly quickly T was buying a plane ticket and M was packing. And right then I remembered how easy it is to be that young. I couldn't do what they're doing... it's not possible. To just chuck my life and move somewhere on a moment's notice?

But I owe the vet money!
and the mechanic!
and the cats? what to do with the cats? (hi sis!)
and the car? (hi parents barn!)
and all the classes and clients I have?
and lordy lordy I have a lot of crap!
and and and...

and that's it, they're both 23 or so and have nothing holding them anywhere. It's kind of the difference really because when I was 23 I *did* chuck it all and move on a moment's notice.

Repeatedly.

It's not that I wouldn't chuck it all and move, there are things that would inspire me to do that in a second, but I would have to take time to wrap up the threads of my life, I wouldn't be able to just go.

Hell, M doesn't even expect to go home! She has to due to some sort of customs crap but otherwise she would probably just stay.

Now let us not even begin to mention the staggering odds of meeting someone from north carolina on a matchmaking website AND having them make your toes curl when they kiss you... cause yeah, so less than likely.

But they're fully wrapped around each other and fully engaging in ridiculous amounts of PDA. Which does, I admit, make me really happy for T but at the same time?

Dude seriously, gag me with a spoon! [shut up, I know I'm jealous, what's your point?]

Regardless, they are just so cutesy that it's actually hard to be in the same room with them for more than a few minutes. Still totally happy for them and hope it stays this way but don't really want to hang out :)

I'm just staggered. I was so sure they would meet and be like 'uh yeah... no' and wonder what the fuss was about and instead they're showing off their hickies! (which yeah, not something I really want to think about too deeply)

Anyway I'm enjoying speculating on the odds and also sad when I think that M is being sent home in a month. I hope they figure something out. I confess I can't imagine how they're hanging out with the two of them AND t's dad in a bachelor the size of my bedroom but it seems to be working.

Ahh young love *grin*
.

This was a comment I made on Natalia's blog about this post. Do read the rest of the comments as they're awesome and please go read the post right now. No, right now. Anyway, I liked this mini rant enought to post it here:

From the day we were born my parents had no truck with whining. If we got cranky my mother checked if we were wet, cold, hot, tired, hungry and if it was none of those she ignored us. You know what? We didn't whine and from the day I was about 3 I was a polite little child in restaurants.

BUT (and this is important) my parents paid attention to me. They thought I was interesting. They tried hard to amuse me while I waited for my food [this is as easy as crayons or pens and paper]. They did NOT ignore me. They did not shush me when I spoke in favour of the 'adult conversation' and they most certainly would not put up with acting up. Acting up got you taken home with no dinner. They also did not let a television babysit me.

Now I respect your right to bring your kid to the movies but why can't you bring them to the shows for toddlers? Why can't you bring them on mommy and me screening days? If you bring them to a movie that is suggested adult accompaniment and they're five you're a moron.

As for museums, if you're dragging a 4 year old to the moma you're addled if you think they give a shit. If you bring them to the science centre then they can play and learn stuff... and as long as you don't let them get overtired or hungry they'll probably behave.

As for tolerance. I am exceedingly tolerant of children and I've nannied several of them for seriously extended periods of time and you know what? I'm still firmly intolerant of parents who ignore their children and then freak out when they misbehave. If you don't think that kids are fascinating you may wish to reconsider having them. And if your kid is LOSING it in a movie theatre or a museum the CONSIDERATE thing to do is exit the space that has several hundred other folks in it trying to enjoy something.

As an example, lynette on desperate housewives got EXACTLY the kids she raised... [end comment on natalia's blog] she never once talks to her children like they're people, she never tries to find out why they're upset and when they act out she either rewards the behaviour or starts taking their ridalin. Like seriously.

What baffles me is that this has become acceptable behavious among parents. the helpless look and the 'it's the kids' excuse. You're the parent, act like it.

*end rant*

gotta sleep teaching in the am! [yes i really did publish this 30 minutes in the future :)]