More "To Laugh or to Cry: KY Congressman Says Boom-Mic Bump of Trump is Dangerous"

 Oh, Lordy - perhaps meant as a distraction from the war texts - erm - I mean "attack" texts - or perhaps as a means of further villainizing press - Trump is more focused on getting rid of NPR (National Public Radio) and PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) than addressing the group chat incident - again, his second attempt after trying unsuccessfully in his first term.

Then for whatever reason, during an interview with President Trump, a fuzzy boom mic lightly swiped President Trump's face. 

Suddenly, the people at Fox News have turned this fuzzy-mic incident into a "dangerous" weapon and blamed an NPR reporter without an ounce of proof it was NPR or PBS. 

Seriously?

It was funny - as if a child had swiped his face with a stuffed rabbit or something - to which Trump raised his eyebrows and almost laughed himself ...

😂😂😂

So of course, they interviewed my state's resident hillbilly, village idiot over it - AKA Trump's new GOP superstar in Congress, James Comer -  who went onto say that "liberals were hostile," their "eyes are bugged out of their head," and the Fox News host said it could be "dangerous," someone could "put something on it" 😂

Yeah, you know what's "on it?"

A furry cover, not only to diffuse wind noise when outside, but also so that it can't injure anyone when extending it!

That'd be like attacking the President with a Swifter Duster! ! 😂

And it was a light tap, you can see for yourself on the video!

I guess you could try to beat someone with it, but with that fur or foam cap on, good luck!

Or I guess someone could put some substance on it, like the Fox host suggested - but again, they're used outside?

The contact is not long enough or close enough, to breathe in or ingest anything, especially outdoors -  so good luck with that, too!

I swear to goodness, these Trumper's brains are filled more with irrational paranoia than rational common sense!

The paranoia is astounding - and hilarious! 😂

Leave it to the congressman from my state to advance this nonsense!

War Texts: To Laugh or to Cry?

(Updated/PS added) 

So ... the Trump administration accidentally texted war plans - bombing of Iranian-backed Youthi rebels in Yemen -  to The Atlantic magazine's editor-in-Chief, Jeffrey Goldberg - and we know this because Jeff wrote an article literally called "The Trump Administration Accidentally Texted Me Its War Plans."   

😂😂😂

Oh, Lordy - it's actually not funny, but if you don't laugh, you'll cry.

Now, at first, the Trump administration denied everything, with Pete Hegseth stating 2 days ago that "nobody was texting war plans" and blaming The Atlantic editor/reporter, calling him "deceitful" and "discredited" and the whole thing a "hoax."

(Well, what did you expect an active alcoholic to do, take personal responsibility?)

* I have replaced my original video with the full interview.

Shhhhhh, you should shush now, Petey, you're busted. As for hoaxes, we're all hoping your unqualified appointment as Secretary of Defense - nay, your very existence - is a hoax.

Trump first said nobody reads The Atlantic anyway.

Okay, I do - or I did, until I reached my limit of free articles. 😂

Well, Trump - if they didn't read The Atlantic before, they do now!  😂

Perhaps you meant that nobody that you know reads, period.

Today, some are finally admitting it -  blaming an assistant to National Security Advisor, Mike Waltz, for adding the reporter to the group chat, with Trump calling them "stupid."

Well, if that ain't the pot calling the kettle, but ... he IS right.

(Write this day down -  one of the exceedingly rare times I agreed with Trump.)

Oh, boys - a word, please?

Why y'all texting this sh*t to each other rather than face-to-face, from the security of The Situation Room?

Anything can be hacked - you know this.

Kinda makes Hilary's national security emails from a private server at home a moot point, doesn't it?  😉

Hehehe

Now -  I can't say that I've never texted the wrong thing to the wrong person.

Once, when still waking up from sedation from a colonoscopy, I texted that they found 3 polyps to my former neighbor instead of the thread with my little sister and my mom. 😂

She was like "What??? Are you okay?"

Oooooops!

And I was okay - the pathology results later showed one had been precancerous, but it was removed. 

Well, at least I had waking up from anesthesia as an excuse, that time.

Another time, I texted a DNA reveal and a very tense family situation that was supposed to go to my friend, instead to my "honorary" son, B- who works for the Department of Defense and has a secure cell phone!

Whups!

I have no excuse for that one, except that I was texting on two threads at the same time and I was totally stressed out.

(Again, you gotta laugh or you'll cry.)

But then again, I'm not in charge of highly classified national security information, and if I was, I highly doubt I'd be texting anyone about it?

I also don't think I ever texted the wrong thing on a group thread, though I've seen it happen, but never say never - I usually check who's on it before I do.

And this is why free press is so important versus government (Trump)-controlled press.

_________________________________________

PS - In case you still think Goldberg is lying or overselling what he had, as JD Vance claims, Goldberg just published the full text thread at The Atlantic !

(Go Goldberg!)

And it's really, really bad - because, in fact, it DOES give detailed specifics on the strike.

For instance, this from Pete Hegseth himself, is a bombshell (pun intended):

TEAM UPDATE: 

“TIME NOW (1144et): Weather is FAVORABLE. Just CONFIRMED w/CENTCOM we are a GO for mission launch.” 

“1215et: F-18s LAUNCH (1st strike package)” 

“1345: ‘Trigger Based’ F-18 1st Strike Window Starts (Target Terrorist is @ his Known Location so SHOULD BE ON TIME – also, Strike Drones Launch (MQ-9s)" 

“1410: More F-18s LAUNCH (2nd strike package)” 

“1415: Strike Drones on Target (THIS IS WHEN THE FIRST BOMBS WILL DEFINITELY DROP, pending earlier ‘Trigger Based’ targets)” 

“1536 F-18 2nd Strike Starts – also, first sea-based Tomahawks launched.” 

“MORE TO FOLLOW (per timeline)” 

“We are currently clean on OPSEC." 

“Godspeed to our Warriors.”

Dahummmn, that's damning.  

If you had asked me 20 years ago if I'd be viewing actual national security communication between presidential cabinet officials myself, I wouldn't have believed this was even possible.

Oh, but it is - especially when unqualified people are in charge.

There is currently a Senate hearing on the matter - let's see if the GOP-majority Senate breaks their recent track record and actually finds both their moral compass and the cajones to do the right thing?

Not holding my breath ... 

Why Does This Make Me Laugh so Much? 😂

I think I saw the original of this about 10 years ago, which I sometimes say to my pug, Ziggy, just to crack everyone up, but apparently since then, several people have found it and added hilarious captions!😂 

The original video was just a woman with the most annoying voice ever, asking her pug if he wants to go to a pug party - which she says over and over -  and the pug does the famous/infamous pug scream!  😂

Now, the pug scream is unusual for most pugs, unless they're really scared, really mad, or really in pain, but some pugs do it when overly happy/excited.  

It's hard to tell which of those reasons is why this pug is screaming, in this case, but as others have guessed, it may be this woman's voice? 😂 

This is the funniest captioned one I found ... 

"For the love of God, why won't you STFU?  Please f***ing kill me!  End my suffering!  Whyyyy? WHYYYY? God is dead!  And we killed him!"

😂😂😂

Celebrities Who Descended from Those Involved in the Salem Witch Trials

So I was watching videos on YouTube, the other day, and ended up going down the rabbit hole, like you do, and found the below video of Jean Smart, Zachary Levi, and Sarah Jessica Parker finding out they were genetically related to accused witches in Salem in 1692.

I feel for Sarah Jessica Parker, here, waiting to find out if her ancestor was one of the accused or an accuser, right?

Though both are horrible in different ways, you would still hope your ancestor was not an accuser and responsible for putting an innocent people to death, right? 

Though the video doesn't fully tell you the outcome, the 3 women either escaped or were freed from prison, once the order came to stop executing people as witches. 

Zachary Levi's 10x great-grandmother's story was especially interesting for two reasons ...

The first is that she underwent the process of "ducking" - which means they bound the woman and then threw her in the water to see if she floated!

That's right - Monty Python's joke about throwing the witch in the water to see if she floats was actually a real practice!

Of course, the human body is fairly buoyant until they consume water, so she "floated like a cork," which was considered "proof" of witchcraft.

Originally in the UK, their hands were not tied and bound, so they would naturally swim and stay afloat, but this was still considered witchcraft.

By 1692 in Salem, their hands and feet were bound, but they would still float at first, of course, rather than go under, until water was swallowed.

Fortunately, in Elizabeth Clawson's case, she was exonerated - which was extremely rare, and in fact, she may have been the only person exonerated.

That is because her husband rallied the town to sign a petition for her innocence and she was freed, despite the girls' fits, despite not passing their witch tests.

This was unusual for three reasons:  Most of the women accused were already widowed or single, and if they weren't, anyone who tried to defend them - including husbands - would also then be accused of witchcraft, especially if poor or conversely, owned desirable land/assets.  

Lastly - and sadly -  sometimes families got swept up in the hysteria themselves, wanting someone to blame themselves, for crop failure or illness, and resulted to blaming the family member and finding "evidence," too, via power of suggestion.

However, Elizabeth's husband was able to successfully provide so many town signatures that the court could not ignore it - despite her floating like a witch!  😂

Regardless, below is the full list that I could find/that we know thus far of celebrities being related to those involved in the Salem Witch trials, both accusers and accused, and the outcomes.

Keep in mind that those who are deceased cannot be DNA tested for true verification, but reliant on genealogical records.

Most modern-day celebrities have been DNA tested and most discovered their genetic ties publicly, via shows like "Who Do You Think You Are" (British then US versions, NBC and TLC) ...

 ...  and "Finding Your Roots."US, PBS)

Also, keep in mind this key: 

* - Celebrities related to both accuser or judicial side and accused. 

** - Celebrities related to two or more accused. 

Celebrities proven by family DNA to be related to the accused: 

John Alden (escaped)

Benedict Cumberbatch, actor.

Mary Bradbury (escaped)

Calvin Coolidge, former US President.

Ralph Waldo Emerson, author, poet, and minister.

Ray Bradbury, author.

Alan Shepard, astronaut.

Christopher Reeve, actor.

Linda Hamilton, actress.

Reverend George Burroughs (executed)

George Washington, former US President. 

**William Howard Taft, former US President.

John Adams and John Quincy Adams, former US Presidents.

Walt Disney, business and entertainment entrepreneur.

Sarah Cloyce (accused, executions halted)

Clara Barton, founding nurse of the American Red Cross.

Esther Elwell (accused, executions halted.)

Norman Rockwell, artist.

Sarah Jessica Parker, actress.

George Jacobs (executed)
**William Howard Taft, former President of the United States. 

Grace Coolidge, wife of former President of the United States, 

Kyra Sedgwick, actress.

Susannah Martin (executed)
Chester Arthur, President of the United States.

Burl Ives, actor, singer, and songwriter.

Dick Cheney, former VP of the United States.

Mickey Rourke, actor. 

Rebecca Nurse (executed)

Vincent Price, actor.

Mitt Romney, US Senator and former US Presidential candidate.

Amy Grant, Christian singer/songwriter.

Ann Pudeator (executed)

Humphrey Bogart, actor.

Margaret Scott (executed)

*Claire Danes, actress. 

Rachel Vinson (accused, executions halted)

Millard Fillmore, former US president.

Richard Gere, actor.

Lucille Ball, actress. 

Samuel Wardwell (executed)

Scott Foley, actor. 

Elizabeth Clawson (accused, exonerated) 

Zachary Levi, actor. 

Dorcas Hoar (escaped) 

Jean Smart, actor.

Celebrities proven by family DNA to either be related to accuser or judicial side:

Joseph Herrick - Salem constable who arrested the accused.

* Jesse Williams, actor.

Captain Thomas Chandler - testified against Samuel Wardwell.

* Jeff Daniels

Celebrities proven on paper alone to be related to either the accused or accusers:

Mary Parker - accused, executed.

The Bush Family, former Presidents.

Gerald Ford, former President.

Will Wheaton, actor.

Mary Bradbury - accused, executed.

**Franklin Delano Roosevelt

John Proctor - accused, executed.

Lt. Nathaniel Felton - testified against his cousin, John Proctor.

*Tom Felton, actor.

Reverend George Burroughs - accused, executed.

Princess Diana, Prince William, Prince Harry

*John Kerry, former US Secretary of State and presidential candidate

Abigail Williams - accuser.

Julie Bowen, actress.

Judge John Hathorne 

Nathaniel Hawthorne, author.

Mark Wahlberg, actor. 

Judge William Stoughton - 

*John Kerry (see above)

Can I just say that I find it hilarious that Sarah Jessica Parker and Tom Felton's relatives were accused of witchcraft, being that they both famously played witches and wizards? 😂


I imagine if the practice of "ducking" were still around today, both would be ducked, based on the old adage, "If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck?"  😂

Now, you will note that there are less that lay claim to the accuser/judicial side - perhaps because not many will admit it!

What a shameful time in history, it makes me extraordinarily sad - and yet I can still see this sort of scapegoating/mass-hysterical belief still prevalent today.

And no, not from Trump's mouth saying he's being witch-hunted!

In fact, that infuriates me - because it was mostly women accused of witchcraft, particularly older women past their reproductive years, widows, "spinsters," or childless women -  NOT white, wealthy male billionaires!

In fact, the closer modern example among presidential candidates of a true witch hunt would be Hilary Clinton, who some actually believe belongs to a Satanic pedophile cult, just because  self-admitted mentally-ill YouTuber, Alex Jones said so!!  

(Mind you, Alex Jones has been found guilty of defamation of character after the parents of Sandy Hook sued him for stating they were paid Democrats who made the story up.)

 But even that isn't the closest comparison, because Hillary has a lot of power, compared to other women, but between the two candidates, the "witch hunt" scenario better fits Hillary than Trump. 

However, this belief always stems from what rich and powerful people irrationally fear most - that poor, powerless people will find a way to gain power - even retaliate against those who mistreated them - in other words, it's based on irrational fear, based on guilt.

Worse, the instruments of accusations were often women themselves to obtain power and approval of powerful men (I'm thinking of Meghan Kelly as I write this), which saddens me me and still occurs today.

Trump actually reminds me more of one of those accuser young ladies, already from wealthy families, gaining more power by false accusations, suspected in dabbling in witchcraft  themselves in the woods just days before they threw out their first accusation (Abigail Williams and Betty Paris).

Thus, they accused others in deflection and their "fits" stemming from projected fear and guilt - much like people who have played with a Ouija board and the power of suggestion creates "symptoms of possession" in them?

Another theory - or perhaps another component of the accusations and fits -  is that it is also suspect they may have suffered from ergot illness from rye bread.

And finally, another component which may have motivated their behavior was those ghost stories told to the girls by Tituba, the slave of the accuser Parris family, who had told the girls tales of witchcraft and Haitian voodoo as cautionary tales against witchcraft.

She is said to have given them homemade talismans of protection against witchcraft and warned them against witchcraft - however, her doing so may have inadvertently played a role in their power-of-suggestion hysteria. 

Tituba herself was among the first to be accused, but she escaped death by being forced by her owners, the Parris family, to avoid death by confessing and helping young Betty Parris, and her cousin, Abigail Williams, to accuse others in the community. 

Regardless, the "fits" were exhibited on cue, initially by 3 girls, but spread to other girls in the  community in power of suggestion and mass hysteria.

Their fits, combined with environmental "evidence" such as harsh weather, as well as  "spectral evidence" of "visions" and "ducking" - were considered "admissible evidence" in the judicial system back then.

As time went on, people started accusing each other based on grudges or wanting land from others.

In Reverend George Burroughs' case, however, the crime was actually the fact that he was an unordained  Puritan minister with "Calvinist" or "Baptist" tendencies -  being Christian, but not Puritan, was akin to witchcraft, by Puritan standards.

But my favorite story of that time is Giles Corey. 

He refused to plea guilty or innocent, despite attempts at torturing him into confession, because not only did it not matter as far as his own death, but any plea given would result in his land and assets being distributed to the judicial system and the accusers, rather than left to his family.

Thus, they decided to place giant rocks on him and the judges and constables stood on him, trying to force a confession out of him, adding a new person on top/more weight, each time he refused.

But instead, when asked what he plead, each time, he simply smile and replied "More weight."

Which they did -  and unfortunately, he was crushed to death - but he never uttered a plea, one way or the other - so they could not take his land and assets from his family.

As Project 2025 gets ever closer to their Christian Nationalist goals via Trump's executive orders, combined with his penchant for accusing anyone who criticizes him without proof, I can't help but wonder if we aren't heading again towards a mass-hysteria society that executes critics, again using spiritual hysterics as proof?

Trump has already said he'd love to execute certain people, and we're hoping he doesn't really mean it, but we don't know what his crazy, petulant ass really intends.

*Gulp*

But if so, what would YOU do?

Would you jump on the mass-hysteria bandwagon and not ask for proof, simply because you're not doing well and everyone else is claiming their a "witch?"

Would you consciously join the accusers in self-preservation to stay alive?

Would you confess under duress, knowing you were going to die either way, but in order to at least attempt  (perhaps in vain) spare your family and their assets?

Would you plead not guilty and die quietly protesting your innocence until your final breath like most, or  reciting the Lord's Prayer, like Reverence George Burroughs (a feat which was believed not to be possible by a witch)?

Or would you refuse to plea at all, thus ensuring your family's assets couldn't be legally touched, like Giles Corey, smiling and simply saying "more weight?"

We all would like to think we'd stand up for the falsely accused, but the truth is, unfortunately, most people - both then and likely now, - would either jump on the mass-hysteria bandwagon without proof OR consciously go along with what you know is BS out of fear/self-preservation. 😢

______________________________

PS  - I took a DNA test in 2022 and had quite the dramatic revelation privately, but I never signed up for the part to see what famous or infamous people I might be related to. 

I think because learning that I was NOT genetically related to my maternal family - including the people I thought were my grandparents - was quite enough of a bombshell, thank you!  😂

 (That's a whole other blog post from 2022 that you can read, but yeah,  finding that out blew my mind for a second and then I sighed and said "Well, makes sense to add more crazy fuel to the crazy dumpster fire already that is my family." 😂)

I learned also that I was actually very Polish on my mother's side (about  25%) and had no idea, as well as about 25% Scottish (both father and mother's side), about 25% British, 10% Irish, and the rest some small percentage of Welsh, Dane/Swedish/Nordic, and Balkan.

It would be kind of nice to find out what ancestors lives were like, like they do on the show - their struggles, what brought them to America, etc. but you only get that part if your famous, I guess. 

Now, if I WAS famous and chose to air the dirty laundry that I already discovered in 2022 genetically, plus found out what famous people I'm related to AND find out the struggles and coming-to-America part, I think I would choose Henry Louis Gates' PBS show, "Finding Your Roots" - not only because I like him better as a person, but he has done the best job of tracing the roots of Americans of color (which the other show has not done much of).

Also because he doesn't just tell you the cool people you were related to, and their struggles, but also the not-so-cool people - he reveals the full truth, ready or not - and I'm the sort that likes the truth, pleasant or not, whether I want to hear it or not, or even if it takes me time to fully process  - which is why I was the first one to take the DNA test  to solve a family mystery versus the rest of my family.

I

For instance, Ben Affleck famously tried to sue the show after finding out he descended from slave owners, trying to keep it from airing.

The matter was resolved out of court and the segment initially aired without that clip, but has since been restored.

In fact, it actually made the PBS (public broadcasting) show more popular.

Since then, celebrities sign a contract in advance that there might be some sensitive information revealed that they're not proud of, which Henry Louis Gates now tells them off camera in advance and airs discussion of it later, if approved by the guest.

All have since approved the airing, stating that they feel it's their responsibility and duty to both admit it and denounce it publicly.

There is also a new show on Hulu called "No Taste like Home" that is an interesting mix on genealogy and culture food that's cool to see, where Antoni Porowski visits celebrities families at home for favorite meals and then traces back their genealogical origins to find food and family connections that's worth a watch.

It's interesting that some celebrities try to hold it together to not be emotional on camera, while others cry openly (Awkwafina), with Antoni definitely trying to Barbara Walters them for tears (my only criticism).

The Possibility of an "Constitutional Crisis"

Just about an hour ago, we learned that Trump signed an executive order for Linda McMahon to start dismantling the Department of Education, stating the goal to "eliminate" it.

Many states - like ours, of Kentucky - have said they cannot handle the workload that would be coming their way and that they would actually need more funding and manpower to do it.

Constitutionally, he cannot do so without the approval of Congress - but his stance appears to be now ready to defy the judicial branch?

Because Trump has already defied federal court order on deportation, this week.

So what I went looking for today, and had difficulty finding, is how the judicial branch enforces their decisions - what do they do if either the executive branch (President) or the legislative branch (Congress) defies it?

Apparently, based on a somewhat brief search, very little?

Neither the judicial branch nor Congress are in charge of military, nor do they have any direct police force to enforce rulings - both rely on the executive branch for military action and policing.

(Although states can call up military, i.e., the national guard, at a state level).  

Technically, U.S. Marshals answer to the judicial branch, but considering the only violation the judicial branch has is contempt of court, the punishment at that level is only fines and/or disbarrment for attorneys - not sure what U.S. Marshall is going to go get somebody for that outcome?

Congress has the right to impeach and convict the president, but no way to actually enforce that - and will they, considering they're GOP majority?

Thus, if Trump defies court orders and constitutional law - which he has, is, and will continue to do - that puts us in what's called a "constitutional crisis" - meaning our constitution did not include/wasn't prepared for any single branch to defy court order or constitution - and we have no actionable way to deal with it in place.

Thus far, we have relied on leaders who swore an oath to uphold the constitution and no one has defied it.

In other words, if he continues to defy court ruling, court order and  our constitution, then we have no way to recourse as we have no way to enforce it, as the judicial and legislative branches rely on the executive branch for policing - thus, it would be the beginning of the end of our constitution. 

Also, if the POTUS ignores court order and federal law, what is to keep everyday people from following suit, defying not just federal law, but any law?

"Oh, Trump is defying federal laws, what a rebel - so will I! I'm going to ..."


"... Not pay taxes anymore, either business or personal."


" ... not follow safety and quality standards when I pilot or repair my jet plane."


"... not follow federal safety standards to keep my employees safe. If they are maimed, injured, or die, I'll just replace them, plus I won't cover medical or funeral expenses."


" ... not follow federal quality and safety standards while building these cars on the assembly line."


" ... dump my garbage in the local water supply."


"... kill whatever animals I feel like, whenever I feel like, federally protected endangered class or my neighbor's pets, my choice."


"... Drive 100 miles an hour down this interstate."


"... not stop at this, or any, stop sign or stop light."


"... Drive drunk."

"Woo hoo, go exploiting constitutional weakness and loopholes for selfish gain!  Go anarchy!"

Okay, y'all do that - maybe we'll start ignoring your anti-DEI mandates, your abortion rulings and forced Christianity in public schools, then?  😉

All ye who call yourselves "patriots" that voted for this?

Please stop - you're not patriots, you LOVE a king/dictator rather than our constitutional democratic republic ! 😂

Once again, if you're not feeling it yet, you will soon - most people have no idea how many businesses, both public and private, rely on government funding to run. 

The White Lotus, Season 3, Thus Far ...

 

Okay, so  ... what ...the ... ??? ... is even going on, on this show, right now?  😂

This show is always crazy, in the best of ways, but it's especially crazy, this season. It's actually been super slow, and yet still ...

Incestuous kisses between Patrick Schwarzenegger (who I'm pretty sure is channeling his real-life narcissistic, skirt-chasing, douchebag of a dad, for this role) and his onscreen brother?

The longtime boyfriend of one of the current lead characters, Leslie Bibb,  Oscar-winning Sam Rockwell, with a surprise cameo, bomb-dropping the most convoluted, overly analyzed, intense sex confession I've ever heard, onto an unsuspecting, perfectly-reacting Walton Goggins, during a simple catch-up convo with his old friend?

He could've just said he was now into an alternative sexual lifestyle, but no - he went into excessive, explicit detail, from a psychologically overly-analyzed perspective, with about as much emotion as if someone he'd never met had just asked him what he does for a living!  😂

I mean,  what can you say/do?

"When I asked what's been going on, I ... did not expect that ... but cool, man, glad you feel like got all that figured out and got it off your chest.  Another drink, maybe? I sure need one" or what?   😂

(Speaking of Walton Goggins, who IMO is an underrated actor, you can also see him just after TWL as Uncle Baby Billy, the most ridiculous and hilarious character in a cast of ridiculous characters, in the final season of The Righteous Gemstones  - which is hilarious, but I forewarn you, brace yourselves if you're easily offended by crude humor at times or poking fun of Christian televangelists.)

But about all that?

Alllllll right, sir.

As you know, I love weird screenwriting, once wanting to be a screenwriter myself, but incestuous kisses between the two young brother characters was almost squirm-in-your-seat uncomfortable weird ... and where are we going with this, exactly?

I hope somewhere that doesn't normalize this sort of behavior, but  knowing that everybody has a secret they're hiding at the White Lotus (some worse than others), it won't.  I hope. *Gulp*

(I suspect it may have something to do with earlier molestation in this lily-white false-facade family, but we shall see. )

As I said, it's moving a little too slowly, this season, and yet I'm still intrigued, still trying to figure out which one of these overly wealthy nuts is going to be responsible for the open fire with a rifle in the beginning sequence.

And yes, TWL fans - remember the shots at the opening scene ?

Those were coming from atop a hill; thus, they were most were likely fired from a long-range rifle, firing multiple rounds. 

Thus, they could NOT be fired from Gaitok's handgun, just stolen by Timothy Ratfliff.

(Or at least it should not be because it wouldn't make sense to fire multiple rounds from that range?)

Also, after the first two murders at a White Lotus, why are these people still signing up for vacations at a White Lotus?

I mean, you'd think people would be like "HELL, no -  anywhere but a White Lotus!" at this point?

But no, these rich kookaburras are still like "Sign me up!"  

Also, though either unlikeable or secret-hiding characters are a bit of a hallmark of the show (but you still root for them anyway), it's harder to find an initially likeable character, this season, besides Belinda, the massage therapist from the first two seasons, who has a knack for stumbling into the crazy, who actually came to Thailand to forget all that nonsense and train further in massage, only to have to face this sh*t again.

I relate to this poor woman, in that she has a knack for stumbling onto crazy and being unable to easily extricate herself!

Again, you would think she'd at least switch hotel chains for employment?

And when she spots the co-murderer from the second season at the  new hotel, but doesn't call the cops or leave immediately, once she's sure it's him, and instead just stupidly stares him down repeatedly so that he knows that she knows? 

You just wanna go, "Girl, just go, just leave TWL Resort Hotels forever, it's like a toxic relationship for you!"

And yet she does not - and now her son on his way to visit will get dragged into it, too.

And we love the budding love story between Muk and Gaitok (but fear that Gaitok's story of trying to move up in the security world will end badly, at present)?

Aimee-Leigh Wood's character of Chelsea is very likeable, but there also seems to be a running theme of much younger women with crotchety older men with money, this season, with the exception that Chelsea seems to be the only one who genuinely cares for Rick (Walton Goggins) and wants him to open up to her - despite his letting loose the snakes that bit her, when he was high 😂

Piper Ratliff is somewhat likeable, I guess, at least in that we get why she wants to get the hell away from the shallow, secret-keeping,  and general douchebaggery of her white, generationally wealthy, entitled, overprivileged, dysfunctional family, (which I can somewhat relate to) - but she still wants them to finance it and brings them all there under false pretenses, which wasn't cool. 

(But compared to the dastardly secrets the other characters are keeping, it's like a woman admitting lying about her age 😂)

And still, methinks there are even more secrets to be told from that family, right? 

As for the three "best friends" or frenemies, frankly, I don't especially care what happens to any of them, do you? 

They can't seem to speak directly to each other about their concerns with each other, just gossip viciously behind each other's backs (ewww, hate that passive-aggressive, stewing resentment stuff - but if you confront women like that directly about it, they deny it, you get gaslighted and you just look like a confrontation-loving a-hole 😂).  

And now, one of them is sleeping with the guy she was trying to set her friend up with, behind her back (and her own boyfriend's back).

And they acted like those local children with water guns, squirting them as part of their holiday, had set them on fire or something?

Chill, Ladies - it's just water -  your hair will dry, and nobody cares what you look like when exploring anyway.  In fact, the fact that you care about your appearance so much is likely why they kept shooting water at you!

You complained the WL was too low key and the one next door was too old-people, so how about buying water guns there and shoot back, it's fun!

It's fun!

I think I'd rather go on vacation to Thailand with my mother,  and that's saying something!

(Actually, I would never do that either, but if these are my choices?)

Not sure why any of these people would think it was ever a good idea to go on vacation to exotic locations with people they already know they can't trust, but dohkay.  

And as much as we miss Jennifer Coolidge as Tanya, how much do we love Parker Posey as Victoria Ratliff, stepping up to fill that void?  😂

It's not that Victoria is necessarily likeable, it's just that like Tanya, she's entertaining as hell, like your crazy aunt.

I think she means well and is smarter than you think, but she's so Ativaned up that she hasn't a clue what's actually going on 😂

She's a Southern storyteller, in a way, mixing truth with absolute absurdity, delivered with a perfect small-town, Western North Carolina (Tarheel) accent, the drawl further exaggerated further by lorazepam abuse. 😂

As for that accent, as Seth says, many people don't realize this, but much like British accents, there's not just one, they are very regional.

Parker herself grew up in Mississippi and Louisiana and realizes this, but there are certain common threads such words like this crash-course in this short clip below.

This is how small-town Southern women emphatically and melodramatically drawl out their disgust 😂😂😂

😂😂😂😂😂😂

I'm a huge language and regional colloquialism nerd - fascinated by the evolution of language and the mix of accents (like mine is a mix of Midwest suburban Cincinnati and Central Kentucky, having lived here for 35 years).

I often try to guess where someone is from based on accents or colloquialisms, particularly Southern ones - and often get it right, but not always.  

Like if you say "firefly" rather than "lightning bug," I already know this much about you - you're most likely white and from the Northeast, the Great Lakes North, or the West Coast, and as you talk more, I can usually ferret out where you're from or lived the longest 😄 

However, I have trouble with New Orleans, because it's a big mix from Creole to Cajun to true NOLA accent, which can almost sound like a NYC accent (think Harry Connick Jr.)

Regardless, here she is on Seth Meyers, discussing how she acquired it, which includes a clip from this past Sunday's WL episode, where she explains her fears about Piper living for a year at the Buddhist Meditation Center in Thailand being a cult  ... 

"Look at the Catholics - organized religion and deviant sex can go hand-in-hand."

😂😂😂

My Catholic husband fell off the couch, laughing.

As did I - Episcopalian now, Catholicism's closely related cousin - but also having grown up in several different evangelical churches, including Southern Baptist and charismatic nondenominational -  two churches that have also been involved in verified sex-abuse scandals in recent years.

In fact, though power abuse, especially in the form of sexual abuse, may be rampant in organized religion, Christianity unfortunately has the worst global reputation for it, such that some might even say this is especially true about Christianity, Catholic or Protestant?

(Someone may throw something at their screen for my saying that, but if you can show me any other religion with as many verified sex abuse scandals as those claiming to be Christian, I'll take it back.)

Regardless, we can't automatically assume anything spiritually different from how we were raised or what we're used to is a cult or witchcraft or sexually abuses people overall -  OR - that we're right and they're wrong - right?

We Christians do some weird sh*t, too, as just part of our general faith. 

Ever tried explaining the concept behind communion - the eating and drinking of the body and blood of Christ - to someone from another faith, or even just your 5-year-old? 

The concept seems akin to cannibalism to them and they're horrified! 😂

Back to Parker Posey, can I just say I loved how she breezed out in that whispy dress with fringe-fabric caped sleeves that Parker wore, really did remind me, as she says, of Samantha's mother Endora on Bewitched, "popping up on her refrigerator to give advice?" 

And though no one can top Jennifer Coolidge on her OTT persona, Parker Posey is nearly as entertaining, both onscreen roles and in real-life interviews (though both are likely still part of their played-up personas).

Speaking of accents, British actor Jason Isaacs slipped quite easily into that city/suburban North Carolina accent because he's British (because Southern US accents and colloquialisms are actually derived from British accents, pepper in some Irish and Scottish). 

Jason Isaacs' character is more subtly hilarious, just trying to hold it together, hiding from his family the fact that his career and reputation are about to be destroyed, now swiping his wife's lorazepam, while his daughter whisked them all away to Thailand on false premise. 

However, the moment Jason Isaacs shows up on your screen, you should already know something's afoot, right?

If nothing else, the actor is most widely known as Lucious Malfoy from the Harry Potter series, but he almost never plays a good guy in most of the roles he takes!

Well, we shall see where this wild ride takes us - I hope it's worth it!

______________________________________

PS - Oh, one last thing ... don't forget to look for foreshadowing clues as to each character's story in the friezes or tapestry at the beginning during the them song as they list each actor, just as they did in all the previous seasons, which some people missed. 😉

In fact, this season, the promo poster giving you a more obvious nod to that, for people who missed that the first go 'rounds   - it's almost like a Thai tapestry or Thai piece of artwork itself, right?

University of Kentucky Targeted by Trump's DOE Secretary, Linda McMahon, for Federal DEI Investigation

My alma mater, the the University of Kentucky, is one of 50 state and federal-funded universities that Trump's new Secretary of the Department of Education has targeted for "racial discrimination" and "Anti-Semitism" in hiring practices and college grants and scholarships.

By this, of course, what they really mean is that UK has hired more non-white, Palestinian and/or female or LGBTQ faculty positions and PhD candidates than today's GOP is comfortable with, flipping back on them the actual intention of Civil Rights Laws.

Racists have used these same, tired reverse-discrimination arguments since before the Civil War and Jim Crow eras, twisting civil rights laws meant to prevent discrimination against minorities into themselves being viewed as a discriminated-against minority - despite the fact that statistically, white males are still in charge everywhere, including these universities.

So this is nothing new - what IS new is that our government is now officially supporting this nonsense.

And the false-facade argument that getting rid of affirmative action and DEI is meant to ensure quality hires, rather than based on skin color or minority status, might have merit - IF - these same people weren't also hiring unqualified white people into high-level cabinet positions based on cronyism, such as Linda McMahon herself!

Linda McMahon has no background in education whatsoever.

Her only qualification is being a loyal rich Trump supporter and being formerly married to the now-disgraced fake-pro-wrestling federation, Vince McMahon, a scandal which she somehow slipped out of herself.

Thus, they've undone their own possible good argument point of "quality and content of character over skin color/minority status" themselves, by hiring in wholly unqualified white people in high-level federal-government positions out of cronyism!

And again, all of these investigations despite the fact that statistically, all of these universities still have largely white males in charge - it's just that these 50 universities in particular have hired more non-white, non-straight, non-male, non-Christian or Jewish faculty or gave them PhDs than Trump's GOP is comfortable with, or they allowed pro-Palestinian protest.

(As mentioned, Lexington in general is not big on protesting, but there were some small university peaceful protests on both sides allowed, both pro-Palestine and pro-Israel.)





Now - having lived here for over 30 years and spending every summer here in my youth, I can verify that racism in Kentucky has always been a part of Kentucky - including anti-Semitism.

However, having received the bulk of my college education at UK myself, I can state with absolutely certainty that UK is where I "woke" - it was a direct result of my education at UK.

And my "wokeness" was based on studying proven sociological and psychological studies, receiving a 4.0 GPA in those courses, including two graduate-level courses that needed special faculty approval to take.

I did NOT base my views on social media gossip or news "commentators" trying to pass off their own personal beliefs, opinions and fears as facts.

Of course, as a white, straight Christian, I can't claim to be completely "woke" due to implicit racial bias and lack of personal experience with being the direct target of racial or religious or sexual orientation prejudice myself, so I'm happy to be educated further.

Regardless, point being that though Kentucky's culture as a whole is anti-woke, the University of Kentucky itself, as an institution, is largely woke and has been for a very long time, including combatting not just racism but anti-Semitism, misogyny, and bigotry.

However, there's a reason why most social science majors graduate and move out of state - because they know there's a difference between the university and the surrounding culture.

They know that the surrounding culture of Kentucky is especially resistant to change, especially afraid to rock the boat, and will often play passive-aggressive dirty if you do try to create progressive change.

You know what I mean ... smile in your face and call you "honey," but stab you in the back later surreptitiously, kinda thing.

As Dave Chappelle once said (before he got rich), as well as Trevor Noah, Lexington is "Charmingly racist" - meaning it's very friendly and passive-aggressive about its racism, making it difficult to confront directly without looking like an a-hole (which I learned the hard way.)


Thus, I pronounce this federal investigation complete BS - yet another method of white male racists flipping back on us civil rights laws that were meant to protect minorities - not based on statistical fact,  but rather out of fear they'll be replaced OR that non-white, non-straight, non-Christians will retaliate against them  someday for the way we know we've mistreated them.

And again, if this was really about qualifications rather than skin color, then we wouldn't be hiring wholly unqualified white people into high-level cabinet positions based on cronyism rather than qualifications, now would we?

This investigation is the direct result of state Trump-GOP politicians, putting pressure on UK to get rid of DEI programs in favor of unqualified white-people in cronyism - AKA corruption.

______________________________

PS - My husband from Detroit - who absolutely hates it here and finds the passive-aggressive "fake" culture extremely confusing, as do most Lexington transplants - asked me if I'd ever seriously dated anyone racist.

Though I've made the poor choice of dating a lot of clunkers and borderline misogynists, I can honestly say that I've never seriously dated anyone truly racist - that was an automatic dealbreaker.

The closest would be my daughter's father, whom I didn't consider racist himself, but his family was - in fact, his uncle was KKK!

Z was a moderate Republican in the 90s, which is a different brand of Republican than today's Republicans, so we'd tease each other about politics but nothing too serious, and I never once heard him say anything racist against people of color - but his family sure did, especially his sister!

He also served with people of color when he was briefly in Iraq, and he knew what it was like to depend on people of any color or faith to have his back, like brothers - thus, I never heard him say anything even close to racist.

But I also never heard him speak up against his family about it, either, often laughing along with jokes, which makes him complicit ... or cowardly ... not sure 😢

(To be fair, I never actually said anything to them either, at that time, just scowled during bad jokes, and sometimes they said them intentionally to get a reaction, so I wouldn't take the bait 😉.)

I need to caveat that, though, because although I never heard him say anything racist against people of color, there was one time about Asians that stood out ... well, actually two ... but I doubt he'd do either now.  At least I hope not.

In addition to an Asian joke he used to tell that was clearly racist towards Asians, the only other racist thing I heard him say was when he put his arm around our Vietnamese coworker at the restaurant where we were both servers in college on Pearl Harbor Day, December 7th, and said "Hey, D, you know what today is right? It's Pearl Harbor Day, I shouldn't talk to you ... yuk yuk yuk" 

Now, in his small defense, he realized D was Vietnamese and not Japanese, and he actually meant the joke as a parody of an ignorant redneck American racist, who doesn't care to know the difference between Japanese and  Vietnamese (or any other Asian country or culture, for that matter).

However, still a poor decision to joke about Asians on Pearl Harbor Day, right? 

So I ... completely mortified ... put my hands over my face and put my head down on the bar as if to hide 😂

D responded "I'm Vietnamese, Asshole" 

😂😂😂

I had to lift my head and high-five D for that - sorry, Z!

Z tried to explain to D that he knew that, he was playing the role of an anti-Asian racist as a joke.

D just walked away.

So I said ...

"Yeah, I got that you were parodying an ignorant redneck American that doesn't know the difference ... but still  ... not a great idea on Pearl Harbor day to draw attention to his Asian race, right?"

"Other people don't know you're joking, many Americans truly don't know the difference between Asian countries, and it spotlights his being Asian on a day where the Asian country of Japan bombed Pearl Harbor to involve us in WW2, right?"

"Even if he WAS Japanese - which he's not -  many innocent, uninvolved Japanese Americans were kept in internment camps and mistreated just for being Japanese.  Get why he's upset now?"

To his credit, he did.

He first mumbled something about Vietnamese not exactly being friendly towards us either as a defense, then shook his head, realizing that wasn't cool either, but he did realize what was wrong with all of it.

He didn't apologize, because Z can't admit or apologize for anything, or worse, ever tell the truth about anything if his life depended on it, but he did understand why it was a bad joke.

Other than that, with whatever flaws the men I've seriously dated had, I can honestly say that not a single of them was ever racist in the truest sense of the word OR homophobic, for that matter.  

In the restaurant business, there are tons of LGBTQ, so even if you started out homophobic, by the time you worked with them over time, you weren't anymore, after getting to know them.  

IMO, racism and bigotry are based on fear of the unknown and lack of positive personal experience, or any personal experience at all with minorities ; thus they're basing their opinions solely on news stories alone instead, which is precisely why they made the news, as worst-case scenarios rather than the norm! 

I believe this because I have watched many people change their minds after positive personal experience working and hanging out with them.

In fact, I openly embraced LGBTQ because they were the first people that embraced me after leaving Christian fundamentalism -or more accurately, was asked not to return after I asked too many questions, one day - and a group of about 3 gay men that were also servers at the 2nd restaurant where I met Z (Chi-Chis) became my best friends!

The others I seriously dated were otherwise all Democrats/Liberals except S, who was independent and cared little for politics in general, at that time, and was an equal-opportunity joker.  He'd find the observational humor in everyone of race, at an individual level, and not always politically correct, kind of like a comedian, but never actually racist.

Regardless, can I just give a little credit to the good in all of the men I've seriously dated for their lack of racism in an otherwise racist state (at least back then)?

God only knows what they support now (except I happen to know for a fact that 4 of the 6 men I'm about to list are still not racist and do not support Trump - not sure about the other 2) .

So to Ben(ny), Sean, Zack, Jon, Joe, and Mark?

I commend you on your lack of racism (at least when I dated you - not sure about two of you today).

I can only hope you still recognize it as much as you did back then.

Now - for those of you who are NOT Mark or my first love, Benny - I wish I could also commend you on your lack of misogynistic streaks, too, but maybe you can work on that? 😉

I was no saint, back in the day, I'm not saying that - I didn't handle things as well as I could and should have, during that time in my life, and I do hope I've grown over time - but I was never racist.

(As mentioned, I may have been racially ignorant or complicit to inherent racial bias without realizing it, but I was openly and vocally anti-racist and combatted it when I saw it, as they will attest  - which often did not go over well either in suburban Cincinnati, where I grew up, or here in Kentucky, I can tell you 😂)

Now - having said that about my own regrets in prior relationships, I also need to add that I also wish I'd put my foot down a lot sooner  than I did and stop giving so many chances, in some cases, too 😉

The exception being Benny - who gave ME too many chances and taught me the biggest lesson in life by breaking up with me -  NOT because I cheated on him, I've never cheated on anyone.

However, I expected him and his family to make up for my crappy childhood and what my family was doing currently, at that time, which I was  growing increasingly depressed, angry and bitter about. 

I have since drug myself out of my own embarrassment and shame for that time in my life enough to apologize profusely to him a couple of times, years ago, most recently in 2017 on FB when he friended me, adding that breaking up with me was the right thing to do, for both himself and me, and it taught me the biggest lesson of my life.

And to his credit, he forgave me both times, kindly adding:

"You always were too hard on yourself.  And we were all a little crazy back then. I think understood you and what your family was putting you through better than you did, at that time. " 

"I don't think you realized how much your anger and bitterness over it was making you dangerously close to becoming like them. You lost the ability to see past your own pain, which didn't excuse every behavior anymore.  I felt horrible for breaking up with you in so much pain, at the time, but I had to do it for myself, and for you too.  I'm glad you get that now." 

"Don't beat yourself up over it, I forgave you a long time ago, and we're both okay now, right?" 

"In fact, I gotta say, I was talking to a group of people the other day about our first times, and they were all telling meaningless stories or even horror stories.  I mentioned that  I guess I was lucky because my first time was beautiful.  We were lucky, you know?  We were so in love, it was beautiful." 

Again, he was right - because it truly was  🥲

Also, though I realize that this has nothing to do with the point of this post - and I promise I'll bring it back to the point soon - the crazy story of our first kiss just now popped in my head, which was kind of crazy-hilarious?

So I'd been out on a date, that Friday night, with a hot guy that turned out to be a total creeper, who picked me up from work.

(Ben worked there, too, though he was still in high school, a year behind me.  At that time, I had moved here from Cincinnati right after high school and worked for 2 years before going to UK). 

Anyway, I went to a movie with this other guy, and this dude kept weirdly rubbing my forearm - not a gentle caress, either - - actual rubbing, like with friction - and staring at me, for the entire movie!. 

Super weird. 

I know I'm weird, but that was extra weird.

Plus the movie was "Die Hard." 

Not exactly a make-out film, right? 

I mean, how could a movie about a group of European terrorists make anyone horny, I ask you? 

And what sort of girl would find having all the skin friction-rubbed off of her forearm as some sort of enticing foreplay?

Plus I actually wanted to see it, not make out during it on a first date with some guy too into his own looks OR have the skin on my left forearm rubbed off!

Then he wanted me to go home with him afterwards, which of course was definitely not going to happen, so he just took me back to my car that I'd left at work, where I kept trying to find a polite way get out of the car, though he was clearly still expecting a goodnight kiss.

Then all of the sudden, who comes out from the bushes but Benny and Eric, my coworkers?!?

Okay, wait - I know that sounds super creepy, but their doing so had nothing to do with me - you have to know the situation that explains it!  😂

For starters, remember that we were all 16 to 18 years old, working at a Swensen's sandwich-and-ice-cream restaurant.

More importantly, our new manager was curiously staying way too late at night after we closed and Benny and Eric suspected him of dealing cocaine out from the restaurant (for the record, he actually was, as was the cook, and the owner knew all about it, as she was a  cocaine customer herself, but that's another story.) 

Anyway, Eric wanted to be a cop, like his dad - and actually did become a Lexington cop - he became a sergeant with the Lexington PD 😊

So after they'd gotten a bit drunk with their buddies, the 5 of them got the bright idea of a sort of drunken stakeout to try to prove it 😂

So they drunkenly walked up to the restaurant where we worked at the strip mall and hid in the bushes to catch him in the act.  I think one of them even had a video camera to film the people going in and out of the restaurant for proof, but I'm not sure about that part.  😂

So here I am, trying to find a polite way to get out of the car without giving this creeper a goodnight kiss, when all of the sudden I hear this ...

 "Psst ... Chrystal ... psst" ... through our open car windows, from the bushes.

I get out of the car and was like "Benny?  Eric?  What are y'all doing, creeping around in the bushes outside work? 😂 "

That at least gave me a great excuse to get away from the creep, to find out why my normally normal, mild-mannered coworkers were themselves uncharacteristically creeping around in the bushes of the restaurant where we worked, with their buddies lol.

My creeper date, the arm-rubbing weirdo, having no idea why they were there, was totally freaked out by this, thank God, and drove briskly away 😂

So I go over and sit in the bushes with them and find out it's a sort of "stakeout."

I'm like "Okay, well, you all realize that the 5 of you drunkenly trying to be quiet on some sort of poorly-planned stakeout - with an unclear goal of making some sort of citizen's arrest of our manager, who may or may not be dealing coke - are actually the loudest thing in this parking lot, right now? 😂 "

"The only arrests that will be made in this scenario will be you all, for underage public drunkenness!" 😂

"But I appreciate ... whatever this is ... saving me from a disastrous date with an actual creep, as opposed to you all pretending to be creepers, hiding in our workplace shrubbery!"

So they realized I was right, they were too loud and too drunk and got up and decided to just leave.

But not before calling out to each other, from the bushes "Abort! We've blown our cover, abort mission!" while laughing hysterically  at themselves😂 

Suddenly, Benny breaks away from the group, turns around and runs back to me and says ...

Ben:   "Just so you know, if I wasn't dating Dana, I could easily fall in love with you. "

Me: "Benny, go home, you're drunk, you'll be sorry you said that tomorrow, you don't mean that.  And you shouldn't say that because you ARE dating Dana."

Ben: "Okay, it's true I'm drunk, but I'm so serious, right now. I know I'd say it sober.  I could fall in love with you."

And then he leaned over and gently kissed me - and I let him - cue the Jon Hughes movie kiss music 😊

Then he ran off with his friends into the night 😂

Then I felt horrible and tried to avoid him the next few weeks at work, but during quieter moments at work, he'd look over at me and go "Not drunk now, still mean it."

I'd say "Still Dana" and walk away 😂

He broke up with Dana a few weeks later, and on the same night he broke up with her, he rode his janky little motorcycle that he'd bought himself with the tips he'd made from work to my apartment and threw pebbles at my second-floor apartment window until I came to the window and opened it.

Then he yelled up something like, "Hey, Chrystal Smith - I broke up with Dana today.  Do you think the weird artsy girl  would now go out with soccer boy?  Because I think he might be in love her."  😊

I yelled back, "Yes, the weird artsy girl would love to go out with the soccer boy - because she thinks she might be in love with him, too."

Then he said "Yesss! Great ... I mean, cool. I'll ... uh ... call you tomorrow" then rode off on his janky old little motorcycle 😂

Then my roommate - who'd been standing outside my bedroom door in her nightgown the whole time and heard the whole thing -  and I squealed like idiots for like an hour afterwards, my roommate herself swooning about how that was the most romantic thing she'd ever heard in real life. 

Dana, on the other hand, blamed me and hated me afterwards, but I honest-to-God respected their relationship, as did Ben, other than that kiss, which we both regretted and felt bad over, and he told her about the day he broke up with her, apologizing.  

I think our coworkers knew we would be together eventually before we did, actually. 

In fact, the only thing that pre-empted that kiss on stakeout night was we had a conversation a few days before about how our coworkers were all convinced we should be together and I'd said something like ...

 "Yeah, I know they say that, but that could never happen. Hyper-popular soccer stars never go for shy, artsy, weird, screwed up girls like me, I think it's a law.  That only happens in Jon Hughes movies.  Dance-Team Dana, who is actually a nice person,  from the perfect family with the perfect life is better for you." 

He said something like "Okay, but don't sell yourself short.  Perfect Dana isn't as perfect as you think or SHE thinks, actually.  She's been pretty sheltered - a litttttle bit spoiled, even. My family had 8 kids, losing one of them, both parents work, my dad working two jobs, and she is nice, but she can't really relate. She doesn't understand hardship and financial struggle like we do"

"Also, what you don't know is that I was a shy, weird kid, and worse, the chubby kid on top of it, right up until freshman year, when soccer saved me.  I know what it feels like to feel insecure, too.  I doubt Dana would've taken a second look at me back then, but you would have."

"Yeah, there's shy, artsy, weird, anxious you, but  there's also funny, smart, compassionate you, and someday, some guy is gonna fall head over heels in love with all of it ."

Then stakeout night, pebbles-at-the-window night, and the rest is history.😊

Then, of course, I screwed it up, two years later, being consumed by my depression and anger with my family and expecting him and his family to fill that void and make up for all of it, as well as taking him for granted and a whole host of things I cringe when thinking about now (which again, did not include cheating).

(After that, I punished myself for years by hooking up with cheaters, pathological liars, and emotional/physical abusers, because I thought that's what I deserved, it was more familiar to me like my family, but that's an entirely different post.)

We've both likely changed a lot since then, both happily married now, with him living in Austin, TX - and still, your first love will always have a piece of your heart and you're grateful, right? 

"The way we were" 🥲

That does NOT mean I'm not in love with my husband now, I most certainly am.

Mark is the best parts of all the ones that came before, put together 😊

 But back to my point, just so you all know, I DO remember the good in all of you, there was a reason I initially dated you - I try to take the good and leave the rest behind - hope you can too 😊