'MMOG' Champion

Simmy woke up thinking about reputation.
The evening before they had joined in with a young couple and another young Mom whose husband was babysitting the kids at home. As it turned out these three were already a 'small group' and Sam and Simmy wouldn't have much to contribute in the way of parenting advice because these very young couples were still so innocent. Their problems were so innocent.
It was kind of nice to just sit and be allowed to listen to them talk about things that were so far in the past, they would likely be in the present soon again, if the married children procreated.
Most of the advice that popped into Simmy's mind would likely bring a problem into the 'conflict resolution' stage... but she had offered the solution anyway... "If Grandma and Grandpa keep complaining about your children and their behaviour just tell them... 'I'm really sorry but they always behave for people that they like.'"
Now, Simmy knew that was edgy advice as soon as the innocents' eyes bugged out... but it wasn't more than a few seconds before a smile emerged from the Mom and a whole different perspective was forming in her head... maybe Simmy did have a knack for giving advice... maybe an advice column... yes, that was the answer... let's see, what will I call it?
'MMOG Champions'- Mothering Mothers of God... Oh, I know, World of Warcraft has tried to take that one, but really... that is what mothering is... it's a big world of war where your craft is to negotiate peace... every day. So, don't you gamers send me any emails about being champions... Mothers who are in the game are the champions.
Simmy's mind drifted back to a day of parenting...
The year is 1989
Simmy heads off to Little Valley Park where a now famous BMX jump is located.
In tow,... a 2 1/2 year old, a 4 1/2 year old, and a 7 year old, a stroller, a small bicycle and a BMX bicycle handed down to oldest son from 'Bart the neighbor.'
There were a few neighborhood kids at the park that day so Simmy took the role of 'everyone's parent' and just when she thought things couldn't get more challenging... the BMX boys invited her to try a jump. Feeling so happy to be included and with all the cheering from the testosterone gang... Simmy accepted the challenge.
She got on the bike that oldest son offered her but he seemed more the adult in that moment than she. He whispered, 'Are you sure you want to try this?'
That gave Simmy the courage to scoff at Mr. Cautious and she looked down that hill and shoved off before she could change her mind. It was going alright until... she hit the jump. Boy, did she get a lot of air. She could hear the cheering at the top of the hill even through the sound of her own scream... but then, the BMX bike landed and her bottom, which had been sailing freestyle off the seat, didn't automatically land back on the seat...
No, no, no, no, it landed in between the handlebars and the seat which left her knees dragging on either side of the bike as her arms hung onto the handlebars for dear life.
It wasn't long before she was surrounded by young boys who were asking if she was alright but also cheering, yet, unsure, because Simmy wasn't really celebrating the way they would if they'd got that much air on the jump.
Simmy handed the bike to Mr. Cautious and said, "That's my BMX jump for the day. You go have fun!"
The crowd of rowdy boys was twitching with excitement now... the bar had been set and they were ready for the challenge.
Simmy walked over to the sandbox trying to conceal her horror at the size of the bloody road rash on her knees. She smiled the whole way, refusing to give way to the tears of pain. All the children came to look at her knees saying things like, 'Does it hurt? Wow! Does it really hurt?'
Simmy had managed to let her sons play for a little longer, knees burning, before she announced, 'Time to pack it in for the day, boys."
There was a lot of 'Aww! We want to play some more,' but Simmy was adamant.
Back to the present...
So, to the on-line gamer who asked, 'Is there any specific way to 'grind' guild reputation to hit Honored quickly?...'
I reply... 'Try some reality gaming called 'parenting.' Put in all your effort and you'll hit Honored quickly... then, I may let you be the 'MMOG' (Mothering Mothers of God) Champion of the day.

Buckminster Full 'er Twitter

Middle construction son gave Sam a new toy... and it's a good one. Endless hours of 'earth magnet lego.' Seriously, Sam has not stopped playing with these bucky balls.
It is interesting to note that... Fuller was all atwitter with 15 minute life updates long before Twitter was even getting any tweets.
So, in the big questions and answers of life...  
Twitter is all about timing
Like Fuller is much about chrono
Bucky did 'tweet' his filing 
But his scrapbook is literal phono 

Barbed Wire Communication

Simmy called Deborah in the morning to see if she had stayed in. It snowed a lot and she had likely kept her little car in the driveway.
Sure enough, she was home but planned to try to get to the grocery store in the afternoon.
"Have you heard about what's happening in Egypt?"
"No, I don't watch the news," Simmy said. "It's mostly depressing!"
"Oh, we watch the news and read the paper every day," Deborah said. "My daughter, 'who resembles God' is still out there on a teaching engagement and I want to know if all is well. They've shut down the communications so I can't talk to her."
"Yes, I can see why you keep up with the news. That is the worst thing to keep people from being able to communicate." Simmy replied. "I'm making some barbed wire tea light holders for a birthday party," Simmy said. "Once again, it seems a little on point for what is happening in the world, huh? I'm already wearing a bandaid. Remember those little flat pieces of metal we bought in that stuff from Michaels? That metal is really raw."
"You should put the bandaids on before you start," Deborah suggested.
"You're right there. I'm putting one on the other thumb as we speak. Hey, I didn't take my Hummer in to the shop today. If it behaves, I can come pick you up and we'll get to the grocery store."
... After they were finished shopping, Simmy dropped Deborah off at her home.
"Are you coming in for tea?" Deborah said.
"I think you need to see how many messages you have on your phone. That is first, to see if there is any news from Egypt," Simmy said.
... They went in and, sure enough, there were messages waiting on the phone.
"I'll talk to you later," Simmy moved to go back outside.
"I'll let you know if there's any news this weekend," Deborah said.
... Less than an hour later, the doorbell rang.
Simmy hopped up the stairs, commanding her knee to stay in place.
It was Deborah and 'worker in roof' tiles' boy.
"You forgot your milk. We brought it over. Oh, my daughter and her friend are fine. They're in their apartment and they're nowhere near where all the rioting is."
"Oh good, your face looks relieved," Simmy smiled, happy to get some good news.

Time Travel

Story Puzzle of the Day... written by El.

Last week, at the gym, I read an article in New York magazine, December 2009, called 'Tim Keller wants to save your yuppie soul.' In the article, my favorite part of the interview is this... "In the late eighties, ... Presbyterian Church of America, asked him to oversee the building- or "planting," in the Evangelical argot- of a church in Manhattan. The idea was that winning believers in New York would have an influence out of proportion to the group's numbers. When Keller's first two picks for the pastor's job declined the offer, Keller,... decided to move and take the position himself. 'I just felt it would be cowardly of me not to,' he says. 'But we had a kind of 'sick in the pit of our stomach' feeling every day.' I later asked Kathy, Tim's soul mate and more blunt-spoken alter ego, whether the church ladies... worried about the couple, as if they were being sent on a mission to a remote African village. 'Oh, that would have been easier,' she said. 'Big bad Whore of Babylon is where we were going.'"
End quote.
Also on my coffee table is the book, 'What Katy Did At School' which was written in 1873 by pen-named Susan Coolidge, or Sarah Chauncey Woolsey, niece of Theodore Dwight Woolsey, who was President of Yale University from 1846- 1871.
Now, why, might you ask, would I be reading such diverse books at the same time?
Dr. L, (a pastor who had a doctorate) once told me, "There isn't anything worth reading that was written after the early 1900's."
Being the kind of person that I am, I decided to see if he might have a point.

Last night I watched, 'Timecop' with Sam and oldest construction son.
Then, I annoyed said son by watching him play 'BATTLEFIELD BAD COMPANY 2.'  'Warning- Serious gamers are annoyed if mothers ask questions while they are gaming!'
Now, what do... the article from New York magazine, the novel written in 1873, the Van Damme movie 'Timecop' and 'BATTLEFIELD BAD COMPANY 2' have in common?
All of these speak in their own coded argot, about injustice and changes in the past, present, and future and how to deal with life when the 'defecation hits the oscillation.' (borrowed that phrase from the 'Battlefield' game). 

And... on a rather odd concurrence... a common thread is the number 10.
Does anyone else hear the intro for 'The Twilight Zone?'

Clear Water Creedance

Sam had asked for a CCR CD for Christmas and youngest construction son had gifted him with one.
There was a great song on there that Simmy hadn't heard before and it was one of those 'the prophet is speaking- is anybody listening' type of songs.
Usually Simmy didn't like that 4/4 timing... just a little too country sounding but Fogerty has a voice that just gives a different sound to the song... "Don't Look Now (It Ain't You or Me). He's got that Elvis rock-a-billy voice happening which gives the song a really unique sound.
Having just watched Norma Rae, the song really calls out in an authentic way...
'Who'll take the coal from the mine?
 Who'll take the salt from the earth?
 Who'll make the shoes for your feet?
Don't look now, it ain't you or me
Don't look now, someone's done your starvin'
Don't look now, someone's done your prayin' too...
Who'll take the promise that you don't have to keep?
Don't look now...'
That song reminds me of a story that the pastor told of a tiny place in Africa that some corporation had 'taken on' as a make the world better project.
Now, I was sitting there thinking... yes, that is just perfect... a corporation that makes a lot of money should be changing the world, yes!
Don't look now... the corporation dropped the project and that is how the church crew found it last year... a small hamlet abandoned by the corporate world... begging the church crew to help them...
So, if ever you decide to rail against the church... Don't look now, maybe someone's kept your promise...

Bridging Time

'Stars and the planets' neatly packaged all the flowers that Simmy purchased and she was even dressed to match the sun and the universe and the sparkle in her eyes were two bright stars.
Thurya said her name was Aramaic but she didn't know the meaning.
Sam and Simmy had cooked a homemade dinner and were heading out of town to celebrate a very special birthday... that of Simmy's Mom.
It was a long drive out to the country and it was a very cold day but the plan was to meander on home before the sun set. At dusk, the deer came out to forage for food and they wandered too close to the highways.
The phone rang and Simmy's Dad hopped over to it and Simmy lifted her finger to her pursed lips to indicate that Sam needed to be very quiet in order for Cornelius to be able to hear.
It was a dinner invite from his sister and Simmy quickly assured her Dad that they were planning to leave in a couple of hours so they could make another dinner engagement.

The sun was swiftly setting but Sam and Simmy made a little detour on the way back into the city... the small town where Simmy had gone to High School.

There was a little bridge with one street lamp over it that gave Simmy a warm feeling of time gone by and a moment in time and present day passing on to the next... much like the stars and the planets.

Temptations of Food

Some days are meant for baking... when the temperature is -27C and dipping down lower for the night.
Simmy thought, 'A warm comfort food dinner is what all those hard working men need.'
She called construction son and said, "What is the first food that pops into your head?"
"I'm working Mom," he said impatiently.
"What's the picture of food in your head right now?"
Simmy persisted.
"Pizza," he said.
"I knew it! See ya later," Simmy said and she heard a manly snort- chuckle which always means 'my crazy mother.'
Next she phoned another construction son, "What are you having for lunch today?"

"Noodles," he replied.
"So, it's not a heavy lunch then?" Simmy asked.
"Nope," he replied.
"I'm making your favorite for dinner. See ya later."
"Oh, that's so mean. What is it?"
This time Simmy chuckled and hung up.
It worked out rather well that this construction son came home from work before Simmy got back from the grocery store so, even though he poked around the kitchen for a clue... a tin of tomato soup, a tin of tomato paste and pineapple draining on a plate just wasn't a solid tip-off.
After a strong work out at the gym, Simmy dragged home gobs of pizza fixings and a cube of instant yeast.
It didn't take very long and the dough was rising in the oven that had been brought to good 'proofer' temperature.
"Hey, I'm going to call married construction son and invite them for pizza," Simmy said.
She dialed and waited for him to pick up.
"Hello?"
"Hi, I'm making a large amount of pizza for dinner. Would you like to come over?"
"We just ate," he said with a tone of regret.
"What? Already?" Simmy looked at the clock.
"We eat as soon as we get home," he replied.
"It won't be done for an hour or so, you could eat again," Simmy suggested.
He seemed hesitant.
"You can change your mind if you like. I gotta go," Simmy hung up the phone.
"They didn't want to come for pizza?" Sam asked.
"I'll see if they want cinnamon buns. He didn't say that they had dessert," Simmy redialed.
"Cinnamon buns are dessert," she coaxed.
"We need more notice than this, Mom," he said with annoyance.
Simmy hung up and said to Sam, "Boy, they seem like old married folk already... can't do anything spontaneous. Sheesh!"
Sam started singing, "Sugar pie, honey bunch, you know that I love you, I can't help myself, I love you and nobody else..."
"In and out of our life... he comes and he goes, Every time we see his face, we get all choked up inside..."
Sam jumped in again with, "When you snap your finger, or wink your eye, I'm tied to your apron strings,..."
Simmy interrupted with, "...you're tied to my baking strings, you love that more than anything else..."
"Hey, that's not nice," he pouted. "Id do anything you ask me to..."
"Good, keep grating that cheese," Simmy said.
"Oh, oh, I'm out of icing sugar. I'll call Deborah and see if I can trade two warm cinnamon buns for two cups of icing sugar."
A minute later Simmy hung up the phone with the words, "Good trade!"
Construction son came up the stairs and said, "Ooh, those cinnamon buns are going to be sooo good slathered in white icing."
"You're lucky Deborah had some, in house, so I could trade her for warm cinnamon buns straight from the oven."
"Good trade," he said.