I am going to rant about arguably some misguided anger at the mommy-ization of today’s women.  Recently on Facebook, there has been this story about an Omaha, Nebraska female police officer being killed.  Now when this was first released it was a short article written by the Omaha Police Department about Orozco and her contributions to the police department and gang unit, and briefly discussed her surivors.  Her participation in the gang unit is what eventually ended her all too young life.  A link to that Omaha Police Department article is here:  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10153330831189096.1073741898.194674844095&type=1

When the events of Officer Orozco’s death were reported here in Oklahoma reads:  “Nebraska Officer killed in line of duty hours before maternity leave”.  See article here:  http://kfor.com/2015/05/21/nebraska-officer-killed-in-line-of-duty-hours-before-maternity-leave/

Essentially the articles relay the same information, but each article does it differently.  Omaha PD and the news in Omaha directed this story to Orozco contributions as a officer and as a person to the community.  But look out, cause Oklahoma only thinks “oh my god!  She died before giving us more kids!”  Ignoring the fact that she was capable intelligent woman, that earned her way into a man’s world and was successful.  I am flabbergasted that this news outlet would use the fact that the police officer is female to elicit a response in people.  I do not understand what the maternity leave or the birth of the baby has to do with the fact that Orozco was a top notch gang unit police officer that fought with her life to protect the people of Omaha.

We live in a ridiculous society where the first thing asked of a woman is “how old are your kids?”, “how many do you have?” “when are you having some?”.  I am the proud step-parent of two wonderful boys.  And I enjoy almost every minute I get to spend with them, but a mom is not who I am .  It is not even what I do.  I am so much more than a mom.  My friends that are stay at home moms, are so much more than just a mom, they are doctors and lawyers and brilliant artists.  We need to be treated with the equal respect a man would get in this same world.  Had the roles been reversed and Officer Orozco was male with an infant ready to leave the hospital, there is not a media outlet that would report the infant first.  It would be an article focused Orozco’s achievements and contributions to society.  Not that the fact that he could get his dick in a hole and reproduce.  Please stop treating us as if housing a baby for 9 months is the only thing that qualifies females for news worthiness.

We spend so much time on here bitching and moaning about our frustrations.  Today I wanted to share a funny story. 

I work in an office that abuts a wooded area.  Because of this wooded area, I get to see lots of wildlife.  That wildlife includes, ducks, geese and beautiful peacocks.  We have about seven peacocks that roam around and strut outside the office and in the parking lot.  One day talking to the receptionist,  she tells me about a cougar that’s been hanging out in the parking lot.  

Now I don’t really believe her because cougars,  mountain lions,  and Bob cats are not really fans of people.   And I live in a city with a bunch of people.   The wooded strip is just that a strip of trees between highways.   Also, i think cougars would eat the ducks and pracocks.   So, the likelihood that a cougar is hanging around is slim.

I go on about my business for weeks, forgetting what she said until last night when I am leaving work right at dusk.   I am walking to my car when I hear it.  The rustling in the trees,  too heavy to be a peacock or a duck.  So I start to get worried,  remembering the cougar story.   The rustling is getting louder, I can hear it stalking me.   Making dinner plans out of me.   I start to panic,  fumbling to get in my car,  to safety.   After dropping my phone and keys,  I finally see him.   He is a really fat squirrel. 

I spend far too much of my time angry.  I’m conscious of it and have been trying to work on it.   But yesterday was a true test of my love for my husband and dedication to not get divorced.   You see, his birthday was earlier this week,  which means his parents and children came over to stay this weekend.   The children,  both boys are wonderful and I actually had a lot of fun with them.   However, my in-laws are awful.   I’m sure everyone’s in-laws are awful, but I feel like I got an extra special batch.   Mostly its the mother, my father in law isn’t bad. 

So they always stay with me when they come to town, even though their daughter lives 3 miles from me and they definitely act affluent enough to afford a hotel.   But they stay with me,  every single time.   And my husband works, every single weekend, so I don’t have a buffer.   It’s just me and the wicked witch of Seattle or California or wherever else she’s lived that better than me and my country roots. 

So the list of lovely events from her recent visit.   You know,  I should probably wait till the wench leaves before I write the rest of this.   But oh well,  here goes.

1) WITCH:  You know for being a mother to teenagers, your house really isn’t equipped for feeding visitors or teenagers. 
  IN MY HEAD:  I am their step-mother,  and the house is equipped for feeding me. Because the teenagers are here once a month.
  OUTLOUD: I know,  we haven’t had time to go shopping.
2)  WITCH: Let’s go the mall and at least get some physical activity.   YOU need to stop being a bum on the weekends and watching tv.
       IN MY HEAD:  The Mall on a Saturday, the week before thanksgiving.  Who in their right mind would willing go to that place.
    OUTLOUD:  Of course, let me grab a jacket. 
3)  WITCH to her husband:  You shouldn’t  give him your sports.   It is her job to find him shorts to wear.  
   IN MY HEAD:  Bitch, better be taking about their real mom.
4)  Before the trip to the mall:
    HER:  you need to make sure those boys drink lots of water and milk,  they are growing to fast and they need the milk to keep from hurting. 
  AT THE MALL:  She buys them both Mountain Dew. 
  IN MY HEAD:  What the Fuck? Why would you give a 10 and 12 year old Mountain Dew?
5)  When we get home from the mall,  I sit down and the 10 year old and I decide to watch Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the original, on Netflix.  I start the movie and start playing on my phone.   She freaks out because the beginning scene is April being attacked.  She flies off the handle screaming, yes screaming,  at me to change it because “the boy” doesn’t need to see gang rape.  What?  It’s the fucking Ninja Turtles.  About 6 hours later she apologized, but it was really too late.  I’m angry still and not really sure I can do this with her. 

Like most of us here, I am an over extended thirty something.  Part of my over-exertion is my need to continue to participate in competitive sports that I am far too old and far too angry to be playing.  Recently I started a new job, working my ass off to get “where I want to be”.   The new job is a wonderful move for me and for my future.  However, part of that new wonderful job, is working real hours, you know, 8 to 6 without a lunch break.  Today, after working those real hours, I was needed for a sporting event.  We will call this sporting event, softball.  I am a fairly important player on a co-ed team.   This “team” includes my husband, sister-in-law (SIL) and SIL’s husband, among other friends.  For the most part, the entire team includes a bunch of jackasses reliving a college /high school dream that didn’t come true.

At one point tonight, I said I wanted to celebrate our losses with a cupcake everyday for the next week.  My SIL, who was a good friend, before she became my sister-in-law, commented that cupcakes are a lot of calories that I shouldn’t be eating, because I really couldn’t afford to get any larger.  For reference, I am 5’7″ and 145 pounds.   She is probably 5-10 lighter.  It was a shitty snide comment that was inappropriate on so many levels.  And really truly pisses me off.

Shortly after this lovely interaction with my dear friend, her husband decided to teach another player how to “shot gun” a beer.  As you might assume, my first reaction was WTF who doesn’t know how to shot gun a beer?  But anyway, as I  was trying to clean up and pack up bats, balls and mitts, these two lovely gentlemen were attempting to shot gun their beers and kept sloshing beer on me.   When I asked them to move, it was more shitty comments about how I knew what they were doing and I could have moved before they started.

I should have just hit them with the bat. . . all of them, every single one.

Tisiphone from Greek mythology was one of the Furies.  She was the one who punished crimes of murder; parricide, fratricide and homicide.  Parricide — the act of killing one’s parents.  Fratricide — the act of killing one’s brother.  Also, along the lines of killing one’s parents. . . patricide is the killing of one’s father and matricide is the killing of one’s mother.

When I picked this pseudonym, I didn’t really know what Tisiphone meant.  Thank God for Wikipedia.  Oddly, the pseudonym very uniquely fits me and my beliefs.  Looking forward to sharing my rantings  with the world.

Cheers,
~T~