If You Want To Get Back at Someone, You Go After Their Children! And They Still RISE!
After arriving at my daughter, Greta's home, in St. George, and talking for a while, somehow, the subject of new movies, or finding something for the kids to pop in the machine, to keep them busy so we could talk, Thad, pulled up the movie, Aliens, with actress Segourney Weaver, in the old movie from the late 70's or early 80's, showing an A Team of military members, both male and female, boarding a space ship, only to turn the rescue mission, into a blood bath, with almost all members of the special ops team, ending up, getting eaten, by a huge ass, mother alien, birthing pods, eggs, and storing humans, in egg sacks, as I remember. I asked my daughter, why she had this movie, and she said, she got it, because, I took the kids to that movie, back in the day, telling my daughters, that they needed to see strong females! LOL! Later, after the flurry of activity in the Hyland home, calmed down, I wondered, if it was actually, that movie, that, gave Greta the idea, to go in the Navy?
I had always just assumed, that Greta, joined the Navy, because, I was born on a Navy Base, while my father, was a spy for the Air Force--pre-CIA days, but, as the common saying goes, assuming anything, makes an ass of me, and a fool of you! Or something like that, but, never in my wildest dreams, would I ever have guessed, that movie, with hard core military chicks, would have inspired, my very feminine, beautiful, but tough in their own rights, daughters--Nicole, Air Force, to join the military. I also, told them when they were young, very young--like I ever thought they would listen--not to get married young, but to travel to see the world. And they both did, that, but never in the way I thought they would . . . like study abroad, or taking trips with friends, or whatever, never, actually, putting on camoflauge, going to boot camp, shooting AK47's, travelling to 19 to 23 countries, respectively, then re-upping for special missions and language training school, nor getting dumped out of airplanes, over the ocean, floating in inflatable rafts, while giant sea turtles, swam around them, in the dead of the night, or being tortured, in simulated POW camps, surviving, psychological and physical torture, in S.E.R.E. School, one of the toughest military experiences!
Surprise, Surprise, Surprise . . . Circles in the Sand!
Equally, as surprising, to me, was seeing my pre-law school, daughter, Greta's, article, picture, and graphics, gracing the homepage of the Utah Attorney Generals Office, Sean Reyes, posting her article, looking at issues, controveries and comments, on prosecuting white collar criminals, in our, legal system, that favors, those with money, connections, and ending with light sentences, or of even being arrested, charged, and prosecuted at all. I think, for obvious reasons, my daughter, uses her married name, and over the years, has, politely listened to me, say, hey, I get bragging rights over you, with her, being too sweet--that would be her father's genetic contribution, to say, Mom, there is such a think as guilt by association . . . I did sue the state of Utah, for $357 million, with the sitting Governor, an indicted, AG, and state officials, attorneys, and investigators, being named defendants, in the case . . . so good call, sweetheart! LOL! There are the upsides and the downsides of having a very political, attorney, for a mother! LOL!
The first morning, I was here, back in Utah, I escaped to Starbucks, not for coffee, because I am not a coffee drinker, but because, Greta used to work there, and I like, hot chocolate, and the fun, intellectually stimulating atmosphere, hearing conversations, dialogues, and opinions on current affairs, or politics, religion, and life. But, as I wrote my blog, last Thursday afternoon, I was hoping my children, read my blog, because, it is the culmination of my life, my experience, my legal background and opinions, insights in to the Constitution, the laws, the legal system, love, them, etc. I got up to take a bathroom break, and as I shut the door, I noticed, an interesting and unique, coat hanger on the back of the woman's restroom door . . . it had a silver, square base, and four, silver, knobs or hooks, coming out of the mother ship, so to say and symbolize, and it made me smile, thinking, they, the powers that be, may be able to stop me, for a while, or at times, but, in the process, they have created a monster, not unlike the mother alien, who spawns, little monsters, who, are created in her image, her passions, and are out for revenge, taking on those who have wronged their mother! I have quadrupled my efforts, with offspring, who are smarter, wiser, more calculating, forewarned of danger and potential enemies, cunning, and more deadly in their attacks! And, that in and of itself, is a very satisfying thing. Looks, like an angel, fights like a devil . . . she is MY girl! LOL!
Greta had a picture of my law school graduation, cap, gown, tassel and all, and every friend who came over, thought, it was a picture of Greta, graduating! She is much more disciplined, is starting on her mother's shoulders, and as kick ass as the tougher than nails, commando chicks, I used to inspire her when she was young! Buyers, beware! LOL! It just dawned on me, that Greta, in this picture, is exactly the age I was, when I graduated from law school, 39 years old! KISS, KISS, HUG, HUG . . . total bragging rights! as with all my kids, AMAZING!
The Courage To Survive . . . Loyalties and Lies!
Sometimes, you wonder, if you didn't make your sons, too responsible, that would be the case with Chris, my oldest son . . . the one, I had a dream would be president some day . . . he would attribute that to the fact that all mother's see their sons as potential presidents. No, at first, my dream shocked, me, but the more I thought about it, the more sense it made, and he definitely, has everything it takes to do the job! But, Greta, the cook in the family, with Dallas's help, has cooked, Thanksgiving Dinner for the last, 15 years, holding the family together, and gratefully, so, since her mother hasn't cooked, since 1989, the year before she went to law school, and has hardly picked up a pot and pan, since, other than to do the dishes, after Greta cooks, and since, I was poisoned, spent my life, fighting like hell for WE THE PEOPLE, and does all in her power to preserve, protect and defend the United States Constitution, being taken out of the game of life, every so often, Greta rises to the occasion, and starts bugging, her two brothers, me and her sister, by about, February, telling us, to get our lives together, so we can all make it to the Hyland house, for Thanksgiving, each year. And this year is no different. Chris, however, has a job, that makes it difficult to get away, in the last few years, and his wife, who works for the same national company, is also a factor, in planning a get away, and now, Chris as the excuse of, his two year old daughter, "Y!" And in addition to that, Chris was called to jury duty, and has to wait until, that day, the Monday before Thanksgiving to see if he is selected for the duty, he will get arrested, for if he fails to answer the call!
As we were discussing the logistics of getting together, which is harder and harder each year, Chris gives out a blood curtelling scream, having just gotten home from work, taking a shower, now on kid duty, for the next several hours, while Kat, goes to work and Chris, does his fatherly duties. Now, eventually, Y will get daddy conditioned, that the GQ style of clothing, after work, doesn't work with her! LOL! Gray sweats and a dirty t-shirt, dad style is more like it, and is much, more the like of what works for a two year old, who seeing daddy, emerge from the shower, in fresh clean clothes, comes running up to him, dirty hands and all, and drags them right down, daddy's pant legs! LOL! Chris is a perfectionist, and the best thing in the world, is this little cowgirl, daughter of his, wild ass, rambunctious, rowdy, and at tom-boy as you can get, always helping daddy, by putting leaves, and dirt, daddy just sweeps up on the patio, right back out on the clean patio, serving as daddy's little helper! Lately, she met, her cousins, aunt and uncle, up at the Great Salt Lake, for a day at the beach . . . she rolled over, got water and sand all over her, in her saggy diaper, all over in her shoes, socks, hair, on her face, and just had a great time, to daddy's picky, chagrin, leaving older sister, Greta, telling him to relax, he can just change her clothes! LOL! After our conversation, about having another child, just to keep Y busy, Chris sent me and Greta, this picture of his little princess in playing in the fall leaves, or is it a tornado? LOL!
The Nightmare Next Door!
Thaddeus asked me to come down from Montana early, for his birthday party, which I was more than glad to do, and I was fine, as Greta, picked out and purchased the birthday cake with Darth Vader, the ultimate, arch enemy of Luke Skywalker, or he was, at least the last, Star Wars, I watched, but that was some time ago, and I can relate to Luke . . . wasn't it discovered that Vader was Luke's father, in a previous life? LOL! All of Greta's kids are tech savvy, and up on the latest and greatest, so Greta got a cool cake, with a plastic replica of Darth, in his villain, mask, and when the switch was on, vapors and the deep voice, made noises! I was also fine, when, Greta brought in the awesome helium balloon, with Darth Vader, in a gold star, with fire or something in the back, weighted down, with Greta warning the birthday boy, who came with scissors, to cut the weight, being deterred only for a few seconds, until he got outside and out of mom's sight, cutting the anchor, and stood there helpless, as the birthday decoration that matched the cake, disappeared up to space, where the final battle between the representative of evil, battled with those of the good! LOL! Greta hung streamers and had a puzzle, put together and glued, with Darth Vader, and with the words, may the force be with you, Thaddeus, written in red, on a note at the corner of the puzzle. The house was clean, and as Greta and I talked, she mentioned, that the school, or this particular teacher, Thaddeus's teacher, said that for birthday parties, kids could either invite the whole class, or just the members of the same sex, in their class. And unlike, Charlie Brown, Thaddeus, has not experienced getting a crush on a girl yet, therefore, the girls were excluded, and all the boys were invited. Greta, thought, or had received, only 5 RSVP responses, from parents, so she thought, this will not be bad. Or so we thought! LOL!
As the first kid and parent, knocked on the door, I had a violent reaction, getting panic attacks, and experiencing post traumatic stress disorder, with something in the deep recesses of my mind, connecting, birthdays of the past, being responsible to entertain kids, for two fucking hours! As, parent, after parent, dropped kid after kid, off, my anxiety rose . . . and I don't know why, since, starting with Chris, Greta, took over the birthday parties, for me, with me, even suggesting, after she did such a good job, that when she was a bit older, a teenager, she might want to start a business, and take over entertaining the kids, for parents, who could pay her, for doing a job, that other parents like me, having survived, life, without ever having a party, which my explain a few things, hate doing. After the last parents dropped of the kids, Greta a calm, cool and collected hostess, me, hiding in the kitchen, the marathon started, kids in the trees, in the backyard, on the video machine and games, running in and out, up and down stairs, occasionally, a kid sitting on the couch, pouting, being slighted, in one way or another, with me, getting bored for them, having done that with my own kids, their entire lives, making them long for the peace and quiet of a bedroom with a door closed, to read or do something less stimulating and engaged, expressing their father's penchant for reading, and solitude. Kael did take over, and Greta, just sat, sentinel, making sure, all lived, at least until the parents came to pick them up, with me, counting down the minutes . . . Greta, who knows her mother well, goes, mom, there is only 10 minutes, left, as if I had planned the whole damned party! LOL!
And, just as orderly and with military precision, the parents, emptied the house, as they had filled in two hours earlier . . . and to my complete and utter relief, all had a good time, there were only a few, branches from the neighbor's trees, pulled down, and the house was still in relatively good order! That reminded me of a graduation party, Greta, held, up at my boyfriend, at the time's house, in Midway, Utah, with everything being clean, food ready, and, that deadly wait, to see, if kids, who lived in Provo, would make the drive, up the canyon, to Jerry Owen's house, about a half hours drive, in order, to come to the party. As the time, to start the party came and went, with me, experiencing, bitter sweat feelings of both relief, and sadness for Greta, explaining, that the kids, in Orem and Provo, probably just could not get cars, blah, blah, blah . . . oh, ye of little faith, and with great expectations, you might not be responsible for the party goers, from down the hill, car after car, started to fill in Jerry's 3 and a half acres of land, with about 6 kids each, and a few cars from the local kids, all friends, with Penn and Micah, adding to the numbers, but when all was said and done, there were 150 kids! Jerry is very extroverted, and gratefully, as I thought of the liability of kids drowning, wrongful death suits, a rumble between the locals and the out of towners, or the house being totally destroyed, he took over the guest services, while I sat on a bed, hoping, the cops didn't have to be called, or no disaster happened.
And, with no mishaps, and Jerry, coming to the bedroom, I was hibernating in, he told me, he only encountered on drunk kid, who actually approached him, asking who's house it was, and telling Jerry way a rad house he had, and it was, but, as the haunting hour, of 12 midnight approached, all the guests, well trained, and needing to be home for church the next day, cleaned up the food, garbage, and one by one, thanked the host, and Greta, and car by car, in orderly and safe fashion, left the premises! I am not good at this shit! LOL! To say the least . . . fun pictures from Thad's 8th birthday, and grandma's relief. LOL!
