What the...?

Dismissed

So I went back to court at the behest of my ex-wife yesterday. It seems that she and her mother don’t feel like she should pay child support for Logan. I’m not sure how they came up with this concept?

Apparently they think that I’m not actually giving the money to Logan. That I just send money to my brother arbitrarily in the hopes that he will give it to Logan or perhaps make a movie with it?

Who the hell knows? Nobody ever accused her of being intelligent.

Let me say that I don’t like going to court. It stresses me out. Consequently I stayed up until 4:00 am cleaning SPAM out of the pooz and wondering why I was doing this again?

Turns out the court was wondering precisely why Kerry was doing this again as well? She was assessed in October. Told to pay more money and then in an attempt to not have to pay she took me back to court citing that Logan didn’t live with me. True, but we still pay for him to be out there because that’s what parents do.

The really sad and pathetic thing is that she abandoned him at five years old. 12 years later she decides that she wants to see him. He asks her why she didn’t see him all these years and she says, “its personal”. So in essence she's abandoning him again. Of course that would imply that she actually gave a damn in the first place.

The magistrate kept asking her what she wanted done? She’d been assessed, she’d been given a $140 break because of her other son, and she still felt like she was paying too much?

Realizing that she wasn’t going to just NOT have to pay anything; she tried to lower it to $200 a month (it’s currently $440 as of 12/15). Logan’s actual monthly expenses are bare minimum $600. That means that as long as he doesn’t need anything other rent and food (meaning no new clothes, no movies, virtually nothing extra) he shouldn’t have anything to complain about.

The funny part about all of this is that she’s accusing me of doing something other than just trying to do the best thing for Logan. Like I’m taking her pitiful amount of child support and just buying comics with it or something? For the record, I said that her and her mother were 'wastes of human beings". They are. Not evil so much as just retarded. Emotionally retarded.

The magistrate obviously felt the same way. She looked over Kerry’s paper work in court and saw that she just had served the papers herself. Violating due process. She gave me the option of continuing with it or having the case dismissed. I opted to have it dismissed. The magistrate stopped just shy of accusing her of perjury.

I don’t know what the hell is wrong with her? I guess she’s just empty inside like her mother and my father. I’m disappointed in all of them. Not that they care. I feel bad that Ike and Nancy have chosen to ostracize Logan in favor of her. Weak dudes, weak.

If she files again -I’m hiring a lawyer and have them start looking into where she’s hiding her money. Hell, maybe I’ll do that anyway. The magistrate seemed very interested in her tax filing status and why she was doing things the way she was.

I’m just sick of these assholes screwing with my children.

Random thought at 3:05 a.m.

You don't know God, you know what makes sense to you.

Home for the Holidays

The kids are coming home today. Well, home in that -that's where we live now. Mary Belle and Mike have never been to Minnesota. I'm assuming by choice.

It's finally snowed here. Actually, what we got was a nice coating of sleet so that the drive to work is more of an icy adventure. Cars spinning out in front of you in their peculiar ballet of physics is always fun. I seemed to have retained my winter driving skills though so I've successfully avoided any collisions so far.

I'm always amazed at how keyed up I am to see the kids. Parenting is such an odd bag of events. Unlike their bio-parents I see them as people and not financial obligations. I just enjoy them so much.

I do have to go back to court with Logan’s bio-mom on the 27th.

Apparently she feels that abandoning Logan at five years old and paying a paltry sum for the last thirteen years is quite enough. She’s unwilling to give him anything more. To her credit she’s done better than Mary’s ex’s. Mary’s ex’s just plain ignore their kids and their responsibility. Oh they’ll lament about how Mary did them wrong, in a droning southern drawl so it seems at least theatrical. Then try and sneak lusty nostalgic looks at Mary while their wives are looking the other way. They’ll say had no choice. -but the truth is they are just weak people with no actual knowledge of parenting. No real connection to their children. It’s sad. I wish them good will just because they won’t do it for themselves.

I suppose that if I look back at my own experiences with parents. How I was raised. I got pretty lucky. My mom and my step dad were always very supportive and aware of me. They still are. I guess the other parents didn’t get much in the way of training.

Do I sound bitter? I'm not. Just tired of them. The bio-parents don't even come into play much anymore. They just exist in this kind of Twilight Zone of our periphery. Maybe the snow is making me reflective or something?

Quotes I dig...

"Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one."
[Albert Einstein]

"A man is not old until regrets take the place of dreams."
[John Barrymore]

"Vision without action is merely a dream. Action without vision just passes the time. Vision with action can change the world."
[Joel Barker]

"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you've imagined."
[Henry David Thoreau]

"Dream no small dreams for they have no power to move the hearts of men."
[Goethe]

It is in the thirties that we want friends. In the forties we know they won't save us any more than love did.
[F. Scott K. Fitzgerald }

The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it.
[Albert Einstein]

We waste time looking for the perfect lover, instead of creating the perfect love.
[Tom Robbins]

No one wants advice, only corroboration.
[John Steinbeck]

It's never too late to have a happy childhood.
[Tom Robbins]

No man really knows about other human beings. The best he can do is to suppose that they are like himself.
[John Steinbeck]

History is made at night. Character is what you are in the dark.
[Lord John Whorfin]

Seasonal Depression

Zoë and Daggers are having a rough time of it this year.

Zoë says, "it's all just way too commercial, man” before sighing heavily and taking a nervous crap in the basement. Of course I happen to know that she's still very upset about the election results in November, even though she won't speak of it...

Molly Daggers keeps quoting Arthur Miller,
"An era can be said to end when its basic illusions are exhausted."
Then she goes into the pantry and gorges herself on Iams kitten chow until she passes out.

On the upside all Logan, Mary Belle, and Mike S. are coming home for the holidays. Even though this last year has been filled with upheaval, homelessness, false religion and awful revelations about the kid’s bio-parents, (thanks for all the support Christian, Kerry, and David-sheesh frikkin' losers all around -no wonder the kids despise them?) it's all turning out well. I think so at any rate.

So as we finish painting and decorating and making Christmas cookies I hope ...that's it just -hope.

I know what I'm doing...

June 17th, 2005. Batman Begins

Offical site

I still don't like the costume. Why won't they just dig out some of those old Adam West costumes?

On a very special episode of the Pill...

A Bitterpill Xmas

My friend Mark is actually trying to better the world this Holidazzle season. His rationale is sound, maybe a little too sound?

It's people like Mark that make me realize "values" do mean something. Not right wing morons, I don't know what else to do so I'll follow the Bible -or at least my interpretation of Biblical values. No, I'm thinking that Mark is actually a lot closer to the true idea behind Christianity as not.

Of course being nice to people won't save him from fiery eternity in hell unfortunately because he hasn’t accepted JC as his personal assistant (or something along those lines) -but that's his lookout.

On that note I can only say; It’s the twins! -Praise Jesus.

The Jesus-iest Thing I've Seen Today

This was an email I recieved this afternoon from one Ana Hodges. Feel free to email her as that must be part of the Lord's plan for her. Apparently it was part of mine.

Dear Shawn,
Are you aware of the following?
Tom Hanks is in talks to star in the movie version of "The Da Vinci Code." You can do something about this. Send Tom Hanks a message (see below).

"The Da Vinci Code" promotes the following claims:

- Jesus is not God; he was only a man.
- Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene.
- Mary Magdalene is a goddess and should be worshipped.
- Jesus and Mary Magdalene had a daughter.
- The Bible was put together by a pagan Roman emperor.
- The Gospels have been altered to support the claims of Christians.
- Mary Magdalene was directed to establish the Church.
- The Catholic Church is aware of all of these things and, in order to keep it secret, has resorted to murder.

Here's what some prominent Christian leaders have had to say about "The Da Vinci Code":

"... for non-believers, it confirms their unbelief. It turns off honest seekers, and it has confused and disillusioned even many Christians."
--Chuck Colson

"There is a conscious agenda that has been declared in the public square in Brown's novel-an agenda to revise Christian history and reshape beliefs Christians have held for years."
--Darrell Bock, research professor in New Testament Studies, Dallas Theological Seminary

"Brown uses a combination of lies and half-truths, founded on a skewed perspective of Church history."
--Chuck Colson

"What disturbs me most about Dan Brown's book is that it is a primer in practically every new age technique or approach there is, from pentacles and pentagrams to anagrams to numerology to astrology -- you name it -- practically everything on the new age menu finds its place somewhere in this book and it is presented in a way that is attractive and engaging. That's the problem."
--Bishop Robert C. Morlino

Please forward this email to as many people as possible.
You can have an impact. Let Tom Hanks know what you think about the project by faxing or, preferably, mailing him a letter.

Please feel free to use the following sample letter:

Tom Hanks
FAX: 310-394-4466
Playtone Company
1224 Fifth Street
Santa Monica, CA 90401

Dear Mr. Hanks,

"The Da Vinci Code" is filled with inaccuracies and defames Christianity. It is a project that is not worthy of your talent and stature.

Please say No to this film so that America can continue to hold you in high esteem.

Sincerely, (insert your name here)

PS I loved you in Bachelor Party Mr. Hanks. I also pray every night that Turner and Hooch II gets made someday.
Yours in Christ (insert your name again)

....and....scene!

Full Circle

Have you ever had one of those weeks where things just go right for you? I'm having a week like that now. Coming back to Minnesota has completely changed everything for us.

Family, old friends, new friends, lots of work and the kids love it here. It's strange how things worked out.

I know this isn't my usual sarcastic angry fare -but what the hell? I'm happy for the first time in a long time and everybody is invited.

Interestingly enough it's Christmas time -which has been a sore spot with me for many years. Mary completely fixed my little red wagon about it a few years ago, but now I'm totally enjoying it.