Y'know, I REALLY wish I could say I'm surprised at this but I'm not. I swear Trees, I love you and your family and I've met a lot of great people here but this state positively CRAWLS with passive agressive, self centered little pissants who never got the memo that they are the bright shining creamy nougat center of the universe.

Jerks.

You are kidding me!! No, of course you're not. Those students should've started practicing their side kicks on some kneecaps!!

Wow, why didn't they just delay their meeting for fifteen minutes? Better yet, why didn't they go over and cheer the students on for fifteen minutes? It would've been much more productive than deciding that the chosen color of a mailbox was all wrong, and they would feel much better afterwards, too.

Trees --

What Bob said, plus a little of that kick-butt tobasco sauce at Don Pablos.

guys,

Thanks for commenting. I was so steamed. I've got a little guy (7 years old) with Downs Syndrome, a G-tube taped down under his shirt and a colonoscopy bag taped to his leg grinning like a maniac while Kii-ing and punching his little heart out, and some prat can't wait fifteen minutes for him to finish? Plus, try to tell kids with Autism to "keep it down" when they're being active and engaged. I mean, really.

"Would you PLEASE try to keep it down? We're tryng to have a meeting over here."

Ya know, I would have been more sympathetic, but the lady at the Community Center told me that she had told them what was going on, and they INSISTED on the time and space...which encroached on the time and space we had previously retained. I thought I was very gracious in sharing.

And Mark,

My kids would have LOVED an audience. Maybe next time I should invite them over to see the sorts of programs their local taxes make possible (the parents pay for the classes, but the Community Center is funded by local property taxes and that is what makes the classes affordable.

I'll tell you one thing, seeing what these kids and parents have to deal with every day makes me that much more grateful for what I have. Also, seeing how well they deal with it, and how much happiness and accomplishment the manage challenges me to be better about using what I have at my disposal.

Tony,

I LOVE that tobasco sauce!

On another note,

My wednesday class is in a different city, and that Community Center has the front desk right next to my class. One day as I went in my classroom, I noticed the receptionist concentrating heavily on some paperwork. It seemed like it was difficult and frustrating, so I said:

"As soon as I have all my kids in the classroom, I'll shut the door so we don't bother you."

She said "Oh no, don't do that." and went on to gush about how it made her smile and did her heart good to hear the class with all the noises and activities.

Trees --

That tobasco sauce in the salsa and their warm chips are the ONLY reasons I go to Don Pablos any more.

Well, that and the corn cake. On Sunday. Which is diet cheat day.

As for the incident...wow, I wouldn't want to be around that guy for a while. Karmicly speaking, I think someone is going to jam a bottle of that tobasco up his ass and gently -- very, very gently -- crack the glass.

Tony,

Um...yuck and ow. And then yuck again.

And another ow for good measure.

Let us all bow our heads and thank Bhudda that Tony is not the judge of us.

Now be fair Trees. Tony is a nice, personable, very easy to get along with person. And like most of his ilk-you and I included- there is a bloody-minded denizen of the nether realms lurking inside him that comes out to feed when someone is being a douche' . So it seems pretty simple to me; if you want to avoid smiteage don't be a douche.
Just sayin is all

Bob,

Granted. Still, that was a pretty graphic word-picture. Not for nothin' is Tony a writer.

I'm just sayin' too.

Hey, look at the bright side. At least there weren't any waterfalls in it ;^)

Entrail waterfalls! The best kind! (In fiction, that is)