I decided to get up off my fanny and go to the library to start working on this research paper.  Of course, when I get there, it's closed on Mondays. 

Then, after I come home I get a phone call:

Me:  Hello

Caller:  DJ

Me:  DJ who?  (I'm wondering who is this adult calling my son)

Caller:  DJ X

Me:  Who is this?  (Who the hell is this crazy person and what do they want w/ my kid?)

Caller:  It's Aunt Annie

Me:  Hi Aunt Annie, It's Wendy, DJ's at school

Do I really sound like my son?  PIC thought it was hilarious.

Speaking of PIC, I'm so jealous:)  She was offered a new position.  Five weeks vacation, two weeks off at Christmas and Easter, free medical benefits and more MONEY.  Yay.  She's moving in sometime next month to the complex.  I can't wait!

Dad is really pissing me off right now. 

I have a research paper due in three weeks.  We have to pick a country of our choosing, other than the US, and write a paper.  I've evidently been out of school too long.  I have writer's block.  I decided to write on Italy, my origins.  Right now, I'm supposed to be working this paper getting some of my paragraphs down.  Later I was going to the library to do some more research and write some more of my paper. 

I don't even have a page written.  Instead, I'm sitting here surfing the net trying to put it off.  Why?  I can't think of anything to write.  I've known about this project for four weeks and for four weeks I haven't written a thing.  Something is wrong with me! 

Remember all that shit I was talking in my other entry about football?  Yea, well I SUCKED this week.  Right now I only have 14 correct out of a possible 37.  There are two more games I'm waiting on.  Thankfully the Rams are kicking some major booty right now.  No $48 for me this week.  Hopefully I won't be knocked back too far in the standings though.  Keep your fingers crossed for me!

I ran into this link on the forum I go to.  It's a test researchers at Cambridge University developed to measure autistic traits in adults.  Of course I took the test.  The average score for women is 15, men 17.  Most people with Asperger Syndrome or HFA score a 35.  I scored 37.  What???????  Now, what do I do?  I guess I need to talk to my family doctor.  I was really hoping the test was flawed.  I had PIC and my cousin take it.  PIC scored about an 8 or so.  My cousin had a 15.  Nope, not me. 

Oddly, ever since DJ was dx'd, I 've read DOZENS of books on the subject and am still reading.  I know they say alot of autism might come from certain aspects of the parents.  I did see many of the traits in me but I am extremely functioning.  Trust me on this.  I don't do well in social situations though.  I never know what to say.  Online is so easy.  But face to face I usually don't talk.  I mean, I talk to PIC and DJ and stuff.  I do talk to my co-workers, but I have to reach a comfort level.  If there is someone new working at my job, I won't talk.  I figured he got a few things from me, but me having Aspergers...no way!  Now I need to rethink this whole thing.  So far, I've only shared this with PIC.

The Walk For Autism went really really well!  DJ had a good time.  One of his school friends was there and his mother was the girl I was knew in high school.  She has 3 kids, every one of them cuties!  Three of my cousins also came along with Mommy Dearest.  PIC couldn't attend because she had class yesterday and actually she has been MIA since Friday.  Answer your phone!

Anthony Edwards (former ER doc) was one of the celebrites at the walk and I was pleasantly surprised he wasn't kept “hidden” in the back.  He was out mingling with everyone.  He graciously took pictures, gave hugs and autographed everything.  I thought that was really cool.  Unfotunately NONE of us brought a camera, so no pics.  I didn't go up to him but Mommy Dearest did and one of my cousins did as well.  They brought my son and his friend up with them to have an “excuse”:)  He also did the walk and was talking to people during it.  Definitely “just one of the guys”.

Many goodies received!  We all received t-shirts that were actually sized properly.  Unfotunately I couldn't wear mine becuase I had put on a black bra that morning:(  DJ wore his proudly.  They also handed out a bag containg a book for the kids.  All different titles, but good books.  Plenty of resource tables.  I picked up so much information.  I had brought my backpack with me.  It was filled so I had to grab a bag and start filling that up.  My shoulders were aching last night.  I purchased a hat and a calendar.  I also picked up a car magnet but for some reason falls off my car.  I must be doing something wrong.

DJ and I completed about 2m of the walk.  He wasn't tired.  He was just moseying along and stopping and looking at things climbing up on things, things like that.  The one time I thought he was right next to me and he was about 10 people behind me!  Scared the bejeezus out of me.  I decided then and there that were finished.  We stopped at an opening with some benches and such along with DJ'ds friend from school and his fam.  The kids played until Mommy Dearest finished her last laps.  Then we went and checked out the resource tables.

All in all...a very nice day.  Fresh air and exercise.  DJ had fun which means I had fun.  There were lots of things set up inside for the kids to play with while we walked around.

This very morning, I am walking to benefit Autism.  As most of you know my son was diagnosed with Asperger's Disorder at the beginning of this year.  To date, I have raised close to $1000.  (I have some checks that haven't been credited yet.)  If you feel like donating to this worthy cause, I'd really appreciate it.  It is a tax credit:) 

I think this is the first time in my life I'm closely watching a presidential race.  This is the first time I will vote on who I think should be leading our country.  This is the first time I feel strongly on issues.  This is the first time an election might possibly effect my life. 

I have always stood by our president.  Always, 100%.  When Bill Clinton was in office and the whole Monica affair came about.  I thought to myself, so what, what he does in private is his business.  I know it's morally reprehensible.  I also felt IMHO that he did a damned good job of running the country.  Fast forward to the 2000 election.  I would have voted for Al Gore.  I liked Al Gore.  Unfortunately I STILL did not receive my voter's registration card in the mail.  I have honestly been trying to vote since I was 18.  It is my right as a citizen.  I believe everyone should vote.

I am a single parent.  I receive no child support from my son's father nor have I ever.  Nor will I ever seek support.  I do not receive ANY government services.  I cannot get food stamps, I cannot get welfare, I cannot get subsidized housing, I cannot get WIC.  Everything I pay for depends on my salary and my salary alone.  Do I think I should get these services?  No.  I know you are wondering then why I am bitching.  In 4 years my taxes have gone up a little over 10%.  I bring home less now then I did 4 years ago, even though I have received raises and make more money.  The Child Tax Credit is a joke.  I get a few hundred at tax time but the government takes a couple thousand from me during the year.  I am not eligible for the Earned Income Credit anymore (since Bush took office.) 

My rent alone is almost 50% of my take home pay.  My average electric bill is $200/month.  Unfortunately noone looks at my net pay, they look at my gross.  I suppose I'm considered middle class/upper middle class.  I was recently told that daycare for my son for the summer in my neighborhood would cost me $200/week.  That is $800/month.  That's approximately what I pay for rent!  I could get subsidized day care if I made $18000 a year.  If I made $18000 a year, how could I afford to live?  I can barely afford it now!

The number one question in this presidential electon (in my opinion only) is where the hell is Bin Laden?  He is the one who massacred our brothers and sisters.  What happened to him?  Where is he?  Why hasn't HE been brought to justice?

We turned to focus to Iraq.  Don't get me wrong, I do agree Hussein should have been removed from power.  I don't believe war was the best way to go.  Our brothers and sisters are dying over there every day.  Why?  Noone, not even the President, can tell me why!  I support our troops one hundred percent, but they should not be there. 

Why weren't our troops in Afghanistan hunting down Bin Laden?  They were able to hunt and find Hussein.  More effort was put into Iraq than the man responsible for all of those lives lost.  My President cannot tell me why.  Days after 9/11 I thirsted for blood.  I wanted Bin Laden and the Taliban wiped out, destroyed.  Instead I kept turning on the news hearing how we're not going to sit by and watch this happen.  Yet, noone seems to realize...it did.  I don't like smoke covers. 

Since the day we went after Saddam Hussein instead of Osama Bin Laden, my vote has been for the democratic candidate.  My vote has not wavered since.  Luckily, I agree with many of Senator Kerry's policies and ideas and hope they can get implemented. 

I thought the debate was great.  I did feel Kerry came out on top, thought that could be I am biased.  I thought George Bush had too many pauses, too many pat responses “It's hard work”, repeated many of the same things over and over and over again and blew alot of smoke instead of directly answering the questions I NEEDED answered. 

The following conversation happened right before bedtime...

DJ:  I don’t want to go to school.  Teach is mean.

ME:  Why is Teach mean?

DJ:  Teach does mean things.

ME:  What does Teach do?

DJ:  Teach stuck her tongue out at me.

ME:  Why did Teach stick her tongue out at you?

DJ:  Because I stuck my tongue out at her

I always get him, everytime!  I do rapid questioning.  I’d make a great attorney!

I know I talk alot about my kid.  I really try hard not to but I can't help it.  Sometimes he's the highlight of my day.  The things he says just have me laughing...constantly.  Who needs a comedy show?  In all I really do want to remember alot of the funny stuff he says.  Trust me, he says alot more than I post.  This is just the stuff I remember.

I did forget to mention the other day I was driving into my complex and I picked up a box that was left for me at the office.  I saw one of the maintenance guys.  I've been here a year so I know all of them because they are here everyday and I think they all live here too.  So this one maintenance guy is talking to me as I'm coming out of the office.  I see him everyday when I pick up DJ from the bus stop. 

He asked me if I had a pen.  I dug out a pen to give him.  He told me to write this down.  He proceeds to give me a phone number and tells me to write after 5.  Of course, it was his.  Unfortunately I don't find him attractive but I did think it was kind of cute the way he gave me the number.  I saw him today and he told me his phone hasn't rang yet.  I told him I was really busy between work and college.  It sounded really lame but I didn't want to hurt his feelings.  Now if it was the OTHER maintenance guy....