FAF: Mercury Retrograde

Let us speak for a moment about Mercury Retrograde, shall we? Mercury went into retrograde on Wednesday, 26 June 2013. What does that mean? Rather than totally type it all out again, I refer you to John Marani's first post on the topic back in 2011. Suffice it to say, all kinds of communication goes sideways. Things do not happen as planned. People get screwed. Electronics die. It blows.

My brother John eloquently described Mercury Retrograde and its fuckery thus far, or at least how it has impacted him, J Sunny, and their beautiful Momo.

Allow me to share some of my joyful experiences. First, let me say that I was born with Mercury in retrograde in my natal chart. This means, typically, that I am not quite as impacted by the hell that is Mercury in retrograde. Typically.

Let me be clear. Mercury rules the sign of Gemini (my sign). I have the utmost respect and affection for Mercury. He can kick some serious ass when He goes into retrograde. You can't *not* respect that. Day one of Mercury Retrograde was not pretty. It was especially not pretty because I spent it at work, where we do nothing but communicate all. freaking. day. Half the staff couldn't access Outlook, which isn't good because we do a lot of coordinating with outside treatment providers via email. Phone calls got disconnected, group was chaotic, and staff ran around like chickens with our heads cut off as we tried to figure out WHAT THE FUCK was going on.

First we're scrambling to get a refill of a medication. We ask the treating psychiatrist to fax prescriptions to the pharmacy. Excellent, got that done. The pharmacy calls to get the insurance info. Fantastic, check that off. Then the client comes and says that she doesn't want the medication filled at our pharmacy, because she doesn't like the medication that comes from our pharmacy, because it doesn't work.

I'm sorry, say what now?

Yes, we actually had to call and have the refills cancelled. Then we had to call the psychiatrist back and explain the situation, so that the psychiatrist could call the refills in to the client's preferred pharmacy. That was like an hour of telephone tag and voice mails and cursing at the sound of the call being dropped.

Day one, people. Day one.

::headdesk::

Free for All Friday

Can we just have a WTF moment, please?

I joined some coworkers and friends for a happy hour to celebrate a coworker's promotion to another program. We go to this great place called San Antonio's (go, if you've never been cause it's tasty, tasty food).

We're having a great time, socializing and laughing. We talked about traveling abroad, dream travel destinations, and how sad we were that the coworker is leaving us. SNIFFLE!!!!

At some point, the conversation turned to astrology - my sign means this; oh, you're a this so you must be like this; that kind of thing. I mentioned that astrology is more than one's sun sign, that you have to take into consideration the rising sign, the moon sign, and the relationship among the planets and their position in the stars (see, John, I can talk mildly intelligently about the topic now!) and all that jazz.

A friend of the coworker's, whom I met for the first time last night, asked me if I was "into all that astrology stuff." I told her I like to learn, that I've learned a lot from my dear friend and brother who has studied astrology for nigh on forever and has been a tarot reader for 20 years. She had an odd expression on her face and just said "Oh." Then it came up that I am a practicing witch.

I kid you not, she put her hands up and said, "Oh, that's too much for me. No thanks."

Crazy stupid woman say what?

I let it go, because it was clearly not worth a discussion. Her nonverbals were SCREAMING "OMG OMG I'M AFEARED NOW." Yes, I just used "afeared." Deal.

It does sometimes still astonish me how closed-minded and reactive people can be about this topic. This was a fairly well educated person. And yet...

Like I said, a WTF moment.

Happy Friday?

Call Out.... postponed.

Recently (why, just last week) a dear and wonderful friend, whom I consider to be a sister, damn near called me out on her blog. How so, might you ask?

Why, I'm so glad you did.

You see, she posted this wonderful blog about the LOOK challenge.

I know, it seems harmless. Fantastic even, for we get (thanks to the LOOK challenge) a sneak peek at her novella, Gypsy Magick. For those of you still catching up, Gypsy Magick is a novella sequel to her first work, Magick Charm. And if you haven't read that, then why the hell are you still here? GO TO AMAZON. BUY IT. READ IT. You will be so much better for it.

I digress.

If you scroll down, past the lovely sneak peek, you'll see a list. A list? Yes, a list. A list of people she is challenging to share a sneak peek of their work.

And now we come back full circle. CALLED OUT. Perhaps you think this a mild overreaction. You could be correct. In a parallel universe.  You see, I am so overdue finishing two separate works at this point, it has become a running joke. A JOKE, I tell you.

Hence, I've been called out.

So, later today, after doing some editing for a wonderful up and coming author (well, and after taking a nap, because I still haven't gone to sleep yet from an overnight shift), I will be posting a sneak peek of one of my two novels. Both of which are untitled. And I haven't decided which one to post yet. I'll sleep on that.

I love you, J Sunny. :-) But I will get you. Just wait.

Politics Make Me Crazy

I am not one to race to my blog to decry the latest political event, mostly because I am not a die-hard blogger. Nor do I consider myself to be remotely politically savvy, as trying to negotiate the intricacies of our political system can give me a headache sometimes.

However, as a woman and as a voter, I'm having a bit of a WTF moment. In the last year (hell, in the last few months), there have been articles and blogs and sound bites about potential legislation, legislation that has been signed, or legislation that has been repealed that give me significant pause.

First, I'd like to know exactly - at one point did the religion of someone that I don't know get to determine what I can (or cannot do) legally with my own body? At one point did another person's religious background get to decide what was fair or not in my life?

I don't have a problem with religion. I am more of a spiritual person than a strictly religious person, but would support the person down the street's rights to their own beliefs without batting an eye. What I do have a problem with is religion driving the political machine.

When you start talking about the state of Colorado overwhelmingly (by more than 70% of voters) vetoing a personhood law, that Virginia has tabled, for the next year, whether they will enact a personhood law, and with Oklahoma next on the list, it's getting a little insane out there.

The Governor of Wisconsin has taken the issue of the law and women beyond biology and into the realm of economics by not only limiting access to abortion services and sex education, but also by repealing the Equal Pay law there.

When exactly did the focus of this nation shift from getting out of debt to the rights of my vagina? We are in a recession, right? Debt out the wazoo? An unemployment rate of around 8.2%? How is legislating the hell out of my reproductive rights (and now ensuring that I will earn a lower wage, should I ever lose my sanity and move to Wisconsin) going to fix any of that?

If someone out there has a rational answer, I'd sure love to hear it.