If you have nothing nice to say...

I remember my Mom beating that in my head as a child, if you have nothing nice to say, say nothing at all. Hence my silence for the last couple of weeks even in blogging world. I think I am finally cooled off enough though to type without hurting my keyboard.

I started reading the comments on news articles to gauge where the general public stands on certain issues. Really it started with the fact that Joe and I are so involved in a very controversial business that I really wanted to see what the opposition has to say. That being said plenty of people leave very hurtful comments that in my mind border on threatening. Our industry gets regularly attacked with everything from God in going to throw you in hell to the state should take away your children.

Speaking of children, Colorado just released a memo that states that if you are involved in the medical marijuana business that you are automatically denied all chances of adoption or fostering programs. I am forced to be directly involved in the child protective system and can assure anyone reading this that it is as bad as TV shows make it out to be, children very rarely stay with their siblings and are not well taken care of. But I can no longer apply to be a foster parent, because of what I choose to invest my money in. Hmmm, sounds fair and totally just. I was fingerprinted yesterday like a common criminal at the police station because of this investment, keep in mind they could not use the countless fingerprint cards already turned into the FBI because of my work with children, oh no they needed all new ones. I am terrified that this involvement will strip me of my volunteering with children and even more scared of the ramifications of what will happen when they try. All the while wishing to myself that I didn't have to involve Austin, but if what I believe will happen does, I can't help but challenge the rules both politically and openly to try and make changes.

A 2 year old little boy was hit and killed by a driver the other night a few miles from here, in reading the comments of the article people were saying things like, I know the parents he is in a better place now. Wow, I know a lot of people that had AWFUL childhoods but grew into amazing people but this little boy doesn't get that chance. Oh yeah and if he had such an awful home life I sure am glad that he was still with his biological parents rather than with foster parents that heaven forbid have MMJ licenses.

J and I went to the annual Pride Fest parade last weekend. We both have a ton of GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bi-Sexual and Transgender) friends and always have fun at these type of events. Of course the comments on those articles were all about going to hell and perversions and comparing them to pedophiles. Well that's just ignorant even if every last person at that parade goes to hell for their choices I am sure I read in the rule book that it would be for God to judge anyways and comparing someone who enjoys the company of someone else who is the same gender to someone who abuses little kids is absurd. I'm not saying that there are not gay pedophiles out there but I do know that my gay friends would never harm a child.

I was told by my sister the other night that she had to disown me in public and specifically in church because I had a baby out of wedlock and have refused to "remedy" the situation. Awesome! Only family can make you feel like that. This is my sister that is schizophrenic with the measured IQ of a 12 year old so I couldn't even fight back I just had to let her know that I understood and that I don't have any plans of getting married right now. Of course she let me know that once we do go ahead and get married that she can start admitting that she has a sister again. :-) (Sorry I couldn't find a sarcastic smile to put in there).

J and I swam 50 laps yesterday morning, it's hard to believe that we started at 6 and just about drowned and now we are all the way to almost a mile. I skipped the gym this morning so I will have to kick my own butt this afternoon (as I shake my head) bummer dude.

Joe and I have done an amazing job of not killing each other during all this stress with the business, you know like our 1 year old daughter having to hang out with us at the police station for 3 hours or me having to disclose the last 20 years of my taxes or print off 1000 pages (literally it cost me $100 in ink to print all of it) of my financial statements. At least now the state of Colorado will know how often I shop at Wal-Mart and Starbucks...I bet everyone on my block will sleep better at night knowing how I spend my money. In fact I think people who have gone through this process would be BETTER foster parents, not worse. I mean I couldn't hide anything in my past even if I wanted to. Although I do have to say that on occasion our dinners around here just get quiet...one of us says something that the other one would like to kill them for, so we both just get quiet which works out much better than spending most of your two hours a day you see each other fighting or apologizing.

On a much lighter note, here is our little princess attempting to feed herself...she gets so darn proud that you can't help but tear up a bit watching her in person. Forgive Emeniem in the background, we like to listen to music and until she learns more english on occasion we like gangster rap. :-)