642 Things To Write About

So, I bought this funny book a year ago. It's full of writing prompts (because I'm a huge nerd and would buy something like that). I've only done...like...7 since I bought it...and now I've made it a goal to do every.single.one.

And here is the first:
What can happen in a second?

In the second you've just spent reading this,
someone has wrecked their car,                    
someone has just taken their last breath,
or had their last thought,
and
someone has just given birth,
and someone has just taken their first breath -
life and death are happening simultaneously
right this
second.

In the second it took me to write the this letter,
someone has sent a text (which unfortunately they can't un-send),
and someone else has told a joke, which has just taken
a terrible turn,
and has ended up as and unintended insult.
Ouch.

In a single second you can:
choke,
push the button on a microwave,
smack your bubblegum,
trip,
make eye contact with someone,
burn yourself,
find a dollar,
burp,
say yes
or no...
and in one second, with just the click of a mouse -
or the enter key -
you can spend all the money in your bank account.

So I'm fairly convinced that not just anything can happen in a second,
but everything.

Dictators.

It was a new day; it was a sun-rise over mountains, car fumes in the lungs, and a dirty blonde street dog.
Era un nuevo día; era un amanecer sobre las montañas, el humo de los coches en los pulmones, y una perrita rubia y sucia. 

I was told to walk with purpose, to cross at the corner with as many people as possible. To avoid the small park at night, and not to eat anything spicy or too rich for at least 5 more days.
Me dijeron que caminar con un propósito, y cruzar en la esquina con la otra gente...evitar el parque más pequeño en la noche, y no comer algo picante o rico por lo menos 5 días más.  

Give yourself time to adjust.
Necesitas tiempo para ajustar.

Adjustments. It seems that adjusting just what we do, isn’t it? We adjust to new climates, new cultures, new people, new jobs. All the time we’re just shifting in our own skins, trying to find the most comfortable position.

Los ajustes. Parece que el ajuste es lo que hacemos, no? Ajustamos a nuevos climas, nuevas culturas, nueva gente, nuevos trabajos. Todo el tiempo estamos moviendo debajo de nuestros propios pieles, buscando la posición más confortable. 

It was a new week; it was another language, a bitter drink, and dancing until the early hours of the morning. We represented – at some points – 8 different nations. We spoke of jobs and journeys and one by one, and in various ways, we slowly admitted we were running. Running from oppressive things and closed minded thinking, towards being alive but being afraid. If you don’t adjust in the expected ways, then you really don’t know what is supposed to happen next.

Era una nueva semana; era otro idioma, una bebida amarga, y bailando hasta la madrugada. Representábamos (a veces) 8 países distintos. Hablábamos de trabajos y aventuras y uno por uno admitimos que corríamos...de cosas opresivas, de mentes cerradas, hacia la esperanza de vivir vidas completas...pero con miedo. Si no ajustas a la vida como la mayoría de la gente del mundo, no puedes saber lo que va a seguir. 

And so we created our own realities, we chose the next chapter in the book.
We lived by the dictates of our own consciousness.
Por eso, estábamos construyendo nuestras propias realidades. Elegimos el proximo capitulo del libro. Estábamos viviendo por los dictados de nuestras propias conciencias.

Sometimes, a collective conscious. Other times, we were 8 nations living individually side-by-side. In camionetas. In the streets. On beaches.
A veces con una conciencia colectiva. Otras veces, estábamos 8 naciones viviendo vidas individuales pero lado a lado. En las playas. En las camionetas. En las calles. 
 
It was a new perspective; it was remembering how – who – I was before I forgot.
It was a regeneration.
It was a right decision.
It was all smiles, human contact, and summer skin.

I was told to walk with purpose – and I found one.

Era una nueva perspectiva; era la memoria de cómo - quién - era antes de que se me olvidó.
Era una regeneración.
Era la decisión correcta.
Era sonrisas, contacto humano, y piel de verano.
Me dijeron que caminar con un propósito...y lo encontré. 

What Not to Say to Military Brats.

So there are about a million lists on the internet of things not to say to military spouses or families, but there aren't really any lists of things not to say specifically related to military children. People often forget that the children are really in it as much as the rest of them. Military "brats" are uprooted often, and forced to undergo dramatic changes and adapt to new environments quickly. That process is hard enough. Military kids - even as adults - often find it's hard to connect to people who haven't had similar experiences because of the complete lack of understanding surrounding this type of upbringing. It's just as foreign as they are (insert hearty military brat chuckle here).

So next time you're talking to a military brat - young or old....try taking a few pointers from this list:

Things not to say to a very young military brat:
- Don't you miss your mommy/daddy? (Ya think?)
- Did your mommy/daddy bring you back something cool? (Yes. They came home alive. Isn't that cool?)
- S/he'll be back before you know s/he was gone. (Hmmm, I'm pretty sure that's a lie.)

Things not to say to a young military brat:
- Doesn't it make you sad that s/he's missed all your birthdays? (and most Thanksgivings, school performances, first words/steps/dates....of course.)
- Why can't you go visit him? (Because he's in a war-zone.).
- Does s/he call you often? (Actually, no, and sometimes I don't know where s/he is. And sometimes, neither does my other parent).
- My kids know how you feel; I left for a week once and.... (and stop talking now).
- Aren't you worried about making new friends after you move? (Yes. I'm terrified. But I don't really have a choice in the matter and if I'm lucky I'll move to a military base full of people willing to be my friend from day 1).

Things not to say to an pre-teen to teenaged military brat (actually, just...don't say any of these things ever...at any age...):
- Do you think s/he's killed anybody? (Maybe. Do you want to be next to find out?)
- I bet it's really hard having to take on the extra responsibility of a missing parent. (Yes. It is hard to juggle school, jobs, dating, growing up, and supporting my seemingly-single parent. Thanks for pointing that out.)
- Has your younger sister/brother even spent any time with your mom/dad? (Rude.)
- It's kind of like your parents are divorced, except they aren't; your parent's paycheck is kind of like child support, since they're never home. (Really rude.)
- Do you think your younger brother/sister would have less emotional/psychological/behavioral problems at home/school if your parents wasn't gone all the time? (Did you really just go there?)
- So you were born in Germany? (Yes). Are you adopted? (Yes/No). Do you speak the language? (No.) So you're not really German? (No. Unless I was adopted. And then yes, but I still don't speak the language. Your ancestry is Finnish...do you speak Finnish?)
- Aren't you worried your parent is going to get killed? (What if I say no?)
- I bet you get away with a lot of stuff because you only have one parent. (I have two.)
- I bet you get away with a lot of stuff because your parents feel guilty. (Uhm, no. And have you ever met a military parent? I can't get away with anything, because somehow the parent on deployment still knows. My room is probably bugged.)
- Aren't you glad your mom/dad is back from deployment? (Of course I am. Now let me talk you through the complex social and structural changes that occur when a parent who has been deployed 3 - 18 months returns.)

Things not to say to upper teenaged - adult military brats:
- Do you think s/he's had an affair, since s/he is gone so much? (Do I even know you?).
- Hasn't all that time at war made your parent really angry/violent/depressed/withdrawn/aggressive? (Possibly. In what way are you benefited by knowing this information?)
- Wow, I'm sure that really damaged your family dynamic. (We're as functional as the rest of them).
- Wow, I bet your relationship with him/her is really complicated. (Not any more complicated than yours is with your parents).
- Military members shouldn't be allowed to have kids, it just seems too hard. (Thank you?)
- Is your parent disappointed you're not joining/in the service? (Is yours disappointed that you're so dense?)
- It must have been awesome having free dental and health care. (Manic laughter border-lining on tears here).
- Aren't you sad you didn't get to have a normal childhood? (Well, that was my only childhood, so...it was normal to me. And was it hard? Sure. But am I sorry that I got to see more of the world in the first 7 years of my life alone than most people see ever? Not really.)
- I'm sorry. That must have been a terrible way to grow up. (Actually, not really).
- Why do you still have an ID, you weren't in the military...
- Why are you sad you don't have your ID anymore, it's not like you were in the military... (You're right. I made 0 sacrifices and deserve 0 benefits. By the way...are you still on your parent's healthcare plan? Right. Shut up.)

So remember, next time you meet someone and you ask where they're from...and they make a painful expression and say, "Well, I'm a military brat..." that they are expecting all of ^^^ that to follow. End the vicious cycle of idiocy by offering more supportive or affirmative statements (like, "Wow, I bet it was fun to travel a lot!" or "Did you meet many interesting people, living in that many places?")

I'm sure there are more "what not to say"phrases, but these are just the ones I could remember hearing or being asked. If you have others to add, throw them in the comments and I'll add them.

Over and out.

Old Dog, New Tricks

Things Rosa didn't use to do, but now she does:

1. Follow me everywhere

2. Bark (when she's really, really excited)

3. Get excited 

4. Lick my hands, legs, and elbows...

5. Growl at Matt

6. Walk on a leash for about 10 steps 

7. "Walk" on a busy street without jumping into the snow out of fear 

8. Play...alllll....day....lonnnnng....

9. Eat more than just one type of food 

10. Chase Iggy (and Iggy alone). 

11. Beg for whatever food I'm eating (by staring at me)

12. Take things from the coffee table to her dragon's horde

13. Try to eat the cat food 

14. Run around with her tongue out while forcedly panting (it's like she saw a dog on TV do it, and she's copying)

15. Sleep on her back, on her side, sprawled out, on the blanket, on her toys, under the heater...

You Like Me.

Hey Again - Rosa here (escribí en español, también),

So the last few days have been pretty exciting. I've discovered my newfound love of all-things-fabric. Cloths, towels, blankets, pet beds, old slippers...if you let me have it, I will carry it around and chew on it.

I really like carrying things around. Bags of banana grams, toys, my piddle pad...I have no purpose for doing it other than that it is fun to take it from one side of the room to the other, and watch my foster mom put everything back (and then I do it again, it's awesome).

I've started eating more than just kibble pancakes. Today, I ate an organic chicken and rice meal. Sure, it came from a can, but lots of tasty things come in cans: refried beans, pasta sauce, corn...in fact, I didn't even want my kibble pancake. I suppose you could say my palate is expanding.

I have also honed a new skill: begging. If my foster parents decide to eat in the living room...I just sit there and stare at them. And I keep staring. And then I try to smell whatever it is they're eating. I give them the saddest, longest look...and they just won't budge. They will not share with me. They are hardened to my fuzzy stares.

Soulless humans.

Speaking of truly soulless humans, I think the person in charge of keeping me locked up in a cage and having puppies all the time probably looks a lot like my foster dad...because whenever he comes near me, I get really scared. I don't like him to pet me or be near me. I am starting to figure out that he's not actually the same person who did all those terrible things to me, but I think it's going to take me a while to warm up to him.

I love my foster mom, though. I follow her everywhere...and have even started letting her pet my head. I just walk right up when she puts her hand out (which I didn't do before yesterday). I like being scratched behind the ears, and under the chin. Sometimes we even play on the floor together.

Otherwise, things are good. The whole family has had a cold - and my foster brother, Iggy, caught a mouse (a live one!!) in the duplex upstairs! He let it go though. I personally don't think he knew what he was doing. Silly cats...

- Rosa.

--- 

Hola! Rosa aquí.

He tenido algunas aventuras en los últimos días. He descubierto mi preferencia para jugar con cosas hechas de tela: las toallas, mantas, y servilletas...si me das algo de tela, la llevaré desde cuarto a cuarto y masticarla.

Me gusta llevar cosas. Bolsas, juguetes, mis papeles de entrenamiento...
Los llevo a través del cuarto y después - miro mientras mi mamá limpia y arregla el cuarto otra vez.
Después de mi mamá limpiar, hago otro desastre. Es muy divertido.

He empezado comer más que kibble pancakes. Hoy, comí pollo y arroz...sí, estuvo en una lata, pero muchas cosas deliciosas están en latas: frijoles, salsa de tomate, sopa... de verdad, no quería mi pancake, ni un poco. Pienso que estoy ampliando mi paladar.

Además, he aprendido algo nuevo: pedir la comida. Si mi familia come en lo mismo cuarto que yo...me siento y miro fijamente (y continuo a mirar fijamente). Me pongo una cara muy triste y patética, pero nunca - nunca - comparten conmigo.

Gente sin alma!

Mientras estoy pensando en gente sin alma...la persona que me guardó en una jaula desde hace 6 años probablemente pareció a mi papá adoptivo; esta la digo porque cada vez mi papá quiere acariciarme o jugar conmigo, me pone muy asustada. Estoy aprendiendo que Matt no es lo mismo hombre, pero va a tomar más tiempo hasta puedo confiar en él....

Al otro lado...mi mamá es mi mejor amiga! La sigo en todas partes...y la he dado permisión para acariciarme detrás de las orejas. Cuando dice mi nombre, camino a ella (no hice esta hasta ayer). A veces, jugamos en el piso.

Cosas aquí están muy bien. Bueno...toda la familia está enferma pero no es serio. Y mi hermano - el gato - Iggy agarró un ratón. Nunca antes había agarrado nada. Pensamos que Iggy no tenía ninguna idea sobre lo que hizo. Gato tonto...

XoXo
Rosa

Wonder Pet

Rosa, Iggy, and me cuddling on the couch.

Rosa, Iggy, y yo estamos apapachando! 

Rosa cooking her own breakfast.
Rosa cocina su propia comida. 

I'm tired, so I want to keep this post brief, especially because I really suck at Spanish when I'm tired and I'm blogging in both languages.
I mean, I kind of suck at it all the time, but that's beside the point.

Estoy cansada por lo tanto quiero que sea breve, especialmente porque tengo que escribir en español y tengo problemas pensar en español si mi cerebro esta durmiendo...
Bueno, nunca escribo/hablo español muy bien, pero no es el tema de mi blog.

We've officially had Rosa here for just over a week. It's amazing to see how much she's blossomed in such a short amount of time. For the first 3 days, she was terrified to leave her kennel. Now, she's out and about, running around, throwing her toys...she'd almost have you fooled into thinking she spent her whole life in this house.

Hemos tenido Rosa aquí casi 10 días. Esta perrita ha crecido mucho en un poco de tiempo. Durante los primeros 3 día, Rosita estaba muy preocupado - no quería dejar de su perrera. Ahora, le gusta correr en la casa, tirar sus juguetes. A veces, casi parece una perrita que ha vivido con nuestro familia toda su vida. 

Almost.
Casi. 

She still won't wander further than the living room, she still won't approach you completely (she'll come really close, though). She still runs away if you look at her, and she won't eat if you watch. She sometimes cries when she sleeps, and today she had her stuffed animals pulled up to her side like they were going to nurse.

Todavía no explorará toda la casa. También no se acercará a mi completamente. Si la miras, correrá a su cama. No comerá con gente en el cuarto. Tiene pesadillas y llora en su sueño...y piensa que sus juguetes son bebés y intenta amamantarlos.

Heartbreaking, beautiful little champion. She's the poster-child for resilience.
She's also the poster child for stubbornness; last night I made her kibble-cakes a slightly different way and she wouldn't eat them. This morning I made them the normal way and she was fine again.

Rompe mi corazón, mi hermosa y pequeña campeona; el ejemplo perfecto de fuerza.
Y resistencia - anoche cociné sus pancakes en una manera diferente y Rosa no los comió. Esta mañana los hice "normalmente" y no tiene problemas...

Little princess.
Princesita.

I am continuously surprised and inspired by how much this little dog can teach me - about the world, and about myself. Sometimes we think we're the ones doing the rescuing, but I know all to well that it works the other way around.

Estoy sorprendida y inspirado por las cosas que Rosa me ha enseñado - sobre el mundo, sobre mí misma. A veces, pensamos que estamos rescatando los animales....pero en este caso...estoy segura que Rosa me esta rescatando.

Quieres Comer?

English Way Below!
Hola otra vez!

Esta semana, no he querido comer nada. Mi mamá me ha dado 2 mil tipos de comida, pero ultimamente no me he gustado ninguna. Pero esta mañana, la gente estaba cocinando pancakes y olieron muy bien. Mi mamá me vio y me dijo "quieres algo para comer? te gustaría pancakes?"

Yo estaba muy emocionada y quería decir, "sí, por favor!" Por suerte, mi mamá puede leer mi mente, y a pesar de no decir nada, ella me dio un pancake. Fue lo mejor del mundo. Más tarde, ella me preparó otras pancakes de comida para perros. En serio! Puso los kibbles en la licuadora hasta convirtieron a un tipo de harina.

Pienso que mi mamá me quiere mucho. Y, la familia que quiere adoptarme le dijo a mamá que no tiene problemas con cocinarme pancakes :) Perfecto. Cuando sea grande, quiero ser gorda.

Hoy, recibí otro baño. No me gustaba el agua, pero disfruté el masaje con jabón. Después de bañar, corrí como loca alrededor la casa...comí otra vez, tiré mis juguetes, y ladré por primera vez (quería jugar con mis gatos...).

Mi juego favorito el día de hoy ha sido seguir a mi mamá en la casa, y cuando ella me da cuenta....corro a mi cama rápidamente. Pienso que este juego es muy divertido. Oh! Y a veces, mi mamá se esconde y me voy para encontrarla...y cuando la veo, corro a mi cama. Me gusta mucho correr a mi cama.

Todavía no he hecho mis cosas en el patio...ayer, el hombre de mi mamá quería dar(me) un paseo...
Discúlpame, pero...no voy a caminar a ninguna parte. Especialmente en la nieve. Y hoy, estaba muy distraída por las ardillas y los pájaros. Mi mamá ha construido otro plan, pero no va a funcionar. Nunca voy a usar el baño en la nieve.

Nunca. Me oyes? Bueno.

Le envié una foto a Bali. Mis padres no quieren que tenga novio pero...ya he tenido 30 perritos. Puedo hacer lo que quiera.

Hasta mañana,
Rosi, Rosa, Rosalia, Rosalina, Rosalinda, Linda Rosa, Rosa Chica, Chiquiturri, Chiquinina, Chiquilina.

Hey Again, 

In the week that I've been here, I've put my parents through a food saga. I basically hate everything they give me. I'll like something for about 3 minutes, but then I never want that food again. I have most enjoyed the kibbles they have here, but I have no teeth and it's hard to eat them. But this morning, my people were making pancakes and they smelled soooo good. I just wanted one so badly! So, my mom gave me a little bit of pancake and I loved it.

She knows that people food isn't really good for me, so she must really love me because she used the food processor to blend up my kibbles in a flour, which she then turned into a pancake. I ate it so fast! I could get used to a lifetime of pancakes (although I have a feeling they're going to try and ween me into some more natural form of dog food)...but really, my life's goal is to grow up and be fat.

Pancakes would be great for that.

Oh, today...I got another bath. I smell like peppermint...
I don't really like bathing, the water hose they use - despite being nice, warm water - makes me a little nervous. However, I am a big fan of being lathered up in soap. After my bath was over, I ran around the house super happy and crazy, and then threw all my toys, ate a little bit, tried to play with my cats and then .....

I barked for the first time (and only time).

My people are taking this to mean that I'm comfortable here...but I don't want them to think I'm too comfortable...then they might stop spoiling me. I can't take any chances, which is why I do super cute things like playing games with my mama.

Today's favorite game has been following her wherever she goes, and then when she turns around I run really really fast back to my bed. Also, she wanted to play hide and seek with me today...and so I'd come find her, and then when I did I'd get scared and run really, really fast back to my bed. I think the game I actually like to play is "run back to the bed as fast as I can."

I still haven't managed to use the bathroom outside. They keep trying, but I keep refusing. They've concocted a new plan...and I'm afraid it might work. But can you blame me for resisting? I never, ever want to use the bathroom in the snow. Ever. Would you?

Also, today...I sent a photo of myself to my Oaxacan boyfriend, Bali.

Until tomorrow, 
Rosa.