Zeus was messing around in the sky last night.

[stoney321]

Amazing thunderstorm last night, with lightning so bright I could read without switching on a light at times. Awesome. It has been so hot and dry out here that it was most welcomed. You know how at the height of summer the light is too bright? The complete lack of moisture in the air leaves everything looking over exposed? And then the ground cracks, and the trees wilt, and everything just looks super harsh. That's how it's been for a week here (and we're only into June!) I love how you can practically hear things growing after it rains.

HEY LET'S TALK WEATHER DON'T YOU ALL LOVE THAT? lol. No, no you do not.

For those tracking such things, my recap of the Jersey Housewives is up (with pictures!) and the Hoarders recap will be up in an hour - I have to eat some lunch first. [ETA] Mel's Bachelorette post is now live! And HOARDERS is up as well.

This morning at Emily's swim training (which has four other classes happening simultaneously from babies to the advanced stroke lessons - what we're doing) my BIGGEST PROBLEM WITH HUMANITY happened.

Baby swim is next to Emily's class. One mom evidently has two babies, maybe a year apart. Older baby and she are in the water in their class, and the little baby (less than 4 months old) is in his car seat OUTSIDE IN TEXAS IN JUNE about two feet from the water's edge. This facility is outdoors, as most pools are here, because it's hot 15 months out of the year.

I hear that horrible screaming babies work up to when it's bad. (Note: I do not hate babies. I happen to LOOOOVE babies. That sound is awful to me because I want to OMG FIX THINGS for them and make them happy.) After a few minutes, my stress levels are through the roof. I can't see any adult near that baby, the lifeguard is scanning the crowd, and I know that if I don't do anything, I'm going to hate myself.

I go to the baby, pet his little bare feet (he's in a flannel jumper for crissakes. Again, TEXAS. JUNE.) and pat him, cooing to him, trying to calm him. It works for a bit, but then he starts up again, and I know he needs to be held or something is pinching him in his clothes, he's starving, but... ack! Finally, the mom swims over holding the other baby and tells me, "He's fine."

"No, he's really not," I laughed despairingly.

"He's. Fine." And she gives me that "don't touch my baby!" look. (Hey, in some cases, I would react the same. But not when my child is SCREAMING. And I am so far from "stranger danger" looking it's not even funny. UGH.)

Well, okay then! I left the baby and sat down about two feet away, watching. And of course he winds back up again. OH THAT SOUND IS SO AWFUL TO ME!! Two other moms came over asking what was what (maybe thinking it was my kid? IDK.) and then two toddlers wandered past me, getting awfully close to the water's edge, so I spent the whole lesson watching other people's kids. GOD PEOPLE SUCK. I just can't imagine. And guys, I'm not that nervous mom-type AT ALL. I think kids should scrape their knees, get sick, etc. But POOLS + BABIES = what is WRONG with you!?

Ugh. I'm still stressed about it. Mostly I just feel badly for those kids. Boo.

I need to read some happy stories today to get my mind off it, I think. :( Feel free to rec me epic love stories (no twee, cutesy OOC stuff, please) that involve Kurt/Blaine. (Um, no AU Little Mermaid stuff either, please. Wow. That's uh, not my thing.)

Comments

[ladycyndra.livejournal.com]

THAT MOTHER MAKES ME RAGE!! What the actual FUCK??? ARG!!! *foams*

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

It was just bizarre. Like, maybe she's from another culture bizarre.

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

That poor baby!

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

I WAS JUST HORRIFIED. OMG, it is just... BABY. CRYING. How can anyone hear that and not feel distressed?!

[rocketlaunching.livejournal.com]

because it's hot 15 months out of the year

I see what you did there.

You're a much better person than I am. I would probably have gotten myself kicked out for screaming at her like a lunatic. This is why I feel like there should be some kind of litmus test before you procreate.

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

LOL.

I totally agree that there should be a test before being allowed babies. UGH.

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

Well, two other moms came over to help me keep watch, and the lifeguard couldn't leave her post, but yeah - why was I the ONLY ONE that tried to comfort it?! Stupid people.

[dovil.livejournal.com]

I still remember that thunder storm that time when - seriously though, it was crazy, I've never seen anything like it before in my life. You're storms are Texas Tough.

UGH about the kids. I've seen things like that before. It's fundamentally depressing on so many levels it's not funny. I wish more people would make the decision not to have children.

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

Oh, right, we had storms when you were here!

It's just something that hits my core. I mean, I love MY kids, not really other people's, but crying babies is something I cannot abide. I'm pretty good about being able to soothe anyone's kid, too. (Combination of pillow over the face and chloroform, shh, it's a secret!)

[dovil.livejournal.com]

You are storms are texas tough? What? I'm so tragic.

That someone can not just listen to a baby cry in distress and not want to instinctively act is obscene. That it's own PARENT doesn't, that's just...ugh I have no words.

When you smother them you can no longer hear their cries, it works well for everyone.

[ann1962]

People are stupid. My almost daily mantra. Happened to me once, where I pretty much ran around the side of a pool to catch a young child from falling in. The mom was right there too, but not watching. I could see it about to happen and jumped up. She thanked me, but really didn't see the problem.

We shouldn't have to do this, you know. Poor little ones.

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

UGH, when they're baffled at your concern! HELLO, TODDLER, WATER, DROWN! Ugh.

I hate parenting other people's kids. HATE. Poor babies, indeed.

[icewolf010.livejournal.com]

That's not just stupid. That's honking dangerous, as I know you know.

I'd call CPS (or your equivalent) if I ever saw it happen again.

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

I failed to mention that she tossed me a "Thanks!" as she left later. Which was... weird. Like how you thank someone for catching a door, not, you know, their CHILD. Bizarre lady.

[alittleacademe.livejournal.com]

People are so fucking stupid and irresponsible. Similar story from my childhood: my cousins and I all have pale, pale skin, and, on my dad's side, a family history of skincare. Ergo, my parents were always uber-cautious about sun exposure when I was little - sunblock, hats, t-shirts, etc.

My eldest cousin (dad's brother's kid) is about two years younger than me, baby when I was a toddler. We were all my grandparents' house one day, people were in the garden in the morning. My aunt left my cousin in a baby seat in the shade of a tree. My mum started to get concerned - it wasn't full shade, just dappled - there were patches of sun on the baby, changing as the breeze blew, but always a little bit at least. It was midsummer. She asked gently a few times - as did my grandmother - if Hannah was okay there, was it enough shade. My aunt got VERY huffy, my uncle didn't seem to think it was a problem, my mum was taking me down to the beach anyway, thought wtf, not her baby, but went out after saying that in her opinion, it was NOT OKAY, it was only partial shade, it wouldn't be all right.

Fast-forward to this evening, we come back, oh guess what. Six-month-old cousin has painful itchy sunburn from the "shade".

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

Oy, there's also something called REFLECTION, so even if you're under a shade structure, UVAb/B can bounce off the ground/water and give you a sunburn! Ugh. The poor dear.

[ipnotika.livejournal.com]

FLANNEL??? Flannel doesn't belong in Texas period, much less in the middle of summer. And I thought the people who leave their poor dogs in the car on hot days were evil. Okay, they are, but this lady is right up there with them.

UNRELATED: GoT season finale final scene = best television ever

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

I. KNOW. At least they didn't put a hat on his head. UGH. I'll be there tomorrow ready to ROAR at this woman if this happens again.

OH MY GOD RIGHT?!?!?!? So freaking awesome. SO SO GOOD.

[ipnotika.livejournal.com]

I have already re-watched it twice. Seriously, I haven't been this in to a tv show since early Buffy. When's the last time you were actually anxious for the next episode of something??

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

I've been saying that, too! Like, I cannot think of a show that filled me with such need beyond Buffy/Angel. <3 <3 <3

[entrenous88.livejournal.com]

I hate that mother so much right now.

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

J, it was just beyond bizarre. Like, I couldn't shake my unease for HOURS.

[brunettepet.livejournal.com]

I am filled with fury at this selfish, stupid woman.

We didn't get any of that weather. I am despairing ever seeing a below 100 degree day again. *eats mango sorbet and wishes I could take a bath in its frozen tropicalness*

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

She was just crazytown.

Big storms are brewing up again in the west, but I don't know if they'll get over to me. WOE.

Get thee to the store that sells GOYA's frozen mango concentrate and fill up your tub with its fabulousness!

[nijireiki.livejournal.com]

UH, WHAT?

Outside in Florida in June it's damn near unbearable wearing long pants. A baby in flannel, outside, at the POOL (which is A WHOLE WORLD of other fucking issues, not the least of which is filth, fungus, and chemicals)-- Yeah, I turn into an aggressive, pushy heifer, I'm sorry.

...No, I'm not.

But then, my mom also works at the health dept. as a nurse and KICKASS patient advocate, my sister is in an Early Childhood Ed. program, and, as an older sister, I have a tendency to try and be sweet to people until the exact moment when I strike them down with a furious anger. So I would have been a real bitch about notifying authority figures ("I NEED AN ADUUUULT") and wrangling ice from somebody with access to first aid. And then been funky about it if she wouldn't let me make the screaming stop. "Do you want me to check on your baby? ...Okay, do you want me to GET someone who can check on your baby, or do you want me to CALL someone who can check on your baby?"

GAH.

(Also, it's my theory that even if you don't want to make a baby stop screaming out of empathy, your average person would want to make a baby stop just from their own discomfort. Evolution! It's the bee's-knees! *eyeroll*)

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

I like your "DO you want me to get someone, or CALL someone?" option. If she's there tomorrow and does the same stuff, she'll hear that from me. :P

[txvoodoo.livejournal.com]

WTF FLANNEL??

FFS, people suck so much.

They're probably libertarians, too. And if anything happened, they'd be all "WHY AREN'T WE MORE PROTECTED?" /snark

GOOD GOD THIS WEATHER.

[tinkerbell86ca.livejournal.com]

OMG! THAT WOMAN MAKE ME MAAAAD!

My little man (nearly 7 months old!) had his first pool experience today, his daddy held him the entire time.

I am going to go pet my adorable fuzzy kitten who is currently lounging on the floor just begging to be played with to make me feel better.

That woman SUCKS!

[samsom.livejournal.com]

I can't take hearing a baby scream like that without every part of me going "ngggyyyyhhh" - it's ingrained in most of us, I think.

Also that mom should be strapped to the hood of a car while wearing a woolen pantsuit in the middle of a Texas June so she'd understand exactly how NOT comfortable her baby was.

I mean, really. You're baby is screaming...how do you not react to that??

[strtmyorange.livejournal.com]

it's ingrained in most of us, I think

Scientists believe it's why cats have developed a meow that is in a similar frequency and sounds very much like a baby's cry; humans' brains are quick to respond to those sounds. I am not making this up.

[cdvla313.livejournal.com]

Man, we had a toddler screaming so much at Poppins tonight you could hear the child out in the lobby BEHIND TWO DOORS. It sounded like someone was getting stabbed, and it took the mother a little to get her kid out of the theater. It's like, ma'am I know you want to watch the show but your child is screaming to the high heavens. GTFO.

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry, but someone brought a TODDLER TO A MUSICAL? (...were they tourists from Utah?) Sorry, can't get past her going into the theater WITH A BABY.

[cdvla313.livejournal.com]

We get families with toddlers ALL THE TIME. Officially you can't bring in anyone under the age of 4, but the box office doesn't give a crap and just wants to sell tickets, so they'll even sell to infants. We've totally had babies who can't hold their heads up. It's what happens when you work at a Disney musical.

[strtmyorange.livejournal.com]

OMG! I'm right there with you on requiring tests before any body's allowed babies! That just ticks me off! I was taught to swim before I could walk because, HELLO!!! WATER IS DANGEROUS!! It's inexcusable for a parent to be distracted, even for second, when their kids are near water. And that poor, poor baby, out in the sun, on concrete! The mother is teh evil! You are much more civil than I would have been; I would have screamed at her!

[kseenaa.livejournal.com]

That's nuts. That she didn't see that you tried to help. Ah well. Crazy moms and all that. :-P