Going Solo

I thought when my husband moved out I was ready. We have lived apart before. Our relationship was barely civil. Everyone was avoiding each other. He was miserable and so was I. Our son just retreated from us both.

He came by today to grab some musical equipment. Off teaching guitar to our nephew. He hadn’t been showing much interest in playing music (with me, anyway) so I guess it is bittersweet to see. I can feel him pulling away. I know he’s thinking about moving on, more than coming back. I think he’s happier.

And the loneliness is setting in. We just had our 22nd anniversary, so just the thought of starting over seems strange. Being single. Dating? Probably not. Although I get a lot of attention from younger men, and I like that, I am not ready for more than a booty call. I don’t mind being the MILF at the grocery store or wherever, getting a second look or a comment. Even a phone number. Usually I am surprised, flattered and my ego is fed, but I am going through more reality than these kids could ever handle.

Dylan is looking at least four more months of recovery from his surgery. His moods swing, but he’s almost 17. Surprise. We are communicating and our relationship is good, but he’s also not too worried about what Mom is up to. He’s feeling better, recording his music. Meanwhile, I need to find a job with benefits, but I just can’t think right now.  Trying to get used to Stephen not coming in after work is distracting me. I feel kind of numb and sad. I just feel quiet, and ready to cry a lot.

It’s hard to let go of the only life you’ve ever known. I am used to being half of a team, and even though my wedding ring has been off my finger for awhile, I am not embracing the idea of being single. I guess I am just beginning to accept it.

 

Late Justice For Megan Better Than None

Maybe Megan Meier’s parents will sleep a little better tonight. Maybe, finally, there will be a moment of peace amidst the storm that began with their 13 year-old daughter’s suicide. Death, and I would think the suicide of a child, would naturally alter the lives of the parents. But this case seems more tragic because it was so senseless.

This girl took her life due to the inconceivable acts of an adult, an adult who should have known better… an adult claiming to be looking for gossip, hiding in the vast shadow of the Internet. An adult posing as a an attractive 16 year-old boy named Josh. This boy, who didn’t exist, chatted with Megan nevertheless. He was sweet at first. She developed a crush on this boy. And when “Josh” turned ugly, it was more than the already troubled teenager could bear. It pushed her to kill herself.

Almost everyone with a television has heard about this case by now. Megan’s parents, after a year of keeping silent, waiting and letting investigators do their job, saw that clearly nothing would be done. I remember their media campaign to warn other MySpace users and clueless parents, if nothing else, to be careful.

Now that charges have been brought against Lori Drew, she will finally have to answer for her cruelty. She has already been all but ostracized in her community. And now she has been charged with one count of conspiracy, and a curious three counts of accessing protected computers without authorization to obtain information to inflict emotional distress on the victim. If that means what I think it does, she went to a lot of trouble to play around with this young girl’s mind. There may be a lot more to the story than we know.

Time and a prosecution will bring out all the details, and I hope Lori Drew pays for her premeditated, irresponsible and deadly actions. Most of all though, like Megan’s parents, I hope it serves as a warning and a deterrent. Internet harassment is rampant, especially among teens, who use it as just another form of bullying. Maybe this will begin a dialogue on how this kind of harassment can be stopped.

There should never be another young girl who hangs herself in her closet. Especially because someone told her the world would be better off without her. While the world is not better without Megan Meier, in some way, maybe she can save someone else.

Rest in peace, Megan.

 

Forecast: HOT!! Bobby Van D Got A Haircut!

There is an eye-candy warning in our area… CNN’s Morning Express with the diva of cheer, Robin Meade, caught my attention today. And it wasn’t because I was checking out her pendant… which was beautiful, by the way.

No, this morning, Ms. Meade’s pendant had to take a backseat to Bob Van Dillon’s haircut. I was walking by the TV, caught a glimpse of gorgeous Bob in that short, spiky military cut and literally stopped whatever I was doing. He might have been talking about the weather. I don’t know.

Against that blue shirt, his red tie was busy …  we all know how blue and red look together on TV! It was like Japanese animation… (I could have had a seizure.) Then again, the fact that he was sans coat, which I prefer, made up for it.

The hot weatherman (and the occasionally hot anchorman) trend is distracting in a way that makes me understand how my husband can listen to Robin for an entire 30 minutes and not comprehend ONE news story. CNN knows this, and ensures our viewership as we all swear to ourselves we will PAY ATTENTION the next time that certain story (or forecast) comes around.

The Weather Channel depends on Jim Cantore to bring in all their female viewers… (if there is another hot weatherman on there, I missed him. Someone clue me in!) According to the internet searches I track with this blog, every day at least two people do a search for a shirtless Jim Cantore. It might be wise for The Weather Channel to just oil him up, clip that mic to his nipple and watch the ratings soar.

I mean, even though he is fully dressed, I have seen Bob’s forecast three times so far this morning, but I still don’t know if it’s gonna rain. All I know is if it does, his hair will still look damn good.