I wanted to do hoodrat things...

Yeah so I hadn't planned to blog until I saw this shit HERE:

http://www.cnn.com/video/?/video/us/2008/04/26/pkg.seven.stolen.car.wpbf

What in the HELL is wrong with children nowadays? Even more so...what in the hell is wrong with parents to not beat the SHIT outta children who do things like this? Ok, now I get it...you shouldn't "whip" your children for just any ol thing b/c I'm the parent who wont hit her children (unless they steal my car and crash it a few times) but dammit I woulda beat this lil boys fat hoodrat ass in FRONNA the cops.

On a serious note though. What makes children do things like this? The lil dough boy said he was mad at his momma so he did it. That makes me wonder what Momma is (or isn't) doing that a child would feel like he has to resort to "hoodrat" shit to get her attention. I would like to pray to hope to think that she's a highly effective parent and is paying her son the most attention possible, but for some reason...I just don't quite believe so. I'm no SAINT of the Parents or anything like that but sheesh.

Anyhow...you know what else just irks the SHIT outta me? People who roll damn stop instead of just stopping at the damn sign. WOO that irritates me so. Like do people get stop and yeild signs mixed up? I can't fathom why anyone would just roll out into on coming traffic like we have magic brakes or something...and can just stop in .2 seconds to keep from crashing into them. Speaking of non driving drivers...I also get QUITE annoyed with people who never bothered to read the manual that teaches you rules of the road. For example: since when do you STOP at a blinking yellow? I mean just stop...sit there...and NOT move. Doesn't a blinking yellow mean proceed with caution? I'd like to think it does. Maybe I'm wrong...ionno.

I'm going to talk about one last rant before I go...(b/c I'm sure no one wants to read a blog full of complaints)...but I can't STAND people who don't respect your space. The funny thing is...Publix must be the breeding ground for these individuals b/c THEY are the ones who have that issue in the worst way. (which reminds me about a story I need to tell about Target) Like why do people think you're supposed to just STAND so close to the person in front of you that they can feel you breathing on the back of their neck?

So I just spent nearly an hour doing something else and lost my train of thought...maybe I'll finish this one later.

G'Day folks!

Lady Doss

P.S. I didn't feel like spell checking either...so...yeah.

A Lover not a Fighter...

Or at least I'd like to think so... but dammit if I haven't woken up for the past two days feeling like I got my ass kicked in my sleep. It's that for real soreness too...you know the kind of sore you get after your first workout of the season? Or that just fell down the steps or had a car accident sore...THAT'S what I feel like. I asked hubby was he the culprit and he said no...I guess I'll have to take his word for it.

Anyhow, today I discovered just how awkward elevator rides with strangers can be. It's like where do you look? You don't want to look at them b/c staring is rude...and you don't want to just stare straight ahead either b/c that looks weird (not to mention our elevator is mirrored so looking forward only promotes staring at the other person). If you look down that screams intimidation...so I mean what do you do? Everyone doesn't want to say good morning (I've learned that the hard way) so I just kinda stand there and pretend something is in my nails or I pretend text on my BB. It's worked so far. *shrug* Which reminds me...and ya'll KNOW how bad I hate this. WHY do people stand directly in front of the door waiting on the elevator? Even deeper...WHY do they stare at me for standing to the side and peeking in before I walk in? I mean I don't want to run anyone over that's trying to get off...I'd like to think most people want to extend that same courtesy...but apparently not.

Somethings...like that...I'll just never understand.

G'Day folks,

Lady Doss

"Excuse me? Shut the hell up please. Thanks"

Have you ever just come across somebody you wanted to shut the hell up? Well I know EYE have. So this weekend hubby and I went away to our chalet in Gatlinburg, TN. It was lovely and we had a great weekend, but there was one moment when I just wanted to ask some of my counterparts to shut the hell up. As you all may know, Gatlinburg isn't exactly the "african american mecca" or anything like that so that means WE all stick out. I'd like to think that we arent elitists but sometimes I'm just like..."wow, we reealllly don't fit in." For example, there happened to be 4 black couples in line for the chair lift. 3 of those couples were together...and there was us. Ok fine...UNTIL we started the ascent up the mountain. All of a sudden we hear "huh? what? go go go" (kind of like rap music) I'm like...oooooo boy here WE go. Hubby and I try to pretend we don't hear the madness and see the stares from people (b/c of course they assumed we were all together). THEN, one of the 'ladies' yells "Oooh gurl if I fall my baby gone get a buncha munni." WHY do our people act like this? For fear of sounding Bill Cosby'ish I'll hush and not go on about it...but I'm really confused on how the "class proportions" were divided when we were born. I mean what makes some of us sit up straight at the table and others slouch and sit with their legs open? Why do some people think it's ok to have red and yellow hair and others wouldn't be caught dead with anything other than brown or black hair? I know you can say "oh it's the culture you grew up in" or whatever, but I don't buy it. Why? I grew up in the ghetto too...and I adopted the "do better" philosophy. *shrug*

I had some reallllly interesting things to type about and in putting the kids to bed I totally forgot. Maybe tomorrow.

G'Night Folks,

Lady Doss

How much can one take?

I'm not sure why I chose that title for today's blog but I did. So where should I start? I would go back and see when the last time I blogged and start from there, but that would require me to go back out of this window, etc and I'm just not going to do it. At any rate:

I had jury duty wed- friday of last week. I know I know...most people groan at the thought of even having to show up to potentially be picked but I didn't. I actually WANTED to serve on jury duty...but that's b/c I was bitten my the Criminal Justice bug and I have the fever. So I show up on Wednesday bright eyed and bushy tailed ready to do whatever it is jurors do and I sat and waited for a good three hours or so...well no it was more like...2...yeah 2 until they began calling names for jurors. I was juror #24 of #60. I was like "YES!" that means I'm called...it's only 10ish so that means I'll be outta here in a few and I go get my nails and toes done. WRONG! Boy was I WRONG! Little did I know, I'd be there until 7 PM...yup 7 o'damn clock. (in the NIGHT...and yes I said in the night.) Law & Order never shows you just how a jury is selected for a criminal trial. For those of you who have never served here's an eye opener:

1. 60 potential jurors are called to report to whatever courtroom they choose.
2. All 60 of you (well 59 in our case, I'll get to that later) are polled in a group. Different questions are asked to determine potential biases, etc.
3. THEN, each of you (yes 1-60) are polled individually by the prosecutor, defense, and judge privately...(is that redundant, individually privately? well no...I don't think so...anyhow) AFTER that long drawn out process. ...
4. The jurors are selected. Now it doesn't sound as painful as it was...but 60 people at 10-15 minutes a piece is a LONG ass time.

OH, and if you're summonsed (is that right?) please just serve your time and move on...don't be like juror #37 (hence the 59 of us and not 60) and show up, sign in, and sneak out....This idiot showed up, watched the orientation video and dipped the hell out. Now that might've worked in high school...or even in college...but don't try it at the Fulton County Superior courthouse. This dude couldn't have been the brightest of the bunch b/c he left and went HOME. The judge ordered the bailiff to go get him and bring him back. Sure enough about a hour or so later he was ushered into the courtroom in handcuffs. The judge brought all of us in the courtroom for his hearing and it was CLEAR that he didn't have it all upstairs. The judge was like "what gives you the right to just leave?" He said "the video told me to" Say what now?!? So after a few rounds of questions the judge says, "well you have to serve...where you serve is entirely up to you." He goes..."which one is the best?" Clearly irritated the judge said "it's up to you...I'm neutral" The guy shook his head and proceeded to sit his ass down. I guess his choice was to sit through jury duty and not do it in a holding cell.

So back to the case. (now that it's over I can openly discuss it...) For those of you that know me, you'll see why this case was a really...what's the word? It was just really...a "wow" for me.

A 6 year old little girl named Erin* goes to her grandmother's house on the weekends while her mother works 3rs shift. While sleeping, Erin's grandmother's boyfriend James comes into the room to "check on her." One day his "check on her" becomes "curiosity" and he touches Erin while putting the covers over her (or taking them off...he told more than one version). Erin, a scared little girl, allows this to go on until one day she confides in an older cousin. The older cousin instructs Erin to tell someone what's happening to her...she does...and the roller coaster begins.

According to James he was only putting the covers on her...and when asked by the detectives why he "may have touched her buttocks" he stated he was "curious." While hard to hear...and even harder to swallow, I remained impartial and listened to all evidence in the case (as hard as it was). The deal breaker for me was when the grandmother took the stand (in defense of her "man") and testified that her granddaughter Erin and her mother were "some liars" and she "never" left Erin alone in the house with James. She even went on to say that her relationship with Erin was "perfect" and when asked the last time Erin was at her home she replied "ionno, it's been a while." The DA asked, " some days, weeks, months, years?" Granny replied "years."

I cried all the way home that night...why? Well my name is Lady Doss, and as a girl I was molested by my grandmother's husband...I, like Erin, waiting years before telling anyone what happened...only Erin had the resources to face her predator and put him away for a long time. I never know why I didn't get the same chance, but I have a feeling it had a lot to do with my grandmother who "never" left me alone with him and told authorities we had the "perfect" relationship. I also can hear her saying "Lady Doss' and her momma are some liars..." but I'll never know.

Again as God would have it...I was elected jury foreperson...and after around 2 hours of deliberation we found him guilty on all three charges (Child Molestation; Aggravated Sexual Assault; & Sexual Assault). While reading the verdict to the perp he didn't even flinch, he never once looked me in the eye...as if he was ashamed of what he'd done. Although hard, it was therapeutic. I lived THROUGH Erin, through her courage to testify, through her strength to carry on...and Erin, now 14, will never know how much her life influenced mine. Reading that verdict was closure in a sense for me...b/c I never got the chance to tell my attacker he was guilty (although I'm sure I can...since he and my grandmother are living a proverbial "happily ever after" to this day).

I didn't write this blog for pity or I'm sorrys...I just hope that in so much as Erin helped me...I can help someone else.

This shit is real...as real as it can get. I changed the victims name to Erin so that she could have some kind of real life after all of this...but James well I pray that he is rehabilitated while he serves his time. I honestly do. I wanted so much for the evidence not to point to his guilt b/c I know first hand how allegations like this can destroy a family unit...hence my NEVER going back "home" unless by force.

With that being said...

G'Day folks,

Lady Doss