On the walk home today

The cuter half and I took a walk.
We decided to move our chubby butts to the farmers market in town. We forgot out bags, we didn't have a car, it was hot AND the best part- by walking we KNEW we would find something we wanted to buy that would be too heavy to carry home.

WE were consciously NOT buying things that were heavy- the sugar snap peas and the lettuce were no brainers and extremely light weight.

I realized how out of shape I am....I had to stop going there and coming home. Me. I had to stop....I used to walk from one end of town to the other with NO problem and I could barely make it into town. Good thing we are dieting and doing a bit of jogging or we would both drop over dead next time we have to lift Troubles.

This is Troubles after grooming today.

 

 

 

Yes, Troubles is on a diet too. He is a chubbo and really needs to drop the pounds.

 

 

ANYHOW, on the walk home today the cuter half and I were crossing the street and we obviously walked by some "spectrumites" who were being very safe and making certain the car came to a complete and total stop at a stop sign. Really there is nothing wrong with doing that - much safer than we were....and we were walking and going to go to get home (before I expired from the heat).

 

It sort of struck me that the boy, even now that his life has changed....he is not walking into town with friends. The cuter half and I have offered to go with him but he really doesn't want to be seen with us- we are parents and totally NOT cool.

He is still not really settled I suppose. He has a friend, and she is great...she has become part of the family. BUT she has a life of her own and she needs that life. It is her life....and we are a small part of what and who she is and you know what that is OK. I had to explain to the boy that his friend had other friends and she has to spend time with them as well. He is not the only one that she hangs out with. IT is hard for him, because as hard as he tries the unscheduled hanging out friends are just not something that is available to him. I told him today that he can put on his earbuds and go for a walk or run and just be. He won't be lonely because he is listening to a book and he won't have to think because he has something to do while out walking around.

 

What really got me thinking about this was  a 20/20 program about robbery. It went into how robbers choose homes to burgle. Most Americans, most people don't know their neighbors. We are friends with one family, and probably acquaintances with the rest. So realistically how can we expect our Aspie kids to have friends or hang out when we don't know our neighbors? We certainly don't socialize w most of them and we rarely see them outside of their homes....

 

I will be frank, I don't plan on knowing the rest of our neighbors. I have a good reason.

The McMansions across the way were flooding out our houses about 4+ years back and we were informed that our houses needed to be torn down anyway so who cared. Their basements were full of water- UM our floor joists are covered and we are going to loose our houses- Assholes (oops there went the no swearing).

 

Now-a-days, the cuter half and I go out of our way to be "trashy and flashy" - Similar to Trailer Park Tycoon (a favored computer game). Which is always a great way to be when wanting to please the other neighbors - although we do prefer real flowers to the silk ones the lady down the street uses (she thinks our yard is a mess). We have planted a LOT of flowers in the front and the back yard. Flowers and plants drink up WAY more water than grass does and will prevent flooding. SO we have flowers, small re-growing plants...."daffydowndillies", yucca, cactus, roses, iris, peonies, violets, four o' clocks, lilly-of-the-valley and just about anything else you can think of.
All in the name of flood protection....and we get some darn nice flowers and a cottage garden style out of it- which goes with the house....it looks pretty.

 

These are (real) flowers from our garden.

 

Anyway all these great thoughts running through my mind - then we start watching "Wife Swap" Joan and Melissa Rivers were on with Bristol and Willow Palin. I never really liked Joan or Melissa much, I can't afford the ritzy clothes and I don't really care if someone is tacky....although some of the comments they make are amusing. Bristol didn't seem very interested and refused to go on Joan's show. It came out that Willow had gone to hairdressing school and was back living with her sister in Alaska (common knowledge). Maybe I am wrong, but it seems like she is really talented but kind of insecure....which really for her age is typical. She doesn't want to come across as being a user or using her Mom's name or something- I get that. Maybe it is because I am constantly pushing the boy outside his comfort zone that I wish Willow would have taken Melissa up on her offer of the hair thing....I think it would have been fun and you know what, no one would have let her screw it up....but the thing is getting out of their comfort zone....we all need to do it all the time.

I should do it more. but I don't I either just won't or I am tired or I just don't want to.

 

After watching Bristol and Willow then I got frustrated; I left the room to come and organize my scattered thoughts. Whcih then naturally I end up typing up a whole blog and not a whole lot of it has to do with Aspergers....

 

Which should explain WHY I don't watch regualr TV more often.