Almost Arrested

I was almost arrested for assaulting a woman today.

I arrived at the medical plaza at 7AM this (Saturday) morning to do some drywall work in the off hours. I had a key and the alarm code for the office to get in.

There was a group of abortion protesters from a local Christian pregnancy and adoption clinic on the sidewalk with some typical signs "God is Right, Abortion is Wrong" kinds of stuff. They were yelling at people as they drove into the parking lot "YOU"RE GOING TO REGRET GETTING AN ABORTION!" "DON'T KILL YOUR BABY!". I don't go for that approach myself, but I also don't begrudge them their zeal and guts and dedication. I drove to the fourth floor of the parking garage and looked down. I saw a Hispanic couple who was sitting on a bench in front of the plaza waiting for it to open. They went over to the protesters take some literature and went back to a little park bench in front of the clinic. I took some tools in to the job and looked down again... they were obviously in a conversation.

I got in my truck and drove down to the curb and got out. I walked up to the couple and asked "Se habla English?" The woman said, "No." Her boyfriend said "No mucho." I said, "Yo tengo un pocito de Espanol" (I have a little Spanish). I pulled out my wallet and showed her a picture of two kids. "Son mis ninos...These are my kids". ... "Sus madre no es mi esposa, es una otra mujer", their mother is not my wife, it is another woman". She looked puzzled. I said, "No abortion, estan mis ninos ahora...adoption..." "No abortion, they are my kids now, adoption". Her boyfriend got it and started talking to her. I got a little of what he said. I said, "Son muchas personas que quieren ninos...., there are a lot of people who want children." I poked her side with my finger and said, "Tiene un bebe aqui... no abortion, adoption por favor, sabe?... You have a baby here, please, no abortion, adoption, understand?" She looked at me and said "Si, gracias." I folded up my wallet and said "Gracias, adios," and drove back up to the fourth floor and went to work.

An hour later I heard someone in the office. "Anyone working here?" I looked up and it was two police officers. They asked me for my name, who I was working for etc. I said, "Did I trip the alarm... I have the code and keys to the office...."
"No," they said, "Did you talk to a couple downstairs?" I said yes. "What about?"
"I showed them pictures of my adopted kids and talked to them about adoption instead of abortion."
"Did you touch the woman?"
"Yes, I touched her and said you have a baby there."
"Do you know those people down there?" (Meaning the protesters).
"No, I'm not part of that group, I don't know them."
"Then why did you do that?"
"I don't know. I've never done that before. I just saw them take literature from them and they were obviously talking about it, so I went down and told them adoption was an option."
"The doctor wants you arrested for interfering with her practice, trespassing and assault on her client. You DID touch her."
"Oh. I'm sure she's upset."
"Well, you're not trespassing because you are working here, but you know we could arrest you and take you away for assault. That's what she wants."
"I'm sorry. I don't know what to say. I guess it was a bad move, huh?"
"Yeah, very bad.... how long will it take you to finish your job and get out of here?"
"Two hours tops."
"Then finish and leave. DO NOT talk to anyone, stop, or even look at anyone. And if we ever see you here again you'll be arrested. What's your boss' number, we'll have to call him...and what's your number in case the doctor wants to press charges. And by the way, your friends on the sidewalk are gone, they didn't have a permit to be out there."
"OK. Thanks for letting me finish. I'll be done as quick as I can."

So I've inadvertently joined the ranks of abortion protesters. I'll never know on this side of eternity if the couple followed through with their "Family Planning" or went to the Free Clinic.
It cost me a contract to show my kids' pictures to some strangers who were thinking about killing their baby. If she presses charges, there's worse things I could have a police record for, I guess. In the end, it isn't a bad trade off.

Another One Launches

My oldest daughter, Brittany walked at University of Arizona with the Department of Political Science after five years of carrying a full load of classes, working two jobs and taking two Spanish classes at once to complete her language requirement this semester.

.....At least we THINK she did.

The GPS photo taken from the nosebleed section of the Tucson Convention Center is being sent to the CIA for computer digital photo enhancement to verify that this is indeed her carrying an unidentified piece of paper (possibly a suicide note if her name is not called) and under the small red postage stamp poster below.






This is the proud grad with friends. We realize she could have mugged a real grad in the bathroom and stolen the gown to meet us outside the arena after the ceremony. No police reports of such an event were published so we think that was really her walking.


At any rate, she got a lot of cool stuff and got to drink some beer and eat good bar food.... well, she doesn't drink beer, but we got to, in honor of the accomplishment. Any excuse works to go to Chuy's.

So, what does a Poly Sci major do after graduation? I took some pictures after our last UofA graduation.....But, we'll see. For now, its all good.

Do I Smell Something Burning?

David tagged me as a "Thinking Blogger"...
So I have to come to one of two conclusions, either his threshold for what causes him to "think" is pretty low, or the blogosphere has lowered the collective concept of what passes for depth, or the meme has pretty much gone around the world and people are scraping for a list of 5 blogs that have already not been tagged, or.... no, one of THREE conclusions. Ummm... wait, make that one of FOUR... Blogging has replaced thinking as a sign of existence...I blog, therefore I think I am.

At any rate, I don't actually blog much, and I don't do much "thinking" on my blog, its more a journal of life, work, dogs, death, turtles , family events, observations about life, some minor philosophizing, some cool pictures I took, some rants, and stories. I started out thinking I would think on my blog, but I think pictures of Chinese hats, my dogs and framing octagonal ceilings is sometimes a lot more interesting than what I think about contemporary issues. Anyway... thanks David, you're easily entertained! :)

I guess you have to put this in your blog if you acknowledge you've been tagged, so here it is.
After I post the "rules", I'll list my 5 thinking blogs in no particular order of thought provoktion (is that a word?).

Rules for this:

1. If, and only if, you get tagged, write a post with links to 5 blogs that make you think;
2. Link to this post [already done above -- Me.] so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme;
3. Optional: Proudly display the 'Thinking Blogger Award' with a link to the post that you wrote (here is an alternative silver version if gold doesn't fit your blog).

Now is it optional to display the Award proudly, or is it optional to display it even if you don't do it proudly? I'm so confused by misplaced modifiers and fuzzy instructions. This reminds me of the OCA rubrics book for services. ANYWAY....

5 blogs I visit when I'm tripping the blogosphere fantastic: (I'm avoiding redundancy of listing blogs that have probably been tagged by the 24,289 other Orthodox bloggers...)
http://www.this-side-of-glory.com/
http://lifeingrace.blogspot.com/
http://hispaniasancta.blogspot.com/
http://www.wittenberghall.com/
http://benedictseraphim.wordpress.com/
http://orrologion.blogspot.com/index.html

SIX blogs....

...and here is the picture of the finished octagonal ceiling in the laundry room that everyone has been waiting for... VERY nice chandelier, 4 recessed lights, ambiance rope light behind reversed crown molding around the bottom... two shots, one in the dark and one in the light.


and heck, just another cool picture I took on my way home from work