On the Move

I've been gone for WAY too long.  The Dixie Chick's song Long Time Gone has been popping up in my head every time I think about how it's been SO LONG since I have posted on Ginger Riott.  It makes me sad.  One that I haven't written in so long, and two that I have a Dixie Chick song stuck in my head. 

We've been really busy around here.  The movers came and packed up nearly everything we own, and in six days we're leaving for Michigan!  I haven't lived in Michigan in eight years so it's going to be a big change.  I'm not sure I'm ready for the drama that comes with a small town and living just minutes from my husband's entire family.  Last time I lived there I was 18, and drama was when the guy I liked posted on MySpace that gingers are nymphos and my mom making us salads on pizza night. 

There are a lot of things I am looking forward to.  One is not carrying groceries and kids up four flights of stairs everyday.  (The housing office rejected my requests to install a pulley system or escalator off my balcony.)  I'm also slightly obsessed with planning out how our next home is going to look.  I love to plan it out, but then there's all this painting and sanding and other crap that gets in my way of napping.

I haven't lived in Michigan since 2005 which means I left the country with a Republican president in office, Oprah on TV everyday at four o'clock and being able to fill my gas tank on $20.  I'm slowly turning myself into a walking meme of the "good old days". 

But for today, and the next five days, the girls and I are going to live it up in style and watching Brave, because it's the best Disney movie made, next to The Little Mermaid and Who Framed Roger Rabbit. 

 

I can't put my finger on what it is about these movies I like. ;-)

 

 

This is how we will be living it up, exactly.

 

 

The United States v. Windsor

Warning:  Today I am giving my opinion on Prop 8 and gay marriage.  If you are for gay marriage, keep reading.  If you are against gay marriage, keep reading.  There is no hate here.  This is how I feel.  I honor your feelings and opinions even if they aren’t the same as mine.  I have friends and family who are on both sides of the fence on this issue, and I love and care for them all the same.  It’s not my business to think for them. 

Today has been gay.  And by gay I mean happy, and by happy I mean the gay community is about to throw a party that only they can.  The Supreme Court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA); which stated that if you have matching body parts you can’t possibly be a real family.  Just hours after the decision was made, I was asked to “unlike” a friend’s Facebook page because anyone who tolerates others obviously isn’t a friend of theirs.   (AKA they believe that a marriage is only valid between a man and a woman, and don’t want to associate themselves who disagree.  Of all of the reasons to distance yourself from a redhead, I always assumed it would have been for personal safety.

Anyway, if you are unfamiliar with the case, here is the quick and dirty.  The very beautiful Edie Windsor challenged the Supreme Court when she was expected to pay taxes on the property she shared with her late wife Thea Spyer, to whom she had legally married.  After more than 40 years together, the United States asked for upwards of $363,000 in federal estate taxes.  Had the couple been seen as a legal pair, they would have been protected under the unlimited spousal deduction and wouldn’t have been required to pay federal estate taxes. 

Photo by Andy Ryan and Out.com

I believe that everyone has the right to the pursuit of happiness, and this includes marrying whomever you choose.  I also believe that I don’t have the right to pass judgment on anyone else.  I mean I DO, but usually it’s restricted to the people of Wal-Mart, people who take food stamps out of their Gucci, and people who don’t have red hair.  But beyond that, I can’t tell anyone who to love.  

I was excited about the court’s ruling so I told my five year old daughter, Shylee.

Me:  Guess what!  Gay Americans had a great day in court today!

Shylee:  What does that mean?

Me:  Well, men can be married to men and women can be married to women.

Shylee:  Yeah and kids can be married to adults!

Me:  No... no that is still very illegal.  Let’s not talk about that.

 

In other news, if you type “homosexuality” into Google, the search bar turns fabulous!

 

10,000 Page View Challenge!

Today I’m excited to announce the 10,000 Page View Challenge! 

 

 

 

First let’s talk about the prizes!  The first place winner will receive by email a $50 gift card and public announcement!  Second place winner will receive by email a $20 gift card by email and public announcement, and the third place winner gets to pick my next blog topic.  It can be ANYTHING.  Think there is something hilarious or just really awkward out there?  Now is your chance to make me do your dirty work and write a blog post about it! 

So what do you have to do to get these sweet prizes?  Shoot a ginger!  That’s right, find your favorite ginger (besides me) and take a picture of them doing something awesome, funny, awkward, or whatever will bring a smile to the other Riotter’s faces!  Think outside the box and have a great time interacting with the coolest people on the planet! ;-)

 

 

Now let’s talk about the rules.

Rule 1:  Never talk about Fight Club.

Rule 2:  If you are my parent or my spouse, you are not eligible for the prizes, but feel free to send in pictures anyway!

Rule 3: There’s no limit to the number of great ginger photos you can send in!  Send in one, or send in 20.  I’ll check them all out and share them with everyone.

 

Rule 4:  This is my blog, so if you send me something retarded, I reserve the right to pretend like I never got your email.  But remember, if you take a photo your mom wouldn’t be proud of, send it in anyway, because I’m not your momma!

The 10,000 Page View Challenge begins as soon as you read this, and will end August 1^st, when I will announce who won some cash and bragging rights. 

Don’t kick a ginger, get out there and shoot them (with a camera and with their permission)!

Please send in all entries to MyGingerRiott@gmail.com  Yay!!!

 

Growing and Changing

I feel like I have done so much growing in the last couple of years.  If you would have asked me three years ago what today would look like, I would have never guessed that it would look like it does now.  My Air Force career ended with a medical discharge, we were blessed with a baby that we were not trying for (not even a little bit), and my husband decided to hang up his Air Force boots for farmer's boots.  And of course, the My Ginger Riott blog is here. 

So we are closing this chapter of our lives and opening the next.  Next to me are boxes of stuffed animals and bags of clothes that need to be taken to the thrift store as we down-size in preparation for the movers to come next month. 

It’s exciting and with all of these changes I really feel like I am on the path I was supposed to be on.  That hasn’t exactly been the case in the past.  I feel like I was always wondering what my purpose was and had that feeling of, “Is this all there is for me?”  Now I am excited and can’t wait to see what’s next!

So what is next?  This blog is changing!  We are about to embark on 10,000 page views.  That is incredible!  Honestly when I started it, I assumed my mom would be the only one to read it.  And with the first 10,000 page views comes the first Ginger Challenge.  I will give the details when we actually hit that number, but here’s a hint...it includes a nice cash prize!

I got an email from a company saying that they have seen my blog, and are mailing me one of their products to review.  I also have some ideas for a vlog channel and maybe even a book one day, so stay tuned for all those happenings to be happening. 

What are you guys thinking?  Send me an email, or comment below on any questions you may have, or what you would like to see as My Ginger Riott evolves.  And thank you once again for all of the support!!!

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