Happy New Year All!

Sorry for the lack of bloggage, but as usual I have a trillion Christmas photos to edit before posting and am overwhelmed a bit. Also, Ava and I have been extremely distracted by the Electric Company dvd that I got from our local branch of the public library. Seriously? Allen County Public Library Rocks. My. World.
There are plenty of things to be grateful for in the year 2008, but there are a few things going on right now that make that not so easy to see. I am trying to keep a positive attitude and look forward to the continuation of all the blessings bestowed upon us as well as additional blessings for us as well as our friends and family, whether we deserve it or not. As for resolutions, I think I won't make any last minute ones except to be the best I can be and really take the time to enjoy each moment.
That said, I wish all of you the very best in the new year- peace, happiness, prosperity. And the end to the worries you have. Probably most especially that one.

Hey You GUYYYYYYYS!

Yesterday around 5 p.m. the doorbell rang, and before answering I saw an AEP truck in the front. I opened the door to two gentlemen in hard hats (one was Tom's doppleganger!) and was told they were there to put the line back up in the back. I called PJ right away, as he had called Friday then thought better of it since we actually had power and canceled the request. Now our concern was getting the line back up, getting the electrician to re-attach the line to the house (properly this time I hope) and then the ice storm knocking it down and having to pay again. Alas, they said that the line couldn't be down like that, they HAD to put it up. So there they were. They were contractors from out of town- the one that I spoke to (Tom's doppleganger was quiet like Tom!) said he was from Michigan. They had want of nothing-I offered them a restroom, perhaps some coffee, but they declined. The only thing one had need of was a charger for his cell phone as his was at the hotel, but none of the ones in our stash was a match. They had power back on within 20 minutes, and the line is now roped to the old connection (the original one) on the house. We are hoping it sticks.
(The dealings with the electric company made me think of the show- I miss it! And when I found this video, I found myself singing along. You think they have it on dvd somewhere?)

Duh

This evening we enjoyed a delicious meal and delightful company at our friends, P and J's house. When we came home the thermostat registered -0.6 (that's actual temp-not sure what wind chill is). We found a house key left for us between the screen door and the front door, and in my haste to get the front door unlocked, I popped said key into my mouth. I removed the key as quickly as possible as I had horrid visions of that scene in a Christmas Story with the flagpole. My tongue came away pretty much in tact. More updates tomorrow.

Weekend Update

This morning when I went out with Fred, about 7 a.m., it was -19 wind chill. Neg.a.tive nine.teen. The wind has been howling all day, and pieces of ice are blowing off the trees. We didn't get to Sunday school this morning as the car's check engine light was on- low coolant. PJ pulled it into the garage then walked down to the gas station to get more. At least this will get us to the dealer to see if we have a leak. So we will have that expense (as well as a coolant flush I am very certain as the coolant that was in the car was pink and the coolant at the gas station was green and from what I can surmise from the interwebs mixing the two causes gelling which is no bueno) along with the $150+ for the electrician and the shutoff / turn on charges from the electric company. Ho ho freaking ho. I feel really bad whining when dear friends as well as family are out of work. But I am feeling the weight of the ice. I am turning blue.
From what we can gather from the newspaper, as well as from acquaintances, the power line laying in the backyard that we are experiencing is not uncommon. Laurie called from Florida- she said her cable line is in their back yard. Her sister is at her house, and her brother and his fam are at her parent's place. No word on when their power will be back on- and they are not far from here at all. There was a lady interviewed in the newspaper whose power line is in her backyard, just like ours. She called the fire dept, who put some caution tape all around it (that was funny to me) as well as the power company who told her they could not shut it off, and to keep people and dogs out of the back yard. This made me feel better, a little, as that is what we are doing. But it went on to say that she knows she could lose power at any time and her neighbor who had no power wouldn't come over for fear that either the line would catch fire or she would be electrocuted. No longer feeling better.
The thermometer says it's 3 degrees out, but with the howling wind it's -21 wind chill. We are talking in Chicago ON the lake IN January. Not nice. And we are not looking for any relief until late in the week, and even with the rising temperatures there will be rain, some of it freezing. I'm officially in a funk. Please send warm thoughts. I know it will get better. But the boy deciding he is getting too big to cuddle with his mommy does not help at all.

Power Down

Around 9 a.m. yesterday (friday) morning I opened the back door to let the pooches outside for their morning business. As they sped out, I heard a loud crackling sound, and as I looked around to see what was happening, the power line that runs from our house to the line in the alley fell into our back yard. It freaked Fred out, and he came in right away. Belly, on the other hand, isn't so easily unnerved and it took several minutes to get her back into the house. I didn't want to go outside to see what had happened, so I went to the back back door (the one in our room) and opened it to see what I could see. Turns out that the line that runs from the main line in the alley up to the house is run through a pvc pipe and attached to the house with a bracket around said pvc tube. This bracket had come apart from the house, and said tube had fallen to the ground. (Not sure if this had anything to do with the fact that the back and south sides of the house were covered in ice- even the windows were covered and could not be seen out of.) We called the power company, to see if they could turn off the power, have the electricians (the ones that put the lines in the pvc tube and attached to the house as the old way was dangerous and not up to code when we moved into the house) re-attach the line to the house, and have the power company put the power back on. The man said he would call PJ back when he was on his way to cut off power to the house, but as the number of customers without power grew in number in the radio reports, we thought we'd better hedge our bets and wait until Monday. The people who didn't have power needed to take priority. So there's a power line in the back yard. Needless to say, the car is parked out front, and the dogs are being walked. And even tho I am angry about the expense, I am grateful that we were able to stay warm and have light and provide shelter to our friends last night.

Ice Ice Baby

Around midnight of Friday (between Thursday and Friday) the predicted ice storm hit our area. At 7 a.m. Friday PJ went out to catch the bus to work, as even with the fancy new snow tires there would be no way that the bike was going to get through the ice. He waited nearly a half and hour in the rain, and the bus didn't come so he took the car. Ava's school, like most in the area, was cancelled. Everything was covered in ice. The poor trees, some of which had branches that lost the struggle to keep upright under all the weight of the ice, are burdened, and I expect more losses as there is no thawing for at least a few days. It is quite lovely, but depressing nonetheless. We were lucky enough to have kept power, which is more than we can say for about 100,000 of our fellow Allen County residents, including our friends Paul and Jennifer and their boys. They braved the day at home, and we convinced them to come and spend the night up here. The kids had a total blast, and when they returned home this morning it was to a powered and warmer house. I am sure they were all, including the dog, quite happy. Here are a couple of pictures I took of our neighbors tree right in front of her house, and our tree. Her tree sadly has lost a couple of branches, one pretty substantial, as has the house on the other side of hers. It was blocking the street most of the day until some neighbors came out and moved it to the side so vehicles could pass through. There is still a chance that there will be more power loss, but we are going to hope and pray that we keep warm and keep the spare room an option to our friends who don't.

Merry Christmas from Pee Wee and Charo (Coochie Coochie!)

Love Letter From the National Weather Service

Issued by The National Weather Service
North Webster, IN
11:45 am EST, Wed., Dec. 17, 2008

"... WINTER STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY EVENING THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING...

A MIX OF SNOW... SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN WILL DEVELOP THURSDAY NIGHT WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY SNOW OR ICE ACCUMULATIONS. THE PRECIPITATION SHOULD DIMINISH FRIDAY... WITH THE HEAVIEST SNOW ACCUMULATIONS POSSIBLE OVER FAR SOUTHERN LOWER MICHIGAN. THE HEAVIEST ICE ACCUMULATIONS ARE POSSIBLE OVER NORTHERN INDIANA AND NORTHWEST OHIO.

... POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT ICE AND SNOW ACCUMULATIONS THURSDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY FRIDAY...

.A STRONG STORM SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO IMPACT THE AREA THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT ICE AND SNOW ACCUMULATIONS... ALONG WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL.

PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TO START THURSDAY EVENING AS A MIX OF SNOW... SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN. HEAVY SNOW IS POSSIBLE THURSDAY NIGHT OVER FAR SOUTHERN LOWER MICHIGAN. HEAVY ICING IS POSSIBLE FROM THE INDIANA AND MICHIGAN STATE LINE SOUTH... INCLUDING NORTHWEST OHIO.

WARMER AIR WILL BE TRYING TO PUSH NORTH THURSDAY NIGHT AS THE PRECIPIATION IS OCCURRING. THIS WILL ALLOW TEMPERATURES NEAR THE SURFACE TO RISE OVERNIGHT TO NEAR OR JUST ABOVE FREEZING. THIS WILL BE CRITICAL IN DETERMINING HOW MUCH ICE ACCUMULATES AND WHERE. AT THIS TIME... IT APPEARS THE BEST CHANCE FOR SIGNIFICANT ICE ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE FROM NEAR THE HIGHWAY 30 CORRIDOR TO THE INDIANA... MICHIGAN... AND OHIO STATE LINES. SOUTH OF THIS AREA... SOME ICE ACCUMULATIONS ARE STILL POSSIBLE BUT TEMPERATURES MAY RISE ABOVE FREEZING FAST ENOUGH TO LIMIT ACCUMULATIONS TO LESS THAN ONE QUARTER OF AN INCH. "

Here's hoping that everything I've learned about extremely unpredictable weather here, which pretty much boils down to you don't know until it's actually happening, holds true.
(photo courtesy of my favorite, Google Images)

Fancy Nancy Redux

We checked this super cute book out of the library a while ago called Fancy Nancy. Nancy is the only fancy person in her family, and so has to embellish her belongings for ultimate fanciness. She wanted a canopy bed, but there was none to be found in her house so she improvised and came up with her own canopy bed. And that is exactly what we did. We haven't gotten a mattress set for the twin yet, so am not sure if this set up will work when that happens, as the bed will be bigger. But we did some re-arranging, which we all think works better, and here we are. Ava loves it, and feels very fancy. Thanks, Nancy!

C.Y.O.T.

Cut your own tree, that is. At the St. Joseph Tree Farm. We all bundled up, long underwear and snow pants (for those who had it) and all, and traversed out to the tree farm. We went last year, and it was fun, so we decided to do it again. When you come in they give you a map of sorts that shows what types of trees are where, how tall said trees are, give or take, and how much they cost. It was snowy and cold, but not bad at all. We trekked out towards the back of the property where the trees we wanted were, and PJ and the kids searched for the perfect one. A bit taller than I am was the ideal height, as it goes up onto the table for the train to go around. As we were heading back, I was unnerved by the sounds of gunfire. When I mentioned it to PJ, mostly for verification that I am not insane, he didn't seem concerned which unnerved me a bit more. But then the perfect tree was found, and the sawzall took it down with moderate convenience, so the gunfire was soon forgotten. (Most likely a hunter, but still, a little too close for comfort for my taste.) We were lucky that the farm has a tractor with a couple of "cars" attached- you can ride and the rear one can hold the trees. So it was us and another family with a little girl about Ava's age and a total wee one. We all climbed aboard, which thrilled the kids to no end, and hitched a ride back to the barn, where we offloaded. They tumble the trees to get loose needles out, then bundle them for easier transport. While that was going on, we headed into the barn (where they had the most beeeeautiful wreaths for sale) and sipped hot cocoa to help warm us up. Soon enough, the tree was ready. PJ loaded the tree into the car while I loaded the children, and we were off towards the old homestead. Heading the opposite direction of the gunshots. Whew! It was getting late, so that night all we got accomplished were the lights and the train, but once the train got moving, the ornaments were quickly forgotten, and the kids were okay with waiting till Monday as long as they could make that train go around the tree.

Scenes from the living room, Christmas 2008

I went through the Christmas boxes and put out some decorations. Some are at the Goodwill (kitchy stuff I bought years ago and never really liked) and some are destined (three lighted faux wreaths left in the attic from the previous owner) and one or two things missed the chopping block this year but might not make the final cut next ( a pretty wreath found in the attic from previous owner that am not sure where to place). For some reason I am feeling kind of minimalist. Ava asks me if we can hang the glass ball ornaments from the chandelier in the dining room, but with the advent wreath on the table am not feeling it. The Claus's are out, as is the nativity (also found in the attic, and about which, for some unknown reason I am super happy) as well as the jingle bells on the front door and the mistletoe hanging in the front entryway. It's faux, but if it's an excuse to get some extra sugar, I will take it. Ava has a little faux tree in her room, and James has a couple of little decorations in his too, to spread it around the house. It feels more like Christmas this year I think- last year it didn't so much to me. Maybe it's because there's so much going on at church that I can't deny it. Here's what it looks like around these parts. I hope the Christmas spirit is filling your homes, blessing you all.

Guilty!!!

The burglar pled guilty. Sixteen years. Sentencing hearing December 29. Should I (we) go? What do you think?

Winter Wonderland

Welcome to our view as we left for the grocery around 10 a.m.! PJ drove, and as we pulled out onto Anthony we swerved about 90 degrees one way, then back and another 90 degrees the other way. It was fun/scary. By the time we left the store, a lot of it was melted, and we saw one salt/plow truck. We're supposed to get some more tonight, so the kids might be out of school. PJ took them out to play this afternoon and they made the first snowmen of the year, with the inch and a half of snow that was on the ground. They had fun. And of course, there was cocoa. For all my Arizona peeps, this beauty is dedicated to you and the hope you are warm where you are!

Downtown Fort Wayne Festival of Lights 2008

Wednesday night we picked PJ up from work and went to view the Festival of Lights. We bundled up with gloves and hats, prepared some hot cocoa, and headed downtown. With the rest of the planet. It took us a while to get down there, but we were on time. We met PJ at his building and headed on over to the next block where Santa and his Reindeer, newly outfitted with fancy led lights, waited to be lit. There were thousands of folks, young and old, there to usher in the holiday season. The temps were in the mid to low '30's, but it wasn't too bad. We waited for about 15 minutes, and they lit the Santa. It was beautiful! Then we headed over two blocks away for the lighting of the Wells Fargo Christmas tree. I believe that also was newly outfitted with led lights. It was lovely. Then we basically turned around for the lighting of the Indiana Michigan Power wreath. The kids had a blast. We are so glad we went. It occurred to us as we walked back to the car that this was one of the perks of living in a small town- it was easy to get down there, and it was a celebration of the community. The kids had a blast! We took them home and fed them the rest of the hot cocoa before ushering them off to a late bedtime. They were too excited to sleep!

Thanksgiving Meal in Retrospect Item No. 492

When it comes to the brussels sprouts, don't change a thing!!!

Thanksgiving Meal in Retrospect Item No. 485

Pumpkin pie is not good when you accidentally omit the sugar from the recipe on the back of the can, no matter how much whipped cream you top it with.

Homer

Introducing the newest addition to our homestead, Homer! James and I found him planted in the front yard when we returned from Meijer on Friday. He's a good looking tree. Sturdy, with good branch structure. We took votes on names, and Ava suggested Tree, but I thought that sounded too dramatic. I suggested Homer, and Ava was all about that as he is in our yard in front of our home. She did balk for a moment though, not sure if the tree is a girl or a boy, so we compromised and his full name is Homer Pauline Thuringer. Pauline in case there's some girl in there. A hermaphrodite tree? My worst nightmare come to life.

Weather Update II

Winter Coats? Check.
Hats? Check.
Gloves/Mittens? Check.
Snowpants? One down, one to go.
Snow Boots? Check. (Ava got a pair of Lands End boots on sale at Sears this weekend that beat out Target and JC Penney's on price- yes, we are total midwesterners. The only thing more midwestern is if we would have shopped at Tractor Supply Co. Damn! I can't believe I didn't think of that- I loooove that store!)
Good thing we are pretty much ready, because it is SNOWING !!!!!!!!
The greens and golds and reds that were on the last set of pictures has been replaced by browns. Most of the trees have shed the majority of leaves, and the skies are pretty gray. Winter is setting in. I am in total hibernation mode, too. We did church on Saturday so we could have a lazy Sunday morning, and it was bliss. We spent all morning in our pajamas, and the only reason we left the house was to walk the alley to the Satters for dinner. On our way home, we saw the first flurries of the year. The picture is snow on the roof of the addition that is our bedroom, taken from the rear window in James' room. It's coming down now, pretty much has been flurries all day, but not cold enough to stick, thank goodness.
I spoke to Jason today. We aren't going to Chicago for Thanksgiving as they are going to Michigan to be with Matt's family instead of Matt's family coming down. I am not heartbroken, but disappointed a little. I really enjoy going to visit and the holiday was a good excuse- we will just have to make it a priority without needing an excuse. Poor Ava will be heartbroken- she left her doll there last year and has really been looking forward to getting her back. (Mailing her back is not an option- you do not send babies through the mail, y'all!) I'll have some 'splaining to do, but maybe we could do a quick Saturday turnaround. Could always hit Trader Joes while we're in the city, and we are out of two buck Chuck...
I am currently avoiding housecleaning. I did the floors and upstairs bath, along with major dusting (even furniture polish!) and think I have exhausted myself for the day. The Northside Neighborhood Association meeting is tonight at 7 p.m. I think I will go to get the haps on the 'hood. PJ is going to go to the one our City Councilperson Karen Goldner holds on Wednesday. I'll take notes and let you guys know of any critical neighborhood updates. The last one I went to was interesting, so you never know. I'm off for a cup of tea. Peace out!

Getting it Together

Where am I? I am not quite sure. Decompressing after the election, that's for sure. Slowly finding my way back towards normal. Still following some of my fave blogs, but the list has shortened quite a bit as the house and children demand my attention. There is so much to keep track of. Keeping track of Ava's school events is almost a full time position. Cookies to be made and brought on a certain day, Family Advent Night, when library books are due, when she has p.e. (so I can make sure she wears pants not skirts), when chapel is so I can make sure she has money, Friends and Family Day is coming up, etc. Then I have been going to the gym (twice this week, thank you very much!) and James and I have the little class at the community center on Thursdays. Menus don't make themselves, groceries don't magically appear, and the housework still demands to be addressed. And now they are saying we will get snow this weekend! My friend Laurie just called and we were talking about the weather and she instructed me to get out and get the kids' boots NOW because once the snow hits we will wish we had. (Add to the weekend to-do list, I guess). Taking inventory of outerwear- does everyone have a coat that fits? Mittens? Hats? Snowpants? What about footed pajamas? Oy. I am ready to hibernate, but it seems I have a few things to get ready before hibernating. So this is where I am. A little all over the place. I have to go get out the notebook and begin listmania. Time's a wastin' and I don't have it to waste. I'll be here, and when I'm back I'll have a little more of my head about me, I hope.
I get an emial from Garrison Keillor every day with a poem and some other stuff- about writers, things that happened on such a date in history. This poem came the other day and I can't get it out of my mind. I can't repost as I am sure it is copyright infringement, but please go here and read this beautiful poem. I am thrilled this book is at our local library. I am in love with her poetry found on poetryfoundation.org and for me she ranks up there with my current fave Ted Kooser. He makes me think of what might have been if my father hadn't passed in 1985- would he have written as he once aspired to? Beautiful representation of the midwest and regular people.

Hail to the Chief (of Staff, that is)

I am so excited. Rahm Emmanuel is a secret crush. I've blogged about him. I saved the Vanity Fair article he's in. Some of the blogs I've read are screeching about this choice- "I thought he was going to be bipartisan" (insert snarky voice) kind of thing, but here's what I have to say. Yes, this man has a reputation. For many things, and only those that know him know fact from fiction. But there's one thing most seem to agree upon; this man calls bull when he sees / hears it. Obama doesn't need a yes man. He needs intelligent men who tell him the truth. (If only Bush had had one. sigh) I also happen to think he's a handsome fella, and I look forward to following him in the news. I think this is a great appointment, one that will help President-Elect Obama towards success.
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(photo credit abc news)

Autumn

It's currently in the mid 70's here in northeast Indiana- almost 20 degrees above normal for this time of year. I truly cannot believe it's November! We were walking the dogs after school today and I decided to document the fall before it leaves us (pun intended) as Friday we are looking at mid 50's and Saturday mid 40's. So we will be spending as much time outside as possible for the next few days at least for sure- even if it means another round of raking, although I think we might succumb to the midwestern obsession- the blower. Ours is electric, so it's greenish, but not as green as the raking. I probably will get out the rake again, since as of last week I've been asked by two different neighbors if I've lost weight. (Barely got the ego thru the door on the way home, I can tell you :-)) We're walking to the meat market and library (braving voters at the library- if the cookbook weren't so anticipated I would wait, but I need something to get me through the night 'till results are in, so we'll forge ahead). Of course with the added benefit of feeling the warm sun on us. I so love this neighborhood and it's walkability. Two Saturdays ago I walked to 1) the tailor, on Anthony / Crescent behind the fire station, 2) the dollar store on Anthony 3) the meat market on Anthony 4) the library 5) the tailor on State (they were closed) 6) the PIO meat market on State and 7) home. It was a brisk day and I had the ipod to keep me company. It was awesome. Anyway, here's some autumn eye candy for my AZ peeps. You might be tempted to be jealous, but remember, we have SNOW in the winter.

Happy Halloween 2008!

The story behind the costumes:
First, Ava. She decided she wanted to be a pirate. I was thrilled as I figured most of this costume could come from the thrift store. But we were having dinner at our friends' house, and she and James were upstairs playing somewhat quietly with their boys, when she came downstairs in (almost) full pirate gear! They generously offered to let us borrow the costume, complete with sword and hook, as the boys had their costumes and they didn't include a pirate. Ava was beyond thrilled. We added an eye patch and some facial hair, and she was set. She practiced her pirate sounds a good few days before hand. You know, avast, ahoy, swab the decks mateys, things like that.
As far as James is concerned, that wasn't as easy. Several months ago when he was eating some kind of snack item I remarked that if James had a superpower it would be to save people from hunger as he always seems to have a snack handy. Hence, SnackBoy was born. I wrote it down thinking I would forget (who, me?) and as we are a year behind on costumes for him (he wore the bunny last year, and wasn't really into doing that again) we needed to go with something new. I got some felt for a big "S", some red satin and some blue bias tape for a cape at the fabric store. The cape was super easy, and the "S" on the shirt was ironed on one of his undershirts with interfacing. I made a mask out of the rest of the blue felt and some leftover elastic. We got a couple of small bags of pretzels and Sun Chips and fastened them to his cape. And he rode off into the sunset to save hungry folks from being snackless.
The kids had a great time. We shortened their canvassing from last year and they still made out like bandits. The turnout this year wasn't as much as last year. Same as last year, I didn't recognize very many kids as being from this neighborhood, but there were several houses on our end of the block that were dark, so we didn't get a terrible amount of traffic. We ended the night with a few Butterfinger bars left in the bowl, and that's okay with me. (Compared with last year where we had to turn the lights out early because we ran out of candy.) After the kids were done they came home and helped me pass out candy. I think they had just as much fun doing that as going trick or treating! They came down from their sugar buzz at a decent hour, and we wrapped up another Halloween. Thank goodness we have a costume for James for next year. I can only imagine what Ava will want to be next year. I can only hope that I have the skills to complete it in her vision!

Random Music Inspired Memory #4,627,904

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5c2PlgQBaA

(Sorry kids, I cannot embed. Please pause the jukebox and click the link above)
Thursday, June 21, 2001. Eugene, Oregon. Surrounded by family on both sides, I wed Paul Joseph Thuringer Jr. at my uncle's house. It was a beautiful summer day- we could not have asked for nicer. I wore a lovely wedding gown purchased at a bridal consignment shop on Osborn in Phoenix (since then closed, sadly) and altered across the street from PJ's family church on Indian School Road. We shipped the dress and arranged for PJ to rent a tuxedo. We wed on my uncle's front porch that afternoon with my mother, sister,cousin, second cousin (once removed? I don't know how that works, but she is my uncle's cousin and in from Nebraska), and 97 year old grandmother. PJ's mother, stepfather, sister, and uncle were there. My uncle's mother in law and sister and brother in law from Taiwan were there, as was one of their daughters. PJ's friends Donny and Aysia came from Portland with their young son. There were gerbera daisies in small bowls lining the porch railing matching my bouquet. The sun was shining and the minister cleaved us in life together. Afterwards, we went inside to enjoy a beautiful salmon and other lovely dishes prepared by my uncle's amazing wife, Huey Pirn (pronounced whey ping). My grandmother purchased a beautiful, simple wedding cake. As we ate, we celebrated each other and PJ's and my new life together, and listened to the Gipsy Kings.
Driving down State Street on my way to get the kids from school this came on the ipod and transported me back 7 years, the best of my life. Thank you PJ for all you have done and continue to do for our family. And thanks to the Gipsy Kings for bringing this memory to me on this beautiful autumn day.

Random music inspired memory #4,627,891

Moline, Illinois, 1989. Parking lot of the Chevy dealer by Southpark Mall (where I had just gotten off work at Musicland). Waiting at the Service Department for the last of the paperwork on my new ride which had just been detailed. Not caring if there was a full size spare in the back or gas in the tank, I cranked the radio, on 97.9, playing Red Rider. I tested the speakers at that moment and they didn't fail me. A little while ago I was sewing James' cape and Lunatic Fringe came on the ipod and transported me back. Thought I'd share, as I've been a little mia here, suffering from pre-election jitters. On the upside, we have found a lovely job in Canada just over the border from Maine should that become necessary.
I'll be back with Halloween photos in the next couple of days. I have to go now and turn off Roberta Flack and go check the Suns score. (Yippee! We never get Suns games out here- maybe once or twice a year. PJ is in seventh heaven, esp. when I told him we didn't have to watch Obama as he already has my vote, literally.)

Early voting and PJ cuts me off!

Two things- last night we voted. (More on that in a minute.) This morning PJ told me that he invited a friend whose family is out of town to dinner on Saturday, and he originally accepted the invitation only to shortly thereafter beg off as his friend had gotten tickets to see Sarah Palin (shudder). I went off. Ridiculously stupid, mocking her extremely expensive wardrobe(I don't begrudge her the clothes but did they need to shop at Saks and Niemans and call regular people elitists???) and the $22k plus spent on makeup alone the last month and the fact she won't say people who blow up abortion clinics are terrorists or that McCain says he doesn't have a litmus test when it comes to the supreme court but she tells James Dobson that McCain will make sure all the super conservatives will get their way when he gets into the White House? I didn't even get all that out because PJ kindly told me to shut my trap. He doesn't want to hear it any more. Poor gentle reader, you are now literally my only outlet. My own husband doesn't want to hear it. Who can blame him? I think he's lucky to be able to say stop. For me this election cycle has been my crack. My beloved children will be so happy after November 4th to no longer be neglected. (Or if it goes the other way, they will be neglected during my search for a new home abroad.)
Secondly, we decided to join those who vote early. In Fort Wayne, early voting is held at the City / County Building where PJ works, so we decided to do it last night, as they were open later Tuesdays and Thursdays. I fed the kids early, and threw a bunch of snacks in the bag (Yes the children will snack after a full meal) and threw the bike rack on the car and headed downtown. PJ met us in the parking garage, and we went in. We signed a form first, then headed over to where the voting was taking place. There was a line, but it was not too long and was moving with reasonable quickness. There was a person guiding the people in line to a bank of windows where you would give them the signed form and your photo id, and they gave you your ballot. Then there was another person who took each of us to an open machine, where she got it ready for us. I had Ava and PJ had James. I won't say who I voted for, but I will say I didn't vote the party line. (It makes me a little upset that there's that option.) There were some Republicans who received my vote and some Democrats. When we were done I felt so proud to have voted for Obama/Biden. Not because of his race, but because of the two I firmly believe he is the true leader, the one to bring this nation together and do great things. I even got a little verklempt! But one thing I didn't get was a sticker. That's okay. It was still worth it.

No wonder he thinks we're stupid- some people are!

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/news/2008/10/gop_groups_head_calls_obama_a.php

He just totally lost my vote

I think they really do think we're stupid! We are not...

http://thinkprogress.org/2008/10/22/bachmann-souder/

I think he thinks we're stupid

Indiana is in play. I hear McCain is spending some of his own money (not the RNC or various nefarious 527's money) on ads here in the Hoosier State. Then today I received in the mail a flier with a picture of Obama on it and at the bottom of one side it said "Not who you think he is." (I immediately tore it up, disgusted.) What do you guys know that the rest of us don't? Does Homeland Security know? If you've known all this time something viable, shouldn't you have come forward a little sooner that two weeks before the election? If I am a person of reasonable intelligence and reasonable stability, am I going to look at this as well as all the things that are being said regarding Muslim and Socialist/Marxist and say, "Well, gee! I guess that super fat tax break I will be getting as a regular Joe doesn't matter. Or the erraticness and lack of discipline and planning on McCain's part. Whew! I was almost fooled for a minute with newspapers (liberal elitists!) and Republican former Cabinet members endorsing Mr. Obama. Wow. Good thing Mr. McCain is here to look out for me. Maybe he will make his dear friend G. Gordon Liddy in charge of Homeland Security with his tips for shooting ATF in the head since they usually wear body armor. Or maybe Mr. Davis can head up the whole financial "rescue" since he has a) a lot of money and b) a lot of experience taking money from people like Freddie and Fannie. Or maybe his lovely friend Phil Gramm can be the new Treasury Secretary and convince the whole world that the recession isn't real, it's just mental." I have heard plans from Mr. McCains camp, but one I'd like details on is how he's going to sweep the lobbyists out of D.C. when the majority of his lead campaign directors will be going back to lobbying as their day job (maybe they figure it's okay, he'll give them a gov't job. I just hope they can make under 250k working for the gov't, or else the whole tax argument will be shot!) I was driving down the street today and saw a bunch of modest ranch houses. About 1200-1500 square feet, in reasonable condition, with McCain/Palin signs out front. I wondered why. I feel bad for some of these people- the ones saying Obama is a Muslim, the ones saying his tax policies (that McCain at one point agreed with) are socialist, that we have to stay in Iraq and win no matter what the cost- I felt bad that they are so filled with anger that they cannot see the truth. I just hope they get a big fat helping of the truth come November 4, because it will set them free.

Big boy haircut II

This morning we set out to get some supplies at the craft store (cape making and mask supplies, that is) and get the boy a haircut. He was wholeheartedly against the idea until he discovered that there would be a sticker at the end. (Stick) So off we went with high hopes that there would be not issue and he was great! A different lady cut his hair, but she was there the last time and remembered Steve (not by name, though). How weird is this but there was a guy in camouflage there that I could swear was there getting his haircut the last time I took James?

Story Time

Lately we have been loving Llama Llama Red Pajama. So much so that Ava pretty much has it memorized. James demands it with some frequency, so one day when I was downstairs, the kids had their own story time. James would have sat with her for hours. He is loving his super big sister lately. Which makes all our lives better!

Tears of Inspiration

This is MY America.

Please go see this blogger NOW

Seriously, it's like she's in my head, only what comes out is lovely and eloquent, instead of what is in my head which sometimes sounds more like "Blah blah blah grrrr hhmmmphhh blah blah!"
"I am an American lost in her own country." That could not be more perfectly stated. Jen you are a gem!

Spelling it out

1) Obama is NOT a socialist, nor is he a Marxist. (I'll even go as far as to say that republicans aren't facists) Returning tax brackets to Clinton era numbers does not mean he is going to start giving your paycheck to the many who fall below the poverty line.
2) For clairification, the tax cuts do not go to those who do not pay taxes. So the whole "spreading the wealth around" argument that certain people are making is total nonsense.
3) Look at the numbers. Look also at the numbers of the dead, and ask yourself if McCain really thinks that Americans want to win at that cost, even when it's been alluded to by people in the know that there is no real "winning", hence Mr. McCains willingness to stay for even 100 years if necessary? If we do this, can we fight the real war on terror?

What does he think cont'd

With the United States of America (wait, after that crazy congresswoman from Minnesota declared that certain members of congress are unamerican and we should go after them are we still the United States of America?) after the last eight years of having our rights taken away from us (wire tapping, torture, etc) be eligible to join McCains famous "League of Democracies"? At this point if McCain/Palin were in office, I would shudder to think of how much more power they would try to acquire than Bush/Cheney did, and after the purge of all the unamerican people in congress and all the unamerican parts of the country and perhaps even the Alaskan Successionists, really, could we be considered a Democracy?
Do your part, please, and vote. Lots of people are doing it. Consider voting early, even, because there are lots of folks voting for both sides. Lets make sure they all get counted. Nov. 4th is going to be a very busy day. Maybe get out there and vote early to make sure you get counted.
(I am so frigging angry right now at what is happening. It is unconcionable some of the things these people are doing in the name of "winning". Even Colin Powell thinks so. Going to have a nice cup of tea and some Xanax. Need more to get me through the election. Please hang in there with me, reader!)

What does he think?

Does McCain think that after running the sleaziest campaign since the one that was run against him by our current president (using the same people, nonetheless) that ANYONE in Congress will take his hand when he "reaches across the aisle"? I would be surprised if he doesn't get spit upon. If he were to run an honest campaign instead of paying people to make calls that say that Obama is a muslim, instead of having his people calling Obama a "socialist" (besides saying his own comments about Obamas policies being Socialist), instead of choosing a Vice President that clearly is a) not anywhere ready to lead should that be necessary, b) has a husband who's past activities in the Alaska Successionist Party could keep him from having security clearance (would that mean he and the kids would stay in Wasilla and the taxpayers would pay for it like when she was governor?) c) has been caught in any number of lies, you know, honest, then maybe he would be listened to by someone other than Joe Lieberman. But at this point, I would think ( and maybe this is me being disappointed at him and bitter) and maybe hope that he would see more peoples backs than hands being extended back to him. Because that is what he would deserve. And looking at how many more seats Democrats are poised to pick up this year, that would be a lame duck president indeed. Good thing you are just going to do an across the board spending freeze there, John, because the way things look you'll be all by yourself with your well paid sycophants at the playground. You had your chance to do the right thing. You blew it.

Existing

Sorry for the no blogging lately, for whoever is out there reading. Part of it is that I am tied down daily to a bunch of blogs trying to get through this election cycle. Part of it of course is also the kids. I am trying to be a little more hands-on, especially with Ava, as it seems when I am the demeanor is definitely better. I guess that's attachment parenting, although the kids obviously aren't babies, but I think its similar in nature. It's something I am constantly fighting with myself over. I really need to think about it consciously, because it seems that if I can get a moment to myself I will take it, even if it's to do something unnecessary (the Atlantic blogs? O.C. reruns? Please!) And when I think about it reasonably, it seems so ridiculous to be spending my time doing that rather than cleaning or prepping dinner so I can do something with the kids when they are awake instead of having them play while I do the cleaning and cooking. Does that make sense? Is it like the feminine mystique without the desire to get a job? It isn't that I don't love the kids and I am really seriously absolutely grateful to be able to stay home with them. But could it be in the back of my mind that I am afraid of losing my own identity? Perhaps I haven't really worked that out since we had the kids. I would think that it's a process. One I need to think about more. Obviously, I need a therapist.
Things are running relatively smoothly around here. The christmas card idea has been hatched, we have a Santa, and are currently on schedule. No more details, though. Check your mailboxes mid December.
Ava is doing great in school. She is working on her letters and doing quite well with her writing. She's been on a field trip already and has another scheduled for Monday. I would say all in all she is thriving, but there is always a comment made after we pick her up about one little girl in her class or another being mean, and girls seemingly constantly being fickle about friends. "You are not my friend anymore" is a popular catchphrase in kindergartenland it seems. I need to figure out how to help her with that. Right now we are working on keeping her self esteem high, not taking it personally and walking away. It seems so soon to be going through this!
James loves school as well. He is speaking more, and in sentences more often too. He has a great time and is always anxious to grab his bookbag (bopop) and get to school. He loves his teachers, and seems to be tired when we get him so he must be getting all he can out of those 2 hours!
We managed to get sick. It's inevitable. Something is always going around, especially this time of year. And with the weather being as erratic as it's been the last couple of weeks, we knew it was coming. Started with the kids, then PJ, and Sunday I finally succombed. PJ and I have been nursing dayquil to get through the day, and the kids have been healing au natural. There was one night that poor James slept miserably due to coughing, and I found out that honey and lemon juice together is good for kids' coughs, but now that I'm prepared he seems to be better. PJ is going to the doctor this afternoon, I think he thinks it's now a sinus infection. We'll know more later.
The leaves are all changing and it's just stunning. We drove south on Crescent this morning and it seems that all the colors I am trying to fill my house with (browns, golds, reds, greens) were intermingled in all the trees. The trees in the tree lawns seemed to stretch to reach the trees on the other side of the street in kind greeting. The temperature is now in the low 60's, and we covered to tomato plants in fear of frost last night. It's also getting necessary to rake the leaves, as the big oak in our tree lawn is getting ready for winter. The squirrels are super busy hiding their acorns to the dog's chagrin, and as lovely as it is, we know what is coming. But for now I just want to bask in the glow of the changing leaves and the sunlight as it sits lower in the sky.
Will report more when there's more to report. We are well and hope the same for all of you!

Don't knock the man for doing the right thing you idiots

Last night after Bill Moyers I was channel surfing to find something to tide me over till my ball of yarn ran out (it was almost done). I landed on Keith Olberman's show, and the host (David someone- I can't remember his last name but he's the guy whose face shows almost no expression but when he speaks his mouth makes up for it) was speaking with a political observer, and they were almost making fun of McCain standing up to this crazy woman with crazy hair who, at a McCain rally, stated that she was afraid of Mr. Obama because he is a muslim. McCain politely took the microphone from her, and told her that Mr. Obama is not a muslim, is a decent man, a family man, but the two men have fundamental differences. The crowd started booing. (Am I elitist when this makes me feel better than these people?) He stood up to do the right thing, and on the MSNBC show they were commenting about the strategy- if he gives up the attack (really? Look for more on Ayers and Wright to come-I hope they hit back with Hagee, Muthee, the leader of the secessionist party and the fact the Cindy McCain continued to do business with Keating 11 years after the whole Keating 5 thing) what does he have left? How about his dignity fellas? Give the man some credit for having principles and dignity.
Now, as for questionable characters, I agree that Ayers once was one. The prosecutor for his case has recently come out saying he is surprised at the hubub this whole thing is as Mr. Ayers has worked hard to earn his status as a respectable member of the community. And the misrepresentation that Mr. Ayers and Mr. Obama had a personal relationship is a lie. But the membership in the Alaska Secessionist Movement and Pastor "Witchcraft and get Jews out of Banking" Muthee is not something to be taken lightly either. If the McCain camp doesn't want any (more) dirty laundry aired (see Troopergate report) then maybe it behooves them to dismiss the man who told reporters that if they focus on the economy then they lose and decide to look at issues. Because that is one of the few ways either man can earn peoples respect (earn it back in some instances) is if they speak to the real future and the real issues.

America?

This is happening in America? What are we going to do about it? The President saying that legalized phone tapping won't happen to regular folks when the people monitoring conversations are laughing about phone sex and sharing conversations with each other? Nuns put on terrorist watch lists? People at rallies yelling death threats and our republican nominee is saying nothing? As Americans we should not be standing for this. We should be shamed into taking some action.

Irony

Why are we supposed to look at Sarah Palin with any seriousness when she asks what do we really know about Barack Obama? Well, Sarah, he's been at this through the primaries, for something like 20 months. I think in the last 20 months the people who are inclined to wonder these things have had plenty of opportunity. They might even read something, and be able to tell you what those publications are. But now that you mention it, who are you? You've been around for a matter of weeks, and for someone with the raw ambition you have shown (really interesting reading) it's ironic that you would bring up the question of Obama and his ambition. (There's probably a dictionary around somewhere if you need help with the word "ironic")

No Maverick, No Gentleman

In reference to politics, I consider myself an independent. (Stop laughing!) Even with his faults, at the beginning of this election I considered McCain to be a man of some integrity. No more. I am not speaking of the negative ads against Obama in which he tries to tie him to a man who was involved in a questionable organization in the 1960's (when Mr. Obama was 8. Seriously). I am speaking of his lack of speaking out regarding remarks made at recent rallies. There were 2 young men spotted at a Palin rally wearing Obama tshirts with red paint x'ing out Obamas face, and on one there was writing. On one shirt you can also see a "n" and a "g". When putting Mr. Obama's character into question and rhetorically asking who he is, we hear something stunning. At one rally, we hear "Terrorist!". At another, we hear something chilling: "Kill him!" At Palin's rally where we hear "terrorist!", one is not surprised that she does not respond. I believe that one of two things could have happened: 1) that she heard and didn't respond and was secretly glad to have accomplished her "goal" of putting his charachter into question, or 2) that she is so self involved that she didn't hear. Either way, for her I don't expect anything. She does not have the smarts or charachter to stand up to this. But the McCain that we all thought we knew- the one we are having a hard time believing is allowing the campaigning to go the direction it has, especially in light of the character assasination put upon him 8 years ago by the people he now employs, that McCain I expected more from. I ask you- for a man who touts himself as a man of the people, a man of character and a man worthy of your respect, I ask you sir, where is the outrage? How do you pause at hearing that horrifying remark and yet pass on as if it didn't exist? How can you stand there (with your loyal base) and by saying nothing basically not only allow but condone this message? When looking for a leader, I believe that beyond the issues, people are looking for someone with strength of character- someone who stands up for what he believes. And someone who is willing to rebuke things that are wrong, even at the possible cost of a few votes. That is a gentleman. That is a maverick. You sir, have shown you are neither. And I know I am not the only one who is disappointed. (p.s. Don't even get me started on "That one.")
Edit: Sorry, I got so angry that I confused the remarks / rallies. The terrorist happened with McCain, and "Kill him" happened with Palin. Regardless, unacceptable that nothing was said.

Burgle Update

We got most of the stolen items back from the property room tonight. PJ went down to the cop shop and met with the crime scene technician and brought home everything short a couple of things. I will be calling the detective tomorrow to inquire into the missing items.
We also received a letter from the prosecutors office in reference to our burglar. Even though there were three involved (there were witnesses!) only one has been charged in our case. Another one was charged in our friend's case, and the third guy hasn't been charged. That's not to say he won't ever be charged, but seemingly at this time they aren't too interested in him. Our guy, let's call him Mr. Thug, is no longer a candidate for my pity. Just last night my friend Jennifer and I were talking in her car after coming back from the Vera Bradley presale (there's a story there I'll share in a minute) about maybe the people who broke into our house weren't looking for drug money- maybe they were looking to feed a family. Maybe they were really desperate and couldn't get gainful employment. Then today, in the letter, I find that Mr. Thug has a record. In addition to the charges related to our burglary, there were three additional unrelated felony charges. They have sent him a plea offer, and the number of years on it is substantial. I was told that most offers are not accepted prior to pretrial hearings, so be prepared to continue as normal, and be prepared to go to trial. If he accepts the proposal, and is a good boy in prison (the term DOC was used) Indiana law says that for every good day you get one day taken off. So if he's sentenced to 40 years, and is really good, he can be out in 20. But he has to stay out of trouble for a long time. (40 is not the actual number stated. I made it up.) Regardless, it's still a lot of time. I no longer wonder at the motives. Judging from the charges on the plea agreement and the fact that he was on probation as well, it's safe to assume they were nefarious.
Okay the story from last night- we finished shopping the pre-sale, and Jennifer was dropping me off. We were talking in the car- about racism (and adjusting to living in Indiana and Fort Wayne), and about the kids mostly. Time got away from us and as I was getting ready to go into the house, there was a bright light behind us. At first we thought it was just our neighbor coming home and parking her car, but it turns out that it was a policeman who had received a call about a strange car with people sitting in it for a while. I was stoked! I had my i.d. out and gave it to him, told him we were just chatting and that I lived across the street. He said one of the neighbors had called and I told him I was glad- that we had recently been burgled and I was happy the neighbors were keeping an eye on the goings on. He looked at me like I was insane. But I really was happy. Everyone looking after each other and trying to keep each other safe. It's pretty cool.
I don't think I can watch the debate tonight. I am exhausted, and can find clips online tomorrow. I already know that Biden knows a lot more than she does about running the country (not a dig necessarily- he's been a Senator for a long time) and I don't have the energy to try and figure out what she is saying when asked a question. She will be ready with an occasional jab and her folksy stories and that crazy ass accent, and will do her darndest to answer the question with a non answer. I kinda wish I wasn't so tired- it would be interesting after all.
Good night all!

Why?

Why is it on days that I feel so lucky to be home with the kids, and keep my patience at unbelievably high levels, and do fun things with the kids (including not blogging unless they are asleep) and do extra fun pain in the neck things like watercolor, that the boy insists-despite all the fun and patience- to go on an unexplained crying and wailing jag that makes me want to hurl myself to unconsciousness from the attic window? Why? This is not the glamorous life. But it is mine.

2008 Fort-4-Fitness Half Marathon and 4 Mile Walk/Run

PJ ran his half marathon. He did great! There's good news and bad news, though. The bad news is that his chip didn't register so we don't have an "official" time. The good news is that despite the incredibly early hour he remembered his watch (with stopwatch function) and clocked himself! So Thuringer official time was 1 hr 53 minutes. His goal was 2 hours. His super secret internal goal was 1 hr 55 minutes. Either way, he beat himself! The kids and I drove over to Wells street to see him go by. We were there for a few minutes and Paul and the boys came around the corner and watched with us. The picture of him running is taken going down Wells street, about the 11 mile mark. After he went by, the kids and I went downtown. Ben had called earlier, having finished the 4 miler, and we told him we'd meet him on the courthouse green. We couldn't get a good space to see PJ come across the finish line, and it was hard to keep the kids still anyway, so we went over to wait at the courthouse. Not long after, PJ and Ben and John came over. John ran the 4 miler too. PJ was wearing his "gold medal" (per Ava) and looked incredibly good for just having run 13.1 miles. (Some of the people we saw come through the finish looked incredibly bad.) He said he had fun, and was glad of his time. (We didn't find out until later that his chip didn't register, which was a total bummer.)
We found this You Tube video of the race, and PJ can be found right there! If you start at 1 minute 25 seconds and look closely- if you pause it at 1 minute 29 seconds you'll see him wearing a black headband looking back-, you'll find him (he's wearing a bright blue shirt). Here's the video and our triumphant half marathoner. Congratulations, Peege, we are really proud of you!

Robert Reich is Really Smart

I had the opportunity to hear this gentleman speak on one of the talk shows when we lived in South Bend. He made a lot of sense. From his blog:

"Prediction: A scaled-down bill will be enacted by the end of the week. It will provide the Treasury with a first installment of $150 billion. Treasury can use it to back Wall Street’s bad debts with lend no-interest loans of up to two years, until the housing market rebounds. Or to invest in Wall Street houses directly, in exchange for stocks and stock warrants. There will be strict oversight. Congressional leaders will promise further installments, but with conditions calling for limits on salaries and relief to distressed homeowners."

That seems like something that Congress should have come up with. Instead, they bickered and placed blame when they couldn't get it together. Will somebody call this guy? It's not like he doesn't know what he's talking about: (from Wiki)

"Robert Bernard Reich (born June 24, 1946) is an American politician, academic, writer, and political commentator. He served as the twenty-second United States Secretary of Labor, serving under President Bill Clinton from 1993 to 1997. Reich is a former Harvard University professor and the former Maurice B. Hexter Professor of Social and Economic Policy at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University. He is currently a professor at the University of California, Berkeley's Goldman School of Public Policy. Reich is also on the board of directors of Tutor.com He is a trustee of the Economists for Peace and Security."

Hello? Call him. NOW. Please let's get something going here folks. NO one can afford what is happening. Even the CEOs are selling off their millions of dollars in vacation homes. Get it together.

Bailout No Go

It didn't pass. I, for one, am glad. Not because I look forward to an economic catastrophe, but because it didn't go far enough. There was no REAL oversight, and big payouts were still available to retiring/dismissed executives. More republicans voted no than democrats:

Ample no votes came from both the Democratic and Republican sides of the aisle. More than two-thirds of Republicans and 40 percent of Democrats opposed the bill. (MSNBC.com)

However, thank Goodness for John McCain. He "suspended" his campaign for what, 24 hours? To "take care" of the economic crisis. He graciously (insert smirk here) debated Obama, then returned to his Capitol Hill office to continue his efforts in "leading" which equaled making some phone calls. And, apparently, unsuspending the campaign as he's in Ohio today. If John McCain wants Americans to believe he is a great leader, then he needs to a) read the proposed bill, and b) get people to work together in his self described talents at bipartisanship. If the bill sucks, make it better. If it's good, convince the people. Don't talk smack about Obama sitting on the sidelines when you are losing a golden opportunity to be seen as a leader, not the scary joke that you've been showing us this last week.

And Again with the Dinosaurs!

Maybe she caught a late night showing of The Clan of the Cave Bear on t.v.?

Soon after Sarah Palin was elected mayor of the foothill town of Wasilla, Alaska, she startled a local music teacher by insisting in casual conversation that men and dinosaurs coexisted on an Earth created 6,000 years ago -- about 65 million years after scientists say most dinosaurs became extinct -- the teacher said.
From the LA Times

In Support of My Disdain for the South (Southwest excluded, of course...)

Some friends and family cannot believe I have a strong disdain for the South. I think a lot of it is that the people seem to think they are better than everyone else simply because they are from the south. Clinically insane? Extremely alcoholic? If you're from the South, that's just a little eccentricity. I have even gone as far as to bar PJ from looking at jobs in certain states. I relent on certain authors (to my friend J's relief, I think) and am willing to be open minded. But THIS?????

http://thinkprogress.org/2008/09/28/obama-antichrist-nc/
This would NOT be an issue in MI or WI- states that are leaning McCain even. Only in the South...

Two Quick Random Thoughts from the Debate (Really Quick)

1) Did you guys notice that McCain seemed contemptuous of Obama last night? He would not look him in the eye and was smirking a lot.
2)McCain was making a big deal about earmarks- (He even got his veto pen out as a visual aid!) and specifically the amount of money Obama has requested for his state during his years in the senate.
a)Why did Obama not bring up the millions of dollars that the lobbyist hired by Sarah Palin got for Alaska?
b) Are we to understand that not once in his 26 years (change my eye) in the Senate that McCain has not asked for one copper penny for the state of Arizona? (pun intended) Where is Fact Check on this?

My Morning Interview with Sarah Palin

This morning I picked Ava up from school a little later than normal as she had a field trip. James and I parked across the street as there was no car line, and walked over to the school. We caught her as she got off the bus, and seemed only mildly interested to see us. We asked her how the field trip was. She did not respond.
We went to the classroom where the day's paperwork was distributed into various folders and backpacks, and when the class was dismissed, James, Ava and I walked to the car. Again, she did not answer any inquiries to her day. Finally, as we got loaded into the car, we had a conversation.

Me: What kind of things did you guys do at Safety Village?
Ava: We did some different kinds of things.
Me: Did you have a good time?
Ava: No, I didn't like Safety Village.
Me: Really? How come?
Ava: We learned about different rules. Rules are no fun.
Me: Sometimes having rules lets us be free to have more fun.
Ava: (really animated) NO! Rules are no fun. I don't like following rules!
Me: I understand. Can you tell me what rules in particular that you don't like?
Ava: No.
Me: Just rules in general?
Ava: Yes.
Me: Okay, besides learning rules, what other kinds of things did you do?
Ava: Nothing.
Me: You didn't drive in the little cars?
Ava: Yes.
Me: Did you go up the tower?
Ava: Yes.
Me: (struggling to remember what else I saw when we drove by Safety Village 4 months ago) What else?
Ava: Nothing.
Me: Okay, this is silly. If you don't want to talk about it, that's okay. Let's just have quiet time on the ride home.
Ava: (near tears) Mom! That really hurts my feelings!

I feel even more for Katie Couric. I think she performed better than I expected in the interview. I think Sarah Palin performed worse than I expected. I think Ava made more sense than Sarah Palin did, though.

Are you debate watching tonight? Please try. I know not all you guys have all this spare time (or interest) to surf the web and catch up on the very latest political news, even tho you get my opinion all day long. Watch and decide for yourselves. The country is depending on you. Watch and vote. And don't call the men in white jackets on me for yelling at the tv constantly. You might do a little yelling yourselves. Hopefully!

Back to the Future!

Apparently, McCain is so powerful that he can win debates before he even decides he will participate in them! From the Washington Post:

Although the fate of tonight's presidential debate in Mississippi remains very much up in the air, John McCain has apparently already won it -- if you believe an Internet ad an astute reader spotted next to this piece in the online edition of the Wall Street Journal this morning.

"McCain Wins Debate!" declares the ad which features a headshot of a smiling McCain with an American flag background. Another ad spotted by our eagle-eyed observer featured a quote from McCain campaign manager Rick Davis declaring: "McCain won the debate-- hands down."

Here's the screenshot.

Thursday Anger at Hippocritical Christians

I get so angry hearing about preachers telling their church members who to vote for on election day. That they have no choice but to vote for McCain. That in order to save the country from people who want legalized abortion and equal rights for homosexuals (gay marriage) we cannot even consider what good the Obama presidency would bring. Because for Christians, it has to be as simple as pro-life. This makes my blood boil. Especially the guy on NPR yesterday afternoon who said he didn't care if they threatened to take away his tax exemption because it's automatic by law, so he'd have it back the following day. Ugh!!!!! First of all, there's a lot more to being a Christian than being pro-life. You can be a Christian and be pro-life. Wanting the government not to dictate what goes on with a persons body is not a bad thing. Just like wanting the government to treat people fairly and equally is not a bad thing. Just like wanting to stop torture is not a bad thing. Just like not wanting to go through another war (Iran? Pakistan? Surely there will be another with someone who cannot sit back and think through a crisis *cough McCain cough*) is not a bad thing. Treating people like a Christian would I think fits more in line with what Mr. Obama proposes. That is my personal opinion. But what I am proposing here is do more than listen to your pastor when he tells you to vote McCain as if you HAVE to. If you call yourself a Christian, vote with your Christian heart. Whichever way that leads you.

Edited to add:
Follow the NY Times Story here.

Three Pages Long

Maybe that's why it is so short- that people like the candidates for President can make time to read it. He had time to meet with Lynn Forester de Rothschild, the Clinton fundgiver that moved over to the McCain campaign:
"Even his actions on Wednesday seemed either oddly calculated or at conflict with the image he was trying to present. It was, in fact, Obama who first proposed to form a unity front in addressing the issue, calling McCain at 8:30 in the morning to discuss the issuance of a joint statement. The call went unreturned for six hours. McCain's campaign would later claim he was huddling with economic advisers. But during that time he made a scheduled stop with Lady Lynn de Rothschild, a high society New York Democrat who recently endorsed his campaign. Rothschild did not return repeated request for comment." (credit HuffPo)
And now this:













I do not think postponing the debates is a Presidential move. Leaders need to be able to multitask. Leaders need to be able to handle crises immediately. Leaders need to be able to give answers. And this is not, in my opinion, a leadership move.