Not Around Much This Week

I am around, just not on the computer much. I am having what is affectionately called a staycation. This is where you take your vacation time, but don't actually leave town. I think staycationers are supposed to do day trips to the beach or museum or something in their local area to relax and save money at the same time, but I took the time off to get things around the house completed that I never seem to have time to do. Like clean out my closet and my filing cabinet.

Plus I have not taken more than a couple of days off in the 20 months since the weddding and I am tired!

Of course, I was planning to spend a portion of each day in the pool, and, wouldn't you know it? It finally rains! We need the rain, because we received almost none in June, but every.single.day?

Oh, well. I am actually at work right this minute. Yesterday was a deadline and I had to come in to see if anyone made it and clean out my emails and voicemails, but I am leaving shortly.

I hope your week is going well.

Let Freedom Ring

I wanted to write something inspirational on this lovely day where we remember those who started this great experiment we call the United States of America. I wanted to write beautifully about the Declaration of Independence and how we see it now, 233 years later.

I just don't think I have that kind of talent, or that kind of time, since we are headed to the lake shortly. But Mustang Bobby does. Read his thoughts and then, if you have time, read the Declaration. We aren't perfect, but we are the best experiment going.

Have a safe and happy 4th of July.

Happy Birthday America.

I Wish This Was Good-bye!

Sarah Palin is stepping down on July 26th as Governor of Alaska. Why? Why knows?

I was thrilled when I first heard this; I thought that maybe she had realized that she was way out her league and over her head and that she would serve Alaska, this country, and the world better if she returned to car pooling and hockey momming and putting lipstick on her pit bull. Alas, I am probably wrong.

Most likely she is stepping down to stick her nose into the rest of the business of the country and possibly get more coverage for her 2012 campaign.

Hey, more power and press coverage to her, I say. The more she appears publicly; the more stupid she appears.

And, part of me felt sorry for the people of Alaska, but the other part was, "You were stupid enough to elect her, you deserve what you get."

Say It Ain't So!

According to a report by CBS news, Sarah Palin is, are you ready for it? A liar!

The entire point of this article seems to be showing that ol' Sarah and the McCain staff didn't get a long very well. But what I got out of it was the fact that she was trying to cover up her husband's involvement in the Alaskan Independence Party. He was a member. He wanted Alaska to be its own country and his wife was a candidate for Vice-President of the very country he no longer wanted to be a part of. And she wants to run for President in 2012.

And the Republican party does not seem to think this is an issue?

I think it is an issue.

No More Contractors!

Ok, the house looks great! New windows, new siding, new gutters, new shutters. Pretty much, except for the garage door (which should probably go on the list!) and the roof, which was replaced in '03, the entire exterior of the house is brand new.

But I was absolutely sick and tired of contractors all around the house all day. Many mornings someone was here before I went to work and still here when I arrived home. They were nice guys and did an excellant job, but I am so glad they are gone!

I will get some pictures posted as soon as I take the time to download them from the camera!

A Quick Water Update

Just to let everyone know, I did shower with HOT water this morning. I got it so hot in their I had to put on my makeup in the dining room or risk passing out. Ooops.

The line was accidentally cut and we were concerned that another line would have to be run the entire length of the house. The circuit breaker is at one end of the house and the hot water heater is at the other. But DSD said a junction box was installed instead. It took them less than 2 hours and only cost $180.00. The vinyl siding guy is going to charge us $180 less so it didn't cost us anything.

I think we should split the difference though. It was an accident and he has gone out of his way on more than one occasion to help us out. I haven't mentioned this to DSD yet, but I hope he will be onboard with it.

I love HOT water!

It Wasn't a Big Deal

My little brother played Little League baseball, basketball and a couple of years of football. We spent a lot of time at the city park when we were kids and most of the young boys (very few girls in those days) were the same from season to season and sport to sport. We were kids, they were kids, my brother played ball, I hung out with the older brothers and sisters of the kids playing and my parents sat with all of the other parents cheering for the kids. Well, my dad coached a lot so he was on the field.

One of the boys was my brother's age and played with him in baseball and basketball. We'll call him Chuck. He was an adorable kid, blond hair, blue eyes, freckles across the bridge of his nose. Chuck lived an all female household with his mom, his little sister and his Cindy. The four of them were a family. The mother (I have no idea what her name was) and Cindy were at every game, every practice. Sometimes Cindy (who was an excellant ballplayer herself according to my dad) helped out with practices.

Now I grew up in a small town in NW Florida, a place we lovingly call LA for Lower Alabama. Not the most sophisticated place in the world and this was the mid to late 70s and early 80s, but no one thought about the fact that Chuck had 2 moms. The women were not ostracized or ignored, the kids were not teased or taunted. I remember a brief moment of "Ewwww" when I found out the 2 women slept in the same bed, but I was older then and fairly self absorbed so I'm certain my thoughts went immediately back to self. And while I don't actually remember the conversation, I am positive my parents delivered the information in a straight-forward matter of fact way and moved on.

So a recent CNN article on children of homosexuals saddened me

Dealing with teasing from classmates and the community isn't so easy, same-sex children say. It's not unusual to hear children of same-sex couples say that they were teased by classmates, but some of that may depend on their age and where they grew up.

Maybe it was easier for Chuck and his sister because there had been a father in the picture somewhere, originally. Maybe it was easier because he had a mom and a Cindy and not 2 people wanting him to call them mom. Maybe it was easier because, for all our small town ways, we didn't seem really judgemental. Maybe I was kid and have no idea what those 2 women went through to be together. But, at the ballpark, they were always treated as just another family there to support their son.

Where Did My Weekend Go?

I am back at work (shhhh!) and happy to be here. Maybe I can get some rest!

My plan for Saturday was to be up by 9, bathe Lola, then myself and be at my parents' by 11 for several hours of pea shelling. The best laid plans, you know.

BabyBoy texted me a little after 9 to let me know he needed coolant for his car.. and had no money, so Lola's bath was postponed, so I could get to the bank and deposit some money in his account. (Yes, he is spoiled)

I showered before I went to the bank with.no.hot.water. DSD was preparing to paint the hallway bathroom as I got out of the shower telling him the water never heated up. He went and played around with the hot water heater only to discover there was no power to it. Apparently the man installing the vinyl siding hit something electrical on Friday (he did tell DSD this on Friday morning) and, from what we could figure, it cut the power line to the water heater. Call an electrician out on Saturday? Suck it up for the weekend? We sucked it up. But the electrician was at my house before I left for work this morning.

I finally arrived at my parents' a little after noon. I was late leaving the house, plus there was a 4 vehicle accident on the way. They had already started the shelling so I got right to it and shelled and shelled and shelled. Until after 9pm. Wow! And we weren't finished, but I was tired, my back hurt and I still had at least a 45 minute drive home.

It was great to spend time with my parents, but I honestly didn't expect to be there that long. I had taken Lola with me to see how she would do and she was an angel. But she was starving by the time we got home. She seems to be weaning herself off 2 feedings a day and she barely eats in the mornings. And I didn't take any food for her; I fully expected to be home by dinner time.

Sunday morning began with blanching and freezing the peas I had brought home with me. Scrubbing down the hall bathroom (which DSD did manage to paint on Saturday) so the shower was useable and then helping BabyBoy move home. Then, cleaning our bathroom, showering in a cold shower and making a quick trip to the grocery store.

I barely read my book all weekend and didn't play my video game at all! What is up with that?

This afternoon I am treating myself to a manicure and pedicure and 2 hours of complete relaxation!

Sarah Palin, Give It Up, You Are Not Funny.

Ok, well, sometimes her accent is funny, but her cutsie thing during the campaign always made me want to vomit.

And, now, she makes fun of John Kerry's face?

"But the way he said it, he looked quite frustrated, and he looked so sad, and I just wanted to reach out to the TV and say, 'John Kerry, why the long face?"

Except that isn't funny. Governor Sarah Palin, right wing nutjob, alleged Christian, making fun of someone for the face given to them by God Almighty? Why would she do that?

The Boston Herald reported that on Wednesday, before South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford's exact whereabouts were widely known, the Massachusetts senator mused to reporters the wrong elected official had dropped out of sight.
"Too bad if a governor had to go missing it couldn't have been the governor of Alaska," he said, according to the paper. "You know, Sarah Palin."

Now that's funny.

Tsk tsk, Sarah. What would Jesus do?

Maybe, in Memory of Michael, we should take these words to heart