On the beach

After coming back home I’ve realized a few things we did wrong on our trip, but really couldn’t have known beforehand. First, we should have spent our first few days in NYC instead of doing the city after the beach. The city, while interesting, was stressful. Second, I should have been vigilant about planning our time in the city rather than playing it by ear. There is too much to see and do to wing it. Bad planning on my part, but you live and learn and maybe if we go again we’ll keep that in mind. Travel is stressful. Stressful enough to bring on a case of shingles which I was not prepared to deal with. I’ll be sure to pack my meds next time. You just never know. Also, I’ll always make sure that if it’s anywhere close to time for my period to start I’ll keep some sort of feminine protection products close at hand rather than having to scour somewhere like Coney Island for a flippin’ tampon. ‘Nuff said on that subject.

There is so much good stuff to share, but I think the beach stuff is important enough and was the best part of my time that I want to share it first. I’ve always loved the shore. Even though I grew up in the foothills of the Rockies the water and the waves have always been a powerful draw for me. Perhaps it’s because I grew up near the mountains that the ocean is so awesome and entrancing. I love being near it.

It’s always fun to spend time with Dan, but I think even more so when he’s in his element; that element being the beach. He loved it and was so happy. I think knowing how happy he was at the shore is my best memory. It amazing to see someone you love really doing something that makes them down deep happy. It’s just the best. It made me content to just watch him out in the water waiting for just the right wave and then he’d catch it! And just as he would jump off he would be back out paddling to catch the next one. He was obsessed and in love with what he was doing.

My first attempt to surf was not so successful. The waves were really choppy and the way the shore broke it went really deep in this one spot and I couldn’t get past it. At one point the waves snatched me up and just rolled me and rolled me and rolled me and I ended up back on the beach. I am a good enough swimmer to not drown in a sitch like that, but it was really funny. Really, really funny. Then after we got back to the house I found that I had sand in every crack and crevice- even up my nose!! Haha!! My second attempt was a couple days later and while I didn’t actually get up standing I did ride a wave or two in on my belly. Even though I love being on the shore, the idea of how big the ocean is and how deep it is really unnerves me (phobia time) and so I was really proud of myself for even getting out to where I couldn’t touch on a board. I was afraid, but I did it! That made me feel good, too.

I had fun along the beach as well as in the waves. I took a lot of photos of everything. I sat and wrote a lot about my thoughts and took time to catch up with myself. I sat and stared into the water watching each wave and noticing how they were all different from one another and how they rolled in and where they would end up along the sand. And I observed a lot at things like Larry the albatross (I think he was just a seagull), a crab that was left on shore when the tide went out (he was little and crabby), and then watching the silly sandpipers run back and forth. It was all very entertaining in a way that I’m not sure I can describe. I want to say it was playful, but that isn’t completely accurate because it wasn’t as if I was frolicking on the beach. Yet, it was playful and sedate and interesting and relaxing and funny and thoughtful and so many things just like the way sand is made up of a lot of little particles you can’t fully detail.

I suspect that if things go as Dan and I like we will end up with a house on the beach someday. Which beach I don’t know, and I don’t suppose that at this stage it would matter. I just want to wake up to the waves and the sand and whole indescribable bit of it.

Initial thoughts on an East Coast vacation

We got back early this morning from the East coast. It was probably around 2 by the time we got to bed. We got up around 9:30 and began getting things in order and recollecting ourselves from an 8 day trip. Eight days is long time to be away from home, and the comforts that are taken for granted. It was a long time for me to be without a computer to write down my thoughts, communicate easily with friends and just check on the world. I think it was what I needed though. Time to unplug and think outside of this little box and get some clarity about things in my “real” non-vacation mode life.

On our second full day of vacation we woke up and went right down to the beach. I began watching the waves, the sand, the birds and the sky. I spent a lot of the next 4 days doing the same thing. It’s funny how when the waves roll in they sort of wash away a lot of the fluff that hides truly important things in life. I found that to be so on this trip.

Here is a little of what I wrote while watching the waves.

“As I sit among the pieces of broken seashell, washed up seaweed and kelp watching Dan in the distance I realize how incredibly important he is to me. …Surfing takes a lot of skill that non-surfers take for granted. It’s not a sport for the impatient. The sea is powerful so it’s also not a sport for the weak or timid. Dan is a surfer from head to toe. He is strong, patient and not timid. I love him.”

Mostly, I just watched the ocean and took into every pore. It was like a painting. Something that you can’t really wrap words around, but rather you just have to see it.

I have a lot more to say about the trip, but I’m tired. This will have to be enough for now.

Last day in NYC

We leave tonight for home. I'll probably take some time on the plane to organize my thoughts around this trip and write a couple of blogs about "things" but suffice to say I'm happy to be returning home. I miss a lot of things about it. My garden. My dogs. And a whole lot of missing my children, who will be back on Wednesday night. Yes, it's time to go home.

Still on Vacation...sort of.

If I were still at the Jersey shore I would count myself still on vacation, but New York has been anything but relaxing. I doubt I will ever come back to the city. I've seen enough. On the other hand I cannot recommend the Jersey shore high enough. We had fantastic food, great friends, and really fun waves to surf. It was lovely.
One more day until we head home. I cannot wait to be back in Denver. I miss it, and for that I'm glad I came to NYC. Just to know how much I love my little house in Baker.

Brooklyn!

I don't know how much I'll be able to post in the next week since we are headed to Brooklyn and the Jersey Shore for a week. I'll try and send postcards. ;)

"F" is not a passing grade

F

The Iraqi government met less than 50% of the goals that they were supposed to. Where I come from that's an "F." So, what's the good news, Mr. President? I don't hear it.

In other news, this video is enlightening. Not that I'd vote for Giuliani anyway, but this ensures that I will fight even harder to make sure that a Republican won't win. I give him an F, too.

thoughts

Bush has conceded today that the leak of Valerie Plame's identity to the media probably came from his Administration, but wants to move on. He is clearly not bothered by the fact that this is a federal offense, but rather would like to just brush it under the rug along with whatever other crimes his Administration has committed. Can he be so blind to the fact that he's admitted that someone in his administration (other than Libby) has committed a crime? Am I the only one who is just appalled at his blatant disregard for harboring a felon? You know, that's impeachable. Does he get it? For that matter would he even care if he did know?

A second thought on my post yesterday. Sarah Taylor is just now 32 years old. That's a baby in politics. Honestly, what kind of candid advice would the President be seeking of someone with so little experience? "Sarah, how to I log into this RNC e-mail without anyone knowing?" Again, we are faced with asking why someone with so little experience was placed in such an inside position. The only conclusion is that she's a yes-girl put in place to take the heat if and when the time comes. Too bad she seems so willing to go along with it.

Another stupid question maybe

Again, I'm no political analyst so from time to time I have questions that seem simple enough to me, but aren't adding up with what is going on. Right now I have some questions about things that don't add up to what experience and education I have.

Here are my simple questions:

• If an aide to the President is giving honest, law/Constitution based advice to the Commander in Chief then why would he (the Pres) later need to claim executive privilege to hide that advice? If it was good advice shouldn't that be touted as well-given advice?
• Does speaking to the President with candor also require it to be so secretive that it can't later be disclosed to other representatives of our government? Why?
• Lastly, if someone supposedly never discussed an issue with the President then why can't they speak openly about the fact that they never talked about it?

These are pretty simple questions. It seems to me that if someone has given frank, legal, and honest advice even if others don't agree with it that is their word and that they should stand behind it. If they aren't standing behind it and are too ashamed to say it publicly in the face of the law then maybe they shouldn't have fucking said it to begin with. When I was a teen one of my teachers said, "If you want to be treated like an adult then act like one. An adult doesn't do or say things that they wouldn't mind having on the front page of the paper. You can do whatever you want, say whatever you want. However, to be an adult make sure these are things you are willing to take credit for."

So, what are these "children" hiding?

Welcome home, Mr. E!

That's right! I got Mr. E back! I had given up all hope and was searching the Dumb Friends League site for adoptable cats and what do you know!? There was my Mr. E! He's a little worse for wear, but he's back! What a funny cat. I wonder what kind of adventures he had. Play with the words on that as you will. Yay for my kitty being home!

Well, well, well...I am certain that no one is really surprised that AG is in hot water for his lack of knowledge again. I wasn't when I read about him telling Congress that the FBI had not abused the power given to them in the US Patriot Act when in fact he had received documentation to the contrary. Nope, not surprised at all.
Again, here we have a man in a very high powered position that is required to take information supplied to him (like a queen bee) and digest it. That's it. He is given reports. He is briefed on what the reports say. He sits in meetings that discuss various information and reports. He doesn't even have to work that hard for the info. All he has to do is understand what he's told, process it and act on it. If asked about it then all he has to do is regurgitate what's been reported to him. In the case presented today there is evidence that he had information that discussed violations on the part of the FBI and yet he testified that there were none. Hm...so either he forgot, which is a problem since again this is his JOB or he lied which is an even bigger issue.

So, which is it AG? Are you so incompetent that you can't even remember how to do your job or are you just a liar? You can choose both and none of us will be surprised.

Juvenile humor coming to haunt me

O.K. I try to be mature. No, stop laughing. I really do try. It doesn't help that I have an eleven year old son who thinks farts and poop jokes are hilarious, and a boyfriend that enjoys making fart and poop jokes. It also doesn't help that puberty has also made bums and boobs pretty darn good targets for humor too. So, when I saw this video maturity went out the window and the new thing (behind the 11 year olds back, of course) is the silly finger screwing gesture that they do. I'd totally forgotten about that gesture until we watched the video.

On Independence Day

Independence Day. The day that we take to celebrate the founding of our country and honor those that have embraced the truths that were written in the Declaration of Independence all those years ago. We sing the National Anthem, hang our flags and burn millions of dollars worth of fireworks. We have symbols and words and songs to express the love of our country, but what are we doing to ensure that the basic ideals that they are all founded upon survive? Here are to examples of what I mean.

How many people each year go to the Statue of Liberty and read the words imprinted there? Hundreds of thousands is my guess. And what does it say?

“Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe
free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.”

Yet we can’t even figure out how to welcome those that work our fields, clean our houses and do jobs that most native born Americans are not willing to do. It’s shameful. We embrace Lady Liberty and in the next breathe curse the very people she beacons.

We look to our Constitution to provide a clear avenue to provide Justice to our Nation. In fact the very beginning sentence calls for Justice. It says-

“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

Yet our very own President who is sworn to uphold the Constitution calls it a “piece of paper.” He and Mr. Cheney have done everything they can to avoid the checks and balances that the Constitution outlines and yet turned around and used it to protect their cohorts. Why is it o.k. for others to go to jail, testify when subpoeaned, but not o.k. for them?

I could go on and on. My point here is to urge all Americans to take a step back from the barbeque, the fireworks and all the other schwag that we have encased our American Pride in and think about the simple principles that our country was founded on to insure life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for ALL. Reflect, think and then challenge and demand our government to be what we believe it to be and praise it to be every Independence Day. In closing I leave with a hero and true Americans words.

“Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have the exact measure of the injustice and wrong which will be imposed on them.” -Frederick Douglass

Well said...

I was getting my early morning reading in and came upon this little gem on the DailyKOS. It's got a lot of good points about the whole Libby debacle. Read it.

Our President Likes Criminals

Today I. Scooter Libby received the gift of a lifetime. President G. W. Bush commuted his sentence that would have had him behind bars for 2 1/2 years because he felt that the sentence was too harsh. I, along with many others, am outraged. I encourage everyone who feels that criminals should do their time write or call their Congress people. I wrote. Here's what it said.

"What do you call a man who has lied under oath and blatantly obstructed the
U.S. Justice system? I call him a criminal. The judge that oversaw
the I. Scooter Libby trial agreed and sentenced Mr. Libby to time in
jail for his crimes. I doubt that he took his duties as a
judge lightly. Most judges don't take their jobs lightly and that
is why we trust them to apply the law with an even hand. So,
how is it that the President, who has no legal background, can decide
what is a fair sentence with regard to one of his friends? As an
American I am outraged that this criminal has had his sentence commuted
simply because of his political ties. It's a slap in the face of
Lady Justice herself. I implore you as a representative of the
State of Colorado to stand firm and raise your voice on this
injustice. A crime was committed and the criminal sentenced.
Please do NOT let him walk free."

This is just another example of the current Administrations blatant disregard for the law and for the Constitution that we, as Americans, live by. They are not in it for Justice. They are not in it for the people. They are in it for themselves and by commuting this sentence it is clear that their buddies can break the law and go free.

IMPEACH CHENEY AND BUSH NOW!!!!

And they're off!

My children left today to visit their father for the month of July. We left for the airport at 7:15 and it's now 12:45. Right now it feels like they are just over at a friends having a play date. I think it will sink in either tonight or tomorrow morning when I wake up and don't get the hugs and kisses I'm used to. I have to say that I'm fairly proud of myself for not crying this time. I held it together and only used a couple of tissues (allergies) and not even one tear! WooT! That is a first. They'll be back August 1. I can't wait to see their smiling faces again.

The Politics of Politics

I’ve been reading about politics and the corruption of our government for some time now. Years in fact. Sometimes I’m more involved and watchdog-like than others. Sometimes I stay on the fringe. During both phases of involvement I’ve always been sort of perplexed when I hear elected government figures (a.k.a. politicians) refer to a differing a opinion or an opposing party accusing the one party of doing something as “Political.” A good example is the recent inquiry into why the VP of our country hasn’t allowed his documents to go through the proper oversight process. Part of the response I’ve heard is that it’s a “political move” on the part of the Democrats. Well, here’s my perplexity. If you are in politics exactly what part of your job isn’t “political?” Isn’t keeping the other guy in check part of the politics of the United States and wasn’t it designed to work that way? I believe this is called “Checks and Balances” and maybe it’s political, but that’s how we’ve kept from getting a dictator until now. Maybe…no, probably it’s naïve of me to think that politicians deal in politics. It’s been that way. I think right now it’s one of the only lines of defense that the Bush/Cheney administration have other than “I can’t remember” or “Because that doesn’t happen in MY government.”

solace

Being a mother is hard work. There is nothing new or profound in that statement, but never the less its very true. It's just hard. It's blood, sweat and tears kind of labor, yet most mothers, I think, find it the most rewarding thing. I do. But just as with any hard job there has to be a break, a time to rest, or just a little bit of calm. I think it's necessary for each mother who works hard at raising children to find their place. Something that is that lighthouse when things get crazy.

For me the place I can retreat to for even 5 minutes of reflection is my garden. When I am tending my garden I can breath. When I am gardening I can clear my mind, reflect, think, and relax. It it a place that brings me next to my grandmother. I think she really would have enjoyed my garden and the joy that it brings to me and hopefully to those that pass by. She gave me a little slip of paper she'd cut out of magazine or something. It was a quote by Georgia O'Keefe. "Nobody sees a flower - really - it is so small it takes time - we haven't time - and to see takes time, like to have a friend takes time."

My garden takes time. My children take time. They are not small things to me.

Morning Observation

This morning as I was stopped at a stoplight on my way into work a woman began crossing the street. She was probably in her late 30’s but maybe younger, black and heavy set. Her hair was neatly done and her clothes were freshly pressed. I am assuming she was on her way to work, as well, because it was early and she was near the light rail station. She walked slowly. Very slowly in fact with a slight limp as if her left knee were hurting her. I wondered if she would make it across the street before the light changed. Her progress was so slow I began to worry, but as I watched she made it. Just barely in time, but she put her foot on the curb and as if the light new she was across it changed. I think that my fellow drivers waiting for the light were caught up in her slow progress, just as I was, because we all paused even after the light turned from red to green before we refocused on our journey past the woman on to our destinations.

Solstice

What better to do on Solstice than go skateboarding? Why? Well, because it's also Go Skateboarding Day. We did!

Important

I was just reading the Daily KOS and came across this little gem. It's very well stated.

Breaking the Law, a rant.

So far there has been very little fall out to all of the lies and deceit that the Bushies have used to not only gain the power of the President, but to inflitrate both the DoJ and the Pentagon. Scooter Libby is really the only one so far to take much of a hit. However, I am hoping that the most recent revelation that MANY top officials at the White House (including Alberto Gonzales who has problems of his own outside of this) were knowlingly (that's key) using outside e-mail accounts supplied by the RNC. Why is this a big deal? Well, because it's ILLEGAL!! Okay it's a little more technical than that. They were not using White House e-mail to do official White House business and not following the rules set down (as explained by none other then A.Gonzales in 2001) that require any official White House business done through an alternate e-mail to either be printed and stored as presidential record or e-mailed to their White House official e-mail account so that it could be maintained as Presidential record. Who was the biggest user of the RNC e-mail system? KARL ROVE!!! Not surprisingly a large number of e-mails have been "lost." Whatever, the fact still remains that this was not allowable under the Presidential Records Act of 1978 and everyone over at the White House KNEW it because it had been the subject of several memos distributed to Staff.

As Fishbone so clearly and wonderfully stated, "Let the Bastards Fall." If you need clarification on who the bastards I'll be happy to name names.

Also, let me whole heartedly thank Senator Waxman for his tireless efforts on the report that was presented on this issue. I hope that the committee (Oversight and Government Reform) will continue it's work to bring the illegal actions of this Administration to light.

Firsts...

There are some weekends that are planned out and seem eventful and big. Then there are others that while you might have plans seem to just sort of meander and happen. This is the kind of weekend that we had. It had a few plans, but it seemed that the plans were part of the natural course of the weekend instead of timed events.

Saturday morning began with a swim meet. Bronte’s first. She was entered in 3 events. The 50 Freestyle, 100 freestyle and the 50 back. She did them all and with fairly good result considering it was her first year actually competing in anything. I’m proud of her because she worked really hard to finish each event. They were all pretty close together so she was beat by the time she was done. Saturday then turned into sort of a lazy time day where we did stuff, but nothing really worth mentioning. It was nice actually.

Sunday was another early morning because of Father’s Day. We’d agreed to drive to Boulder and have breakfast with Dan’s family to celebrate. We met at a small restaurant that I can imagine has been there decades. It’s a good place and we had a really nice time. The children gave Dan his first Father's Day presents. I think he was surprised, but really he's taken that role in their lives in a big way. He loves them. They love him. Equally he takes care of their needs as if they were his own and is involved in their lives and interests as if they were his own. To me that is fatherhood much more than the bloodline. Anything less than active involvement is just being a sperm donor.

Continuing our Sunday we planned on a skate session at the Boulder park and when we got there it was empty. That’s always a pleasant surprise. So, we skateboarded for a bit and then our Sunday turned into a repeat of Saturday. Leisurely and nice. We did take time to make some fresh pesto and that was the first time I’ve ever made it. It was delish.

And now it’s time to start thinking of getting my head back into the game of M-F. Uh…yeah, I’ll do that after this nice bottle of 1554 by New Belgium brewery. ;)

torture...pure torture

Why? Just why are we watching "RV"? Why? Well, because Dan brought it home after a co-worker assured him it was a really good movie and then secondly because Geoffrey and Bronte wanted to watch it. Glad I have the internets to keep me pre-occupied.

This appears to be a continuing issue in Colorado

Police have arrested a 34-year-old man accused of breaking into homes and
stealing women's undergarments, clothing, shoes and pictures.

Wow. So, when I posted the earlier report about stolen panties I thought that would be the end of it. Apparently there are more people stealing undergarments than one might think. Creepy underwear thieves!

Facing Time Away

My children are heading to see their father in a couple of weeks. They’ll be gone for 5 weeks. It’s the longest they’ve ever been away from me. As you might imagine I’m feeling really anxious about them being there for that length of time. Anxiety that is based in both past experience and also in the unknown.

It’s been my experience that anytime my children go visit their father it’s like opening up a can of worms. Each and every day they are monitored to see exactly what I’ve neglected to do in their upbringing. Then when the visit is over every infraction is recounted to let me know what a bad job I’m doing. None of the situations that occur in his care are taken into account for how the children behave or act. It’s exasperating. I try not to accept the invitation to go crazy when it’s presented, but knowing that it’s coming is anxiety making in itself. It’s an exercise in avoiding trying to rationalize the irrational.

It’s hard to be a parent. There are no instructions and even if there were each kid is different so you have to gauge for that. I think that based on my children’s grades, the amount of compliments I receive on their behavior when I’m both present and not, and the knowledge I have of how they act around me is enough to solidify that they are turning out to be pretty fantastic human beings. I certainly can’t take all of the credit and this for at least two reasons- they have great inherent personalities, and the support I get from my mom, Dan, Dan’s family, and my friends. Even with all of this being said, I still know that a silly pre-teen comment made by my son will be judged as a reflection of my poor parenting.

Another fear I have of them being gone so long is the unknown. We all have a natural fear of what we don’t know. It’s part of our instinct to be afraid when we don’t know what is happening. This is especially true when we don’t know what our kids are in for. It’s part of my being a mother to want to know what my kids will be exposed to and where they will be at all times. It’s my right as a mother to be able to have contact with them so that I can know these things. It’s also exactly what I am denied when they are with their father. He sees their time with him as time for them to not have any contact with me. Phone calls, letter and other communication are strictly limited. I think that if I didn’t need his address in order for them to get on the plane that would be unknown to me, as well. Knowing that I will have to go FIVE weeks with limited contact with my children is an unpleasant but real thought.

I know that logically the time will pass and they will come back home to me. Still the prospect of their absence coupled with the fallout of accusations and having to refuse invitations to go crazy is not one I am looking forward to. It’s not really anything I know how to prepare for other than to accept that it will come, and then it will pass and my children will still be my wonderful children and that my love for them and theirs for me is always there: even when they aren’t present.

Nice friggin' socks.

Vote of No Confidence

I'm sitting here listening to the Senators say their yeas and nays on the resolution of no confidence against Alberto Gonzales. I am keeping my fingers crossed that when all is said and done there is a solid vote of no confidence against him. I'm hoping that this will lead to more evidence against Cheney's folks and open up the investigation. One bad seed at a time.

Earlier I was reading Mickey's blog, "1 Boring Old Man" and he had posted a quote by President Bush. While it should be shocking the fact that Bush considers it his government it's not really shocking at all. Frustrating, but not shocking. He's a really cocky S.O.B. and has proven it again and again. Well, it's not his. It's OURS! I hope the Senators that are voting right now can remember that and pass this resolution.

Update: I'm really disappointed. I'll be sure to let Senator Allard know he blew it and let Senator Salazar know that I'm happy he stood by the people instead of by his party. After all, it's OUR government.

Dayum...

Every Word by Sade

You treated me like a stranger
And all the time I was loving you
All your slick moves
They were once innocent moves
I wanted to look up to you
I really trusted you
And every word you said

Completely unapplicable to my current situation, but yet her voice and the knowledge of what she means just grabs me and makes me think, "YES!" And then she sings something like,

When I need to be rescued
And I need a place to swim
I have a rock to cling to in the storm
When no one can hear me calling
I have you I can sing to
And in all this
And in all my life
You are the lovers rock
The rock that I cling to
You're the one
The one I swim to in a storm
Like a lovers rock

And it's completely applicable and I think "Yes!" again. I cannot imagine marking my life the way I have without her music. It's just too clear and dead on. She's one of those artists that touches me through the ebbs and flows.

Mr. E has gone missing.

Mr. E has not been home in nearly 48 hours now. He's not at the shelters. He's not smushed in the street. The crazy cat lady said she doesn't have him. WHERE ARE YOU, MR. E!?!?

My boyfriend is tiny!!

O.K. so Dan isn't really tiny. He's about 5'11" and pretty broad shouldered. He always makes me feel like I'm little. Look how tiny he looks compared to his boss!! hahaha!! That cracks me up. Even so he looks HAWT!! WooT!

My REAL Life

I had a friend tell me that they hadn't subbed to my skateboarding blog (Smoooochie Skates) because if it was about my "real life" I would put it on this blog and she was subbed here. Well, to that I say, "skateboarding IS part of my real life." I'm on a board every day. I talk about skateboarding every day. I read about it every day. It's even become how I commute to work (more on this later). It's as much a part of my real life as my garden, listening to music, reading books, cooking for my family, cleaning house, folding laundry, going to work, paying bills, and anything else that I do. It's frustrating that people see my life as compartmentalized and that skateboarding is something outside of my "real life." Skateboarding is part of the fiber. It's what helps keep me sane when life is stressful. It's my yoga. It keeps me challenged because there is always more to learn. So, really, I guess it's fine if friends don't want to read about my skateboarding, but it's really not fine for them to think it's somehow outside of who I am.

Just a note

My boyfriend texted me right after I got out of the car (we carpooled in.) It said, "You have nice legs." Yeah, he RAWKS!!

See my other blog re: how the light rail commute is going. I am still doing it on day 4. While I carpooled this morning I am riding back via RTD. It beats traffic. That's for sure!

Happy Birthday to the Sweetest Dan

June 5th, 2007- Dan turns 33!

There are hundreds of little things that I love about this man. Seemingly, I only get one day (his birthday) to celebrate that he is alive, but actually, I get to love him everyday and I'm lucky for that. Cheesy, maybe. True, definitely.



Here are a few of the phenomenal things about him. It doesn't even to the long list justice, but here it is anyway.



1. He let me keep the cat.
2. He gets why I need to work part-time right now and supports it.
3. His amazing sense of humor and wit.
4. He loves that I enjoy giving back rubs nightly.
5. He's one of the kindest people I know.
6. He's obsessed with various projects, but always has time for me.
7. He loves my children as if they were his own.
8. His broad shoulders.
9. His blue eyes.

Dan, I love you with all my heart. Happy Birthday!!

Public Transportation

Tomorrow is my first day of taking the light rail to work. I don't know how long it's going to take. I don't know if it will really save me money, and it certainly isn't going to save me any time. So, why am I doing it? The reasons are fairly simple.
First, I hate the whole idea that the money I spend on gas is helping big oil show their "largest profits ever!" If I were paying $3.50 a gallon knowing that the money was going to help figure out how to find cleaner fuel alternatives or making sure that the oil riggers in Nigeria were getting paid a fair wage then I'd be o.k. with it. However, I know that there are issues with 3rd world labor wages and I don't think that big oil is in it for the environment. I just don't. I'm not a tree-hugging peace child out to save the world. Just a mom that wants a good place for her kids to grow up.
Secondly, I need the freakin' exercise. While I'm not at my heaviest I am heavier than I'm comfortable with so I've decided that the extra half mile here and there walking, kick/pushing, or riding my bike will add up. I've made a few dietary changes as well, so we'll see. I just need to be down about 5 lbs and I'll be back where I am comfy. Yay!
Lastly, I just like cities that have public transportation that works and I want it to work in Denver. So, that being said it's fairly hypocritical for me to not use it often. I love being in cities like D.C. or S.F. where you can hop on a train and get where you want to go fairly quickly. I want Denver to be a city like that so this is my little way of helping and hoping it succeeds. They are bleeding money into it so I'm going to just make it work for me. I live .4 miles from the silly station so I should do it. I"m going to do it. Tomorrow!! I'll let you know how it goes.

Sometimes

Sometimes I don't have a lot to say. It seems that I'm feeling that way right now. Sometimes there is too much going on that requires no thought to really say much. Sometimes life is like a list and you just go through the list until you have something to say.

Continuation

First Day of Kindergarten

Today is my son’s last full day of Elementary School. It’s a milestone. A marker he will remember probably for the rest of his life as moving from being a young child to a young man. The school he goes to has what they call a “Continuation Ceremony.” He will be giving a short speech today at the ceremony, and it says all the things that we know about time moving quickly, how hard work pays off and how giving back to the community is important. I will be in the audience crying, I’m sure.

Just as anyone might expect I’m proud of him. He’s worked really hard this year with a teacher that was hard-nosed and to be honest not always fair. He’s made real strides with his academics. He is headed to a Magnet school that required a lot of him to even get in. He is on the right path to a successful future, and he’s worked really hard to get there. We’ve both worked hard for him to do all that he’s done. It’s been fun and challenging both. I can’t wait to see how it all turns out.

Even so, I feel a little sadness with the excitement. In some way I feel as if I’m losing my little boy. I still have my wonderful son, but he’s not little anymore and this is the marker of that. It is the time where I stop holding his hand and just walk along side him. I will still be there to occasionally help him figure out bumps in the road, but not catch him every step of the way. That’s a silly analogy, but still somewhat fitting. It really feels like the first step of letting go so he can pursue his own life, and that’s hard for any parent. There are a number of steps left along the way before he’s independent and I suppose I can cling to those, but those markers will come and I will have to let go little by little until he’s on his own. It’s hard but necessary as so many of the parts of being a parent seem to be.

I know today I’m going to cry tears of joy, sadness and pride. I just won’t be able to help it, and even though it isn't about me it does feel like it just a little bit.

DPS Shakespeare Festival May 2007 with his sister.

Sadness...

In the past few years there have been a few people that I've considered shining stars in Bush's war (wrongly entitled "War on Terror.") One of whom is Cindy Sheehan. I've never really lauded her endeavors, but have quietly sat by in awe of her determination.

Today I read that she's giving up and saying that her son truly died in vain. This is heartbreaking. She's fought so long and hard to make that not true, but I think in the most recent funding bill the Dems failed her and us.

I hope that she can find some sense of peace to move forward in her life. I hope that others can take up the fight and press on. I hope that we can remove the cancer that is each up our young men and our nation before it's really too late.

Panties in a Bunch over Stolen Underwear

The panty thief is in BIG trouble now. Women who had their underwear stolen are coming forward to identify their stolen drawers! This guy is going DOWN!!!

Selfish, selfish woman

When I first read about the 60 year old woman I immediate thought it was selfish. Then, I decided to read about her reasoning. Perhaps she was having babies for her children or for some other purpose greater than just her own selfishness. Well, I was wrong. She was just being selfish and claiming that her act was for women. She said:

The 60-year-old psychologist who delivered twin boys by Caesarian section
said she was on a mission to let women know they have choices.
"My mission here, the reason I'm doing this is to help other women. It's really
basically about women and empowerment," Frieda Birnbaum said, speaking on
NBC's "Today" show Thursday.

She could have kept her altruism to herself, because quite honestly this doesn't show me or any other woman anything other than you can still make foolish choices that effect the lives of many even when you are a senior.

Let's just look at the reality of the situation. She's 60. When her daughter enters kindergarten she'll be entering retirement. When her daughter is learning to drive she'll be having her license taken away. When her daughter is graduating high school she'll be 78! When her daughter finished college she'll be in her 80's. And if she dies before her daughter reaches these milestones then it will be her other (grown) children that step in and take up the responsibility of raising a child they didn't choose to have.

If she really wanted to prove that women can do anything at any age then there were a lot of ways to do it that wouldn't have had the potentially traumatic end that this situation does. Her choice wasn't about what women can do. It was about her selfish want of having another child without thinking of the reality of what happens when she is too old to care for herself, much less the child. Selfish, selfish woman.

Dear Senator...

Alright, so I probably sound like a crazy person in my letter to Senators Allard and Salazar, but I had to say something. I am so sick of the Bush Administration infiltrating the other branches of our government and corrupting the very foundations of our system. They all need to go and Gonzales is a fine place to start! Here's the letter:

Dear Senator ...

I am writing to you today to make a
request. After watching and thinking about the scandal that has arisen out
of the Department of Justice I would like to sincerely urge you to take part in
the vote of no-confidence against Alberto Gonzales. The reasons are
many. I would like to take a moment to share why I feel this is
necessary.

First Mr. Gonzales has a proven track record of not
remembering. He doesn’t remember meetings. He doesn’t remember being
presented with the idea of people being fired without cause. He’s said it
on numerous occasions. While I understand that he’s a busy man I find it
very improbable to remember that he cannot remember being part of discussions to
not only fire 8 U.S. Attorneys, but potentially firing many more. There is
proof that he was in the meetings and was keyed in on the firings. Yet, he
doesn’t remember them. We need an Attorney General that can remember what
goes on under his/her nose and drive the Department to work for the American
people.

When you hold an office of such importance, as you do,
there is a thing call accountability. By simply signing off on a
document that gave Monica Goodling and Kyle Sampson the power to make
hiring decisions for very key positions he was passing the buck to two very
junior people in the department with little or no experience in managing such a
task. He was saying that someone with little experience could do his
job. If he doesn’t want the accountability or the work of being Attorney
General then why should we have confidence in his work?

Honestly, Senator, I don’t understand the language he uses.
On one hand he says that he didn’t do anything improper and that he’s done
nothing wrong but then on the other he claims that not only does he not
remember, but that mistakes were made. I’m sorry, but this is
contradictory and I don’t feel that it’s fair to the American people to have an
Attorney General who is supposed to be upholding the law be so confounded in his
own actions!! This isn’t a mistake that was devoid of harm. It
harmed a lot of people and his only defense was that he doesn’t remember.
That just doesn’t cut it when you are the Attorney General. Or at least it
shouldn’t.

Quite frankly, I haven’t even discussed the shaky
ideology that Mr. Gonzales has with regard to the power of the President.
And that’s the problem. It’s an ideology. In law, in government law,
it’s not about some theory derived from a political think tank. It’s about
the LAW that is based on reasoning and thought. I don’t think that Mr.
Gonzales gets that. He plays dumb half the time and then the other time
he’s being defensive. I do not find any sort of security knowing that this
man is in charge of the Judicial Branch of the United States.

So, with that being said please think about what kind of Attorney
General your constituency deserves and vote against Alberto Gonzales in the vote
of no confidence next month. We THE PEOPLE deserve someone who is not
willing to pass the buck and shun his/her duties, but rather stand with Lady
Justice in defense of the law.

Thank you for your time.

Me, today.

Oh, and since that's sort of boring here's something interesting to read. Well, interesting is probably not the right word. More like odd yet satisfying is a better descriptive. Just click the link already.

Panties Pilfered

Underpants gone missing?

The best part of the story:

Police are offering the opportunity for victims of the thefts to come and
identify which garments are theirs on May 25 between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.

UPDATE!!!! UPDATE!!!! UPDATE!!!!

For fuck's sake. Don't these police have anything better to do? Do they honestly think that any of these women would want their stolen panties back? GROSS!!

Fruity Pebble Art

A few months ago I took a photo of my daughter at her swim lesson and sent it to Dan's sister, Deana. She was a swimmer in college (and before) and so I thought she'd dig it. Well, she did. Here's what she did with it along with the original! How cool is THAT!? My baby is a Fruity Pebble!!

A Hit Dog will Holler'

Over the weekend Jimmy Carter made a comment about the Bush administration. Now he's recanting after the Bush administration said that he's irrelevant. This has been on my mind off and on all day.

Whether you like Carter or not is irrelevent here. I think he's a mixed bag of tricks personally. He's done good and bad. Even so, I think he was right the first time. The Bush Administration is a disaster. There continues to be more and more evidence to the dispicability and corruptibility of the current Administration. It doesn't take much searching or much brain power to look at the economy ($4 for gas in Cali), the way the war is going (basic failure on every level), and the DOJ scandal to figure out whether or not Carter's allegations are spot on. They are, and now the Bushies are up in arms disputing Carter's initial statement. If he was as irrelevant as they are claiming they could have kept quiet about it and said, "We stand by our record." But they can't. They can't because they know that Carter still has a lot of leverage with the world community. So, they are shouting from the rooftops, and I think they are making so much noise because deep down they know what Carter said is TRUE. Like I said, "A hit dog will holler."

Now as far as Carter recanting I think the explanation is pretty simple. He made a hasty comment and then was either reminded or he remembered that there is an election coming up. I don't think he wants it any harder for his party than it has to be. A call from some Democrat friend probably coaxed the recant from him. Whatever. Whether you want to chalk it up to him seeing and stating what is obvious or chalk it up to an old man getting it right on accident the bottom line is that the Bush Administration sucks and goes into defenst mode when someone points out that very obvious fact.

Me. Today.

Here is what I look like today.

In Front of Me

There are:

- CD-Roms with various things on them
- my digital camera
- Dan's keys
- my check book
- some papers
- some used tissues (that I just used and haven't gotten up to throw away)
- panties that I just bought
- a brand new coffee mug that Dan brought me from Indianapolis
- the monitor
- speakers
- the keyboard & mouse

I didn't mention the safety pin or dime, but they are there, too.

It's DONE!!!

Ten weeks ago, Dan informed me that he was going to tear the deck out. It was a Sunday evening. Since then we have transformed our backyard.

Week One

Week Ten

Interviewed by Mynxie

Sometime back my dear friend Mynx d'Meanor posted an interview on her blog. I replied saying I wanted her to ask me some questions. She did and here are the questions (and answers) along with the original instructions.

THE GUIDELINES:
1. Leave me a comment saying, “Interview me.”
2. I will respond by asking you five questions. I get to pick the questions.
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.


1) what's in the trunk of your car? Well, I have a Yeep Wrangler so I don't really have a trunk, but in the very back of my Yeep I usually have my skateboard. You never know when it will come in handy.

2) what shall we do with the drunken sailor? Oh! That's naughty!

3) describe one of your favorite memories of cape town? There are a lot of great memories of Cape Town. I went there for work to evaluate the program that Emory has with the University of Cape Town. I was there with other people from various Universities around the world for a "Come and See" tour. One of the special projects that the kids who went to study abroad would get to be a part of was working in one of the many townships in Cape Town. So, in order to see the work that they would be a part of we loaded up on busses and got to go out into 3 different townships. We met children and women's groups who came to welcome us and show us their library, their crafts, and their community center where they are working hard to make life better for themselves and their families. It was really a profound reminder how unimportant material things are compared to strength of character. It's not really something that you can put words to clearly enough. It was just really an important lesson I think everyone in the "1st" world should get the opportunity to know.

Something a little less dramatic was when I was sharing a panini with my friend Stian on the steps at the wharf. That was an amazing sammich.

4) if you could pack everything you like/love with you (your house, etc.), where in the world would we find smoooochie? Why?

The world is a huge place. On any given day I might choose Stockholm, Cape Town, Grand Cayman Island, or maybe even Costa Rica. However, today I am not choosing those. I might change my mind tomorrow, but since it's just a game that's part of the fun.

I love where I live now because I can be outside a LOT and in all reality I have a lot of great things going for me here. Denver has mountains nearby, lots of fun outdoor stuff, and a good airport to get us out to other places. The drawback is that it's such a small city. I don't like that so much. In light of that, and the fact that I miss my old home town so much, I would have to say you'd probably find me back in Atlanta.

I would move my family, house (and brand new beautiful garden) and many of the local skateparks (Denver, Aurora, Canon City, Montrose) all to Atlanta. Then I would have a gorgeous climate, free places to skateboard and my family with me. The first thing I would do is head down to 5 Seasons Pub and get some grub and a delicious beer. Damn, I miss that place! They also have a great airport so I could visit all my peeps and snowboard now and then, too!

5) do you have any absolute, consumer-whore materialistic guilty pleasure vices? do tell.

Soap. I have no qualms about spending $5-15 on a bar of really nice soap. Some of my favs are:
- origins ginger body bar
- aveda refreshing bath bar
- archipelago organics morning mint
- eskander sandalwood soap
- pre de provence olive oil soap

Congratulations, Street Sense

A beautiful horse wins a beautiful race! Congrats to Calvin Borel and Street Sense.

Cinco de Mayo

It’s a lazy Saturday morning with nothing really on the slate until later. Today is Cinco de Mayo. As a I child I remember all of the festivities surrounding this date. My childhood memories recall the dances being learned, the music playing and the green, white and red being proudly displayed. I didn’t know the history then, and even now that I do I don’t really associate the historical event (the battle against the French at Puebla keeping the French from invading and Napoleon III from becoming the emperor of Mexico) with the cultural pride that it instills. I think perhaps of all the weeks for me to have seen Rodrigo y Gabriella this is the best one because it was just before Cinco de Mayo and it really did give me a renewed sense of cultural pride.

Rodrigo y Gabriella are an acoustic guitar duo from Ixtapa via Mexico City. As told by Gabriella they were in a thrash metal band in Mexico City and working hard to get gigs at all. The band parted ways, but she and Rodrigo decided to go acoustic and move to Ixtapa to figure it all out on the beach. So, they ended up playing acoustic versions of Metallica to dreamy eyed vacationers who found their “Traditional Mexican songs” irrestistable. It’s a funny story, but I can see how the music they play would be interpreted that way. They are simply phenomenal guitar players with a style that really does captivate. I highly recommend to anyone picking up their album. If you like classical guitar, if you like rock, if you aren’t sure if you’d like either get it anyway. It’s really awesome.

And this is where I go back to talking about cultural pride. Seeing this beautiful Mexican woman play the guitar so expertly made me so proud of my Mexican heritage. It helped me remember that the women of Mexico are beautiful, smart and talented. I think in the United States we get so caught up in trying to understand the illegal immigrant issue that we forget that the culture of Mexico is so diverse and amazing. It makes me proud of that part of my heritage when I see a Mexican woman doing her thing and in this case rocking her ass off.

Happy Cinco de Mayo everyone. Have a cerbeza, listen to some Mexican music and celebrate even if you aren’t Mexican. It’s a beautiful culture to recognize.

Thank you, General Eaton

I was reading my daily dose of blogs because I knew there would be some shouting about the veto. What I came across (thanks again, Mickey) was a letter from General Eaton (retired) to the President regarding the veto on the war spending bill Congress passed last week. I think his message is clear. Bush is NOT listening to the Generals as he constantly says he is. Bush does not GET that our forces are spent. They are spread too thin. Our national safety and interest is in jeopardy here on US soil because Bush is just not listening. I think that it bears a reprint on every blog out there. I urge you to send this to your Congressmen and ask them to listen to a man who has been on the ground in Iraq and helped train the Iraqi forces.

Here's the letter (Daily KOS):

May 1, 2007
President George W. Bush The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President,

Today, in your veto message regarding the bipartisan legislation just passed on
Operation Iraqi Freedom, you asserted that you so decided because you listen to
your commanders on the ground.
Respectfully, as your former commander on the ground, your administration did not listen to our best advice. In fact, a number of my fellow Generals were forced out of their jobs, because they did not tell you what you wanted to hear -- most notably General Eric Shinseki, whose foresight regarding troop levels was advice you rejected, at our troops' peril.
[...]
As someone who served this nation for decades, I have the utmost respect for the office you hold. However, as a man of conscience, I could not sit idly by as you told the American people today that your veto was based on the recommendations of military men. Your administration ignored the advice of our military's finest minds before, and I see no evidence that you are listening to them now.
I urge you to reconsider your position, and work with Congress to pass a bill that achieves the goals laid out
above.

Respectfully,
Major General Paul D. Eaton, USA, Retired

Rodrigo y Gabriella

We went to see them tonight. More details tomorrow. Suffice to say they were phenomenal.

A Response

I've been writing to my senators lately. I'm tired of the situation in our government and I don't know of anyway to change it other than to be a squeeky wheel. Yesterday I received a message back from one of them explaining why he votes and supports things that I disagree with. I wasn't going to post my response, but after reading Mickey's blog post about pragmatism I decided that I would do it. So, for better or worse here it is.

Dear Senator Allard,

First, thank you for your response. I do appreciate your time. I do want to respond because I think it's important that you, as a representative of the citizens of Colorado, know how the citizens feel.

I understand that you feel that it's key that we stabilize Iraq, but where is the proof that Iraq is the headquarters of the threat? As I recall Osama Bin Ladin is not IN Iraq and has never been. On that horrible day when the twin towers fell it was not Iraq that had a hand in the terror. By keeping the number of troops we currently have in Iraq we have weakened our forces here at home. Generals of our military have said that they are afraid that we are not well protected at home on American soil, and quite frankly Senator, I thought that was the whole point. I only need to remind you of the horrible situation in New Orleans that took so many other lives because we didn't have the means necessary to do what was necessary. Where were the troops that could have helped? They were not in the U.S. helping to protect the lives of Americans, but rather risking their own lives to fight "terrorism" on foreign soil.

I hate to say such a cheesy phrase, but the whole situation brings to mind the movie lines "Build it and they will come." Well, we've built the idea that terrorists are infesting the heart of Iraq and by the droves the extremists have come. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy and we need to break the idea now and be done with the idea that fighting over there is protecting us over here. It's not.

Senator Allard, this isn't a win or lose situation. We've lost already. We've lost billions of dollars funding a war that was based on lies. We've lost thousands of lives (3335 to date) of our men and women who have bravely served. Thousands more have lost limbs, self identity and will be mentally scarred forever by the war, but yet we still have no clear plan of when we will require the Iraqi government to take over their own protection. Why? Why don't we have a clear plan when not only was President Bush given a plan (by HIS advisors) and also had firm recommendations by the leaders of the Armed Forces that lead to our withdrawal of troops, bringing them home and securing OUR borders? What is the resistance to taking the advice of the professionals that have said we need a different direction? What is really at stake here? The lives of our troops, our economy, and our role in the world as a leader are what is at stake if we don't change the course and support our generals and the other leaders that have recommended a timely withdrawal. I urge you to rethink your support of leaving our troops in harms way. I urge you to think of how vital our military is to defending OUR borders and not just of this idealized version of the war on terror.

Catching up...

I’ve been avoiding posting anything about the Virginia Tech shooting/shooter. I’m not exactly sure why because I’ve had a lot of thoughts and have been keeping up with it. I suppose there is enough out there being said. My heart does go out to all the parents. I cannot fathom the heartache. So, that’s what I have to say about that.

On a more positive note I’ve been very busy doing stuff and not very busy writing about it. I’m not really sure how to talk about what I’ve been doing for a week and not make it sound like a list. I can tell you that I’ve had some great Indian food, seen a baseball game (for free) and welcomed my son back from camp. See, it’s listy.

Speaking of the game we were in our seats eating cotton candy (my weakness) and I happened to look over to the section next to us. The crowd was sparse (and that’s being generous) so I noticed a man I thought I recognized. I did a double take and I was certain that I knew this person, but it was one of those situations where you think, “How could HE be HERE?” I told Dan and he encouraged me to go talk to the guy. I did. Sure enough he was a friend of mine from Atlanta. He was a PhD student at Emory when I was working there. And there he was at a Rockies game in Denver! He got a job here after he finished his dissertation, and is living about 3 miles from us. The world is such a small funny place.

I'm hooked

Will Ferrell. Pearl. I love it!

Fire them...

Alright, so if THIS were to happen in corporate America at the executive level the executives would be under federal investigation and would more than likely be fired. I propose that the same thing happen here. Fire Bush, fire Cheney, and first and foremost FIRE ROVE! Write your representatives and demand action. Do it! Do it now!!

Quick Trip

This image and this blog post have nothing to do with one another.

The yard has come to a stand still. It’s been cold. It’s too early to plant. And quite frankly, we have been having fun instead of working.
Last weekend we went to Winter Park, CO for a little Spring snowboarding. Danimal’s parents rented a large condo so his sister flew in from Brooklyn, his brother’s family, and we all drove up Friday for a nice weekend getaway.
Per usual we rushed out of the house hoping we hadn’t forgotten anything and feeling very much under the gun. I don’t know why vacations or weekend getaways always seem to start like that. The point, after all, is to relax. Even so we were rushed. Even worse I was starving because I’d been so busy trying to get us out the door I’d not eaten lunch and it was 6:00. It was nothing a good candy bar wouldn’t take care of, but that would have to wait until we’d been on the road an hour.
We did eventually stop after we’d left the cold and fog of Denver behind. We all got snacks and felt much less hurried to get up to Winter Park. Dan, Deana and I all talked about grown up stuff, Bronte chilled and Geoffrey played his Gameboy. Then about ½ up Berthoud Pass we noticed how we were rising slowly above the clouds. When we got to the top we stopped at the old ski area parking lot to take photos. Dan got out of the car and Deana poked her phone out of the window. Then Dan saw a GIANT snowball. He started messing around with it so Deana got out to take photos of her crazy brother. It was getting dark and cold so that didn’t last as long as it might have. Once back in the car Deana realized her phone was missing. So, back out of the car we went to search in dusky and eventually dark conditions for her phone. No luck. Really. Just no luck so back down the other side of the pass and to the condo where dinner was waiting.
The evening was a good one full of catching up, telling stories of when the 3 kids were kids, and playing with Lilianna, Dan’s 9 month old niece. Eventually, we all decided it was time for bed. Dan and I were headed down the stairs when Dan gasped and turned to look at me with a startled look.
“Did you grab the luggage?” he asked.
“No, you said you were getting it.”
“I got the kids, but not ours!! OH NO!” Yep, that’s right. We’d left all of our clothes in our luggage in our bedroom in Denver. Woooops! Fortunately, we could buy underwear and we were near the size of other members of the better prepared part of the group. More fortunately we keep our boarding gear separate from our clothing.
The next morning we got up and were ready to go hit the slopes. It had snowed the day before so we were hopeful of somewhat decent conditions. Just before heading out we discovered that we weren’t the only forgetful ones. Dan’s brother had left his pass and ski pants at home. We worked it out and went up to the mountain.
I have to say that I’ve “gotten” it. I’m not great and regular blues still intimidate me a bit, but I can carve like nobody’s business down a blue-green slope. It was so sunny and beautiful I was just loving it. We got in about 5 runs and then took lunch. After lunch we took a different lift and went down a blue. Yeah, I should have worn my knee pads because I took a hard fall and bruised my knees up pretty badly. I made it back down the hill, but that was it for me.
Easter Sunday we woke up to 6 new inches of snow. I can’t say powder because it was so heavy and wet it was more like snow soup. I chose to stay at the condo and relax in the hot tub. It was a good choice. I got to know Dan’s parents even better and I got to play with Lilianna and watch Bronte play with her as well. When the others came back soaked from their 3 or 4 runs we got packed up and headed home.
All in all the trip wasn’t so relaxing, but I did learn a few things. Getting ready for a little trip is just as hard as preparing for a week long trip. Dan’s parents are really nice people. I am actually going to get good at this stupid snowboarding sport so the pain I’ve endured might actually going to pay off.
It’s always nice to be home. The dogs, the cat and I were happy to see one another. Now if I could just catch up on all the house work I’ve been neglecting…

TOMORROW!! TIARA AND LEI DAY!!

Background
In the spring of 2005, Libra, the bartender at the Mars Bar in Seattle, wanted to do a luau night. What was created was “Tiara and Lei” day. At the time, Annetastic (Seattle) was very active on tribe.net and decided to share the event with her friends. The first “Tiara and Lei Day”, April 10, 2005, was celebrated in Seattle, San Francisco, Denver, and Memphis mostly by member of tribe.net in addition to the celebrants at the Mars. Celebrants dressed up in tiaras and leis. Fruity drinks were drunk and many photos documenting the various parties were taken.
April 10, 2006 saw the 2nd Annual celebration of Tiara and Lei day celebrated across the country. Again, celebrants donned their tiaras and leis and partied with their local friends, sharing the various events across the internet with friends afar.

How to Celebrate-

It's really as easy as it sounds. You make plans with friends and put on a tiara and a lei. You can wear them to work, out on the town, or just acting silly at home. The point is to put on a tiara and a lei, submit pictures with a brief description to:

Tiara and Lei Day Flickr Group
External Links:
Historical evidence of the founding
First Tiara and Lei Day as celebrated by Smoooochie
First Tiara and Lei Day as celebrated by Mynx d’Meanor
Second Annual as celebrated by Annetastic!
Tiara and Lei Day at the Mars- Year One

Second Annual as celebrated by Mynx d’Meanor
Second Annual as celebrated by Smoooochie and Danimal
Third Annual Announcements:
Annetastic!

Rememberance

I haven’t forgotten the day that I walked into Wax Trax and this loud music was screaming at me. I loved it! The record was “Bleach” and it had just come out that very day. I bought it then and there and have been a fan of Nirvana’s ever since.
I don’t know why we mark the day of someone’s death to remember them more than we do the date of their birth. Today marks the 13th anniversary of the day that Kurt Cobain chose to end his life. We didn’t find out until days later, but it was such a sad day. In some ways it’s hard to believe it was that long ago. Time again working it’s odd way of altering things. I think for many people of my generation Nirvana was a marker in our lives, and thus the day he died became a marker, too. He was the voice of our angst, of our youth, and of our figuring “it” all out. Maybe I’m projecting, but so be it.
I have wondered what he would have done if he lived. He may have become even bigger than he already was or maybe he would have just faded into a shadow. It doesn’t do much to speculate because he chose not to do either. So, we are left with his work and the effects of his legacy. Thanks, Kurt.

Time flies when you're having fun...or not.

It’s funny the way that time works. Each second is the same measure and all of these add into minutes that are all the same length and eventually you get enough of these little equal measurements and it adds up to a year. It’s all very measured. While this is all very logical it’s not really how time works. Time works this way. You look back and some things that were a very long time ago and they seem like they happened very recently. Then there are other things that happened very recently and they seem distant.

Time itself has definitely not been a good measure to use when talking about how long it’s been since we moved into our house. The process of moving seems ages ago. Perhaps I have distanced myself from the event because moving is not something I relish. I can say that I’m happily embedded into this neighborhood and house. I’m staying place and that makes me really happy. The idea that it was only a year ago that I lived elsewhere is absurd. It had to be much longer ago, but it’s not. I mean we have a completely different yard than when we moved in! That can’t happen in a year.

All of that being said how can I have possibly lived here for a whole year?! We still have boxes that have yet to be unpacked. Granted they are all in the basement and are mostly boxes of books that I still need to buy a bookshelf for, but they are still packed boxes. I have only JUST met some of my neighbors. I don’t even have curtains on one of the bathroom windows yet!! This is ridiculous. There is no way I could have lived here for a whole year.

Yet, we have. We have lived in our house for a year. A year ago we were still surrounded by boxes in every room and were still dealing with our old landlord. A year ago we had a deck, and a lot of not so good landscape. A year ago we had just gotten the dog from hell, and now we have Lily Lucifer, a much calmer version. A year ago I didn’t know any of my neighbors, much less really enjoy some them as much as I do. A year ago the only plan was to find the basics among the boxes, get our refridgerator to fit through the door, and not kill the newest dog. Now the plan is to fine tune all the details that will make this really and truly our home. Well, until we can afford to remodel....

Newt Gingrich for Office...NO!!!

Why speak a second language? According to Newt Gingrich it’s not necessary if you are a resident of the United States. In fact speaking a language as base as say Spanish is like “living in the ghetto.” First off I think he might have said “barrio” since he was talking about Spanish, but since he only speaks English it’s clear why he made that oversight. Anyway, those Spanish speakers (and their ghetto language) he was referring to are a varied bunch. I’m sure that the wealthy Floridians who hailed from Cuba and now are a key factor in the economy there are shocked that the language they use daily is so base. I’m also certain that the ancestors of the Spanish who settled and thrived from coast to coast will be happy to know that Newt Gingrich finds their mother tongue inferior. I’m certain too, that the thousands of Mexican laborers that built Atlanta, GA (his home state) up for the ’96 summer Olympics appreciate his candor in letting them know where their fellow Georgian stands. In addition to the referral of Spanish as “ghetto” talk Newt Gingrich also had this to say-

"Citizenship requires passing a test on American history in English. If that's true, then we do not have to create ballots in any language except English," he said.
Yeah, so go ahead and run for President, Mr. Gingrich. We’ll look at our U.S. history books and see where you had a secret affair while accusing President Clinton of doing the same and then use our citizenship (whether it be by birth or naturalization) to keep you out of office, you hypocritical racist bastard. By the way, for the record the word “No” is the same in Spanish as it is in English.

What I've been doing...

Three weeks ago my boyfriend (seen to the right) decided that it was time for our deck to go. The reasons were many. From the very large and very dead racooon we discovered a month or so after moving in (warm weather and the dead don't make for a good odor) to the skunk that decided to set up house last September to the fact that we could very easily peer into our neighbor's backyards and vice versa. The deck was an eyesore and a hazard. It was time for it to go. At 5 p.m. March 4th he began tearing the deck apart.

After a week of clearing out the debris (the old owners of the house threw a significant amount of brick, concrete and beer cans under the deck during it's construction) this is what it looked like:

We were facing a lot of work and planning on being done sometime in mid-May so that we could have a nice June party on our new patio. Well, my boyfriend Dan (see above) is obsessed. He's been working night and day and having me help out some, having friends and family over to help, and basically being a slave driver. Even so, his hard work and obsessing have paid off. We still have to finish up with the edges along the border, some along the side of the house, and then planting the beds, but it's amazing what's been done in just two short weeks.

I didn't know it was possible!

I really didn't know it was possible for me to be even more disgusted by the state of affairs in Washington, but I am. And here's why.

Alberto Gonzales is a big friggin' LIAR!! There is now more proof and soon to be sworn testimony that he knew the whole time and that his fishy statements of last week were exactly that. Fishy. I'm not calling names here. I'm stating a fact. He told an untruth a.k.a. a lie.

This administration has got to go! When the President is afraid for his "closest advisors" to give sworn testimony and the attorney general is proven to be a liar IT IS TIME FOR THE ADMINSTRATION TO GO!!!

This is not a political theory experiment in a vacuum. These people are making devestating blows to the foundations that our form of government is built on and THEY MUST GO! Write your Congressmen, your Senators and be LOUD about it! Do it now!