Kick-in-the-Pants Kind of Week...

~ Cartoon by LISA BENSON ~

I was just thinking about how partisan everything seems to be nowadays, how that shadows both of the topics I wanted to blog about.

First topic: the Palins. Loved Sarah's new show. The next morning I surfed around to read several reviews of it. I got a diverse mix of different points of view on Sarah and Bristol, but one thing that rang consistent was the comment sections.

Best jewel mined from the comments was this: after the exchange grew partisan (as they all do), one particularly nasty insult to Sarah resulted in a responding comment "you are just jealous, you know you can't wait for TLC to produce "Alan Grayson's Florida!"

LOLOLOLOLOLOL, that was histerical.

And then it devolved back into hideous partisan crap-throwing when later that day, Willow Palin was getting slimed on her Facebook about the tv show, and Willow -- in typical teen fashion, trust me, my child was recently a teen -- shot back with replies like, "you're gay". So the next day, the Huffington Posts of the press came out with suggesting she's guilty of gender bullying. omg, that is what teens say and the fact that it's not politically correct is part of the sarcastic humor in using it. I'm not defending the practice, but I have attempted to understand it. And it is so prevalent as to not be bullying. Bullying has to have some degree of measurable effectiveness, and this is a ridiculously lame attempt and does not succeed. I mean, if you use humor to make fun of something and your accuser chooses to not see the humor, are you guilty of what they accuse? Just sayin...

Then, the story broke about all the pooping over Bristol beating out Brandy to go on to the finals on *that dancing show* (that I used to watch religiously). My gawd, you'd think it was something worth a crap. Here's the deal. Was there even a peep of a comparative whine when Emmett Smith kept winning every single week and even won the dang thing? No? Well, them's the rules, live with it and get over it. Damn, when Emmett beat out Mario, I was whining loud. I clearly remember criticizing the taste of his fans, but that's it. Now, the going comments are full of it being a tea-party cheat party of vote fixing...when what Bristol's fans are doing is...following the freaking rules of DWTS.

What the heck? And what's your point? and Really?

Okay, so here is where this led. Into one of my daydreamin' what-ifs. It's best to say that if Kanye West is seated in the audience, look out for a repeat, jumping on the stage as Bristol wins and saying that Brandy was robbed! LOLOLOL Just kidding. My wild imagination!

T minus 5 minutes and counting...

~TLC "Sarah Palin's Alaska" promotional photo~

As I sit here waiting for Sarah Palin's Alaska on TLC, I am reflecting upon the fact that now is the first time I've felt like President Obama is in a *sincere* compromising spirit. And yet, my suspicion is running high for it not really being what it appears. I'm not alone either, by any means.

It's a public reaction that I have to wonder if Team O anticipated or fully recognizes. I often see analogies in current events to books and film. The parable fables Emperor's New Clothes and The Boy Who Cried Wof leap to my mind in this circumstance. We may look back on this time and realize that when Obama lost the majority of the American people it was because they lost their trust in him. He may win it back, but that's still a future possiblity and as of now, not a sure thing.

The current event I'm thinking of is the posturing around the tax cuts expiring. My personal opinion is that neither side has it right. I don't think that any income level should be getting permament tax cuts. This consistent, if you think about it, with my position that everyone should own some tax liability. Logically, you would extend the cuts to everyone in this recession but re-visit it year to year. Since yearly is not long enough a time frame for business investment decisions, then 2 or 3 years max. We have problems and those millionaires are only delaying the inevitible. I am looking at it dispassionately and without ideolgy.

I do have to mention my utter amazement at Speaker Pelosi. She has no shame at all, and is becoming increasingly similar to one of those creatures in Invasion of the Body Snatchers, in that you could not seem to kill them. Her decidion to stay in leadership feeds the suspicion of insincerity for real compromise.

Well, time for Sarah. Laterz...

A New World Every Day

Reggie poses with his new heater

Did you ever have one of those weeks, where something breaks or messes up everyday? You solve the day's problem and the next day something else totally random occurs? Yeah, I've had a whole week of that, and it ain't stopped yet.

I'm typing this on my laptop, which I am very fortunate to have, but I usually blog on my desktop where all my photos are stored. About an hour ago, my desktop's monitor died. I went outside for a while and came back to a black screen and the on button was lit. A reboot did nothing. I could hear the cpu do all of its normal noises and then I remembered...this has happened to me before and it was the graphics card that time.

Makes me wanna cry, because I am going to have to access that hard drive, so I am forced to get a third graphics card for this computer that I should have replaced a while back but I was unsure about getting another desktop versus a laptop.

I have a Laserjet that I love that only talks Windows XP and nothing more recent. That was one big reason I was hanging onto the desktop. So, I have some decisions to make right away. One lesson learned is to move my online bills over to my gmail account. I think the next time something is due is 11/18 as I just paid some bills the other day. Worst comes to worst I can go to every bill website and see if I've paid or not, lol. Guess I shouldn't laugh cuz that may be what I have to do.

The upside is, that is all that is top priority on my computer. The rest that is valuable to me on the hard drive can wait until it can be retrieved. And I can access my email accounts via the ISP webmail site. I need to keep repeating the upsides to keep my stomach from churning...not supposed to stress out per the doctors. But that is only the latest thing that's fallen out of the sky to bless me...

Let's see, in no particular order:
---> the kitchen faucet cracked on the handset and sprouted a leak. Luckily Price Phister is sending us a replacement, free. Lifetime warranties rock, as that unit cost us $100 just 3 years ago.
---> Hubster has 3 grinder molars all in a row that are gold-capped and the middle tooth cracked in two, popping off the gold cap that he almost swallowed. So, he goes to the dentist who tells him that he can't have a bridge since the surrounding "pillar" teeth are capped and not sturdy enough, and referred him to a specialist who says he needs an implant and that'll be $2302.00 since our dental plan does not cover implants. So, I call the insurance in disbelief and they recommend that I ask for a "pre-determination" which will probably end up with the same results but there might be an alternative treatment agreed upon. I can't get past the fact that we have the high plan. I also cannot quit imagining that between us we'll probably end up needing our entire mouths implanted before it's over and spend all our savings. Ugh.
---> Right in the middle of the last cool snap (low 40's at night), Reggie's doghouse heater quit. To be fair, it was past time, and I discovered it in enough time to order another one on Lowes website so Hubs could just go pick it up before they closed.
---> Hubs cannot seem to get the wallboard above the bath tile cut right. The walls and ceiling are not plum or level exactly, so he has had to shop for appropriate trim. He's been avoiding nails, opting for adhesive, and nothing he buys is working that great. The front bath is 99.5% finished, but already Hubs is talking like he's sick of this house. Ha! He is so predictable -- the talk is due to him actually having to do some repair work around here. Can you tell, I am not impressed or paying attention. Like we could sell the house right now. Anyway, it seems like we have been working on this bath forever.
---> My dad has announced plans to move back down here by 12/31 so he won't have to pay 2011 state income taxes where he is. That means a pre-Christmas or Christmas move. I think. I don't really yet know exactly what that means. He is still figuring it out himself. Two weeks ago, it was just fuzzy tentative plans, then a friend warned him about the income tax residency. But even before that, Missy's apartment lease is up and she is moving Thanksgiving weekend. Hubster has taken off a day to help her, and every time she moves some kind of drama happens. I can't wait.
--->My playroom redo is inching along in slow motion, more like watching grass grow. I am beginning to wonder if I'll even be able to make Christmas cards now. Every day I plan to move something or do something in there and every day something else pops up. I have been able to organize lace and ribbon, but that is really trivial compared to getting a few more big furniture pieces ready and moved.
---> We need to get serious about getting our mortgage refinanced if we are gonna do it. We've been working on it, but annoying little obstacles keep appearing to thwart success. Tried Lending Tree and our balance is not high enough. Tried our local bank (just barely made the balance minimum with them) and Hubs thought the interest rates were too high. Going to try to get it together to go next days off to our current lender and see what they can do.
---> I was supposed to figure out if we should keep our medical insurance with the PPO plan or move down to an HMO plan, but I let the open enrollment deadline pass without doing a thing. The whole thing gives me a headache and makes me wanna cry every time I try to research it. I finally told Hubs that he was the one who needed to ask his coworkers pros and cons on their experiences, so suddenly it was 'let's just keep what we've got' from him. I swear, he needs a whack upside his head sometimes. However, I'm too lazy to do it myself, so he lives to fight another day.

So, as you can see, nothing deadly or dangerous or really worthy of complaint, just annoying crap day after day like waves hitting the shore, never ceasing. Some of you may read this and be wishing your days were this easy and I shouldn't complain. But my days are usually uneventful, so this is a bit traumatic for me. I guess it's all in the perspective and the ability to handle stress (which I suck at). I have been working hard at pretending that I'm just waking up in a new world every day and it's all a great big adventure.

Not my best fantasy....winkwink

Midterm Call

~created in Paint Shop Pro Photo X2, public domain images from google, snark by me~

Feel free to copy, forward, link... click on image to see larger...right-click to save...

Lots of Treats for Me

Well, today was Election Day nationwide and I waited to post until a couple of my favorite races were called. I can honestly say that I'm very happy overall with the results.

My favorite news was hearing Fox News call the House of Representatives majority change from Dems to GOP, which of course means NO MORE SPEAKER PELOSI!

There is truly a God (winkwink).

My second favorite news was hearing that John Kasich eeked a victory in the Ohio Governors race. IMO, Kasich isn't necessarily someone you might like personally (he's a bit of a stuffed shirt...I'd be nervous around him), but he is someone you want handling your stuff. He is very fiscally prudent and pretty hard core. Let me just say I'm jealous of Ohioans tonite.

My third favorite news was early on in the evening when Rand Paul's Kentucky Senate race was called in his favor.

My fourth favorite news, heard just now, is that Republican Mark Kirk just won Obama's old Senate seat in Illinois. WOW~!

Shocker - Dem incumbent Russ Feingold lost in Wisconsin!

Oh, and a truly wonderful moment was when I heard that Florida Congressman Alan Grayson lost his re-election. What a nutso jack ass. ;-))

Also enjoyed seeing McCain re-elected handily for his last Senate term out in Arizona. We will need him there.

Finally, Harry Reid's son Rory has lost his race to be Nevada's Governor. I'd hoped the voters there would have ousted Dad, too, but it was not to be.

Now, let me say something. The Left is saying that because the GOP didn't sweep both Houses, then they failed. I completely disagree. To begin with, a Dem-controlled Senate is great in my book, because I do not want one party controlling all of Congress. That was part of the problem that we just voted to correct. Hello!

I like a divided government. So, I tend to focus only on the amount of House seats the GOP is picking up and it is historic. Just as important, though, is the fact that tons of state offices are changing into GOP hands. The Governorships changing are awesome. Re-districting is coming up and that affects the 2012 election.

So for all those reasons and more, I am enjoying the election returns tonight and am pretty darn happy. I thought that incoming House Speaker John Boehner's speech tonight was very touching and heartfelt. I'm happy with him in that job (he's another Ohioan, those lucky ducks -- I thank you, Ohio!).