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Furlough: Day 5

What happens if you take Advil with Chardonnay?

Yes, that is a real question. I will perhaps report back or else I will be asleep.

I hurt my left foot wearing my fancy boots in the play on Sunday and have finally realized that Advil is better than limping. Yeah, I'm very bright. Ahem.

Finding that my furlough is very productive. Every other day. On alternate days I get absolutely nothing done and read a lot out in the backyard. That's not so bad, of course. Tomorrow had better be productive.

I'm almost done with Father's Day stuff, though, that's good. Still amazed that I can use 2 computers at the same time (not so much can but WANT TO) as I am blogging and watching the Podcast of Countdown from last night on the other one at the same time. Can't think of a reason that the netbook won't be enough for vacation but I am getting paranoid about knitting patterns I might need on vacation.

What is the most important thing to pack for vacation? Knitting projects, hands down.

Can you tell I took Advil with Chardonnay? Perhaps I should stop now.

Peace.

Furlough: Day 4(

I seem to have somewhat recovered from that last rant. I'm disappointed, but the President continues to do his best, I reckon. Wish the speech had satisfied me more. Wish we were doing a "Manhattan Project" or Man on the Moon project to get us completely off of fossil fuels in 10 years.

Wish we were funding a stimulus package that put a solar panel on every roof in America.

Wish we were making electric cars cheap enough for regular folks. Wish Tony Hayward would STFU.

At least my commute is now dramatically shorter!

Getting Father's Day stuff in the mail today, still doing laundry and dishes (endlessly). Four people home all the time trying not to use paper products make a LOT of dishes.

About 5/6 of the way through my knitting project I want to finish to wear to my brother's wedding over July 4th weekend. Looking forward to Vermont!!!

Peace.

Well, that was disappointing

What I needed the President to day was HOW we are going to transition from fossil fuels.

What he is going to do and when (like tomorrow) to get us into renewables.

How this crisis will FINALLY end our national addiction to petroleum.

HOW he will stimulate the research and development into wind and solar power for ORDINARY PEOPLE so that we are all participating in stopping climate change.

I have been feeling sick and powerless and that this oil volcano is sucking the life out of our country every bit as palpably as the torturers and the illegal wiretappers sucked the integrity out of it during the Bush/Cheney regime. SOMETHING MUST BE DONE.

Why have we elected Democrats if they cannot just stand the f*ck up and take care of the general welfare??!?

Political will? Conventional wisdom? I don't care any more. I need someone to stand up and do what needs to be done, regardless of polling, regardless of re-elections, regardless of anything except what is right.

This speech did nothing to staunch the flow of hope from my spirit nor the flow of oil from that hole in the sea floor.

I get that he can't stop the oil himself by force of will. But he could certainly put billions behind solar power, billions into electric cars, billions into wind farms, billions into the jobs those industries would create. Put the billions out there, Mr. President. Let the deficit hawks screech, let them. There is right and there is wrong and there is way too much wrong in this.

Get the respirators on the workers, get the oil out of the water, get the billions from BP and get them soon.

There is right and there is wrong. You can do a lot if you do not let FEAR make decisions for you. I do not believe you are a fearful person. But I have seen you succumb to the lure of bipartisanship, the lure of compromise, the lure of being liked. It is already too late for that. Your legacy is about to be the death of the Gulf Coast. It's not your fault, but it will be on your watch.

I've read too much science fiction not to understand how people will talk about this apocalypse. The Death of the Gulf Coast. It's not your Katrina. It's not your anything but it is OUR Chernobyl. It is OUR Bhopal. We already lost a city, must we lose more and more? Shit, every time I start my car, I'm contributing to this. It makes me sick.

Progressives believe that our politicians think more about our country than themselves, more about the common good than about the good of the rich and powerful. Prove it. Prove it now.

That speech proved nothing.

Peace.

Furlough: Day 2

A good excuse for blogging?

Any excuse is a good excuse for blogging!

Last night I decided in a panic because I can't get my hair cut until at least Saturday (woe is me!) that I needed something to wrap around my head. So I crocheted a little headband but couldn't quite figure out the ends so I kind of made that part up.

Very cute, of course DD wants it. Fine. I'm in the middle of another one out of that yarn.

But I was thinking...

I'm taking 7 kids to see Shrek 3 this morning ($1 tickets!) and maybe, just maybe, those girls would like to make their own headbands while we're waiting in line. So out come the crochet hooks and the bag of sock yarn scraps. We'll see if they are willing in a little while, but they've proven pretty crafty in the past.

I think DS would learn it on his own or with just the girls. Not sure about with his male friends this morning so I will have to ask him. And then come up with 3 more hooks, yikes!

I will let you know how it turns out!

Peace.

The Upside

Today is my first day off in...three weeks.

It is also my first day off of two months of days off.

Which is good and bad, as you can imagine. But I will focus on the good! Because today is Pajama Day at our little house! No one is getting dressed until it's time to go swimming this afternoon. Oh, except for Daddy who does in fact have to go to work. Sorry, Daddy!

I am on a two-month furlough from two of my three jobs (they are all at the same place) which hurts the bank balance, but not the psyche, I hope. I shall knit and spin and clean and watch Doctor Who and spend time with my family (near and far).

What was I doing working the last three weeks every day? Vacation Bible School!

Which out of the 7 I've been involved with was absolutely one of the top 2 and possibly the best. In some ways it was the easiest, even though I used to have a smaller job. But the kids and youth were the most engaged I've ever seen. The teachers were all at the top of their game. The Director (congratulations, A!) was terrific and creative and fun. And on top of it all, I got to spend a lot of time with wonderful people (A, J, K, this means you!!) and get paid for it. What's better than that?

Kids are good. DD on swim team, DS trying valiantly to get to the next level so he can join her. We are looking forward to our trip to Vermont/New Jersey/Pennsylvania in a couple of weeks. The dog is cute, the fridge is full, the house is a mess but I will fix that.

Coffee time! Have a great day!

May peace prevail upon the earth.