Its Official

Hubby is beyond bored.  If you know this guy that is saying a lot.  He is ready to be doing something but it is already too hot he says.  Too hot to bike, too hot to walk, just too darn hot to even think.  Though there were a few cool days and a couple of actually cold days this has been one hot winter.  Chikage Windler mentioned on the weather that something like 27 days this winter have set record highs.  That is eighty and ninety degree weather.  What will July and August be like?

A boot on the right foot puts me with him in the boredom region.  Oh, my goodness.  I am tired of this chair.  Of the view of the leafless trees and Kohl's brick wall.  There are not even birds to watch other than crows, a couple of sparrows and one dove.  I ran out of gum and have been forced to chew on celery for days.  Such a first world problem.
Entertainment by Netflix is getting old.  I have made so many calls to Congress people that basically reply by saying my ideas do not count.  Which makes me even more restless and agitated.  School vouchers, bathroom bills, citizens being detained for 2 and 3 hours because of middle eastern sounding names.  OMG.  Mohammad Ali Jr. detained in Florida.  Really.  Leaves me really hacked off at how folks are reacting to the ban.  Folks got all up tight when TSA folks over examined people.  Now the same folks are cheering the overzealous agents holding American citizens because of their names.

I am just plain PO'ed with the situation.  Why do we want Jewish cemeteries decimated?  The free press being called the enemy of the people?  Or to turn anyone that is not white into an enemy?  Think Timothy McVeigh.  A federal building with a daycare center blown up hoping to start a revolt against the federal government.  The ghosts of Ruby Ridge and Branch Davidians certainly seems to be in charge these days.  A deconstruction of the administrative state is on the horizon.  The folks that chose to change the government are very happy.

Last night I made a comment on facebook about the crazy finish at the Oscars.  Six months ago that would have been hardly noticed.  Now, a relative had to need to say they refused to watch now or ever again.  Really?  It is a f@*%ng TV show.  So explain this.  Why is what show I watch more important than a child's healthcare?  I am waiting...

Watching TV and Doughnuts

TV watching is my hobby.  I'm watching "Midsomer Murders" series again.  Have found some I had missed.  I go to sleep watching Netflix on my tablet which leads to missing parts of many episodes.  With special sleep headphones the sound keeps flowing.  This setup makes for interesting dreams.  And crazy cravings at times.

Round Rock has a doughnut shop.  Its name is Round Rock Donuts.  Some real thought went into that name.  The doughnuts are beyond delicious!!!!  Today the cravings got the better of me.  Hubby did me the favor of toting me to get a haircut.  It was one block from the doughnut shop.  Hubs, graciously drove over to pickup a doughnut for my craving.  He picked up a full dozen goodies and four cream filled.  I am so far over my calorie intake for today.  One more will not hurt, right?


When I was working and a job needed completion I would ask for a dozen doughnuts.  I could almost fly through the project with that sugar high.  If I just had a project to fly through.   A sugar high does not make the TV show move faster.  It does keep me awake to see the missed parts of the episodes.  Ha!  This is working out well.  I'll lick my icing encrusted lips, take a sip of java and continue watching the crime sprees.

BTW, those are daytime earphones in the photo.  Bluetooth allows me to set my own level and not blast out Hubby's ears.  Have a great weekend, friends. 

Peace,

Janice

Early Thursday

Been reading a book about writing, "On Writing Well" by William Zinsser.  The book was a Christmas gift.  "It is not a critique of your writing.  Just thought it might help expand your writing" said Son.  I have not read much other than stories, blogs and news on the computer for a couple of years.  Finding it difficult to read a chapter a day I decided to read a chapter then practice the chapter for a few days.

Chapter one focuses on bringing my own humanity and warmth to writing.  Chapter two's summary is simplicity and clarity.  Chapter three is de-cluttering and continued simplification.  With these chapters in mind I shall rewrite a previous post.  One comment on the post was it was hard to follow. That post seems to me to be a good place to start.

It is an hour and a half later.  The piece is reworked.  I left the parts I removed in the blog in such light print it is barely visible.  Additions are in italics.  You can read the after piece is here and the before piece here.  Is the rework a clearer read?  Does it make more sense?  Please, feel free to leave comments.

BTW, it is 2:30 AM and I shall say good night now.

Peace,
Janice.

  

Can the Democrat Party Be Resurrected?

Or  Golly, Gee, What Next?

I read an article recommended by a fellow Democrat.  Titled The article speaks of the need for Democrats to tell personal stories instead of using charts and bullet points.  Democrats come across like lecturers instead of humans was the drift of the article.  The author offered this analogy, "...while conservatives believe we are each in our own small boat and it is up to each of us to make it on our own, progressive morality holds that we are all on a large boat and unless we maintain that boat properly, we will all sink together."*  I am not sure if I totally buy into this theory but I will try it on to see how it feels.

It is easy to think of an individual boat being a good thing.  No reliance on anyone or any government, just my own resources.  Ok, I've already run into a problem with my having an individual boat.  I cannot change oil in my car and no way could I build a boat.  I have to depend on others to do that stuff.  For example I was perfectly happy to let the public school educate my son and the technician change my oil .

Obviously I am not a 'my own boat' type of person.  To continue the analogy, I climb out of my little boat into a mini cruise ship.   I need room for the doctor for knee and hip replacements.  And a podiatrist because of foot issues.  I have two nephews that are pastors so if we make it a family cruise the spiritual part will be covered.  Still not a huge boat.  I do like my car and computer.  Guess The boat is getting larger.  Food, food is good.  A bigger boat needed.  Farm implements, guns, eye glasses and the list goes on and on to include the folks picking the food, making furniture and the other items I like in my life.  I cannot get by with even a Princess Cruise liner.  I need lots of other people and hope at least a few need me.  Even if I docked regularly for supplies, I still need other people on land providing the supplies.  The boat analogy is a little hinky for me so I am abandoning this ship thing.

All that said, I am not sure how I can help resurrect the Democratic party.  The party that led the southern states to secede from the Union.  Then 100 years later LBJ and the Democratic Congress finally passed the Civil Rights Act.  The Civil Rights signing resulted in many southern Democrats leaving the party.  Is the only way for the Democrats party to begin electing more  people from local commissioners on up is to push to repeal the Civil Rights Act?  No,  that is a bridge too far.  Way too Far.  I am left wondering what the answer really is?

As a first step, tonight I huddled with folks wanting to make a difference.  We spoke of how we want to keep our nation on a course to provide education, clean air, clean water, and protection from harm.  To be and provide all the essentials that make this nation grand. We questioned if  this nation will fall into being nothing but a bunch of quarreling gangs or tribes.  We nine people left the meeting with assignments.  Small steps to be taken over the course of the next few weeks.  We will gather again in a month or so to determine what the next small step can be.

I believe it is not about any one party.  It is not about 'winning'.  It is about a community that chooses to live in respect for each other.  Each one be the one that waves cars into the line, not the one 'shooting the bird' because I have to be first.  I must be the one to hold doors or to hold a lonely person's hand.  Maybe kissing a child's boo boo or just wiping their tears.  It has to start small and not with just me. Because we do not want our Union to dissolve nor fall into ruin.  We are in this nation and on this earth together.

In peace,
Janice

* from Politico Soapbox, Dave Gold, 2/9/2017 (full text)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Original Text

[On the news I W watching as there are more marches and protests against the Sanctuary City law.  That proposed law, SB 4 requires the all law enforcement police, sheriffs and state troopers  personnel to be agents for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).  In order for the law officers to be held responsible, ICE is to issue a retain request by hardcopy or verbally.   Any l Law officers failing to hold a suspected illegal immigrant can be arrested and jailed.  Full text here.  A loophole that T thing that  I am concerned to me are the is  about a verbal request to retain. can be verbal.  No paper trail   That could lead to a "well they were called" statement.  It would be Too easy in today's the current political landscape to set up an official to be  for dismissedal.]  [ this indicates the entire paragraph is useless in relation to what I was going to write about so could be dropped completely from the piece and used as a stand alone issue]

Any who, w While the news was going on I am reading an article recommended by one of the a fellow Democrat.  Titled The article speaks of the need for Democrats to telling our personal stories instead of using charts and bullet points.  Democrats come across like lecturers instead of humans was the drift of the article.  The author offered this an One analogy, is that "...while conservatives believe we are each in our own small boat and it is up to each of us to make it on our own, progressive morality holds that we are all on a large boat and unless we maintain that boat properly, we will all sink together."*  I am not sure if I totally buy into this theory but I will try it on to see how it feels.

It can be really hard not to is easy to think of an individual boat being a good thing.  No reliance on anyone or any government, just their  my own resources.  Ok, I've already run into a problem with my having an individual boat.  Except for me I cannot change oil in my car and no way could I  Or build the  a boat.  I have to depend on others to do that stuff.  For example I was perfectly happy to let the public school educate my son and the technician change my oil .   [Are the schools different now?  My grandchildren seem to be doing fine but time will tell.  Two grandsons have dyslexia and the system (ie teachers) have done a great job working with them.   Not something I could have worked with had I attempted home schooling.]

Obviously I am not a 'my own boat' type of person.  For an To continue the analogy, I now have climbed out of my little boat into a mini cruise ship.  Oh, hope there is I need room for the doctor that does for knee and hip replacements.  And a podiatrist because of foot issues.  I have two nephews that are pastors so if we make it a family cruise the spiritual part will be covered.  Still not a huge boat.  I do like my car and computer.  Guess The boat is getting larger.  Food, food is good.  A B bigger boat needed.  Farm implements, guns, eye glasses and the list goes on and on to include the folks picking the food, making furniture and the other items I like in my life.  I cannot get by with even a Princess Cruise liner.  I need lots of other people and hope at least a few need me.  Even if I docked regularly for supplies, I still need other people on land providing the supplies.  The boat analogy is a little hinky for me so I am abandoning this ship thing. 

[Okay, now the boat is so big there is the need for sanitation and maintenance of the boat.  More people.  Now all those individual boats are hung along the sides in case we hit an iceberg and the ship starts to sink.  Then folks would still be working together to pull folks from the water.  At least I would hope that better part of humanity would come through.  Well, that ended in a disaster.  Possibly we needed a captain and crew to manage to steer the ship out of harm's way.  A ship owned by the people for the good of the people.]

All that said, I am not sure how I can help resurrect the Democratic party.  The party that led the southern states to secede from the Union.  Then 100 years later LBJ and the Democratic Congress finally passed the Civil Rights Act.  It really The Civil Rights signing resulted in the many southern Democrats leaving the party.  Does that mean in order Is the only way for the Democrats party to begin electing more to the office people from the local commissioners on up is to push to repeal the Civil Rights Act?  No, t for me.   T that is a bridge too far.  Way too Far.  I am left wondering what the answer really is?

[I do believe it is not about any one party.  It is not about 'winning'.  It is about a community that chooses to live in respect for each other.  To be the one that waves that car into the line, not 'shoot the bird' at the other driver because you have to be first.  To be the one to hold doors or to hold a lonely person's hand.  Maybe kissing a child's boo boo or just wiping their tears.  It has to start small, with me. y own boat.  C Because I do not want the Union to dissolve nor fall into ruin. ] [ move this paragraph to the closing ]

As a first step, T tonight I huddled with folks wanting to make a difference.  We spoke of how we want T to keep our nation on a course to provide education, clean air, clean water, and protection from harm.  and To be and provide all the other things that go with essentials that make this nation grand.  our land.  We questioned if Will this land  this nation will fall into being nothing but a bunch of quarreling gangs or tribes.?  I pray not on this nor any of the future watches.  So l Let's see what we can agree on to keep the ship afloat.  We nine people left the meeting with assignments.  Small steps to be taken over the course of the next few weeks.  We will gather again in a month or so to determine what the next small step can be. 

I do believe it is not about any one party.  It is not about 'winning'.  It is about a community that chooses to live in respect for each other.  Each one To be the one that waves that cars into the line, not the one 'shooting the bird' at the other driver because you I have to be first.  I must be To be the one to hold doors or to hold a lonely person's hand.  Maybe kissing a child's boo boo or just wiping their tears.  It has to start small and it has to start   not with just me. y own boat.  C Because we I do not want the our Union to dissolve nor fall into ruin.  We are in this nation and on this earth together.

In peace,
Janice

* from Politico Soapbox, Dave Gold, 2/9/2017 (full text)

I Just Do Not Know

We watched President Trump's news conference on Thursday.  I did not stay as engaged as I could have.  We were expecting guests on Friday and I was doing some picking up as well as laundry.   I was encouraged at the opening remarks by the President.  Information was being given in a calm, non-combative atmosphere.  And then the numbers game took the press conference in an unfortunate direction.

It was disheartening to see the reactions on both sides of the podium.  Our president cannot keep himself from continuing to try to justify defend validate his election.  Not sure if this is a baiting tactic or just something he cannot keep himself from doing.  The reporters seem to think they have to correct his every misstep.  To underline every boast by questioning it.  That response to our president does not gain the information the public is looking to receive.  It seems to do little more than prod him into a less productive exchange.

The President again begins defending himself in an almost incoherent manner.  Did someone give him the wrong numbers on who had the most electoral votes?  Why bring it up again, he is the president.  My President.  Our Nation's President.  In one pass through the living room I heard the president say, "Tomorrow, they will say, "Donald Trump rants and raves at the press." I'm not ranting and raving. I'm just telling you. You know, you're dishonest people. But -- but I'm not ranting and raving. I love this. I'm having a good time doing it.  But tomorrow, the headlines are going to be, "Donald Trump rants and raves." I'm not ranting and raving.".

It is just my being a person that does not like conflict at this point in my life probably.  I do not care for all the derailment offered from both sides.  The craziness of it all is wearing on me.  What I know, well, I just do not know.

"Reporters attempt to pose questions to U.S. President Donald Trump during a news conference February 16, 2017 in Washington, DC.  (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) ***"

Monday!

You know for a retiree days pretty much blend together.  Weekend grandchildren athletic activities do make some difference.  An attempt to attend the soccer tournaments this past weekend stopped after one for me.  I just do not trust me in this boot on the rocky landscape.  Hubby was a trooper and attended 5 of 6 soccer games in unseasonably hot temperatures.

Back in the days of work Hubby and I often worked off shifts.  When we worked the graveyard shift our Monday began late Sunday night.  Sunday's became short as a nap in the evening was usually necessary to be able to make it through the night at work.  That could be a real challenge looking through a bifocal scope touching up circuits at 7x magnification.  I was  working alone so one of the expediters would stop in occasionally to check on me.  A welcomed relief about 3 AM.  More than once I had fallen asleep on the scope

Second or swing shift would have us home on Saturday and Sunday but not at night.  We missed too many of our son's activities working those shifts.  That is the price people pay for making a living.  Our son was overseas on a 10 day business trip this past weekend.  He missed 6 soccer games and one basketball game.  Hubby kept him up to date with texts sent at intervals during the games.

Monday, today, was not just another day for Hubby.  Morning doctor appointment and afternoon therapy kept him busy.  He had hoped to have one of his medicines stopped.  A new one was added instead.  Oh, the joys of wearing out bodies.  We are both sitting with our feet up looking at the grey skies, watching old reruns of 'Murder She Wrote'.  Even the birds are in short supply.  Maybe they are napping so they can work the graveyard shift tonight.

Peace,
Janice

Hoof In Boot

Last evening we attended the beginning of Middle Grandson's soccer tournament.  After faltering steps over the rocky path, I accepted a golf cart ride to the correct field.  The return walk was more stable as Hubby stabilized me with his arm.  This hoof in a boot is making it rather unstable to walk on uneven surfaces.  So I am staying put for the most part now after that little adventure that was a little too exciting.  Not to mention the acrobatics to get into the Jeep Wrangler on a windy day.

My last post was visited by a very nice lady, an artist.  She left comments that I took to heart.  I shall take in the information and process it.  There needs to be civil discourse to get the nation working for all again cause it is not just one side or the other.  The terms winners and losers should only apply to games, not a nation's government.  While the artist is weary of the work of righting the boat there must still be those who are willing.  We all have our part whether it is helping those who have jumped or fallen overboard or working to get the ship working and stable.

You see stability is something most of us humans enjoy.  Stable jobs, stable home life, stable economy, stable walking conditions.  I suspect there may be a few folks that like things unstable.  Keeping everyone a little off kilter.  I am not very into that whole keep things shaking theory.  Guess I am getting a little too old and set in my ways.  And afraid I will again fall.  My old brain can only take so many licks!


Peace to all,
Janice

How To Resurrect The Democratic Party

Or  Golly, Gee, What Next?

Watching as there are more marches and protests against the Sanctuary City law.  That proposed law, SB 4, requires the all law enforcement personnel to be agents of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement.  Any law officer failing to hold a suspected illegal immigrant can be arrested and jailed.  Full text here.  Things that concern me are the request to retain can be verbal.  No paper trail.  That could lead to a well they were called.  Too easy in the current political landscape to set up an official to be dismissed.

Any who, while the news was going on I was reading an article recommended by one of the fellow Democrats.  The article speaks of telling our stories instead of using charts and bullet points.  One analogy is that "while conservatives believe we are each in our own small boat and it is up to each of us to make it on our own, progressive morality holds that we are all on a large boat and unless we maintain that boat properly, we will all sink together."*

It can be really hard not to think of an individual boat being a good thing.  No reliance on anyone or any government, just their own resources.  Except for me I cannot change oil in my car.  Or build the boat.  I have to depend on others to do stuff.  I was perfectly happy to let the public school educate my son.  Are the schools different now?  My grandchildren seem to be doing fine but time will tell.  Two grandsons have dyslexia and the system (ie teachers) have done a great job working with them.   Not something I could have worked with had I attempted home schooling.

For an analogy, I now have climbed out of my little boat into a mini cruise ship.  Oh, hope there is room for the doctor that does knee and hip replacements.  And a podiatrist.  I have two nephews that are pastors so if we make it a family cruise the spiritual part will be covered.  Still not a huge boat.  I do like my car and computer.  Guess the boat is getting larger.  Food, food is good.  Bigger boat needed.  Farm implements, guns, eye glasses and the list goes on and on to include the folks picking the food, making furniture and the other items I like in my life.

Okay, now the boat is so big there is the need for sanitation and maintenance of the boat.  More people.  Now all those individual boats are hung along the sides in case we hit an iceberg and the ship starts to sink.  Then folks would still be working together to pull folks from the water.  At least I would hope that better part of humanity would come through.  Well, that ended in a disaster.  Possibly we needed a captain and crew to manage to steer the ship out of harm's way.  A ship owned by the people for the good of the people.

All that said, I am not sure how I can help resurrect the Democratic party.  The party that led the southern states to secede from the Union.  Then 100 years later LBJ and the Congress finally passed the Civil Rights Act.  It really resulted in the southern Democrats leaving the party.  Does that mean in order for the Democrats to be electing more to the offices from the local commissioner on up is to push to repeal the Civil Rights Act?  Not for me.  That is a bridge too far.  Way too Far.

I do believe it is not about any one party.  It is not about 'winning'.  It is about a community that chooses to live in respect for each other.  To be the one that waves that car into the line, not shoot the bird because you have to be first.  To be the one to hold doors, to hold a lonely person's hand.  Maybe kissing a child's boo boo or just wiping their tears.  It has to start small, with my own boat.  Cause I do not want the Union to dissolve nor fall into ruin.

Tonight I huddled with folks wanting to make a difference.  To keep our nation on a course to provide education, clean air, clean water, protection from harm and all the other things that go with our land.  Will this land fall into being nothing but a bunch of quarreling gangs or tribes?  I pray not on this nor any of the future watches.  So let's see what we can agree on to keep the ship afloat.

In peace,
Janice

* from Politico Soapbox, Dave Gold, 2/9/2017 (full text)

Spoiled Me

I have been fortunate health-wise almost all my life.  Sure I have had arthritis, knee replacement, and general aches and pains.  I have never had a broken bone.  For all the time I fell just cuts, scratches and bruises.  A couple of twisted ankles along the way.  Nothing life threatening nor something to leave me having to sit still.  To stay off my feet for six weeks is proving to be challenging just 6 days into the time frame.

Monday morning my foot was not swollen at all for the first time in well over a year. There were those veins i had always seen.  As the day wore on I decided I needed to get some steps in cause I did not want to lose the progress of the past few months.  Twenty three hundred steps I did in a nice slow pace.  All seemed good when I went to bed.  Slept without pain.  Woke up and bingo, the foot was swollen.  Not as badly as in the past but certainly swollen.

Tuesday, today, has been mostly sitting and messing with the dying computer and doing laundry.  Have one last load of laundry to put in the dryer.  I am typing on the dying computer and it seems happy.  Still get the Danger, Will Robinson, Danger notification when I turn on the computer.  The backup of all files to a server has been completed.  Now to research a new disk drive and how to install.  Did a screen before so how hard can it be, really.

You see, I am spoiled by having had reasonably good mobility all the time!  Spoiled by having a rocking computer that allows all sorts of processing capability for images.  Spoiled by a husband that loves and supports no matter what a b#+ch I am.  That is spoiled me.

thanks for stopping by and Peace Out!
Janice

Super Bowl Sunday

Last evening we joined our son, his friends and family for dinner and watching the Super Bowl.   Son is just an all around sports fanatic.  Oldest Grandson is a Patriots fan.  Bonus Grandson and Granddaughter are Texans fans.  Middle Grandson is a Viking fan.  Youngest Grandson is a Cowboy fan.  Son's FIL is a basketball fan.  Our DIL is a soccer and track fan.  The rest of the group were Cowboy fans.   Oldest, Middle and Youngest Grandsons were at their mother's home.  With that said the evening was pretty calm as non of us really had a 'dog in the fight'.

There was some conversations about the commercials.  Many of the commercials we had to ask what was being advertised.  Sometimes things can be a little too subtle for my mind and poor hearing.  Anheuser Busch commercials were each a little different, one provoking and one retro.  The Kia commercial with Melissa McCartney broke me up and looked like my attempts at activism.  Really.  Spam's commercial got the group talking about how long since anyone had bought Spam.  We two retirees noted we had been seeing it on daytime TV.  Son found that amusing that Spam had a rerun commercial for the Super Bowl.

Then there was the halftime show.  Son's FIL is a lawyer in the music business.  The forty somethings and the teens in the house were all listening and commenting.  I watched trying to figure out the technical parts of the performance.  Comparisons to Beyonce's choreography abounded with Beyonce winning the room.  I did not vote as I still live in the day of marching bands and drill teams at football games.  Just my preference.  But then the network would not show the bands and drill teams.  The commentators would talk about what we already watched.  And talk and talk....

As we all know the second half of the SB was about football.  The #deflategate king set all kinds of first for Super Bowls.  I found Son's chili, queso dip and other goodies just as entertaining.  Just saying.  The teens managed a food fight with the chocolate cake requiring Son to put on his dad voice.  Kids having fun.

We left after a round of hugs with everyone.  It was 9:45ish.  And backuped traffic in every subdivision we drove through on the way home.  We laughed together about all the parties being over and the traffic in subdivisions at that time of night.  What a first world problem!  We were home by around 10 PM ish.  I had only about 1200 steps for the day following doctor's orders to stay off that right foot.

A few last observations.  My conversation points during the evening.  Way too many political references.  Must broaden my reading.  I did visit with Son's FIL about the birding class he had given me for a Christmas gift.  Mentioned I could not hear the bird sounds that the instructor was pointing out.  He said she had super hearing and he could not hear things she heard either!  He was raised Jewish.  I want a menorah to honor that part of the heritage mix in the family now.  Really enjoy visiting with him.  My best talking is when I sit quietly and listen.

Thanks for stopping by and Peace Out!
Janice