"It's ok to start writing, even if you don't have a clear picture of what you are going to write"  Boy truer words were never spoken.  I almost NEVER know exactly what I am going to write when I start on of these blogs.  Right now I am waiting for inspiration or coffee to kick in.

The Kardashian/Jenner Family has  been all over the news.  Aren't their 15 minutes up yet?   WHY are we subjected to these people on a daily basis, as if they matter?  I feel for Bruce/Caitlyn Jenner.  Transitioning has got to be a rough path, even in private, but Bruce is doing it in public, surrounded by the crazy train he calls his family.  Oh  sure his ex wives ( except for the last one) have come out in gentle support.  Kim, naturally, made it all about her in offering him makeup tips ( here, Bruce, you take this Spackle knife and....)     I wonder about the world when every single day the news has some tidbit of information regarding that family.  NOW the two Jenner daughters are trying to Trademark their names.  Seriously.  I wonder what type of ego you have to have in order to think that you can win a trademark on a common name.  Good.  Let no child be given their names and those names will die out with them.  Sheesh.  As if they are saving the world or something.  Just WHAT is it they all do anyway?  Other than be poster children for dysfunctionality , I am unclear.

How did it get to be June already?  The year is just flying by.  We were talking about time and how when you are a kid it just seems to drag on, but when you are an adult, we seem to go from January to December at an alarming rate of speed.  It's summer already, well almost but it's freaking HOT already and I still don't want to appear in public in a bathing suit.  Every year, I swear I am going to get myself in shape and every year I fail miserably.  I am working out on the treadmill and the exercise bike, but my knees are swelling ( water retention) and it hurts a bit.  I know more exercise can help with the water retention but it hurts to get moving.  ARGH  it's a vicious cycle.  Baby steps.  I didn't get this out of shape overnight and it's going to take work on my part to get healthy.  I am going to be moving slowly, but MOVING as I walk with my friends tomorrow in the Pride parade.  I need to try to find my sparkly cap....

Going up to the McGroarty Arts Center this evening to help with the catering at the Ceramics show.  It's a WONDERFUL show and I am looking forward to seeing  and BUYING some student art.  I did see a beautiful bowl, but I have nowhere to put it and would be afraid to use it; I am so klutzy I am sure I would break it and then be very sad about it.  I am sure to find some beautiful student art that will be exactly what I need!!  The event is open to the public and goes from 5-9.  I made some BEAUTIFUL chocolate dipped strawberries, so if you want some- COME EARLY!

Marriage Equality

Recently, I got in a "discussion" with a relative who heretofore I had considered to be a reasonable person..  He has begun posting horribly skewed "articles" about gays and their relationships.   His latest one has to do with some survey about twins and how their identical DNA PROVES that being gay is a choice.   STOP..  It made my head hurt with all the pretzel logic.  Some of these things in the article reminded me of that scene in Monty Python and the Holy Grail, where they try to determine if the woman is a witch.  The line of reasoning is correct, it's just that the answer they get is wrong.

So, follow the bouncing ball of MY logic.

If being gay is a choice, then so must being straight be a choice.  I want to know when all those straight people CHOSE the straight life, what their thought process was and how they worked to be straight.  The question I must also ask is this; "If being homosexual were the  societal norm, could you change how you feel?"  I can only speak for myself.  At one point in my life I DID question my sexuality.  It was during a time of great upheaval and I pondered the question.   I came to the conclusion that, no, I was definitely straight and the "problem" was not me but the person I was having the relationship with.  This was NOT me making a choice, but confirming what I knew to be true for me.

Some people say that gays being allowed to marry undermines marriage.  DIVORCE undermines marriage.  How does my neighbor's marriage impact me or my life?  That's right, it doesn't.  I know people who have been divorced two or three times.  Does this impact my marriage?  No.  So how does giving someone the legal right to wed, to extend to ALL citizens the same right, impact MY marriage, or even my life?  I am at a loss to explain it.

My question to people who are vehemently opposed to gay rights is this  "What are you afraid of?" I am tired of hearing the mistaken concept that gay people will molest children. Pedophilia is not homosexuality.  No one is trying to turn you or your children gay.  The concept is ludicrous. Being openly gay and leading a normal happy life should not be mutually exclusive.  No one should have to hide who they are if it harms no one.  Pedophiles ARE a completely different animal and are off the table in this discussion.

Back to the article about twins.  I wondered this morning if there are any studies about twins who are right-handed and left handed.  Back in the Middle Ages, left handed people were thought to be in league with the Devil and so children who showed a preference for being left handed were beaten and "retrained" to fit that societal norm of being right handed.  Did they choose to be left handed?  No, they just were.  They were born that way.

On Sunday, I will be joining my friends and co-workers from the Library in the Pride Parade.  I walk alongside my friends to show how far we have come and to acknowledge how much further we need to go.

Ireland and the Duggars- some thoughts

Is it ironic that Ireland voted to approve Marriage equality over the same period of time the Duggars nasty little secret has been exposed?   I find it sad.

My father's family came from Ireland.  I am always proud of the connection and happy that my great-grandfather chose to leave there ( under murky circumstances, I might add) and come to America.  I am pleasantly  surprised in some ways that a country whose major problems have been over religion would put aside those differences and do the right thing.  I want to believe MY county will follow suit.  Strange to think that Ireland, not America, is showing the world their compassion.  Our country is overrun by hate groups, posing as Christians.  Who would Jesus hate?  I am going to quote from the Bible   "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another."  What part of THAT isn't clear, or is up to interpretation?   Jesus doesn't say "Love people only if they agree with you".  He doesn't say HATE someone who is different. Nope.  Just wants us to love one another and in that way we show we are his followers.   It's pretty clear to me.  The "Christians" cite Leviticus but that book is so full of contradictions it isn't even funny. Whoever wrote that book had an overblown sense of authority. Accuse me of "cherry picking" but there are some things in there that just do not apply to our lives today.

I see the Duggars are trying to protect their failing empire by saying the girls forgave Josh for what he did to them. Now, that's as may be, but the disturbing, even criminal, part of this equation is that they did nothing to protect them from future abuse and HID the problem, all the while making grossly inaccurate accusations that equate homosexuality with pedophilia.  If Jim-Bob would "let" her, Michelle should go back to school.  She needs an education.  

Maybe she can learn where babies come from.

road trip and food

Long overdue reviews! We went on the road -again.   As usual, it's all about food for me,  so here goes;

We stopped at Andersen's for their famous pea soup.  I am not a big fan, but everyone says you have to try it. So I can cross that off my list.  It was just ok.  The BLT was weird,the "toasted bread" was cold  The potato salad was just .. icky.

The next morning we went to the Black Bear Diner in Hayward.  We each got something called the "Grizzly sampler" or something like that.  It was two eggs,  waffle or french toast an a slice of ham.  I got a waffle and Chris got french toast, but when the plate came, the "slice" was more like a "sliver"  we called the waitress over, and she brought him another similarly sized piece.

I am not a big fan of "Casino Food" and the stuff at Cache Creek lived down to my expectations.   Chris got a turkey burger that was so bad, he didn't eat it.  Now I have two rules about restaurant food;  One-  If it tastes bad, DON'T eat it. Years ago, my then-husband and I went to a local British food place, where the mulligatawny soup was SO salty I decided to pass on it.  He ate MY bowl and his.  He got food poisoning so bad he was hospitalized.  Hence the rule.  Two-  DON'T order anything else. I am leery of what the kitchen staff might do with a second order if I reject the first!

When we left Cache Creek, we wound up in Woodland and went to Perry's Cozy Diner.  Totally an old-style diner that reminded me of places I used to go as a kid (not the Faux retro places, but honest-to-goodness 60's decor)  I wasn't too hungry but got the broasted chicken.  Chris got a BIG salad.  The chicken was really good BUT the corn bread was nuclear-baked (microwaved) and the potatoes were straight out of a box.  UGH.  Good thing I wasn't too hungry!  We got Anna some fried zucchini, which she said was great. The server was terrific and we went back for breakfast the next morning, which was first-rate.  Friendly service, it's on the same property as the Best Western, which was REALLY nice.  We got a "deluxe room" which was large and comfortable.

I love it when the hotel has coffee IN the rooms and has free breakfast.  Both places we stayed had both and it makes life so much easier as I am NO GOOD TO ANYONE before I have my jolt of morning joe.  Breakfast fare at these places can be dicey, but I have learned to make "informed" choices and get a real meal later.  It's nice when they have cereal and bagels.  Both places had a "Make your own waffle" station  I didn't feel like standing there, as I was getting something for the three of us to take back to the room.

We went on to Thunder Valley and avoided the casino food.  We wound up for dinner at a local pizza joint called "Mary's Pizza shack"  I wasn't expecting much but WOW, the food was terrific!   We got a lot of food and the prices were reasonable. 

By the time we got to Black Oak, I was tired of casinos and we were a bit tapped out of the cash I had set aside to play with, so we went to the restaurant. We didn't go for the buffet and I am glad because they had really good burgers with tasty slaw on the side.  They had an apple pie that was wonderful.  The food was AMAZING.  I even treated myself to a drink which was pretty darn good too.  It was nice that Anna had a bit of luck at the casino and we left the place happy!

It was a nice trip and a nice visit.  I love traveling with Chris and Anna, they are always a lot of fun to be around; low-key companions.

Memorial Day

Someone I know- this person is not a friend- took the opportunity yesterday to take another swipe at Michelle Obama.  It made me think about this.

I love my country.  I Sing the National Anthem WHENEVER it is played, full voice and with all my heart.  I get a lump in my throat when the flag goes by at parades. If you asked me, I would tell you I am a Christian.  I vote in every election.   I qualify for the D.A.R. I pay my taxes without ( too much) complaint.  I participate in local government, and I am a CARD CARRYING LIBERAL.

People use Liberal like it's a bad word, as if I should be ashamed of it.  I'm not.  My political opinion is my right. I think the Bushes, both of them, were bad presidents and I think W is an idiot.  Probably a really nice guy and he should have been allowed his once-stated goal to just be the owner of a baseball team.  If he had been allowed that instead of sucked into the vortex of the Family Business... well....  I can speculate all I want.  I never "prayed" for his death or the death of any president as so many faux Christians seem to do for Barack Obama.  What kind of person does that?  Don't get me started on the hypocrisy of religion.

Did you realize that the "office" of First Lady is an unpaid position?  That the wife of the President is expected to do all the work she does and NOT get paid for it?  Talk about"pay inequity"!   I wonder if that will be changed when  a woman is president.  For a "Developed nation" we certain have some antiquated notions, don't we?  I am looking forward to the day when a woman is allowed to lead this country.  I will be working toward that goal and hope I see it.  A friend observed the other day that college kids who helped elect Obama don't seem to have any idea at how huge his election was; the fact that here was a black man being elected ( I like to think of Obama as an Irish man, as he is on his mother's side, but that's just my little joke).  I told her that I am GLAD that they don't know, that the fact that they worked so hard for the ideas he proposed, rather than the color of his skin gave me hope.  You have to have hope to get out of bed in the morning.  I have hope for this country, despite it all or maybe because of it all.

Yesterday was Memorial Day, a day set aside to honor those killed in battle.   We take a moment to think about their sacrifice, at the very least.  We honor their memory , by care-taking what they fought and died for.  I will continue to be a proud liberal American. That is NOT an oxymoron.

Back at work

I am still working on the blog about my vacation.  We had a splendid time.  My husband is the perfect companion and I love traveling with him and his Mom.  We're all pretty easygoing.  I could have used another week off, because I came back to a full inbox and a slew of stressors.

So.. yesterday, while I was working on a solution to a longstanding problem that I have tried everything to fix, I get a call from the new head of the Guild's Health and Safety Committee.  He had already talked to my co-worker who was picking up my emergencies while I was gone and she had a detailed accounting of what I had done and what the Department had done about the issue.  He called me to ask what I was doing about it as well, and when I told him, he snottily said "Good.  I wanted to know if you were doing anything for OUR people"  His tone implied that it was an us-and- them situation and I was one of "them"  I said "They're MY people too, Jeff" and he said something like "well ok then, keep me posted."   I was insulted.  This is the second time in the past week or so that someone has accused me of not doing my job properly.  It got me to thinking about whether I am doing my job properly or if people just have unreasonable expectations.  It also got me thinking about all those people who work in jobs where people only notice when it isn't done.   When was the last time I thanked someone for doing a good job at a "thankless" job?  The cashier in the grocery store?  The custodian?  Security?  The counter person at the coffee spot?  Today I will try to thank someone for doing their job and to remember how much I appreciate what other people do that makes my life easier.  In the mean time, I will try my best to do what it is I do and not to take offense at the few people who want to complain about me.

Saturday

It's Saturday morning and I got up at my "regular" time to get my act together to work an Art Fair.  Some of the proceeds will benefit McGroarty's Summer Scholarship program, so I am going.  It's getting harder to do this, as no matter what I do, someone always complains about it.  I'm a volunteer.  People always have some kind of caustic remark but very few offer some kind of assistance.  It is wearying.  Maybe I am getting jaded.  I know I love the Center and want it to succeed and thrive.  There are so many people who for whatever reason, do not.  I think they feel it is their own private secret and if they share, they won't get all the goodies.   If things do NOT change, they won't have ANY goodies.  Things are still very difficult in the non-profit world.  I have hope but am fading.

I see that Kate and Wills have had their baby girl.  Good for them.  I have to admire Kate.  She is constantly in the shadow of her sainted late Mother-in-law.  It must be hell, playing second fiddle to a ghost.   As time passes, Diana's "faults" fall away and people only remember "the People's Princess"  ARGH.  I wonder how Diana herself would have been about her perception in the media.  As for Kate, I think she is doing a fine "job" having married into a business that is 24/7 glaring spotlight.  I am certain that the public pressure to name their daughter "Diana" is intense.  I hope they won't, at least as a first name. The Royals have.. what four or five names attached to them?  I am sure "Diana" and "Elizabeth" will be in there somewhere.  I am betting on "Mary" I have no idea why.

I see they released the names and photos of the cops in Baltimore in the Freddie Gray case.  Interesting how the media played it up as a racial thing you know "bad white cops" and it turns out that a few of them were NOT old fat white guys.   While I agree that what happened should not have happened and it is a symptom of a larger problem, can we PLEASE stop jumping to the conclusion that everything that happens is because of white racism?  I know it is there in droves, but white people do not have a monopoly on racism.  Hate can spread it's ugly seed across all lines of humanity.  We need to look at the problems that allowed this to happen in Baltimore and in other cities across our country.  It should unite us, not divide us.  We need to say "why did this happen" and try to solve it; and yeah I don't think burning down the city is the way to do it.  There was a meme about the Boston Tea Party, how no one wrung their hands and worried about the tea owners.  hmm, that was ONE shipment of tea.  They didn't go to the guy's house and burn it down.  They didn't burn his warehouse or his fields or steal his cows.  It's an "apples and oranges" thing in my book.  People are trying to justify their behavior.  I understand anger, I just don't think destroying everything is a positive solution.