New sight

I was bored this evening and don't even know how I made my way to this website but . . .
check it out.
If you like cats, you'll love this.
It's called "stuff on my cat"
http://www.stuffonmycat.com/

Fun stuff!

from the absurd to the more absurd.
did you read the news today about the family that just had their 18th child?
well yes, It's the Duggar family of Arkansas. And here is something unexpected (not)
All 18 of their children have names with the same first letter. (J)
sorry to be judgmental here but I find that particular naming pattern odd.
and, how the hell do you come up with 18 good ones?
p.s., they want more children . . . .

Shhhhhhhhh

I think I'm probably the only person walking the planet who hadn't heard of the new literary sensation "The Secret" If you, like me, don't know what the "Secret" is all about, here is a snippet from Publishers Weekly to sum it up

Supporters will hail this New Age self-help book on the law of attraction as a groundbreaking and life-changing work, finding validation in its thesis that one's positive thoughts are powerful magnets that attract wealth, health, happiness...

That is probably over simplistic, and since I haven't read the secret, I have no idea what the entire thesis is. But here is the thing. Remember yesterdays post? I was lamenting the fact that I just haven't been "feeling" the Holiday's yet. Last night I was talking with Ashley on the phone and she had just read a bit from the Secret and had purposefully applied the principles of positive thought etc. Immediately she noticed a change in the attitudes of people around her- friends and strangers. I realized that this was what we had always taught our kids but somehow I had lost that myself in the recent past. I was succumbing to outside pressure to have everything done just so by date certain. When you do that you lose the important aspect of enjoying the journey!

I awoke this morning to a whole different set of goals.
I'm back to basics. If the house is decorated for Christmas, great. If the family is participating to achieve that, excellent. I will enjoy my time with my family and not stress about external "stuff".
These are not the principles of the Secret, but they work for me. Somehow I had just lost site of them. That is my secret

tis the season?

Okay, maybe I'm not quite that bad but . . . I just haven't gotten into the spirit yet.

When Randy's work party occurred in November it was one of those incredibe unseasonably warm days . . .kind of hard to think of the Holiday's when the thermometer was at 70 that day.

We got our Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving as is our tradition. This year we had one heck of a time finding one we all liked. We brought it home, stuck it in water outside and it cooled it's heals there until just last Saturday. Now it's in the house, but still unadorned. Christmas decorations are in the house, tucked safely in their boxes! Randy managed to hang Christmas lights up outside this weekend, just ahead of that COLD storm.

I did get the cards in the mail- more than 100 thank you very much.
I've finished all the gift shopping excepting a couple of little items.
Now I have to make the house feel "Christmasy" Maybe tonight? tomorrow? the weekend?

boys are funny . . .

No matter how old they are, what kind of shape they are in, they simply CANNOT let a girl win.

case in point:

I was swimming today. In the lane to my left a man who appeared to be somewhere in his forties was swimming. I didn't notice him until I took a break after my first mile. As I stood at the wall and sipped water I casually took inventory of the other swimmers in the pool. 2 lanes to my left was the infamous "big bird" a man who simply cannot swim, lies on his back and makes flying motions. He kicks up a furious wake which disables breathing on that side when you swim beside him. To my right was a very old gentleman- a daily swimmer with a killer tan and a pretty good stroke. And to my left, a man who I graded a mid level swimmer. Quick assessment: jammer bathing suit (not the confidence of a speedo, yet more confident than a board short) and oversized dorky goggles (spouse probably purchased them on sale at Big-5) . I noticed too he was swimming with GIANT hand paddles for pulling and had a pull bouy between his legs. I kept taking inventory of other swimmers and then took off for my next set.

I swam up, but remained behind my neighbor to the left. He was pulling as would be expected. Since I've perfected the flip turn I can overtake a person doing open turns pretty easily- I did.
I then had to laugh as I felt splashing and wild swimming to my right (( had turned now remember) Mr. Jammer/big goggle had probably noticed my big pink suit, realized it was a girl and decided that there was NO WAY a girl was beating him back to the other wall. Big paddles on, pull bouy on, he kicked like a mad man to pass me. "go for it dude" was all I could think and at the wall, passed him again- Oh yikkes, he did not like that. Even more splashing as he fought to overtake me. This continued at each way for about 100 yards at which point he stopped at the wall panting. Lesson learned, slow and steady always wins the race. I kept up, unabated for another 1000 yards . . . poor poor competitive man.

(haha)

Thanksgiving eve

Thanksgiving eve.
I had to fore go my swim tonight as I had far too much to do to prepare for tomorrow.
For starters, it took 1 1/2 hours go get home from work.
Then, after throwing dinner a the boys, (literally) I made that last (hopefully) trip to Safeway followed by an evening of baking and meal prep.
It's now 11:45 pm and I've finished what I'm going to accomplish tonight.
The sauce for the yams is AMAZING, the pumpkin pies and eggnog cheesecake look to be pretty freakin good.

If all else fails . . . we have a cellar full of wine with which to fool our guests.

bon apetite'
Happy Thanksgiving.

Take a moment to be grateful. Despite temporary setbacks and difficult moments . . . .we are pretty lucky.

Current events and politics

I promise, this is the last time I'm going to discuss politics . . . (haha, did you actually believe that?)

First I wanted to tell you about the Comcast forums and proudly announce I think I have conquered my addiction to them. During the campaign it was fun, profoundly addictive, but fun.
Post campaign it was pretty nice with most folks putting aside partisan politics and deciding to accept the decisions made (except a few poor souls who thought the election was stolen). A week after the election the forum that I frequented was closed and so I wandered over to the "News and current event" section. I was so disturbed to see the number of anti gay threads, folks gloating over the passage of prop 8. Well, you know me, I'm never one to back away from a fight. I discovered quite quickly that homophobs are not going to change their minds, reasonable arguments elude them. These threads were full of bible references (funny how you can pick and chose those) and the authors of the posts became quite nasty.
I suddenly had an epiphany. I am probably arguing with people like Fred Phelps, that crazy guy that goes to funerals of gay people to put up his disgusting signs and protest. Or, maybe I'm trying to reason with some guy who lives in his Moms basement. Clearly, neither is about to change their mind and once I put this into perspective I felt fine walking away from the whole thing. I actually got a very nice note from another person who said she/he enjoyed my posts, my empathy to the gay community and my reasonablness. This same person was also going to walk away from the forums as they were too hateful to participate in. So, until the next election cycle, I'm done!

Now, I have an idea . . .
It seems to me that both the Republican party and Domestic car companies are having a hard time these days. Two suggestions for both. Rebranding, without significant change, isn't going to work. Change must come from the top down. Get rid of the "old way" of doing things, look at your business model (or platform) and decide if it is current. Look at the needs of the majority, not just a small population and align your goals with theirs. Sounds simple to me.
It would be nice to see the domestic car market thrive again, and people working in this industry- perhaps we could even bring Flint Michigan back to it's former glory? As for the Republicans, unless they change soon (and I don't mean to make Sarah Palin their new spokesmodel) they can be sure that they won't have power for a very very long time.

still falling behind

I have great intentions, I really do.
If you could get into my head you would know I'm full of great ideas and plans, it's the damn execution of those that gets in my way.

I have a lot to talk about, but it's a work night and I'm terribly behind in the sleep department.
I was just preparing to head into bed when I took one last look at online sources. Though I'm slowly weaning myself from the forums on comcast (more on that later), I still must look at Huffingtonpost.com and Politico.com before I can call the day done.

In my foray into Huffington I looked at Entertainment news. Two of my favorite shows are being cancelled! Ely Stone and Pushing Daisies are going away! I'm a little bit verklempt right now.
I know the pictures I chose are not terribly reflective of the shows, but in my current state of sleepiness, it's about the best I could muster! I love watching Ely Stone on Tuesdays, one because I think the premise is wonderful and I enjoy the musical interludes- two because Ashley always calls around 10:10-10:20 as she is headed home from Herald night. . . who will keep me company until Ashley calls if Ely is gone?
Pushing Daisies is a show that Kyle and I discovered last year. It's fun, whimsical and looks visually like a Tim Burton production. I think Kyle has a little crush on Kristin Chenowith. I'm safe saying this as I am relatively certain he NEVER reads my blog- if he does- so be it, if I was a guy I'd probably enjoy looking at her too.

so, this is my Thursday night despair.

At least I still have Top Chef to look forward to . . . . .

tomorrow I'll further update you and tell you about my dark adventures into the comcast forums . . . .

modern life . . .

About 2-3 weeks ago my washing machine started misbehaving.
I don't know why, but when the boys would use it, it would overflow. This happened 3-4 times in the past several weeks. Unfortunately, not only is it a pain in the neck, it has caused some damage to the laundry room floor.
As I said, this seemed only to happen to Travis or Kyle.
The machine has a particular thing it does only to me . . it stalls. Midway through the wash it stops, hums and discontinues the cycle. It could quite literally take days to complete one load- waiting to restart and keeping fingers crossed it would finish a cycle once restarted.
I called my favorite repair man last week and he thought he could fix the overflow, but the stalling . . he wasn't too sure. I was looking at about $300 just to fix one problem, who knew if he could trouble shoot the second.
what to do? Should I get a washboard and tub and go to it the old fashioned way? should I go to the river and wash with stone? (no close river so that is out)
On my way home from my hair appointment I decided to stop in to Western Appliance- I found what I hope to be my next favorite appliance! Disregard the image of the dryer (my Kitchenaid is still nicely functional)
This thing spins so hard it woke Randy up last night, he thought there was a helicopter in the laundry room. Okay, it appears I need to figure out all the best settings yet!
Looking forward to washing washing washing this weekend!

I'm Back!

It's over! My self imposed exhile from blogging and into the dark world of politics has finally ended. I can stop looking at Realclearpolitics.com, Politico.com, Huffingtonpost.com and fivethirtyeight.com every 15 minutes. I WILL stop looking at the forum on Comcast, and I will stop trying to change the minds of deeply entrenched wingnuts on the same forum.
I am free at last!

Last night was beautiful. At 8:00 pacific standard time, when the networks all called the election Randy, Kyle and I enjoyed a glass of champagne, a toast to the future and the incredible video from Chicago.
John McCains concession speech was sincere and clear, Barack's acceptance speech was inspiring.

And now, we move forward.

As an aside, if she were still alive, Betsy would be celebrating her 38th birthday today.
Betsy was our poodle mix dog when we were growing up- one of the BEST dogs ever.
Happy Birthday Betsy- say "woof" to Akita for us, will you?

Looks like Fox news, but it's not!

this is fun, get ready for a giggle, or two.

John McCain Accidentally Left On Campaign Bus Overnight

McCain's voice mail to Sarah Palin

Listen to this and get ready to laugh!

of course, it's a joke, but it' fun!

Les Misbarack

Good stuff!

Woo-hoo!!

See Jane tri was today. . . .
I started getting particularly anxious yesterday afternoon- what had I thought signing up for this? Geez I wish I would have signed up with someone, sometimes a buddy is what it takes to get you inspired and keep you going.
Thank goodness I had Randy in my corner.
We got up and left the house while it was still dark outside. The park opened at 6:00 in Pleasanton, but since I was in the final wave I didn't think we needed to be there too early. I thought leaving at 6:00 was fine.
Off to the Starbucks for Randy's daily drink (and a grande iced Americano for me) and then off to the park. Finding parking wasn't hard although already about 75% of the spots were taken. As I stood in line to get my race packet Randy found a staging area to claim and hung up my bike. Kudos to him here as the area he chose was PERFECT.
After retrieving my check in packet I looked at the wave schedule and found that I was in the FIRST wave, not the last. Evidently they want the old ladies to go first so we don't hold the whole event up!
A few trips to the potty (nervous) and then down to the beach to wait to start this thing. As I looked at my fellow competitors I was amazed at the high tech gear they were wearing. Lots of tri suits (one piece short sleeve with shorts that are padded for cycling) . . . some wet suits and various combinations. I was one of only a few in just a bathing suit, cap, goggle and nervous smile. When chatting with some sweet 20 somethings earlier they asked what I was wearing, I told them I was doing this "old school", no tech gear. They both laughed and said I would be fine. Later I told them that this was my first . . . they were incredibly sweet and supportive.
Before I knew it the bullhorn sounded and off we were. MUCKY!! and a little SMELLY! slowly walked into the water and then started swimming. Wow, lots of arms and legs everywhere. It was quite easy to get disoriented. I found myself having to heads up breaststroke the first 100 yards about 1/2 the time just to see where I was going. Occasionally I got to break away and start free styling but would occasionally swim up on what felt like a seal or a whale- these were women in wet suits! The second and third quarter I back stroked- I was able to move away from people and relax a little, a started to go slightly off course, but corrected it pretty well. The final 1/4 was confusion again but before I knew it- I was walking up the beach and to the transition area.
The problem with not wearing the technical gear- I had to put clothes on for the bike ride and lost a great deal of time doing that. Minutes later I was on the bike, going up the hill, safely clicked in and off on what I hoped would be a good ride. I still am a nervous rider (from being hit by a car) but this ride was incredibly well marked and we had police at all intersections. Now I hit my "stride" I was passing people! I wasn't being passed! I probably rode a little harder than I should have, but . . . I felt good! Randy was standing up on the road as I entered the park- what a boost to see a smiling familiar face! Naturally, just as I was watching me, I got passed. But, in my defense, they were 20 somethings. This I know as we had to mark our legs with our age.
Now, back to staging and prepare for running.
This transition didn't take me as long and off to the run.
The temperature is starting to climb and immediately I start getting hot. Man, I'm having a hard time keeping my breathing steady. What is with my legs? Have they ever met my body? I'm feeling a bit awkward and uncomfortable, man my legs feel like to bricks! Oh, looks like I may have pushed the biking farther than was smart!
I probably walked 1/3 of the "run" portion BUT, was only passed by a few other 50 somethings (quite a few were ahead of me, some behind) I was passed by loads of 20's though. They started 10 minutes after us so between the swim and bike it didn't take them long to overtake me!
It felt like 10 miles, not three but soon it was over and the finish line was near.
Now, I wanted to stop and walk SO BAD! There was only about 500 meters to go and I was dying! Fortunately there were heaps of people cheering so it was impossible to stop.
Before I knew it I was crossing that line and hearing the beep beep of my electronic ankle band.
And there smiling at me were Randy and Kyle. I nearly cried I was so happy to see their smiling faces, I'm so pleased that they look so proud.
I did it! It's done!
No recriminations for the walking- I'll just do better next time!
And I will do this again . . . because I can!

vacation feet

Before I left for vacation I wanted badly to get a pedicure. Between work/the condo/wine work/ and other life issues I wasn't able to even cobble out the necessary hour to have that done. With steady hands, my strongest glasses and strange body contortions I was able to paint a reasonable facsimile myself. I arrived with lovely wine colored toes.

I completely underestimated the damage sand would do to my paint job. Within days the edges of the work were destroyed. I had packed my polish, should I try to fix this mess? Heck no, found some remover and am enjoying natural looking feet.
The sand is also working wonders on my toe ring, it hasn't looked this brilliant since I put it on 3 years ago when vacationing here with the whole family.

vacation!

I was hoping to be able to post pictures more regularly, but it isn't easy as I don't have a card reader in this computer.
We are having a wonderful time. Relaxing, exercising some, drinking some, enjoying our friends.
Life is good, I'm particularly happy to be away during this election time . . it's too anxiety provoking for me!
more later!
xoxo

pictures, as promised!

This is the "interior" of the cluster of buildings. The accommodations are very nice.
I need to find a nice calm ocean place to swim, for now a little swim in the pool worked for today. Randy ran this morning, I slept- maybe tomorrow!

Aloha!

We have arrived!
My intention was to update daily with pictures without checking first to see if this computer has a card reader slot . . .it does not. Dave has suggested that they may be able to upload and email me pictures to post, we may try that.

Let me go back a couple of days and help explain why I've been so absent lately.

The rental property we are buying has been all time consuming. I won't go into detail but suffice to say that "gutting" a property and then restoring it for rental takes a little time. Then there were last minute loan kerfuffles which caused a small ulcer to develop (kidding). Between Bruce and our property manager John, I have left California with full confidence that things will be fine.

Thursday I happened to get on the computer to just check the status of flights.
My return flight was there (as changed a few weeks back) but, the departing flight was absent. In my hand I held my confirmation papers and called United. I called them and the clerk denied that I had a reservation. We "discussed" this for a few minutes and then I asked to talk to someone else. It took about 20 minutes but ultimately they "found" a flight for me. We actually left earlier than previously booked which made Randy happy and since it was a last minute flight I upgraded us to the bigger seats so that we could sit together. Well spent $100 total as we were comfortable on our way here. We arrived yesterday afternoon- hit the market and then found our way to the Whitmers.

The condo where Dave and Loie have their time share is gorgeous. I'll post pictures just as soon as possible.

I did take a short ocean swim yesterday. I underestimated how disorienting the waves would be. I'm not too worried about the swim portion of the tri but am determined not to let my swim fitness suffer too much. It's already the middle of the month and due to all the extraneous demands lately I've only logged two days worth of mileage swimming!

more later- aloha!

Vote!

I know I've been terrible at keeping this up to date and vow to turn things around.
I'll make every effort while on vacation to check in periodically and keep you all current!
Things have been exceptionally crazy in Harrellville. Randy and I are preparing for vacation, the rental condo we are buying closes imminently, we've gutted the place and need to make it inhabitable ASAP, the landscaping is going great (but was on hold due to gophers), the grapes are ready and the Merlot has been picked. These are a few reasons for my absence.

In a day or two I'll start catching up but until then, enjoy this.

Biathlete?

I know I'm getting ready for a triathlon but haven't managed to experience more than two of the events on the same day during "training". Mind you training has largely subsisted of me swimming, and not fast I may add. Time at the pool for me is part visiting, part meditation, mindless laps as I listen to my swimp3 player (best invention EVER) which all combines to an hour (or more) of a fantastic recuperative experience.

Thanks in part to my two live in coaches (Randy and Kyle) I've been getting my butt away from the pool and starting to focus on the other events- which has totally messed with my swim mileage- but has made getting ready for the triathlon much more real. Running is steadily improving. Today Randy and I went out together and ran the first 1.52 miles and then did the return walking. Tuesday he and I took the bikes to Bollinger Canyon where we set off for a ride. Now, remember please how "warm" it was last week. We parked the truck, took out the bikes, fussed with the seat, lost (temporarily) the tool box key and then were off. I was so very nervous. The ride I discovered was ALL uphill to start. Between the heat, the hill, and my anxiety I realized that I probably hadn't thoroughly considered what I had signed up for. MY GOODNESS, the riding was hard. I complained to Randy and wondered what had become to the woman who had previously ridden 100 miles one day and then went out for another ride the second day? I was panting, sweating, white knuckle gripping the handles. Finally I said to Randy, ENOUGH. I wanted to cry- I probably had only gone a mile or so. Around we turned and started back. He was right, the ride back was entirely downhill. The sweat dried, the legs relaxed, I got going a bit faster than was comfortable. . . it was magnificent. By this point the endorphins had come in to wipe out the memory of the beginning.

After we drove the truck up to see how far we had ridden, actually we had gone 2.7 miles uphill and were within about 1/2 mile of the end of the road. A goal for another day.
Today I got a proper bottle holder for my bike and sunglasses to wear while riding.
Tomorrow we set off again.

with the help of my coaches and best supporters . . . I may actually be able to finish this thing!

Three things

A few things happened today:

I managed to run a but farther than in the past (1 1/2 miles) followed by a 1 1/2 milk walk

I got back on my bike (5 1/2 miles)

My youngest turned 19.

The final is obviously the most important.

Happy Birthday Kyle, you made the Harrell Family complete and we love you!

not a morning person . . .

Recently we purchased a nifty new alarm clock. It projects the time onto the ceiling, which is prefect for those of us with poor vision! Travis liked it so much that he took the first one I purchased causing me to have to get another- Kyle has his eye on this one but, I digress.

This morning the alarm went off for Randy who mistakenly hit the snooze button when he got up and prepared for work. Ten minutes later it went off again and I groaned thinking it was for me. It took me a bit to realize what had happened and then I saw clearly, getting up at 5:00 to go to Masters swim practice is NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. I am much too much of an evening person- I can't force myself to sleep before 11-12!

Randy and I had a good laugh about this today. He is a morning person- glowing and ready to go at 5:00 am . . . that's when I get my best sleep! I'm a night owl- I can stay up, fully locked and loaded until 1:00 am, no problem. Why change now? This marriage has gone well for 28 years, I think we have a good thing going!

Clean and sober for one day now. . . .

What? It's true, "My name is Linda and I'm a comcast forum-aholic. But, this time I'm kicking the habit.
What is the forum? It's a place where comcast subscribers "meet" to discuss topics of the day. I initially got involved with a relatively innocuous post. Some lady was complaining about Dara Tores being too old to compete in the Olympics. Well, I simply could not let that particular ignorance go by and I schooled her properly. But listen now, this was my gateway posting, it led to a deep a dark addiction. I entered the political sphere.
I argued with right wing boobs until my fingers were raw. I posted retorts full of factual back up, citations and links . . .but still the idiots refuse to listen.
I was thinking about the specific writers who would always read the same thread as me, but were diametrically opposed to my views . . . ."allym" , "Linda K", "jodie from nh", "Bubbah", "patriotguy" etc.

I think I had my epiphany yesterday when some jerk replied, "well whinefamily . . . " Oh yes siree, that was so clever on his part (not) He had taken winefamily and made his little joke, trying to make me look like the jerk. (which is something lots of these guys do) At this point I thought- why am I bothering? who am I even arguing with? I figure (based on spelling and writing abilities) that this isn't the cream of the conservative crop. Probably quite a few unemployed folks who spend their day online, creating a life there. So, I'm done. I haven't returned since yesterday morning and though I'm tempted to see what they are chatting about today, or if anyone has replied to any of my comments, I stay away.

you don't think it's possible do you? there is a fellow who calls himself "deciderguy" . . . . just a thought

I brought this on myself . . .

I feel like this, but acted like this . . . . a bit of a disconnect!

Here is what happened: Every now and again I have a little back "twinge" It lasts for several days and then it's but a memory for the next few months until it inexplicably returns. Last Wednesday I started to have such a twinge. Thursday I went to the pool and thought a nice, slow, stretching swim would help with the pain. Slow was the key word here and in about 1/2 hour I felt much better. At that point I was stopped on the wall and having a sip of water and noticed a camera man and some other folks on the other side of the pool, set up just outside my lane. What? I wondered what they were filming and truly prayed I wasn't in the shot but given the angle, I thought there was no way I wasn't. The man in the adjacent lane agreed and added they were from Channel 5 news. "Great" I groaned, "now I'm going to be self conscious about my swim" "Lucky you" was his reply . . . arghhhhhhhhhh
So I set off on my next set, this one with fins to give me "super power". When I made my turn I decided I needed to act like a "real" swimmer and did some underwater dolphin kicks. Geez, I felt like a super hero flying across the pool. The set went exceptionally well and I imagined myself looking much like all the Olympic athletes I'd been admiring for nearly a week. I forgot about my 50 year old body crammed into my pink suit and swam visualizing a cross between Natalie Coughlin, Michael Phelps and Dara Tores. I was magnificent, my flip turns were stunning, my underwater dolphin kicks amazing.

Now, I'm sure you are wondering, was I on the news? Nope, but my friend Michelle who does a violent flip turn that splashes the deck was, well not her so much as the tsunami she created on her turn. So I have no film evidence of my amazing turns and kicks. But, the day it to be remembered for sure. Those dolphin kicks played havoc on my back and I've been paying since. Ashley reminded me I am not a competitive swimmer and such kicks are unnecessary. I agreed and am a bit embarrassed about my attempts at notoriety. Clearly the story of the day was not "Amazing 50 year old women, in pink suits, imagining they are Olympic swimmers" . . . film at 11.

my family tree . . .

Thank goodness for personalized ringtones, and for the fact that I always leave my cell phone on.
How many times have you misplaced your cell phone? With luck it isn't on silent and you can simply dial it up and follow the sound. The other day my phone slipped out of my pocket when coming home from SFO after fetching Kyle. We were in Kyle's car. The next day, while sitting in my car before leaving for work I did a quick inventory of things needed and realized I didn't have my phone. Where was it? A quick round of the house revealed no phone, peering through all crevasses of the car also yielded no cell phone. Ah-ha, I'll call it and follow the noise.
Walking throught the house, no noise.
In the garage and my car, no noise.
Out to the drivewasy I could faintly hear the ringtone assigned to the house phone. It's a little song which in assending scale sings "You are, you are, you are my family tree."
Thank you Ashley for creating this ringtone for me, without it my phone will likely still be hiding under the seat in Kyle's car and I'd still be wondering if I've lost my mind.

1, 2,,,,,,,,,,,,3

I got an email yesterday from my Mom with this very subject line. In the text section all she wrote was "I don't know, do you care to tell us? Rather cryptic right?
So, I return email with a query, "what?"

It turns out Mom and Dad went to the Napa fair and discovered that our wine entered had scored a first and second place. Our label- designed by Ashley from an oil painting she did for us Christmas 2006 won 3rd place . . . . YIPEEEE

a broken thermostat?

Heating and cooling . . it's amazing how temperature control can affect our lives!
Just recently we replaced our entire heating and cooling system in the house. Naturally, since it's been replaced, we haven't had to use it but are waiting in happy anticipation of our next heat wave. Along with the new system came snazzy new thermostats- I haven't had time yet to figure out the bells and whistles, but I will eventually.

Our nearly new refrigerator is having problems with temperature control. It cools too much, freezing parts of the unit and impeding flow of water through the chilled dispenser. I did my own "repair" the other day by blow drying the water line but today it's frozen again. Looks like it's time for the refrigerator repair guy to come back.

On the other end of the temperature spectrum, my own thermostat is keeping my body VERY warm at times (aka, hot flashes) These are neither pleasant, comfortable or amusing AND I don't think there is a repair available.

An amazing relationship

I'm not as much of a "Youtube" watcher as others in my family but this one is not to be missed.

Christian the Lion was purchased from Harrods department store in London by two gentlemen who lived in London and worked in a furniture shop. (Remember, this was 1969 and selling exotic animals was "okay". ) The two kept Christian until he became too large to stay in the city- at that point they flew with him to Nairobi Kenya where they gave him to George Adamson at the Kenya Hora Reserve for the purpose of reintroduction to the wild. One year later the two went back to see him and were cautioned by George that he had reintegrated successfully and may not recognize them

It is truly astonishing and heartwarming. The bonds of a wonderful relationship are amazing.

silly law? . . . , yupp, I think so!

As of July 1st in California we can no longer talk on our cell phones, while driving, unless we are "hands free". So, just over halfway through the month I'm thinking about how this law has affected me.

Earlier in the year I purchased a bluetooth accessory for my phone in anticipation of this law. It worked "okay" and I kept it ready for the July 1st date. I lost it. So, July one rolls around I am I bereft of headset. Quickly I order a new one from EBAY. The new one is literally the size of my thumb. It arrives, I try to sync it with my phone and it doesn't work Quick communication with seller and he sends a new one, but in the meantime, I need something to work hands free. I find an old fashioned "dongle" cable to use. It is passable, I can hear the caller and they can "kind of " hear me. I use this.

The replacement bluetooth arrives. I follow instructions carefully and sync it. When I'm on the phone with my friend she tells me it sounds like I'm in a fish bowl. Crap, this is supposed to have the newest noise cancelling technology. Back to the dongle I go. Driving in my little car it's supremely evident that no sort of hands free is going to do the trick. It's now occurred to me, I need one of those headsets that pilots use- this will allow me to speak, and hear without all the ambient noise bothering everyone.

Today, as I was driving home from Napa my phone rang. Quickly I try to reach for the dongle, put it in my ear, turn on the phone, AND most importantly- keep from swerving around on the road. This new law makes us safer? I don't think so.

And, the most ridiculous part of the new law? People are allowed to text and work online (on their phones) while they drive. I was with a friend the other day who, put on her reading glasses to text her son, while driving . . . this is safe? don't think so.

Substitute a vowel please . . .

Have you heard about the "fine" folks from the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka Kansas? They travel far and wide to protest at the funerals for Gay soldiers and other Gay citizens. Typically they hold crude, homemade signs which say "God hates fags".
Well, today I stumbled upon a website which I think they need to visit. It seems that God hates FIGS! (click on that for the link) Poor ignorant souls, a simple vowel change, and then they have it right. All the documentation they need, right there in the bible (several times)
Where will they take their protests? The largest producer of figs in the world is Turkey . . . I think that is an excellent destination for these folks. . . .

long time, sorry

I think maybe the heat had something to do with my inertia.
Perhaps it was also the fact that I've been rather boring lately as well.
Same old thing, get up, whine about the heat, swim, whine about the heat, go to bed where I sleep poorly, wake and repeat.

As of today my year to date swim mileage is 204.19.
The annual goal of 300 is within my sites.
I've been struggling with a sore shoulder lately, so I'm trying to take it easy.
It would be easier if I could cross train and run more but the heat has made that impossible for me. (see paragraph one)

This week, weather permitting, I'll get back into my sneakers and put down some mileage. My goal is to get prepared to cycle as well. wish me luck with that one!

enjoy your week, it should be cooler!

Happy Birthday Marcel!

Ashley's love is now ONE YEAR OLD!
Happy Birthday Marcel. . . . wishing I had a cute picture to insert here!
In honor of Marcel (and all adopted animals) please make an effort to visit this link on a daily basis to help out other animals who haven't had the fortune yet to be adopted into such a loving home!

Speaking of cats . . . Bella has been hunting again.

Last week, digging around for a sweatshirt to put on in the morning (definitely last week when the temps weren't always so high) I picked up my favorite fleece to find a very large alligator lizard residing in it. (thank goodness I found it before putting it on . . .ewwwwwwwwwwww)
anyhow, I took it to the front porch and coaxed it out. Days later we found another one, this without his tail (she like removing them) trying to move around the dining room. Randy cornered him and put him out.
This morning I found a very large alligator lizard tail, but no lizard . . . where, pray tell, is the rest of him? Bella isn't saying. Bella did however have a good time hunting mosquitoes this evening- she will keep us safe from West Nile virus- thanks B

news you can use, to amuse . . .

I don't know if this was widely reported, it should have been simply for the humor factor.

Do you remember Larry Criag? He is that "wide standing" Senator (R-Idaho) who plead guilty to inappropriate conduct in the men's room . . then later it was revealed it wasn't his first trip down naughty lane. What about David Viterr (R-Louisiana) who was identified as a client of "D.C. Madam" Debroah Jeanne Pallfrey's DC prostitution service in July of 2007.

These two "upstanding" pillars of the community have teamed together with others to co-sponsor a federal Marriage amendment. A man who pleaded guilty to lewd conduct in propositioning an undercover police officer for anonymous sex in a bathroom, and a man who allegedly has a diaper fetish exerting their moral authority over the rest of us. The actual wording of the amendment and the status of Vitter and Craig as co-sponsors can be seen here.
I didn't want you to think I was making this whole, absurd event up!

I'm so sick of this kind of politics. But, when two idiots like this are behind the amendment it becomes even more disgusting. Grow up already. Allowing gay marriage isn't going to undermine society . . . it isn't going to lead to moral decay (which evidently already exists in some homes) . . . all it will do is let others enjoy the same rights granted by law that straight married people already enjoy. And I guarantee you that there is an abundant amount of gay couples much happier and secure in their relationships than these two legislators. Shame on them, and on the people who line up behind them and cheer on these close minded, hateful amendments.

run? jog? bouncy walk?

I'm not entirely sure how you could classify my dryland exercise adventure today. It certainly wasn't a run . . . maybe more of a jog, with a bit of a bouncy walk thrown in.

But, I did it! As you know I made a deal with myself that I was going to enter AND COMPLETE the "See Jane Tri" ladies only triathlon this fall. So, time to step up, lace up the sneakers, hit the track and see how it goes. Not too bad actually. I dug out some running garb, loaded up my little ipod with Dave Matthews music and drove over to the Monte Vista track. I know, a little counter intuitive, driving to the running spot. My idea was that the track would give me measurable "milestones" so that I could track my progress. Small problem, the MV track is closed until late July. Where now? Not SRV, chances are the Hoots would have a game there and I certainly didn't want to run into them. . .ah-ha Las Lomas in Walnut Creek- also close to Trader Joes for a dinner ingredient pick up. Although the pool at Las Lomas was full of young men playing water polo, the track was empty. Before I left for this adventure I did some reading online and decided that a slow and steady approach was going to be the best. 20 minutes of "movement" was all I was expecting of myself, broken into alternate walk/jog. So lap one, walk (sort of speedy) lap two jog . . . hmmm surprisingly not difficult. Let me say here, I could have maintained this pace and done lap three jog too, but decided to stick to the original plan and avoid "injury". Lap four jog. . . small arm pump, I've completed a mile! lap five walk, lap six jog. I could keep going, but have hit my 20 minute mark.

Kinda fun. I'm sure I'll feel something in my back or hips later but for now, I'm rather pleased.
This afternoon I'll hit the pool for the first time since the biopsy- if it stings (the incision) I'm outta there, but I'm hoping for a nice, long, stretching swim.

So, I'm officially entered. I'm starting my training. I'm going to do this thing! See Linda swim, cycle and run (or jog, or bouncy walk)

A beautiful word . . .

It's like a game show from the 60's. Put the two pictures together to sound out the most wonderful word to hear today.

Two days ago, after a follow up digital mammogram, I had a breast biopsy done. To preface this let me tell you what the radiologist said when she read the second mammogram, "I'm not 100% sure it's cancer" . . . hummmm, not the most reassuring thing to hear. Anyhow, I kept a very positive attitude- at the very least I realized that we found the little bugger very early and treatment, should it be necessary, would be simple. After we finished the biopsy on Tuesday she told me she would call in 4-5 business days to let me know results. Here, two days later, she calls with the GREAT news and the only caveat is that I need to go back in 6 months.

The past 2 weeks have been excellent in terms of giving perspective. Life is short- make the most of the time you have, and take good care of yourself. So, the moment the doctor gives permission (this weekend) I'm back in the pool AND am starting training in earnest for the "See Jane Tri" a ladies only triathlon which benefits breast cancer research. Randy and I have had time to make promises to keep care of ourselves, and each other. I hope you all will do the same.

To the ladies out there, be sure to keep current on your mammograms!

Happy Birthday Ashley!

As I finally have time to sit and write this today Ashley who is on East coast time has already moved onto June 20th.
Twenty four years ago today (the 19th) our lives changed forever.
I remember just before she was born I had a sudden panic and was worried I was under qualified to be a parent (I was) and would never be able to rise to the task.
I think we did okay.
This gorgeous (and smart) baby is now in an "off off" Broadway play, she is totally self sufficient and "living the dream" in NYC.
With good intentions and lots of love, things turned out well.
Live your life as you started it- loud and in control, causing all those around you to fall in love with this magical person.
Happy Birthday Ashley Anne Harrell!

what happens in Vegas . . . comes home in Travis' pocket

To celebrate his 21st birthday, as Ashley had enjoyed before, Travis experienced the Mom and Dad trip to Las Vegas. June in Las Vegas is a very warm affair. Temperatures were over 100 degrees all three days we were there but that didn't stop the intrepid Harrell's from walking the length of the strip from the Wynn to Mandalay Bay. We enjoyed a wonderful show, hung out at the pool, ate and drank plenty and of course, did a little lever pulling (gambling ala' slot machine).

The agreement was this, Travis was given $100 to do with as he pleased. He started slowly and enjoyed his time at the nickel slots never losing too much. Monday after walking to Paris for breakfast we decided to head down to the Wynn and work our way back to our hotel (MGM). Once in the Treasure Island Randy spotted his favorite "wheel of fortune" machines. Travis sat down and after a slow start had a very lucky streak. We had quite a system, my job was to count winnings so that he always quit ahead. His job was to be loving to the machine which seemed to love him back. Over $200 later (in the black) we walked back to our hotel. Monday night after a walk in the opposite direction and Travis having a ride on the roller coaster at NY NY we spied some "lucky" $1 machines- these would come to bless us this morning. After a late breakfast today I stood guard at the machine Travis chose as he and Randy got ready to come in for the kill. Randy gave Travis $30 in coin which he promptly turned into about $150. All in all the kid went home with about $400 in his pocket he didn't have when we landed in Las Vegas on Sunday morning.

Sunday we also went to the newest Cirque de Soleil which is based on Beatles music- VERY GOOD. Perfect for a huge Beatles fan (Randy) and someone who loves all music (Travis)

A wonderful trip, excellent memories, and Randy made money too- no wonder we are all smiling!

A moment of pride. . .

As parents most of us can reflect on times when we stood particularly proud and often that involved something our kids did. It starts with small things like actually making it to the toilet on time and grows over time to include athletic, academic and social accomplishments.

Today I had a moment of extreme pride and it was my Mom who inspired it.

You may remember a bit ago when I "revealed" that I had been born Republican and chose to become a Democrat? My parents were both Republicans when they first arrived here as their close circle included all or mostly Republicans. That same circle remains even though some have probably changed their views (or maybe not, who knows). Today my Mom got an email which was one of those stereotypical bashing emails about Obama. She said that deleting it didn't give the satisfaction she needed so she REPLIED ALL and said "Folks, this is hate mail"

Right now I'm standing an applauding this 76 year old woman who simply had enough. A brave step and one that makes me want to stand next to her, hold my head up high, and thank her for saying "enough is enough" Way to go Mom!

looking for something to do this weekend?

do you already have plans for next weekend?
if not, please check out the link below . . .
http://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/news/may08/peace29may08.htm
Previews start Thursday the 12th and opening night is June 20th.
more than anything I wish I could see this!

sunday . . . updates

This will be boring.
As of today, my annual swim mileage is 172.68 miles. Given the date, it appears that the original goal of 300 miles should be fairly easily achieved. Now I also have breathing room for some anticipated absences from the pool. This coming week I'll miss 4 swims, it will make June light, but I have to look at the end game and not worry about small setbacks.
Sunday we take Travis to Las Vegas for his "21 year old celebration"
We have show tickets in hand and between that and some time to read and relax, I'm a happy gal.
I'll leave the gambling to Randy and Travis! wish them luck!

Fahrvergnügen

Remember the ads from the 80's or 90's which had this little phrase in it?
Do we know what it means?
I have an idea, now in 2008 when gas is over $4.00 per gallon farvegnugen means "you get more than 14 mpg (like in your Ford F150)
it also means "when you move away to college, your mom gets to drive something with working air conditioning"
Frustrated by fuel costs we elected to invest in a commuter car for Kyle. Now he gets to ride with leather, heated seats. Working air con, a 6CD changer, power front seats (adjustable for individual drivers), a moon roof, and every other goodie a good German car could provide. Am I jealous? hell yes. Am I bitter, well . . . maybe just a bit!

a happy dance!

I know this looks like it's probably McCain supporters, but it was the best I could come up with this late at night, and after a long day.

Yahoo, the primary season is finally over. Conventional wisdom says that Hillary will finally "suspend" her campaign on Friday and we can then begin to coalesce the message of the Democratic party and get to the business of winning the White House in November.

It's going to be an exciting election year. California is also going to have it's share of interesting propositions to consider. I feel like I'm back in the 60's and we will be fighting for peace and civil rights. Now, that's a fight I can get ready for!

Sunday morning pundits

I love watching political TV. Most evenings, when making dinner I first spend a little time with Keith Olbermann on Countdown and then Dan Abrams on Verdict. I love both these shows as they have a pretty even panel representing all sides. On the weekend you can watch a little George Stephanopolis, (I meant a small amount, although he is little). Tim Russert, Face the Nation, just about anything you want. Today my friend Fiona sent me this clip as a forward from her brother in Tennessee. Do you suppose these are the new FOX news hosts? Please watch it- VERY GOOD!

flavorful memories

You know how certain music can just transport you back to a specific memory? Smell can also do the same and I have discovered so can taste.
Recently Randy loaned a bunch of his fishing equipment to a local private High School who used it to decorate for a retirement dinner. After the dinner they returned the items along with a lovely thank you and a small canister of butter mints. Mindlessly I opened one of the mints and was immediately transported back some 45 years to my Great Aunt and Uncle's home on Sproul avenue in Napa. Near the door, in a small cut crystal dish Tante Hilde (Aunt) always had butter mints. Mind you, hers were the bigger "bonus" size ones. Heavenly! We were allowed one after dinner and just maybe another when we left. The other fabulous thing about this house was the built in raised fish pond in the back. So, whenever I eat a butter mint, I'm there, smaller than I am now and looking into that fish pond.
When I was first married I tried to get use out of some of my small crystal dishes by copying Tante Hilde and putting butter mints into them. Since there were no small children visiting, and Randy doesn't have much of a sweet tooth, you can imagine where all the mints went. I learned quickly that this wasn't a good idea. This has been re proven recently as I have eaten nearly every mint in the canister while Kyle and Randy avoid them. It's been worth it though, time travel is cool.

stay in your own lane!

This could be a traffic complaint as easily as what I'm actually fussing about.
People who, in the swimming pool, have their hands and feet drift over to your lane and cause bodily harm.
Today I was having a lovely swim. The sun was shining, I had a good warm up and was now in the midst of my one mile, uninterrupted swim. Suddenly I feel a scratch on my leg, followed by another from my waist to my thigh. The man in the lane adjacent, feet and hands akimbo, had managed to sneak his appendages under the lane line to "molest me" ARGHHHHHHHHHHHH
I sort of stopped, stunned- looked and him and he progressed without even a pause. What did he think he had hit? It's not as if it was an open water swim and it may have been a buoy, or a boat, or a fish . . .
I recover, and finish my swim BUT, not before the creep next door does it again.
and, I have the scratches to prove it.

Now, when the kids were playing water polo we expected some injuries and abrasions, but, lap swimming . . . come on. Randy seems to think he was some sort of creep out for cheap thrills.
ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

ignorance and corporate compliance. . .

I don't know what is more disturbing, the fact that some idiot on FOX news complained about Rachel Ray's scarf in an online ad, or Dunkin Donuts succumbing to pressure to remove the ad.

Here is the story- in the ad Rachel appears as in the picture to the right. Michelle Malkin (a Fox news commentator) thought that this was a kiffihey, a middle eastern garment "popularized by Yasser Arafat and a regular adornment of Muslim terrorists appearing in beheading and hostage taking videos". What Ms Malkin fails to take note of is that such a garment is a "normal" and expected dress of the region. Much as we would never consider leaving the house without shoes on, men in this region would not leave the house without their kiffihey. They serve multiple purposes, to protect against sand and wind, heat and in the bad weather, cold. To assume that it is a symbol of terrorism is a giant leap, and quite naive.

To make matters worse, Dunkin donuts succumbed to the pressure of this person and pulled the ad. No wonder we are confused about all things middle eastern- we are so easily frightened of things we don't know.

If we were to apply her logic to terrorism then perhaps we should avoid images of men dressed in whatever Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nicols were wearing when they carried out the Oaklahoma City bombing. This two are home grown terrorists who carried out their attack in pants and tee shirts- do those images conjure up terrorism to you?
didn't think so.

Don't be afraid of what you don't know.

Yesterday evening I was driving to an errand and decided that it was a good time to listen to some "conservative" radio and see just what those folks were jabbering about. (I listen, so you don't have to). What immediately struck me was both the callers and host referring to Barack Obama as "Barack Hussein Obama". Hmmmm curious. What is the point of including his middle name? I'm pretty sure were seldom refer to Hillary Clinton as Hillary Diane Clinton and when was the last time you heard John Sidney McCain?

So I'm thinking that the main reason to focus on the Hussein name is to frighten people. I know that sounds so nefarious but there is a certain segment of the population who will hear the name and consequently attribute a negative connotation and then by extension feel negatively toward the name holder.

I've done a little research and found that HUSSEIN (hu-SAYN) means good boy, good looking boy, or handsome depending upon the reference. The origin is Arabic and it is a fairly common name in Arabic and African usage.

Maybe Mr Obama should consider a substitute more palatable to the double digit IQ's who fall victim to this "fear mongering" I've drafted a list of similar meaning names and their origins.
Alan: Celtic- handsome and cheerful
Beau: French- handsome
Cavan: Celtic- handsome
Kenneth: Celtic- handsome
Kyle: Celtic- handsome, near the chapel.

I think I found a winner in the midst. Not only is Kyle my sons name (so I naturally favor it) but the "near the chapel" part of the meaning can help dispel those fears of Mr. Obama being a Muslim. It's a win-win!
okay, now I'll pull my tongue out of my cheek. They can call him anything they want, just so long as after November it's Mr. President.

this, that and names

Remember a bit ago when I talked about giving people at the pool names?
Looks like I'm not the only one who does it (at the pool)
Today I was swimming and was sharing a lane with a very nice man who introduced himself as Carl. When I responded with my name he said "I always call you Ironwoman" He wondered if I had a name for him. "No, just nice guy" which he always is. This little conversation made me feel like a strong super hero- I was going to have a fantastic swim.

As Carl finished his workout I was about to embark on my "long" swim of the day. The distance on this swim always varies, but the premise is the same- don't stop and see if you can beat previous times. Off I went and had hoped to accomplish 1600 meters without a single stop.

I was off to a good start. The first 10 laps flew by- but, suddenly I felt a presence of something LARGE in my lane. On the next pass by I realized I had been joined by another woman. No problem, I'll stick to my side and hopefully she will do the same. 20 laps were done and my time was pretty good as I sneaked a look at the clock during a breath. Before I knew it I was coming up on 30 and was starting to celebrate thinking just 2 more and I've done a mile! As I approached the wall for my turn I noticed some bodies in the lane. I had to quickly pull up and stop and when I did it caused an enormous cramp in my right calf which prevented me from even moving. In front of me was a man (missing at least 1/2 his teeth) and his small son. Clearly they didn't understand the concept of lap swimming and had abandoned the rec lane in favor of the more open lap lanes. Finally they moved away, but my leg was still too sore to swim anymore- no worries I had already done 1.9 miles- i just really wanted that last 2 timed!

oh well . . . no whining- Ironwoman can't be a sissy for crying out loud.

and by the way, year to date mileage is: 156.25- unless something happens I should easily achieve the set goal of 300 miles.

enjoy your holiday tomorrow- we are going to have a hike, hopefully the leg cramps are gone by then!

i wear a lapel pin ,. . . therefore I support the troops

Given that Monday is Memorial Day, a semi patriotic post seemed important.
And, another opportunity to complain about John McCain.
Did you read the news about the roll call vote on the "New GI bill"?
Well, both Hillary and Obama stopped their campaigning long enough to return to the hill for the vote, Mr. McCain, not so much . . . he missed the vote.
The $165 billion measure passed by a 70-to-26 vote, after the majority Democrats stripped the legislation of language from the House version of the bill that would have mandated troop withdrawals from Iraq, And while the bill was drafted by two prominent Vietnam veterans in the Senate -- Democrat Jim Webb and Republican Chuck Hagel -- the currently best-known Vietnam vet on the Hill is siding with the president. "I take a back seat to no one in my affection, respect and devotion to veterans," John McCain said yesterday on a California campaign stop, then one begs the questions . . . why vote against them?

You can look at the entire roll call at: http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_cal
l_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=2&vote=00137#position
and before you think I'm ENTIRELY partisan. . remember the bill was co-sponsored by a Republican and many R's voted for it . (all the ney's were R's too)

So, to be truly patriotic it takes much more than a lapel pin.
Let's really support the brave military personnel, both while they are in the field, and once they return. Physically, emotionally and in all possible ways.
"Hoo-haa" (army )

and in other political (shameful) news . . .

George Bush has angered US war veterans by declaring that out of solidarity with those who made the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq he decided to make his own sacrifice: giving up golf.
In an interview with the Politico website, the president said he made the decision because of the war. "I don't want some mom whose son may have recently died to see the commander in chief playing golf. I feel I owe it to the families to be in solidarity. And I think playing golf during a war just sends the wrong signal."

I don't have much to say about this, as the entire thought process he has is stupefying. But, from farther on in the article I read Friedman, who is vice chairman of the US veterans' organisation VoteVets, added: "It shows how disconnected he is from everyday Americans, especially those who are serving in Iraq."

Now, whereas I am pleased to see that John McCain realizes that there is some environmental issues to deal with I am dismayed that his history doesn't reflect his sudden conversion to environmentalist.

McCain Scores a ZERO on the Environment
Arizona Senator Skipped Every Crucial Vote in 2007
Washington, D.C.--In the 2007 National Environmental Scorecard released today by the League of Conservation Voters, John McCain receives a score of ZERO. McCain was the only member of Congress to skip every single crucial environmental vote scored by the organization, posting a score lower than Members of Congress who were out for much of the year due to serious illnesses--and even lower than some who died during the term. By contrast, the average Member of Congress scored a 53 in 2007. McCain posts a lifetime score of only 24.

Oh Dear, do you think he has adjusted his stump speech in order to curry favor?

Have you heard some of the possible running mates for Senator McCain? Yesterday I heard the Mike Huckabee was on the short list. YIKKES! Think about this. If Senator McCain wins, and Huckabee is the VP, Huckabee is literally a very weak heartbeat away from being President. This is the man (who I admit is sweet and charming) wants to toss the constitution in favor of the bible.

In doing a little bit of research on West Virginia I saw some statistics that aren't necessarily widely reported, but do explain what happened on Tuesday. 94.9% of the residents are white.

25% of people over 25 DO NOT have a high school education. 14.8% of the population over 25 has a college degree. Yupp, that's Hillary's demographic.

Oh, and by the way, did you realize that John Edwards won 7% of the vote in West Virginia. Now you can argue that people made that as a protest vote, or it is totally conceivable that without cable news and Internet they didn't realize he wasn't in the race any longer.