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.

A stunning picture of Hillary!

Okay, maybe I'm being a little mean, but come on already.
The math doesn't work, party insiders are starting to agree, it's time for the lady in the pantsuit to give it up already.

NOW

French actor found?

Gérard Depardieu, remember him?
How about the movie "Greencard" from 1990?

You can also go to IMDB and see what this french man has done.
Why am I fascinated with him?
You remember me talking about the guy at the pool who Kyle and I call Tsunami?
The dude who lays on his back, kicks his feet, and waves his arms like a big bird? He creates such big waves swimming next to him is hazardous as you can barely get a breath before the giant swell hits you in the face.

Last night I realized, when Tsunami Sam arrived, he looks EXACTLY like Gérard Depardieu.

weird . . . . .

a quick getaway, birthdays and mother's day . . .

When Ashley moved off to Santa Barbara it seemed very far away initially. Soon however, the distance seemed smaller as we made many trips south to see her in various productions and for other events. Now, with Travis there as a Junior I feel like I can do the drive in my sleep. This weekend Randy and I set off at 7:00 am Saturday, arrived in time for lunch with Travis followed by a whirlwind of activities. We took a trip to the Santa Barbara zoo . . . which is a little ironic as Travis had a trip to the zoo (Oakland) for his 2nd birthday so an early celebration of his 21st at the zoo seemed quite appropriate. At the trip 19 years ago Randy and Travis were covered in Llama spit when they got a little too close at the petting zoo.

There were no Llama's at the Santa Barbara Zoo but I thought this picture, with the giraffe's in the background was a pretty good substitute. After the zoo and a great walk on the beach we had a small rest before we headed off for a great dinner. After dinner it was movie time as we enjoyed "Ironman" . . . (great action figure movie)

Sunday of course was Mother's Day. We enjoyed a great breakfast and then headed off for a quick grocery shop and then the drive home. Once home I was treated to Kyle BBQing dinner and then collapsed into bed.

I'm already looking forward to my next trip to Santa Barbara in June helping Travis settle into his new apartment.

And this is Travis doing his best George Bush impersonation, enjoy!

words to live by . . .

Given the serious post from earlier today I thought a light hearted post was important.

Born in the year of the dog I thought it important to consider learning from the dog's perspective.

so, I'm going to consider living more more in the way of a dog.

If you can't eat it or play with it, pee on it and walk away.

Republican by birth, Democrat by choice. . .

When my parents emigrated to the United States in the mid-fifties my Dad was sponsored by his Uncle, a very staunch Republican party member. Naturally, Dad took advice from his Uncle and other close family members and this likely influenced his decision when he chose his political affiliation. The 50's was the time in the Republican party of Dwight D. Eisenhower and an entirely different party thesis than exists now. Eisenhower was president 1953-1961 and saw some wonderful advancements in the country during the time, including the birth of the Peace Corps in 1961.

The next decade saw the turn of the party as Reverend Jerry Falwell found the "Moral Majority" and the Christan "right" began their slow and methodical overtake of the party. Ronald Regan, probably one of the most beloved Republican Presidents, inherited one of the worst economic times in history as Jimmy Carter encountered a recession during his term. Reagan also suffered a recession during his term (July 1981-November 1982), as well as beginning the ridiculous "war on drugs" which lead to overcrowding in prisons with 1/5 young black men incarcerated for various drug offenses. The first Bush also enjoyed one of the worst economic times with a recession in 1990. Things turned around in 1997 when American reported a robust economy which created the longest prosperity in US history. In 1999 the budget went into surplus. (sorry elephants, this was during the Clinton years) I don't need to tell you that those conditions no longer exist- we are definitely in a much different place now.

Sometimes I hate the divisiveness of politics. Occasionally I wished there were no party definitions, we just voted for who was best. I don't necessarily follow the "party line" but have found as I re-registered as a Democrat quite a while ago, my ideology is more in sync with today's Democratic party- which looks much like the Republican party of long ago.

So, I'm a donkey- I'll stay a donkey.
and, yeah for yesterday! Hillary, please pack up your game pieces and go home . . . please!

just reporting the facts . . . .

Did you miss this in the news?
ABC News' Eloise Harper Reports: Speaking at her Louisville, KY campaign headquarters, Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., told a crowd of supporters Thursday that she is pulling for the filly, Eight Bells, for the upcoming Kentucky Derby.
In selecting Eight Bells, Clinton picked the only girl horse in the race. Perhaps the most fitting move for the woman vying to be the nation's first woman elected president.
Clinton in full Derby enthusiasm even tried on a traditional derby hat while greeting well-wishers. WATCH VIDEO HERE.
Sen. Clinton repeated her desire for the filly to be victorious – saying to a crowd in Jeffersonville, Indiana saying she was sending in her daughter to place her bets. "I hope that everybody will go to the derby on Saturday and place just a little money on the filly for me. I wont be able to be there this year – my daughter is going to be there and so she has strict instructions to bet on Eight Bells."

well, sadly we know how this turns out.
Eight Bells came in SECOND and had to be euthanized track side.
She was beaten by . . . .
Big Brown.
hmmmmm. . . ironic? karma?

Also, just to remind you at home. Hillary often compares herself to Rocky Balboa.
someone needs to point out to the Senator that in Rocky 1, Rocky Balboa lost his fight . . . to Apollo Creed, (and just to keep the record super straight, he is a black man)
just sayin . . . .

keeping my fingers crossed for tomorrow. Go Barack- let's put this thing away! It has been entertaining, but I'm no longer amused. We need to get busy defeating Grumpy McCain

at the end of the week . . .

Is Sunday the end of the week, or the beginning?
According to the calendar, it's the first day of the week, but since it concludes the weekend, it feels like the end . . . either way.

At the pool yesterday I was sitting and warming up after a long swim. The pool has been changed to long course which means that the lane lines are now in the long, 50 meter, direction. The upside is you can really get into a rhythm with your swim, the downside is there are less lanes so you must share with others. Regardless, back to yesterday. I was feeling pretty good and ended up finishing a long swim. I'm sitting on the bleachers (minding my own business) when one of the male swimmers, still in the water says to me "so, how many miles did you put into today" followed by a loud "haha" as if I couldn't possibly finish a mile. Okay, look at me, not your svelte 20 year old swimmer, but come on dude! I calmly reply "about 2". "REALLY?" he replies, absolutely incredulous. "are you sure". I pretend to mull. . . "hmmm, I'll have to double check my math at home, but I did 3300 meters, I'm pretty sure that adds up to about 2" (it was actually a bit over, but I wasn't going to gloat too much) "How many laps did you do" said he, still trying to figure out how I could POSSIBLY have achieved this. "66". "Did you swim in college? High school?" he asks. "Nope, but my kids did, does that count?" He falters, wishes me a good evening and goes on his way. It was fun watching him swim after that with his foot in his mouth.

Year to date total: 131.52 miles. April ended up posting the most miles thus far which was surprising considering my Vegas trip and NYC trips were both in April. I'm feeling much stronger now in the water, and especially psyched that I can outswim some of the dudes in the pool. YEAH!

Crazy for crocs

At what point do you have too many crocs?

I was talking with Ashley yesterday, excitedly telling her about my newest acquisition some darling crocs we had both spied while at Yankee stadium on another fan. Closed toe, stylish, I ordered them to wear to work. so Ashley says yesterday, "how many pairs do you have now?" a quick add revealed that I own 5 pairs.

The obsession started slowly. First a pair of the regular clog like crocs. In black, these were great for work. Just shortly thereafter I picked up a pair of brown "Mary-Jane's". (also for work). My favorite Nike' sandals were failing me so I acquired a pair of croc flip flops. For my birthday my sister purchased me some really cute brown sandals. Yesterdays delivery brought me to 5.

I love these shoes. They are kind to my tendency toward Plantar fasciitis and don't seem to cause that to flare. They can be tossed in the washer at will (using fabric softener makes them shiny again) and being closed toe- I'm allowed to wear them at work. So, say what you will, I'm a croc lover!