Hiatus

When I started Blogging 2 years ago I was at a slow point in my life. Blogging was great! It allowed me to work on my free writing skills and to express myself on topics I would never have before. Additionally, in reading others blogs, I came to change my views on many things. All in all, it has been a wonderful experience for me.

The slow point is passing and I have not been doing my blog justice for several months now. Even though the OH and I are officially "Empty Nesters II" now (we wrote the final tuition check last week!!!). My work has accelerated, we took on some volunteer work and our social life has become a bit more involved. Add on the training I am doing for a half marathon and with cycling season just around the corner, you can see where this is going. Something will give and Blogging is one of them.

I still expect to continue following my favorite blogs. I would also like to thank all those who took the time to leave such meaningful comments on my posts.

Vaya con Dios mi Amigos.

!@#$ the C.I.A.!

The importance of the C.I.A. having the Minnesota Air National Guard Museum's A-12 Blackbird is such that they and the Air Force have decided its worth annoying the entire Minnesota Congressional delegation. Over the strong objections of the delegation, last week the Air Force sent a contractor to Minnesota to disassemble the plane for shipment to Langley so it can be properly planted among the petunias at the new CIA headquarters. Both Senators have co-sponsored legislation to have the plane returned to Minnesota and reassembled. It is unlikely to happen.

Pity the Air Force or the C.I.A. the next time they need something from any of the Minnesota delegation.

Ken Dolls?

Asa suggested this post based on a response I made to one of her posts. I flippantly suggested that she could fix a potential mates sartorial shortcomings after they were involved. That is based on my O.H's belief that husbands are merely self propelled Ken Dolls for womens amusement.

I will readily admit that I am not a clothes horse. You will most likely find me in jeans and shorts as anything else. I like Ann Taylor, Macys, Needless Markup, et al. but do not spend a lot of time shopping in those places. (Part of it is my size). Wearing a skirt is very much the exception for me. I have never been a "girly" girl and although a native, would be laughed off the "Real Wives of Orange County" if they were so foolish to have me on the show.

All that said, most of the straight men I have known have TERRIBLE taste in clothing. This especially includes my O.H.. I have one brother who is the exception to the rule (No, he is not gay!). Look around you, I will bet if you question every well dressed man, you will find that he is likely either gay or dressed by the women in his life. This will include wives and daughters but seldom mothers. There is a lot of truth to the shameful admission "my Mom dresses me". For some reason, women who become mothers have terrible taste when it comes to their sons.

Where is all this going? I am not sure. I just want to get the word out to the sartorially challenged males out there that there is hope for them! Take your S.O. shopping with you. Fair warning, she will likely want to shop when whatever game you want to watch is on.

Its Been All Downhill

I realized the other day that the last 42 years of my life has been all downhill.

The OH and I went to a local elementary school function last week. It was neat seeing all these little ones running around. As I was looking at them, I realized they really own the world, not us. They have all their needs catered. They do not sweat jobs, bills, politics, or even the future. They are very much in the moment, and the moment is usually "GOOD".

What were we thinking? Growing up was not very smart! *G*

25 years?

Today we are celebrating our 25th anniversary. It seems like both yesterday and a lifetime ago. It was brutally cold (-20F). Wearing a Dress and heels in that weather is insane. Thermal underwear and parkas were not in the program though.

Last night we were both puzzling how our marriage has survived to now. We have watched many of our peers go thru divorces. We had many things going against us. Our eldest was already on the way, money was not plentiful, I was the major bread winner and our religious backgrounds were very different. If our first had not been on the way, I doubt we would have married.

We had no answer beyond we have both kept working at it. Is that the answer? I don't know, for now its enough

Next stop, 2032!

"need a ride?"

The upper midwest has been a haven for refugees. In the 70's it was the Hmong. In the last decade, it has been the Somali's. The Somalis have been working hard and making a place for themselves here on the prairie. They currently comprise almost 80% of the Twin Cities cabbies and the vast majority of them are Muslim.

Citing their religious beliefs, many are refusing to carry people who have alcoholic products or worse, dogs, including seeing eye dogs. The Minnesota branch of the National Islamic Council has issued a Fatwa (religious edict) that any Muslim carrying people with alcohol or dogs is committing a sin. So, technically, folks who have mouth wash, seeing eye dogs, working dogs let alone a bottle of wine are making these drivers commit a sin.

Tolerance is a two way street (pun intended). Is there no tolerance for their hosts? Must our law and custom comply with the tenents of their faith to allow them freedom of religion? What does that do to our freedoms?

The Metropolitan Airports Commission has decided to end the debate by making universal pickup a requirement for an airport taxi license. I applaud their decision

I suspect this type of thing will continue to be a thorny problem as we try to come to grips with Fascist faiths and civil liberties.

The Heavy Hand of the CIA

The institutional arrogance of the government has struck again.

The Air Force and the CIA retired the Black Bird surveillance planes from service in 1990. The Minnesota National Guard Museum rescued one of the A12 versions from the bone yard in Palmdale, California and moved it to Minnesota. Several hundred volunteers put in thousands of hours and significant dollars to restore the plane to museum quality. The museum show cases the revolutionary contributions of this plane in History, Engineering and Science. It is in its own way, a thing of beauty.

The Air Force has told the museum that they want it back.

So they can give it to the CIA.

Who will use it as a lawn ornament in front of their headquarters in Langley.

Can they get more arrogant?

40,000 drunks

Last year the State of Minnesota had 40,000 DUI arrests. The record number was cited as a horrible mile stone and a sign of an increasing problem by such groups as Mothers Against Drunk Driving. The number was further cited as reason for even more severe controls on drunk driving with even harsher prison sentences and mandatory breathalyzers in ALL vehicles.

Two days later another statistic was published showing an almost 20% decline in traffic fatalities during the same period.

Is this a sign of an increasing problem? Is it the result of more rigorous enforcement of our current laws? The drunk driver who killed Timberwolves forward Malik Sealy 5 years ago was busted for drunk driving this year shortly after his release from prison. He did not kill anyone this time and is back in jail.

Are we making progress? I think so. I commonly hear people decline drinks citing a need to maintain sobriety. I object to passing more laws and adding more burden on the public when we still have work to be done with our current laws and public education.

Satsuma

We all flew out to the Left Coast for the Christmas Break on the 25th. We had a great time. The girls had a chance to catch up with Dad ("Papa" to them). See a number of the cousins and all in all, enjoy a rare visit with my side of the clan. Lots of memorable things about the trip like winds storms in Santa Barbara and hikes in the hills.

We also brought back 25 lbs of Satsumas. A native of Japan, I have never seen them sold anywhere in the US except in Southern California. They are arguably the tastiest of the citrus family. Similar in size, shape and appearance to a Clementine, they are juicier and less tart than their Spanish cousin. If you see some, try it. *S*

Sorely Disappointed

I was originally going to write about a family Christmas experience from my child hood, but something came up this week end that troubles both of us.

One of our daughters had several friends over last nite for a bit of cheer. Over all it was a pleasant evening with one notable exception.

While listening to the chit chat going on between the young adults the topic of who was doing what on graduation came up. One of their social circle who was not present, has opted for military service. My daughter floored me when she condemned this person for "supporting a bankrupt Bush policy" Could our daughter really be that foolish?

She can.

We knew when we sent her to school in Wisconsin that it was an extremely liberal school and that it would probably influence her thinking. Exposure to differing view points is healthy mental exercise and the only way we can truly establish opinions as our own. As we dug into it, it became apparent that she was parroting what she had been hearing and not really thinking about it.

We had a long discussion about those who serve versus those who set policy. I hope she now understands that those who choose to serve in the military are ultimately serving us and not an administration. By long tradition and law, the military does not make policy but is subject to direction from the civilian authorities we elect. If we do not like the policy, it is our fault as the electorate, not those who have chosen to serve.

However we feel about the Bush administration policy, it is wrong to condemn those who serve. It was despicable when this happened during Viet Nam. I would have hoped we learned better by now. It appears we have not.

They deserve our respect and our gratitude.

Best of the New Year to you all! I will be off until the 30th.

White Bread

I am back from OZ (Southern California) and as always it seems I learn something new and mostly odd about my family. Growing up in a very middle class neighborhood in Southern California, I always thought we were your fairly typical White, Anglosaxon, Latino, German, French, Danish, Indian family. We were 4 kids, all close in age, living with our married parents going to school with other kids like us. Well, according to the OH we were not typical.(Hey! How was a girl to know?? It seemed normal to me!!) After meeting and getting to know the in-laws I started to feel like my family was big time disfunctional. It took me a while to realize the OH's family would make the Cleavers AND the Andersons look like refugees from a soap opera. After that realization I felt much better.

Any way, good news from California! Dad is DATING!!! woooo hooooo..... Considering he is 78, he Rocks!!

Going Home

Tomorrow I will be flying to the left coast to spend a few days with Dad. I do this every few months but I always have some trepidation about it. First, I really HATE crowds and Southern California is wall to wall people. Second and probably the biggest reason is that it is not where I grew up. Instead of finding a comfortable sense of familiarity with it, I find a discordancy when the present does not match up to the memories.

You really can't go home. Why do we keep trying?

Marital Misfortune?

The Star Tribune published an interesting article titled "Marital Misfortune".

It begins by discussing the break up of Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillipe (I know, I am crushed about that and the break up of Pam and Kid Rock..... *L*). It lays the break up on Reese's career and earnings eclipsing Ryan's. This is cited as a common cause for marital strain. The article launches into a discussion of how the split in house hold earnings can affect the stability of the relationship.

I honestly do not undertand it. The OH is teacher. It is a poorly paying career and it is no surprise that working in engineering/sales my earning have greatly eclipsed the OH's. It has forced us to make some odd choices over the years in regards to our marital roles. Some how we have survived these trials with no major problems. We will be celebrating our 25th anniversary next month and there does not appear to be a divorce on the horizon. If so many marriages fail because of this, why is ours still viable?

Could it be that we both knew this would likely be the case when we married? Is it related to that little "P" on the lab report pushing us into decision making before we had a chance to think? Does it have anything to do with the fact that I have (and express) a tremendous amount of respect for any one that has the dedication and skills to be a good teacher? Would it be different if we were talking $millions$?

I don't have the answer as why it has worked for us. I do know that with the rise of women in the workforce and the slow equalization of earnings, this will become a more common scenario in the coming decades. Will the next generation deal with it better than us?

mmmmmm, Ryan's kind of hot.... I wonder if he likes older women?

Holiday Tamales

Liz's response to one of my comments triggered this story.

One of the great and sad things about this country is we cross so many cultural lines that we are constantly being blended, challenged, and changed by new cultural additions. It is great because I believe it helps us find the strengths that exist across such diversity. It is sad because some neat traditions are lost along the way.

For one family, Holiday Tamales was one of them.

We had interesting neighbors growing up. Typical of lower middle class California in the 50's and 60's, we had Mormons, Hispanics, Germans, etc. and Mutts** like us. The Garcias lived across the street from us and every year Mrs Garcia and her daughters made Tamales for the neighbors. Besides being GREAT tamales, it opened my eyes to how things can be lost. I had occasion a few years ago to visit with the Garcia daughter I went to school with and after her Mom died the generations long tradition of Holiday Tamales died. It is a shame. I do not think Gaby (the daughter) realized what a treat it was watching the Garcia women turn Tamale making into a fun social event that was also a labor of love.

I doubt I will ever have a tamale as good.


**Mutt and proud of it! *G*

Amazons

The OH and I spent Thanksgiving day with the "Out-Laws" at the farm yesterday. As usual, it was a great visit. Good food, wonderful weather and engaging conversation.

The high light for me personally was the introduction of a new girl friend by one of the nephews. I like her a LOT, she is 6' 3" (190 cm). Added bonus? She is very bright, funny and obviously nearsighted if she is dating the nephew!

It was the first time socializing with the clan I did not feel so outsized *S*

I know the generations are getting bigger, but WOW!

Counting Our Blessings

I have been a bit distracted the last few days. One of my college roomies had an acute allergic reaction to some shell fish on Friday and ended up in the hospital for a few days. She has never had anything like that happen before.

This is something new for her. I remember splitting fresh caught abalone and lobster with her when we were Juniors. What has me floored is that instead of being thankful that she recieved life saving care in time, she is talking lawsuits. She does not seem to understand that no one can predict her particular food allergies.

Hello! Ang! You are alive! Let it go!

Lining Up At The Trough

Most of you are aware of my ire resulting from the Corporate welfare provided to Carl "Moth Pockets" Pohlad and the Minnesota Twins. Robert "Frayed Cuffs" Ulrich, the impoverished CEO of TARGET (he only made $5 million in 05) has now informed Hennepin County that they must have a free ride on property taxes for their 24 acre Brooklyn Park Campus. Life is hard at TARGET. They are only forecast to make $2,000,000,000.00 this year and I am sure Hennepin County residents are being grossly unfair expecting TARGET to pick up its share of services such as streets, snow removal, sewage, water and other trivial things they would not otherwise use.

I have been a fan of TARGET for years. They have taken a step up on their competitors in how they deal with the communities, their employees, vendors and their customers. This is WAY out character for them and I hope they are not jumping feet first into the "corporate welfare" trough.

This only one year after banning the Salvation Army bell ringers. Are we seeing an attitude change?

Mom

As I approach the second anniversary of her passing, Mom has been in my thoughts of late. With all the driving I do, I have a lot of time to think and puzzle thru many things. My relationship with Mom though remains perplexing.

Mom and I had a relationship nothing like what I have with our daughters. I am not saying she was not there when I needed her, it was just that we were never close. She was always "Mom" whether it was my brothers or me. I am not complaining. Mom did teach me to read before I started school and conveyed a love of literature that served me well during my VERY socially awkward High School years. With that exception, she never really related to me in any way that was different from my brothers. She was not distanced from our needs growing up. She vehemently (and wisely) fought the Schools on advance placement. She dealt with most of our school discipline problems and of course was there for the birth of ALL her grandchildren.

As I have come to realize the difference in our relationship as compared to my daughters, I wonder if it was tied to how close we 4 siblings were growing up? How much was that we were a self sustaining dynamic of our own? Was she just totally overwhelmed? Or, how much was tied to her (in hindsight) periodic bouts of depression?

I believe that if Mom had treated me different from the others, our sibling relationship would have been a lot more difficult. I further believe we would not be as close as we are now. I suspect that Moms emotional distance and my sibs closeness more than my physical oddities were a determinant in my education and career choices. I prefer to think she kept her distance out of wisdom. I begrudge nothing and I am grateful for what I was given. I will always wonder about the "why" though.

Rest well Mom, we miss you.

2002.2

I started the local cycling season in April with a goal of cranking out 2000 miles before the snow stuck. Today I made it! I realize that for you really serious cyclists, 2000 miles is modest. For me though, it is the most I have ever put on and I really feel the benefit of it. I will be training thru the winter to run with our oldest daughter next May.

I am wondering what I should set for a cycling goal next year?

Mad As Hell!

Earlier this year, one of the richest men in Minnesota, Carl Pohlad, recieved a nice little gift from the State, a bill authorizing and funding a new downtown stadium for the Minnesota Twins. Did the Twins need a new stadium? Probably. Baseball belongs outdoors on grass, not on turf in a dome.

But, was it right to; Subsidize a sports franchise? Fund it with taxpayers money? Take away the taxpayers voice in funding it?

The first two are arguable. Take away our voice in funding it though? That answer is a resounding NO! Our own revolution was at least partially rationalized on "No Taxation Without Representation". I can not find fault with my particular legislators, they opposed it. I can find fault with the man who ran for Goveror on a platform of fiscal responsibility and then signed this piece corporate welfare. I think this issue may be the one that costs him the election

Tim Pawlenty is certainly not getting my vote