dear rush limbaugh

shut up already. you are an irrelevant, hate spewing, drug addled, whiny, narcissistic little man. well, maybe not so little, but the rest is pretty darn accurate. if the gop wants to be relevant in america again, they should stay far, far away from rush... and fox news while they are at it. oh, and sarah palin.

A great day

No, I did not win the lottery. I also did not call in sick, as I was tempted to do, so I could watch the inaguration. I did come home at lunch and watch it, I love my DVR. I was not disappointed. President Obama gave a truly amazing address; inspiring, intelligent, direct, and full of hope. I am excited that he will be the first president my son will remember.

Obama mama!

To say I am really excited about tomorrow's historic inaguration of Barack Obama as the 44th president of the United States of America would be an understatement. I wish I could call is sick to stay home and watch it happen, but alas that would be frowned upon and I would be being untruthful and that would make me feel bad and would take all the joy out of it.
I have been an Obama supporter since he spoke at the 04 Democratic convention. I have read "Dreams of My Father," which I recommend. I found myself relating to his challenged relationship with his father, as I have one with my own. His political philosophy, and the experience he has actually working with real people to bring about change is a breath of fresh air. I am excited for the direction our country has the chance to move toward. I have been increasingly cynical and frustrated with American life over the past 8 years. I think we have a chance to rebuild relationships with others in the world, and perhaps also remember that we are all connected as human beings, regardless of national origin. Oh, and end this damned war and bring home our troops and reunite them with their families and not forget the sacrifices many made over the past 6 years.
My pipe dreams would include universal healthcare, funding equity in education, progressive social programs focused on prevention and adequate funding to keep programs that are working going. A culture shift that truly does support families, not just giving lip service to "family values." Marriage equality for all. A serious reduction in child abuse and neglect. Policies that allow mothers and father have more time off to spend with their children, and not have it negatively impact their careers. The beginning of the healing of the earth. A year ago I would have been called an idealist to want these things, but I am hopeful that maybe I will be considered a realist in the not too distant future.

Oh no you didn't

So Hillary is finally "conceding" to Obama. However, she just suspended her campaign, which gives her the option of retaining her delegates through the convention and gee, what if something were to happen to the presidential candidate (not so subtle reference to a quote of hers earlier this spring implying Obama could be assasSinated). Ugh... could I dislike her any more. She is coming off as petty, and definitely not likely to "endorse" Obama. Would He really want her endorsement?
I will be pretty upset if she is on the ticket as Veep. I am hoping he will go with Richardson or Edwards, or heck there are plenty of other women who would be great running mates.
For now, I can direct my energies to getting Obama elected. Go Obama go!

Hillary... its time to stop to madness

Open message to Hillary Clinton: Please stop this madness. At this point it appears that you are still in the campaign to keep yourself in the running for 2012. Guess what, we don't want to wait until 2012. We want to begin getting the US back on track ASAP and Obama is the person to do it. Please, for the love of Pete, step back before it will be a complete circus when you finally do concede that he is the candidate the people are choosing. At this point, even if by some miracle you did get the nomination, my vote would be for Nader. If you did "win" the nomination, most of us would be hard pressed to believe that there was anything ethical about how you did so. It's not about race, gender or "elitist Ivy league educated lawyers," it is about who has the vision to lead this country from the deep hole Bush has led us to. So please Hillary, knock off the self-serving attempts you are making to "win" the nomination, it is at this point a complete farce.

cranky

I am cranky. Now, dear hubby would tell you this is not all that unusual, as I tend to be a wee bit on the moody side. However, right now, I am noticeable cranky. Nothing an particular to contribute to it; work is going along like normal, I slept pretty well, watch Masterpiece Theater last night and enjoyed it immensely, Jude is happy. Just cranky.

I am a little preoccupied. So glad Obama is doing well and just with Hillary would back down before she is a total joke. Am glad it looks like it is a near impossibility she would get the nomination, as I would have done something I never would have considered before and voted to Nader. Out Of Protest. Go Obama go. I am also completely horrified by the destruction and tragedy that has occured in Myanmar. 100,000+ people likely dead. And they say global warming is not real? Try telling that to Katrina survivors and those left behind in Myanmar. I am also completely grossed out by the super creepy old man in Germany who kept his daughter as a sex slave in his basement for over 20 year and fathered 7 children via rape, incest. Am really not sure what to think about his wife though. How would you not know that there was a weird dungeon in your house for over 20 years? Ugh...

Balloons are headed our way this weekend, with the annual Balloon Stampede. Jude will be old enough to notice them, and they often fly right over our house witht he morning launch. Should be a lot of fun. Everything is so exciting again when you experience it with your child.

Mommy guilt.

So, as much as I want to think I do not buy into the whole idea that as a working mother I need to feel guilty for doing so; I am finding myself freaking out over the prospect of going to a week long training in a few weeks. I was asked a month or so ago if I wanted to attend a training for "co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders in adolescence" and I am excited to go. However, I will have to me away from Mr. too cute for words for 5 nights! I feel like a bad mommy. Even though I know that my child will be wonderfully taken care of by dear hubby, and both of our mothers would only be a phone call away, it really bugs me that I am going to be gone. He is 2 now and will remember mommy being gone for awhile. Although he is 2 now and this is probably the best time for me to go on a week long training, as we plan to have another child in the next year, and leaving 2 would pretty much do me in.
Seriously though, I generally do not feel like a bad mommy because I work outside the home. We are fortunate to have really great care providers and Jude is around other kids, which is great for him. He is a happy child, and he has a happy mommy. Plus he has a great daddy who is a huge part of the success of our being able to juggle being a 2 income family. I want to be a good role model for my child, not to mention be able to afford to help him go to college, med school, etc. And, for the first time ever, I feel challenges and fulfilled by the work I do, although if I won the lottery, I would work less hours.
Which leads me to a soap box issue for me; if we are really a nation that the GOP would like to say emphasizes "family values" then we would move toward a system like much of Europe has; which provides generous, paid family leave for parents, and where women do not have to stall their career aspirations in order to stay home and raise children. With the state of our precarious economy, it is a pretty risky proposition for a family to depend on one income earner to provide all current and future (i.e. retirement) financial needs. My mother raised me to be an independent woman, to be able to take care of myself and my family should the need arise, and I proudly say I could do so.