Random Blog

I have a lot on my mind. It's kinda swirly right now. This is one of those show my good and bad side blogs. I'm pretty good at that. I am a Gemini, you know. It doesn't help I have a headache. It just gets better and better, doesn't it? Some of this probably belongs on my other blog, but I don't necessarily want it all over Facebook.

• The big girl listens to Pandora. I listen to I Heart Radio. Are you supposed to designate the names of apps like the names of books, with italics or quotation marks? Sorry, I digress. She has a new favorite band and I am so glad it's Relient K. I like them, too, but I don't know nearly the amount of their songs that she does. She also like Karmin. I do, too, but again, there's that her knowing more about the "current" music than I do. And that makes me a little nervous. Usually, when I'm on IHR, I'm listening to Air 1 Radio, which is contemporary Christian. So, tonight I'm on Pandora. One of the things I remember I don't like about Pandora is that you really can't fast forward. I mean, you can, but then you have to sit through the ads. Who wants that? I know there are ads anyway, but still, let me get to something I like. I am on the Karmin channel trying to get "caught up". I was just listening to Katy Perry and I couldn't fast forward. But then, Pandora redeemed itself by playing Neon Trees Everybody's Talking. The bad with the good. Except, you can't always control the language that shows up in some of the songs. You would think it wouldn't bother me that much, but it really does. Which is hypocritical because I have Niki Minaj's Starships. It's the edited version, but you know what she's saying. Ach!! On a bright note, Relient K is her favorite band. Small things, right. I may ban her from Pandora. Or not. 
• I have been blocked from my nephew's Facebook page. I can see the basic info, like if you're not friends. I have no idea what I did or said for that to happen. I haven't said anything bad about either of his parents, nor would I. Not on Facebook anyway. I try not to feed the monster on that social beast. I think he unfriended me. That is the son of the divorcing parents. Ouch, says my ego. Another part of me says it is one more thing I do not need to worry about. I can't change it right now, but hopefully, I'll get the chance in the future. 
• I have a favorite pair of shorts. They are a size too big, but they are so comfy, I will not give them up. I like where they sit on my hips. I wear it with a maroon t-shirt I have. I like the way it hugs my curves. Makes me feel sexy. Hubby likes it, too. Really, there isn't much better than that. We went to run some errands and I threw on my white wedges because my tan is kicking and those things make my short legs miles long. A little braggy, aren't I? Sorry. It feels pretty good. Anyway, we stopped to get gas. We belong to a program run by a local grocery chain that gives you money off the price of a gas when you spend money at their store. I forgot the card when we got out of the van. So I lean into the van just a little more than I had to because hubby was there. I really did have problems finding the card. When I stood up, the lady in the SUV at the next pump was looking at me and smiling. She'd been staring at my ass. And I'll take that every day because I am not proud. I am just glad someone enjoyed the view. 
• I am sad the Olympics are over. I look forward to that every two years. At first I was upset when they changed from every four years, same year for both Olympics, to the way it is now. But I get to watch Olympics sooner, so it's not too bad. I like the wallpaper going around that is a picture of Gabby Douglas wearing her gold medal. The caption says "16 and an Olympian, not 16 and pregnant". Yes! I can only hope that this is a turn around for many people. It would be great to see kids with a sense of self esteem. I think reality TV is an abomination. There is no such thing as reality TV. None of that stuff is real. But then again, nothing is what it used to be. I hope the Olympians inspired people to go out and be their best. Work hard and you can achieve great things. That's what we're trying to teach our kids. 

 And on that note, I am going to take some more stuff for my headache, then go stand in a hot, hot shower for hours. OK, more like 10 minutes or so. And I want a sandwich. Peace out!  

Hmmmmm...

Lots of good stuff on my list and I was trying to figure out why I hadn't blogged about it. Because I didn't have a computer. Well, I should get to it, then. Ready?

• Hubby and I have talked about putting ourselves on a no frills, no extra budget for the next year. Barring things like food and bills and essentials, no extra except what we already do, like dance. Great talk. Then I went out and bought two new shirts and a pair of shorts. Dumb ass. So we need to sit down and decide when we're getting started and what no extras actually means. We still need new front steps, a new fan motor for the A/C, a section of privacy fence for the garden and soil for the rest of the beds, the rest of the beds, new tires for his truck, and really that list needed bullet points of it's own. You get the idea. I am not looking forward to it, but I think it's now or never. We talk about it all the time, but I think it IS time. It will force us to be accountable to each other about where the money really goes. It's times like this I wish my feet were still growing. Good excuse for a new pair of shoes. Alright, I'll stop whining. About this. For now. But I'm gonna start again in just a second.
• I am really enjoying our local PBS stations. I wasn't sure we would. I was starting to miss my cooking shows something fierce. Flipping through channels, I came across a few good ones. We get three sets of PBS channels from various bigger cities around us. We get one all the way from the coast. One is in Spanish, so we took that one out of the saved channels. There is also a group of channels produced in Canada that we are really liking. The only problem is that when the weather gets too bad, we lose that set until the storm passes. I do miss some of the channels like TNT. They have great shows. The Olympics has dominated our television these last couple of weeks. I do miss having all the extra channels to watch some of the other events. We can't stream from the computer, so we've missed quite a bit. And I just now thought about streaming through the Wii. I am brilliant!! Late, but brilliant. 
• I am not a fan of coconut, at least not the shredded stuff you buy in the store. That is just a cruel thing to do to a coconut. As hubby and I were walking through the grocery store one day, he noticed beers from Kona Brewing Company. Well, sign me up for Hawaiian beer!! He got a pale ale that was scrumtious. I picked the coconut ale. Why? I don't know, but it was really good. It was really, really good. Hubby and I were supposed to be sharing one and then I noticed he had walked off with it. Oh, no, I do not even think so, Mister. So I got my own. Ha! That showed him. As I was retelling the story a couple of days later, I made the comment that although I am not a rum drinker at all (it doesn't like me and I don't like it back!) I liked Malibu Rum. Light bulb! It's not that I don't like coconut, it's that I only like my coconut with alcohol in it. Not surprisingly, I'm OK with that. 
• Our trip to Texas left a lot of work when we got home. The garden was horrible, the chicken coop needed to be cleaned, the laundry, the mail, the pool, the, the, the. Hubby and I took that weekend and worked our buns off. Our saving grace was our neighbor. Thank God for great neighbors. Our neighbor mowed the whole yard, collected the mail, and kept an eye on our chickens. Good neighbors can be hard to find, but he is wonderful. He keeps an eye on us, takes care of us, mows our front yard on a regular basis, and I could keep going. He knows everybody and everyone and if you need something he is the go-to guy. Love it!

And on that positive note, I think I'm done. That feels so much better. I'm going to bed now. The Olympics are still on and I need to get caught up. Go USA!!    

"It's not the hate, it's the stupidity"

Margaret Cho had a great quote about racism in her act many years ago. It's one that stuck with me. It's something along the lines of "Racism is like the weather. With weather, it's not the heat, it's the humidity. With racism, it's not the hate, it's the stupidity." Well that just sums it up nicely, doesn't it. Not only have we had a lot of hate floating around our country, but way more stupidity than should be allowed. Or the other phrase that I like: common sense just isn't that common. I sure wish common sense was running rampant. What a great day that would be! At the risk of alienating some people, you know I just have to open my mouth, or keyboard, because that's what I do.

Can we talk about this Chick Fil A boondoggle? I like that word. Of course we can talk about it. It's my blog. We can talk about anything here. First of all, an entire company is being vilified because the CEO was asked his stance on what has become a key issue. Dan Cathy was asked what he thinks about gay marriage. His response was that he believes in the biblical view of marriage. People went stupid! They didn't go nuts. They skipped that and went straight for the good stuff.

The GLBT community immediately called for a boycott of all the restaurants. They are mostly franchises owned by independent owners, who, amazingly, have their own opinions and beliefs and secrets hidden in their closets. All of a sudden, Christians were being sent to the lions. Again. For what one man said. At no time did he spout hate rhetoric and say that homosexuality was from the devil. He didn't say anything like that. But the press took it and ran with it. Suddenly, we aren't smart enough to read the comments for ourselves. Let's all jump on the "Hate Chick Fil A" bandwagon. No, because their waffle fries are lovely.

The extreme Christians went into overdrive. Let's all praise this man for standing up for our Christian values. Let's persecute all the gays and only eat chicken! Wait, what?!? Y'all are just as stupid as the other side. He didn't say that either. But, suddenly, this became a major issue and Christians need to stand together. Now we have a champion for family values! Um, ok, take a breath. Let's get a lemonade and talk about how you need to actually listen to the quote as well.

Then there's the millions of us that are stuck in the middle of all this, looking at both sides, thinking you're both idiots. What I can't stand is sheeple. Let's jump on whatever bandwagon fits our criteria and beat our drums and make ourselves be heard. Shut up, shut up, shut up.

One thing that irritates me is that it's being said that Chick Fil A gives money to organizations that spout hate. I looked up who they give their money to. I'm a freak that way. I always say do your own research, so I did. I know that there won't be anything that says: We promote hate around here. Here's what I did find, though.

1. Core Essentials: This program is provided to schools to emphasize and explore core values and good character. These help reinforce good character and promotes family values. I don't see that as bad. Are you saying that families with two moms or two dads can't benefit from this program? Don't we want our kids to grow up with a strong sense of ethics and right from wrong? Don't we want kids that will grow up to be productive members of society that work hard and give back to the community? Do we want kids that don't think the world and society owe them something just because they exist? Seems like a great program to me. 
2. All Pro Dad: This is an organization that helps fathers be better fathers and mentors to their children and children in the community, promoting strong families and strong fathers. There are former and current NFL players and coaches involved in this particular group. They meet once a month for breakfast and spend time with each other fellowshipping and mentoring with each other. Once again, is this for just father's of  "regular" families? No. It's for fathers that want better for their families. 
3. Family First. While the information for this organization doesn't state that they are a Christian organization, it may be. I did not take the time to read the blog, and I should have. It seemed pretty straight forward to me, though. Check it out for yourself. This group was co-founded by Tony Dungy, former NFL coach of the Indianapolis Colts and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I like Tony, but that's me. 

The main website said that the franchise owners in each community are responsible for what groups they donate money to and what they support. To find out what they give time and money to, just call them. They will be more than happy to give you access to that info. It says so on the website.

This blog isn't meant to bash gay marriage or GLBT community. It also was not meant to promote Chick Fil A or even Christian values. It was meant to open your closed eyes to a major problem in our society today. That would be being offended. Every comment is not laced with hate and anger, from either side. Shame on all of us for being offended by someone exercising a right that has been long fought for-freedom of speech. If you ask for an opinion, don't get pissy when it isn't yours. Don't just take everything at face value. Take the time to look it up for yourself. DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH, LAZY ASS!!!!!

I have friends that are gay that I love very much. I have family that are gay. I love them very much. I have a 12 year old niece that is transgender. She felt, at the tender age of 7 or 8, that she was not supposed to be a girl. Her mother, who is bisexual and living with her girlfriend, took steps to help ensure that she could live the life she is supposed to live. She lives as a boy and is treated as such. I cannot imagine what it took for that tender-hearted girl to bring the feelings that she didn't have words for to her parents. I also have friends and family that are amazing Christians and teach me every day that all people are made by God and His love for us is pure and never ending. They teach me that being offended is useless and wasteful and spouting hate, no matter what side of the issue you stand on, is wrong. We should all learn these lessons.

Strength and bravery come in many shapes and sizes. There is so much more to worry about in this country right now than where I buy my chicken sandwich and waffle fries. There is an election that will soon be taking place that will determine where this country goes in the next four years. Let's focus on unemployment, jobs, healthcare, and just getting through this life being the best people we can be, to and for each other. Let's keep our eyes on the prize of a united country where we don't force our beliefs on each other, but have open and intelligent dialogue about those beliefs. And, for goodness sake, don't ask my opinion if you don't really want it.   

    

Summer of Suck Ass

I seriously dislike this computer. As soon as we can afford a new one it is on. I should warn you that since I haven't had a real computer and therefore haven't had the ability to blog, I have a lot of angst built up. It's all gonna come spewing out here.My summer sucked as for the majority of it. I'm trying to make up for it and finish strong, but we'll see. Here's my rundown.

• My mom died. What the hell? I despise doctors that say "I can cure that" or "I can fix that" and then they don't listen because they've been doing this for a long time. Guess what, you're still getting it wrong, dumb ass. She's dead and you're an idiot. This disease should not have killed my mother. Chemo shouldn't have killed her. Radiation shouldn't have affected her. Her doctor should know that sugar is cancer's best friend but not the best friend of the patient. They shouldn't serve yogurt, sodas, and preservative-laden frozen meals as "snacks" at the cancer center for chemo patients. They do that to guarantee repeat business. Kinda hard to have repeat business if you're killing your patients. Yeah, I know, I should tell you how I really feel. My feelings are still all over the place. On one hand I handle all this with grace and wisdom given to me by God. Some days I do not handle this well at all and just want to spend all day in bed sobbing my eyes out and missing my mommy. Today is a pull the covers over my head day. 
• When my feelings are all wonky, I tend to cuss in front of my kids. ALOT. The big girl asked me if she could start saying "crap". At least that's all she's wanting to say. I imagine the boy cusses like a sailor when he's with his friends. He is his mother's child. I'm hoping the cathartic release of anxiety and ick through blogging will help with that. And just stepping up and cleaning up my fucking language. Good luck with that shit. 
• Summer camp was a bust for my kids. We had to pull them out Thursday morning to go to Texas. It was the boy's first year. When we picked them up, the boy had a huge bruise on his forehead. He had a head on collision with another boy. The nurse had drawn on his head with a marker to outline the initial swelling and did neuro checks all night to make sure he and the other boy were alright. The boy said the night before he looked like a unicorn. As his bruise changed colors, we teased him about being a rainbow unicorn. He actually didn't mind that. The big girl was very stand-offish when we got there. She knew why we there to pick them up. She wouldn't let me touch her until we left the office. They had a great time while they were there, and I sure hated to interrupt that. I didn't really have a choice.
• Summer reading didn't happen. I mean, we've read. We just haven't read like we normally do and the prizes did not roll in this summer. I did manage to read all of the 50 Shades of Grey books. Look for that blog. I'm calling it 50 Shades of Bullshit. Good books, don't get me wrong. Sooo not what everyone is making them out to be. There was no writing workshop for the big girl (which she really wanted to do), limited Pokemon Club for the boy and I haven't taken the time to work with the baby on her r/l combinations. We did get registered for one of the reading programs, but then I had to fight with the teenage volunteer who didn't give me all the info I needed when we got started. At one point I pulled out the old "You are on the customer service side of the desk. I am on the customer side. That means you hush and let me finish asking my questions before you try to anticipate, incorrectly, what my question is going to be." I was having a day, can you tell? But, good grief, don't tell me one thing then change it when I try to follow the rules. She was glad we left. Me, too.
• I am so behind in blogging. My laptop took a dump. All my pics are on it. We need to take it somewhere and have the pics taken off. I'm not worried about anything else. I was trying to get the pics on a disc before it really died, but it didn't happen. 
• And, finally, something that shouldn't make me happy, but makes me freakin' ecstatic: Hubby's oldest brother and his bitch ass wife are getting a divorce! They are the ones that started all the bullshit last holiday season and were our main motivation for amputating our relationship with most of hubby's family. They are the ones that questioned our marriage and relationship and family life without knowing a damn thing about it. All I wanted to do was sing "Ding, dong, the witch is dead. Which ol' witch? The wicked witch!" Will I make it to family functions now? Yeah, no. Thank you so much for the offer, but I think I'll just continue with what I'm doing. Still a very flimsy bridge we cross. 

See, lots of yucky stuff just wanting to boil over. I am not one to keep things in. I think you've figured that out by now. I am a spew it forth kind of gal. Gosh I feel better already. Now to get in the shower and really start my day. Oooo, I think I'm going to the library. Yeah, not that one.      

We Interrupt This Program...

I've sat down three times to write this blog. I've sat down in front of the computer more times than that but just couldn't bring myself to actually write. I didn't even sign on to Blogger. Because this one, this one sucks more than any one I've ever had to write. My mom died. See, now that hurt. I should warn you that I have courage from an outside source. I'll let you imagine what and we'll go with that.

She had not done well the last couple of months. She had started to mix up her meds and my stepdad's. She started burning dishes that she had been making for 40+ years. My sister would call with the latest and my heart would break just a little more and I would cry. She was spending more and more time in the hospital. And my heart would break just a little more and I would cry and cry. Towards the end I was beside myself. My kids were scheduled to go to camp. They had worked so hard and that sounds like such a lame excuse, but whatever. As cruel and harsh as it sounds, life has to go on. We rearranged hubby's vacation and days off twice to leave sooner and sooner. Mom stopped eating. Then she stopped drinking. Then she went to hospice. Then she died. And I miss her.

I miss her laugh. I miss butting heads with her. I get my stubbornness from her, you know. I always tell people that if they met my mom once, they would know why I am the way I am. I mean that with the upmost respect. My mom was smart and beautiful and hard working and demanding and outspoken and loving and kind and so many other things. She had a hard start in life and wanted to make sure that her girls had better.

She called me for my birthday. She left a message on my home phone and my cell phone. I knew it wouldn't be long and I may not talk to my mom again, so I saved them both. I called her back and talked to her. We were at Epcot watching the fireworks off in the distance. It was good to hear her voice. On the message at the house she's fussing at my aunt and stepdad while she's wishing me happy birthday. That's my mom.

She opened her home and her heart to so many people. Big Sis and I had several friends that rotated in and out of the extra bedroom. Good thing she had that room. Her grandbabies were her life. She doted on each and every one. She hung the moon special just for them. She said her goal for the grandbabies was to be the best Mermie ever. And she was. Watching them cry was so hard. There was nothing I could do to stop it. We did talk about the physical death and that we miss the body. It helped a little, but that physical loss is something fierce.

We know that she is whole and well and feels no pain now. She knew Jesus and had a relationship with Him. She will be waiting for us when it's our turn. She was ushered in by her mother and brother. One of my aunts said my grandmother is wondering why she's stuck with the two that are the most ornery. God's funny that way, isn't He?

We went to the Rockin' C and spread her ashes. It was a beautiful day. We spread them by her chickens, in her garden and by the pond under the shade of the trees. The kids were so great about grabbing a handful. Even stepdad spread some. I got to bring some home with me. I'm looking for a company that makes jewelry that you store ashes in. I want a necklace. Or maybe a ring.   

Big Sis said Mother's Day was going to suck. Yes, it is. My heart hurts. Some days are better than others. But I still miss her.

Slugging It Out

No, I didn't get in a fight. I could have, but I chose the high ground. It sucked, just so you know. I am not about walking away. I am about beating my opinion into you until you see things my way. Anyway...I've been lazy. You wouldn't think that with everything I do all day, but for the most part, lazy has been the MO. I am a slug. If it gets done, it takes FOREVER. That changes today. I even opened the curtains in my room to let the light in. That is saying something.

• My house is a sty. After four days of recital, a day at Disney, and a million other things, there has been minimal cleaning happening. I have laundry stacked in the living room, my bathroom is atrocious, there are things growing in my shower. I'm not sure they're carbon based life forms. They could be anything. The only thing that even got close to being accomplished on the cleaning front is the dishes. That doesn't count, though, because we ate out for three days. Just dinner, but that was enough. My body is in defensive mode from all the junk. I am slowly but surely getting us back on track. It'll probably happen about the time we start school again. And get really busy. Shit.
• I am loving our Disney passes. We have the best time just popping down there for a little while then coming home. My favorite part- Epcot serves beer. So do a couple of the other parks. Does it make me a bad parent that I like to drink beer at Disney? It is the happiest place on Earth, right? It only makes sense to serve beer. All those screaming kids, sometimes belonging to you. There must be alcohol just to get through your day. Animal Kingdom has a place that is a full bar. We don't go there. Animal kingdom yes, bar no. That could end badly.
• I hate trying on bras. I love my boobs, but trying to contain these two is like herding cats. Good luck! And all those pretty, lacy bras that supposedly add a cupsize do NOT fit women with real, saggy boobs (I probably should have said saggy, real boobs. At least I put a comma between the two. That makes them real and saggy, not real saggy.) I fall out of them just trying them on. I did find one bra that is pretty and lacy and actually lifts the ladies. It does not, however, seperate them all the time. Depending on the shirt I'm wearing, I occasionally look like I have a firm, perky boob. Just one. It pushes them up alright, but it also pushes them together. One day, one day, I'll find the right bra. I wish that was today. 
• I have started wearing pajamas to bed. I know what you're thinking: TMI. What I mean is that I change my clothes before I get in bed. I used to just sleep in whatever shirt I wore that day, unless it was a sweaty day. Now the thought of sleeping in all the junk that I was in all day grosses me out. I have got to change my clothes before I get in my bed. Who wants to sleep in WalMart? That's what I felt like. Like I was sleeping in the atmosphere of all the places I had been that day. Blech! 
• I don't like finding out that someone I really like has a mean streak. I found out some things about someone I really admire this past weekend. I felt kinda heart broken. I know we all have those things that happen when our front door closes, but still. I really don't like finding out that the mean streak was aimed at someone else that I greatly admire. Just makes me want to slap them both. One for taking it, one for dishing it out. Grrrrr...
• On the inlaw side, hubby freaked me out. He asked as we were heading to recital if I had ordered a DVD. No, I was gonna do that, I just hadn't yet. Why? His mama wants a DVD. So she can watch her grandkids dance. Why haven't you seen them dance the last ten years? That's how long the big girl has been dancing. She has not been to one performance. I have to say that I have not been very generous about the time my kids get to spend over there. Since all of the crap started last holiday season, they have seen the two younger ones twice and they haven't seen the big girl at all. That's eight months. I think they are finally seeing what living without the "good" grandkids is like. And they don't like it. It's about damn time. I was a good girl. I ordered her a DVD, flesh screaming the whole time. It was the right thing to do, but it sucked my ass doing it.
• This has not been easy for hubby. I know it hasn't. He loves his parents. I don't blame him. I love mine, too. He is torn between the people that birthed him and the woman he chose. I still encourage him to go see his parents as often as he can. He even took his daddy fishing. They didn't catch a darn thing, but they enjoyed it. That's all you can ask for, really.

That's about all I got for now. I marked some stuff off my list. I guess something did get accomplished today. That means nap time. Whoo hoo!!

Busy Work

What "they" don't tell you is that when you go for a simpler life, life gets busy. And I do NOT need any help making myself busier. Here's a few things from my list I've been keeping. I may not be blogging, but I'm still keeping my list for when I can blog. In no particular order:

• I am in overload mode right now. This has been one of those weeks that we have something to do every day. It would be ok if we only had one thing to do every day. It hasn't been that simple. I have also been pushed into a couple of last minute meetings. I don't do last minute. It pisses me off. I was asked, yesterday while in a last minute meeting, to complete a task that had been started by someone else. Not bloody likely. I kinda got fussed at, which I took well (insert eye rolling here because you know I didn't), and pushed right back. Then had to defend our youth group because the other person got bitchy. I guess he didn't realize that I am queen bitch. It ended well. Mostly. I walked away. See, I can. I was muttering a mile a minute under my breath, but I walked. I need some downtime in a serious, serious way. We're going to try to take a mini vacation pretty soon. Just a couple days at the beach. Or Disney. 
• I am so sick of hearing how Obama has finally embraced gay marriage. I know he's the first sitting POTUS to say it, but do we all realize it's an election year? I am also sick of hearing that gay people deserve love, too. Let me clarify before you jump my crap. I think we all deserve love, but gay marriage doesn't have anything to do with finding love. They've found someone they love. It has to do with celebrating that love. Let's stick to the issue of why gay marriage should be made legal or not. Politics doesn't govern who should fall in love and who doesn't. Love is one of those things that just happens, for whatever reason. So, in your arguments for or against, can we leave love out of it? They want rights. BIG difference. 
• There are schools above the Mason-Dixon line that are banning bake sales at schools due to childhood obesity. Oh my giddy aunt!! Bake sales aren't evil. Neither are baked goods. It's what you put into those baked goods that makes them horrible. Or, even more specifically, it's what's in the mix you use to make those baked goods. I make an incredibly delicious sweet potato chocolate cake that is very good for you. Not when I sit and eat the whole damn thing by myself, but you know what I mean. How about we start with banning high fructose corn syrup? How about we stop bleaching and enriching flour? How about we admit that good habits need to start at home? So many better things to do than ban bake sales.
• I also read an article (sometimes I should just not, but I get sucked in and there you go) That eating locally is not always better. It had to do with the carbon foot print and jobs and travel time and whatever. I call bullshit. I wish I had the link to the article. You could read it for yourself. I don't know if you know that it takes energy to get our food to us. From the cultivating the soil, to the growing, to the selling, to the transportation, every step takes energy. You actually use less energy and make a smaller carbon foot print when you buy local. Those jobs in California? I'm not really worried about them. They'll find someone to sell avocados to. As for freshness, it doesn't get better than pulling your dinner out of the garden and eating it. The article was basically saying that buying your food locally was tantamount to treason. Really? Please don't fall for that.
• Cameras are everywhere. Please wear underpants and don't pick your nose unless you want to see it on the internet.

I think that's enough to rile you up this morning. I'm feeling antsy. Like there's a bunch of stuff I need to do, but I'm not doing it. Guess that's my cue.