La Vita Dolce

Hello....is this thing on?

I'm so grateful to this Nation for electing Barack Obama President.

I cried when I saw the news bulletin. I'd never felt better about casting a vote before. I drew the line between the arrows two times...just to be sure there was no mistake. We'd been watching the returns all night. I cried when they called the election for Obama. I cried when I saw the dancing in the streets. In Seattle...In Brooklyn...In Australia.....

I'm crying now, too. Which is really uncool since I'm posting this on my break at work.

For 8 years, I haven't felt like I've been welcome in my own county. The country I love. The country that I served in the Army. The country that, if it had come to it, I would have died for.

I have felt unwelcomed and mistreated all because I couldn't...wouldn't....EVER....agree...or even not disagree with the Bush agenda. And the abuse heaped upon us because we are blue, not red. The very idea, that I, because I don't think it should be okay to torture prisoners, would be treated as if I loved terrorism. Perhaps, they thought that I too, might be a terrorist? They hardly stopped short of that accusation. I've heard it all.

And I've felt shame. Shame in my country. Land.That.I.Love. I've even considered moving to Canada. Shame when our leadership would get caught with their pants down. When high-level men would admit that they had been pressured to doctor reports that would lead us into war with Iraq. Only for the President to come out completely unscathed. Somehow smelling like a Rose. Shame when on Wall Street all the regulations put in place by FDR are peeled back one by one until our economy is in the same shambles that our Iraq is in. Only to have talking heads turn around and talk about what a goddamn mess FDR made. Mess? How can they say that? Shame when the whole world is told "You're either with us, or you're with the terrorists" As if it could be that easy. Shame when our President, would address the Queen of England as if she were his prom date.

So yes. After 8 years of frustration. 8 more years of trickle down economics...that I could have sworn didn't work in the 12 years that Reagan/Bush implemented it. 8 years of being vilified for being a Democrat. 8 years of having to smile and admit "Well of course you're entitled to your opinion" but not having the same courtesy extended to me. Yes. I'm happy to have my guy get the White House. And when there was dancing in the streets....I wanted to join them.

And when you tell me that you voted for McCain. Perhaps that you also voted for Bush...and the other Bush....maybe even going as far back as Ronnie Ray-Guns...I'm going to smile and nod. I'm going to tell you that I'm glad that you voted your heart and your conscience. That's what being an American is all about after all. But I want you to know...even though I would never tell you...inside.....inside....inside....way.down.deep. I'm wishing that you would go FUCK Yourself.

OBAMA! OBAMA! OBAMA! OBAMA!

more cat pictures

I'm not known for being able to pull the right word out in time for my mouth to speak it. Knowing my penchant for swiss-cheesi brain syndrome it should be of no surprise that during my 1st year living in Seattle I call this....the Sky needle.

10 years. And she still teases me about that. :)

I always feel like such a voyeur when I look at other people's photos which they have publicly posted on Flickr. http://www.flickr.com/

Would you believe that there is a hydrangea bush buried in all that grass?

Why yes it's true.
I am a handsome kitty boy. And I am to be called...Pyewacket.

Fear me!

No. Pet me.

NO!
Hold me...watch me slump. For I am the son of a Ragdoll. Er...and a Siamese as well...but mother prefers we don't discuss my father.

I think that this video clip of Bill Moyer excellently puts into perspective the double standard of race in this country. It's regarding the media bruhaha over Rev. Wright's comments.



Comments?

more cat pictures

see more crazy cat pics

http://view.break.com/487616 - Watch more free videos

Hope the link works. My favorite part is the security guard at the end.

I find myself more than a little annoyed with Nintendo in the marketing of their Wii games. In every single Nintendo sponsored "gameplay" video you will find more footage of people playing the games than of the games themselves.

This avoidance of showing product makes me wonder if the game doesn't suck eggs.

Well. It was an adventure in manland to go buy our new (to us) car. But we didn't let them bully us into paying more than we meant to pay and now we have a 2006 Ford Focus...which we love. It's cute as a button. I need to post some photos of it....and name it....her rather. (shut-up)

So the adventure.

We started at BILL PIERRE FORD....who I vow to never give another dollar to if I can so help it. -E- had done her research and so knew a fair deal and what to look for. And she had called ahead and confirmed that they had 5 cars that should meet our specific needs. When we got there though. No dice. And they drove us all over hell and back looking for them. The inventory manager even drove us to another lot in another city (20 minute drive...but still) driving while texting on his cell phone (which is now illegal to do in this state) and desperately trying to make the transmission drop out of the car we were in) We did finally find a car that we liked well enough. Neither E nor myself were in love with it, but it would suit us fine and we could be happy with it. So we get back to BILL PIERRE FORD and sit down with the inventory manager and the sales manager
Sales manager says. "I want $13,400 for this car. How close to that are you going to offer?" Now this is not an astronomical price for this car but it is at the very top of the blue book range (which is an inflated value) and about $3,000 more than we wanted to spend.

So my lovely E says "Not even close, we were thinking $8,000"

Sales Manager: "Can't do it. Thanks for coming by."

So we leave.

And we called SANDBURG VOLVO because they also had a used ford focus on their website. And E made the same deal with them we were willing to make with BILL FRAKKING PIERRE FORD. Now, right about this time BILL LOOOOOOSER PIERRE FORD calls us back willing to deal. Fine says E, but we're going to look at this other car first. (MR. BILL didn't like that at all and said so).

But when we got to SANDBURG GORGEOUS LOVELY VOLVO the salesman that E had talked to on the phone had pulled the car to the front, cleaned it, & noticed a stain on the back seat and was in process of having it cleaned. There was no pressure. He even gave us the keys and said "drive it around, make sure you like it, then come see me" without even a speck of smarminess. So, yes. We bought that car and called BILL I HATE YOU PIERRE FORD back to let them know just how they lost a sale. ASSHATS!

But happy ending and E and I are much happier with this car. This cute little maroon sweetie darling.

Okay. So it's not like it's bad enough that I got hit by a car right before Thanksgiving. Nooooo. I have to share the joy.

So Tuesday of last week, we're driving home with my good friend Em in the back seat and El is driving. It's starting to get dark. When we have to stop because there were some pedestrian's trying to cross in the cross-walk. It was a quick stop. But not a slam-on-the-brakes-and-stop-at-all-costs kinda stop. Well. A moment or two after we stopped, the young woman behind us, didn't stop and rear-ended us. *sigh* She hit us hard enough to total the car. And the worst part...the worst part! Is that El & Em are both having some pain associated with the accident. Which makes me feel terrible.

But we had to say goodbye to our awesome 99 Ford Escort. She's been a great car. I couldn't have asked for a better car. She never gave us a bit of trouble, even when we didn't maintain her as well as we should have and I'm grateful to her. We've been all over PNW with her too. Down to Oregon, Up to Canada when we got married, over the Cascades, out to the WA coast. Hither and dither every which way, on Ferries and up mountains (with all four cylinders giving us as much as they possibly could). I'm in tears at the loss of this car. I'm in tears not because she's no longer to be part of our lives, but because no one will love he after this. She's effectively been junked and she didn't deserve that. I know. I'm anthropomorphizing the car, but I can't help it. I'll miss her. Goodbye blue girl. We'll miss you.

Note to the wise

If you are tempted to use words like  volubility, antecedently, abnegated, and supervened in your college essay...

don't 

You know you're an unapologetic and unabashed Trekkie when you get tears in your eyes during the teaser trailer for the new Star Trek movie.  

http://www.paramount.com/startrek/

When cheap attachments attack....Indeed

http://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2008/01/18/when-cheap-attachments-attack/

Every time I start thinking to myself. "Why and I being a stickler? Maybe Wal-Mart isn't really worse than any of their other chain store competitors. I mean, if I'll shop at Target, why not Wal-Mart?"

Then they go and do some bonehead thing like listing the price of something way too low and refusing to honor their listed price. I thought that was illegal. Ah...but perhaps Wal-Mart makes it's own rules, and changes them to suit.

http://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2008/01/11/too-good-to-be-true-wal-mart-cancels-brawl-preorders/

Of course (snark) I did hear that they offered a $10.00 gift card good only at their online store to anyone affected by their error. Oooooooooooo A move more likely to generate more sales for them...hell...I'm betting the postage on most items would be $10.00.

F**K heads!

Never shop at Wal-Mart resolution validated yet again.

http://www.macworld.com/article/131583/2008/01/macbookair.html

So my sweetness and light and I are at the local Blockbuster, when she rushes up to me and says the oddest thing.

She: "Honey, we have to buy an XBox!"
Me: "Who are you and what have you done with my wife?"

Here you should understand that I'm the one that plays most of our video games...and she knits. She knits gorgeous things full of complexity and color and just lovely lovely lovely. I'm in awe of her abilities. The things she does with wool give sheep reasons to get up in the morning.

She: "Beautiful Katamari is only out on XBox" 
http://www.namcobandaigames.com/games/beautifulkatamari/ 

Me: *gaping and speechless*

Well you know I don't need much of an excuse. But we will have to wait *le sigh* I suppose. Our tax returns are earmarked for a new sofa. On which to sit ourselves while we play Beautiful Katamari.