Vacation...Almost

I'm really looking forward to my vacation home. However, I'm not looking forward to getting up at 4:00 a.m. to catch the shuttle at 6:00 a.m. to be at the airport on time for a 9:45 a.m. flight. It will be nice once I'm home, though. I'm more or less all packed, and all I'll need to do tomorrow is throw some final things in my suitcase before heading out.

Fortunately I was able to get all of my projects at work in good shape before I left today. Unfortunately, though, I will need to take some work home with me. But, fortunately, it isn't a lot and it's a small cookbook, so it will be easier and quicker to read.

All in all, it should be a nice vacation. But I should probably be getting to bed soon, because it is going to be a long day tomorrow.

A Dilated Editor Is a Useless Editor

Today I had my first eye appointment in about three years. As I mentioned in a previous post, the strain of my job has weakened my eyes a little bit. I did need a stronger prescription, but fortunately it wasn't as bad as I was expecting. I had a full, comprehensive--yes, that was probably a bit redundant--exam. Because this was a new eye doctor for me, I had to get used to new tests on different machines. When the time came to test my eye pressure, I was expecting one of two tests. One would have been the puff of air. In the past it would always take about three or four times for the test to register, because I kept blinking so much. Another time the eye doctor tested my eye pressure by thumping a tono pen on my eyeball. That just felt weird. At this new eye doctor, they tested my eye pressure with a completely different machine. Before the test they put some thick, yellow drops in my eyes to numb them, so I didn't feel a thing. After that, the optometrist then had to dilate my eyes before she could do the other tests. She said that my eyes look great (I get that all the time!), and everything looks really healthy. She said the only strange thing she saw was that I have a "tilted nerve." Apparently that's normal and I was just born with a tilted nerve.

So everything turned out great. I picked out some cool new glasses and some new sunglasses. Usually it takes about five to ten days for those to come in, but the lady who was helping me said that she could put a rush on it, so maybe they will come in before I go on my vacation.

The only bad thing about the whole experience was going back to work after the appointment. I forgot about the aftereffects of getting your eyes dilated. Naturally I was sensitive to light, so the bright, fluorescent light in the office was a little harsh. I had to keep my sunglasses on for a few hours. Then I forgot that you have problems focusing on things up close. Well, not being able to read pages or the computer makes editing pretty difficult, so I was somewhat useless at work for the rest of the day. Next year, I have to remember to schedule my appointment for the afternoon instead of first thing in the morning. At least now my vision is finally starting to come back, but any typos, spelling or grammatical errors that you see in this post can be blamed on my dilation...

Preparations

With my vacation coming at the end of this week, I'm already starting to prepare for the trip. Yes, I'm preparing almost a week early, because I'm a planner and a control freak. As I mentioned in a previous post, this planning included haircuts, cleaning, reservations, etc.

Witness to stupidity: This has nothing to do with my preparations, but I though I should comment on it anyway. And it's been a while since I've written a post about stupid people, so here we go. Boulder is an active city with lots of people walking, jogging, and biking on the streets or sidewalks. There is an understanding that drivers look out for walkers, joggers, and bikers and walkers, joggers, and bikers look out for drivers. While driving to hair salon, I was stopped at a light and noticed a man and his son on their bikes riding in the bike lane. Since there was no traffic coming from the other directions, the father just started to ride through the intersection and through what was our red light. The son paused for a moment, but then started to follow. But just then the traffic in the opposite direction had the green arrow and started to turn into the intersection. The son sort of panicked in the middle of the intersection, and turned around and went back to the street corner. The idiot father was about fifty yards away before he eventually looked back and noticed that his son was still waiting for the light to change. That's great parenting for you!

Haircut: My hair has been a somewhat long, wild mess because it's been many, many months since I got my last haircut. I'm happy that I found a new salon—officially it's called a barber shop, I guess—where I can get a nice haircut for a good price. I've been to some really nice salons in Boulder, but I was tired of spending $60–$70 on a haircut. And if you got something like highlights, it would be well over $100. I've decided I don't want to do color or highlights anymore...at least not for a while. I got tired of spending the money to maintain it. Plus, I sort of decided to just let myself go gray. So all I really need is a cut and nothing too special. At this new place, I can get a cut for only $30. Wahoo! They also give you a massage when they are finished. I thought it was going to be a regular massage, but it turned out that they use a large, vibrating machine. (I realize that sounds somewhat naughty, but I don't know how else to describe it...) Anyway, the large, vibrating massage machine was really powerful and not exactly gentle or soothing or relaxing. It actually felt like my teeth were about to rattle and fall out of my head. But it's the thought that counts.

Shuttle: Because this is a busy travel week, I wanted to make early reservations for shuttle service to the airport. Usually I can make easy reservations online, but the company must have changed their Web site because I was redirected to the national shuttle service. You can still make reservations, but things didn't seem right. I'm not sure if I missed something when I was selecting my service, but when they gave me the rates they quoted the price as $230. Um, $230 for a trip to the airport? Is it in a limo with a mini bar? Does it come with an escort? That didn't seem right, so I quit that session and decided to phone in my reservation for the bargain price of $30. I'm still somewhat curious what you get with a $230 shuttle trip, but I suppose I'll have to find out another day.

Current mood: full—I made my world famous Vodka Cream Pasta for dinner tonight
Current music: iTunes on shuffle—David Gray "Say Hello Wave Goodbye"
Current drink: Remy Martin VSOP Cognac

This and That

Work: Things have been busy as usual. The end of the year tends to be one of the busiest times as we try to finish all of our books by December. So I've been busy, but I'm also resisting the temptation to stay late or to take work home with me. I try to listen to the wise advice of a lovely friend who whispers in my ear and tells me to not bring home with me. I just don't want to burn myself out, because I've done that too many times before. The rewards never quite measure up to the effort and energy expended.

Vacation: Things seem even busier at work because I'll be going home for vacation during the week of Thanksgiving. Yes, I'll be taking the entire week off! I'm really looking forward to it, but I just have a million things to do before then. In addition to the work, there are the life things I need to take care of. I should probably get a haircut. And next week I have an appointment to get my eyes checked. It's been about three or four years since I last had an eye appointment, and I think my eyes have been strained and abused by this career path that I've chosen. So I found an eye doctor in Boulder, and I finally made an appointment. My new doctor will probably yell at me for going so long without a check-up, but it will be nice to be able to see again. Then I need to stop my mail, make a reservation for the shuttle to take me to the airport, pay my bills, pay my rent, etc., etc., etc. …

Weather: When I woke up this morning I was surprised to see the first dusting of snow on the roofs, trees, and grass. This was the first noticeable snow that we've had this year. It's been snowing up high in the mountains, but until last night, nothing has hit the Front Range or the city. This is really odd. Usually we get our first snowfall in October, but here we are in the middle of November and we get our first dusting. And it really was a dusting. Plus it all melted within a few hours. I wonder if this means that we're going to have a mild winter this year. Or maybe it means that we're going to get hammered with a horrible blizzard sometime in December or March. You never know in this state!

Garlic: I've eaten so much garlic today, I think I will be able to repel vampires for about five years. This afternoon I went out to lunch with a few co-workers—my team and our boss—and we went to an Italian restaurant. We had garlic bread and then my dish had what seemed like an entire head of garlic in it. Then one of the treats at our Special Treats Food Club gathering today happened to be homemade hummus, and it happened to be a super garlic hummus. Wow! I'm going to be fun to be around for the next few weeks!

Current mood: tired
Current drink: soy milk

Beautiful Morning

This has been a very unusual late fall/early winter in Colorado. Usually by this time there would be snow on the ground, but so far we haven't had any significant snowfall. There has been snow up high in the mountains, but nothing has hit the front range and cities yet. Here it is, the morning of November 8, and I'm sitting in my living room with the windows open. Right now it is a very comfortable 57 degrees, and earlier I was standing on my balcony drinking a cup of coffee. It's a beautiful and wonderful morning.

However, I can't get too comfortable and relaxed and lazy. My apartment needs some serious cleaning!

Current mood: relaxed
Current music: iTunes on shuffle—Melissa Etheridge "I've Loved You Before"
Current drink: coffee

This and That

Post-Election Thoughts: It goes without saying that this was an amazing week in American politics. We just took a historic step by electing the first African American president. It's great not only to see it but to actually play a part in it by voting for Obama. Of course I've voted several times before, but I've never felt so passionate or energized about an election as this one. Everyone around me seemed energized and passionate. The day after the election we had a victory party at work with food, cake, and champagne. It's been an amazing and incredible election year.

Bitter-Sweet: Although I was ecstatic and celebrating the Obama victory, I was disappointed that Prop 8, the amendment banning gay marriage, passed in California. Gay marriage bans also passed in Arizona and Florida, and Arkansas went so far as to ban gay adoption. Technically the words in the amendment banned "unmarried couples" from adopting children. Yes, that means an unmarried heterosexual couple can't adopt children (which is pretty bad in itself), but I think we all know what they really mean when they say "unmarried couples." They mean the gay or lesbian couples who, of course, can't get married. As I might have said before: only in this country can a person go on TV and marry a complete stranger for a million dollars, but God forbid a loving and committed gay or lesbian couple want to get married. That destroys the sanctity of marriage. That destroys society. The sky will fall. There will be fires and floods and earthquakes and swarms of locusts... It's really sad and pathetic. We like to think of ourselves as the "leaders of the free world," but we really have a lot to learn and we still have a long way to go.

Sickness and Health: This isn't related to marriage. This is related to our office, because it seems to be infested with a new virus. A new cold, flu, plague, or whatever it is, is making its way through our department. So far it has hit two people--two people who happen to be on my team--and my guess is that it won't be long before it infects everyone else. I've been lucky and have thus far been able to avoid all of the plagues that have hit the office over the past year. It's almost ironic because many of my co-workers tease me for how "unhealthy" I am because I'm obsessed with root beer, I love chips and Cheetos, I'm often craving blue cheese burgers, and I love to drink. So, with this being unhealthy--and maybe it is slightly unhealthy-- everyone is always shocked that I never get sick. Here is the secret: cod liver pills and a huge glass of orange juice every day. And when you feel like you might be getting sick, get a huge Jamba Juice with an immunity boost and go to Noodles (if you're lucky to have them where you live) and get a huge bowl of chicken noodle soup. But cod liver pills and OJ are the real secret. And maybe a few shots of whiskey to kill the germs...

YES WE CAN!

And Yes We Did!!!

Current mood: ecstatic
Current drink: Remy Martin VSOP Cognac

Happy Birthday, To Me!

Ok, it's not really my birthday. But today in the mail I received a little present I bought for myself.

Now that I work for a cool book publisher that publishes books that I would actually like to read (as opposed to the other publishers I worked for), I've had the opportunity to work on some really interesting books. In addition to the mix of history, pop culture, and health and wellness books that I've worked on, I've now had the opportunity to work on a handful of cookbooks. Working on a cookbook gives you a whole new appreciation for them because they can be so complex and involved. There is just a lot going on and there is so much to think about. So now, after working on cookbooks—through blood, sweat, and (sometimes) tears—I have a mild obsession with cookbooks.

While browsing through Borders one afternoon I stumbled across Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything. My lovely co-worker/friend had already mentioned this cookbook to me, so I thought I'd flip through it. It's a huge tome filled with lots and lots of recipes. The best thing about it was that it seemed just right for my skill level. It didn't seem intimidating or daunting or too complex. Let's face it, I'm not a master chef and I don't have the time to spend five hours on one recipe that uses forty-five ingredients. So I'm always looking for something that is simple and quick and easy, yet still yummy. Bittman's book seemed just right. I didn't buy it right away, but instead opted for checking it out on Amazon first because they usually have good discounts, and they had a great discount! I was able to get How to Cook Everything and How to Cook Everything Vegetarian for about 66 percent off! No, I'm not a vegetarian, but I have an open mind and I like experimenting and trying new things. Plus I have a lot of vegetarian friends that I might need to woo sometime.

Anyway, I can't wait to try out some new recipes. So expect some "Recipe Success!" or "Recipe Disaster..." posts in the near future.

This and That, Weekend Edition

This has been another quiet weekend, and I'm thankful for that because it's been a busy week at work. I can't really remember what I did yesterday other than some small shopping and some chores around the house. Today I decided to do some real shopping and I decided to venture into the mall. As I'm getting older (and I'm so old), I'm becoming less and less of a mall shopper. I think it is because when you're at malls the sales people are more eager to help and encourage you to buy something. The worst are those little carts that you pass as your walking along where they try to sell their special products. Some people are selling different cell phone plans, others are selling face cleaning products, etc. And then there is the dreaded nail and hand care cart which happened to trap me today. As I walked past, I tried to avoid eye contact by looking in the windows of the stores. But the woman at the cart pounced on me like a lion attacking its prey. The fact that she was very charming and a beautiful Israeli woman (she told me she was Israeli) with thick, dark curly hair and very dark eyes that looked intensely into mine, made it somewhat difficult for me to say "get away from me, I don't want any." She buffed my fingernail (yes, just one) and made it so shiny I can see my reflection and then she put some nice cuticle oil on my cuticles. Then she looked at my hands and said, "your hands are very dry." I live in Colorado, everything is dry. She then proceeded to rub some lotion into my hands and said, "now your hands are so soft and silky." Um, let go please... I was strong enough to resist a very flirtatious sell, but she gave me her name just in case I wanted to come back for a special deal or sale. I thanked her for being kind and sweet, then I ran away...

So I was proud that I was able to resist the hand and nail care kit, but I wasn't successful in resisting buying two different body sprays at the Body Shop. I walked in and I was immediately greeted by two women, a redhead and a blond, and I knew I was done for. I tried to hide at the back of the shop, but then the blond found me and asked me if I needed more help. I said that I was just torn between two scents. She said that one of the scents I was interested in was a "classic" sent, and the other one was really "sexy and sensual." I grabbed what I wanted, and I also got a nice discount and a bunch of samples.

I then went and had a less exciting and less stressful but still successful shopping trip at Old Navy.

Scary as it all was, it was a fairly successful shopping day.

Current mood: just fine
Current drink: Barq's Root Beer

Ostracism

Back in Ancient Greece...

There was once a practice called ostracism. This is a practice where a prominent citizen could be banished and expelled from the city state for ten years. Often this was used to expel people who were a threat to the city-state or a threat to the democracy. It was often a preemptive act. Each year the people of Athens had the option to hold an ostracism or not. If they chose to, they would write the name of the person they wanted expelled on a potsherd and they put it in an urn. If someone received 6,000 votes, he would have ten days to leave the city-state, and he couldn't return for ten years. And, note, the people had this power. Sort of an interesting practice...

In fact, there are a few people I would like to ostracize right now: John McCain, Sarah Palin, Joe the Plumber, Elisabeth Hasselback, Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Reilly, George Bush, Dick Cheney, Karl Rove, people who think Obama is a Muslim, people who think Obama is a terrorist, people who think Obama is a scary black guy, etc.

Lazy

This was a really lazy weekend. At first I was feeling guilty about it because there are a lot of things that I could have done—like cleaning, laundry, shopping, etc.—but I didn't do any of those things except for a quick shopping trip to the grocery store. Oh well. I suppose I don't need to feel guilty considering how busy I've been and how hard I've been working lately. I deserve weekends like this, darn it!

In fact the most strenuous thing I've done all weekend was make and eat a huge dinner. And, really, how hard is it to make a simple dinner and then eat it? I wish every day was like this. I made my famous Baked Penne Pasta with Turkey, Zucchini, and Fire Roasted Tomatoes. It's basically adapted from another recipe I found. I use penne instead of ziti and turkey instead of beef. This time I was also craving some extra spice, so I added a bunch of red pepper flakes. Yum! I think I ate my weight in pasta tonight...

Current mood: relaxed and lazy
Current music: iTunes on shuffle—Goldfrap "Ooh La La"
Current drink: Simonassi 2007 Malbec

Sunset

It's been a while since I've had the opportunity to take some sunset photos, but this evening we had a really nice sunset. And I was able to take all of the pictures from my balcony. Here is one of the shots.



I'm always a little worried when I take pictures from my balcony. I'm worried that the people in the condos across the way will think that I'm taking pictures of them. But so far the cops haven't knocked on my door, so I suppose I'm OK.

Current mood: relaxed
Current music: iTunes on shuffle—Josh Gracin "Brass Bed"
Current drink: Simonassi 2007 Malbec

Average Folk

So...the McCain/Palin campaign have spent much of the past few weeks talking about average American folks out there in the country. Joe six pack, Joe the plumber, hockey moms, soccer moms, real Americans, patriotic Americans. Um, so how many "real" Americans spend $150,000 in one month on a new wardrobe? I honestly don't think I've spent that much money on clothes in my lifetime. (Alcohol, maybe, but not clothes.) It's no wonder the words "middle class" aren't in the McCain/Palin vocabulary, because most middle class folks can't exactly drop $150,000 on clothes. These "real Americans" are the people who are losing their jobs and homes, the people who see their finance swirling down the toilet, the once successful people who are now forced to pick up food stamps. But McCain and Palin are just like you and me, right, and Obama is nothing but a liberal elitist, right? The Republican campaign gets more and more pathetic and disgusting every day, and, like many people out there in the world, I'm getting sick of it. I'm getting even more sick of the gullible saps who fall for everything (i.e. lies and hypocrisies) that comes out of McCain's and Palin's mouth.

I'm trying to think of what I would do with $150,000, other than sharing it with my family. Maybe take a trip to Greece and Italy. Or maybe I'll by that bottle of Remy Martin Louis XIII Cognac that I've been dreaming about. But I don't have $150,000, so I'll have to settle with drinking Remy Martin VSOP Cognac in my little Boulder apartment. And, you know what, I'm fine with that. Sarah Palin can have her expensive wardrobe. I have character and integrity and a soul, and I think that might count for more in the long run!

Current mood: annoyed, but content
Current music: iTunes on shuffle—Faith Hill "Beautiful"
Current drink: Remy Martin VSOP Cognac (I'm breaking my I-can-only-drink-expensive-cognac-on-the-weekends rule because I'm drinking tonight in honor of my rebellion against Sarah Palin and the wingnuts)

Seasons

In typical Colorado fashion seasons can change on a dime. This weekend the weather was warm and sunny. Today that all changed rather dramatically. This morning was somewhat cold, but there was a thin layer of fog hanging around the Flatirons but you could tell that a bigger storm was brewing. I have to admit that I was distracted for most of the day and had a hard time focusing on work because I was watching the clouds building and drifting over the mountains. They were dark and ominous. I love clouds like that, but in general I think that I am obsessed with and mesmerized by clouds. In the afternoon we had a downpour of rain and some strong gusts of wind. After a twenty minute storm, the skies opened up and it was sunny again. About two hours later, more dark clouds were building over the mountains. And when I left the office, it was really cold.

As I was driving home I was still distracted by the clouds. I should probably focus on driving, but it was too beautiful. Plus the drive home, even by itself without all of the beautiful ominous clouds, is just gorgeous. I drive on a little two-lane road that passes some old farmlands. Most of the road is lined by trees, and right now the trees still have their fall colors. So the trees are red and gold and yellow, and while there are still a lot of leaves on the trees, there are also a lot of leaves that have fallen on the road. I don't know how else to describe it, and you probably have to see it to believe it, but it literally feels like you're driving through a postcard. It's stunning.

So, needless to say, it's been a lovely evening. I voted, and I'm feeling optimistic and energized about the election. And I enjoyed a lovely drive home. It's been a nice evening so far.

Current mood: optimistic, relaxed, generally good
Current music: Loreena McKennitt An Ancient Muse
Current drink: Terra Barossa 2007 Shiraz

Vote

In Colorado this election we're allowed to vote early and to vote by mail. So today I dropped off my ballot. Wahoo! Ready for change!

This and That, Weekend Edition

Winter clothing: About this time last weekend, I was talking about the change of seasons, and how winter was just around the corner. On the advice of a very lovely friend, I went on a shopping spree to reward myself for all of my hard work these past few months and to buy some more winter clothes. In spite of living in Colorado for about six years, I didn't own that many sweaters. I'm also really picky when it comes to sweaters. For one, my body tends to run on the cold side so I get cold easily. And, yes, because of this I sometimes ask myself why I moved to Colorado from Southern California! But, nevertheless, I'm here and I get cold. So because of my tendency to get cold, I need sweaters that actually keep you warm, sweaters with some weight. Sweaters that are really thin and light usually don't cut it for me. They might be soft and pretty and more suited for the fall or early spring, but in the dead of winter I need something warmer. Then there is the issue of lambs wool. I once bought a sweater, one that was heavy and warm, and it was made of lamb's wool. Well, it kept me warm, but it made me all itchy. Then there is also the issue of the "plunging" neckline sweaters. Maybe it's a personal preference, but I'd rather not expose my boobs and cleavage to the elements. I prefer v-neck sweaters, but not ones that practically reach my navel.

So this is why I don't own many sweaters, but I was determined and went on a mission to find the "perfect" sweater. And I have to say that I was really successful. I found three v-neck sweaters with the proper amount of "plunge" in the V. One was heavier and really warm; the other two were a bit lighter, but still warm. And I found two other sweaters that are a little sportier. So all in all, it was a successful shopping trip.

Weather: I was able to wear my sweaters earlier this week, because it was still chilly. Now it's the weekend, and it's 78 degrees. Should expect this from Colorado.

Vacations: With the holidays quickly approaching, I decided to buy my plane tickets home for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. I wanted to buy things early to get a good price...well, as good as you can get these days. I also wanted to lock my vacation days in at work. Last year, my Christmas vacation was shorter than usual because I came back early to send some books to press. The to press dates ended up moving, and I was a little upset, but that's what happens sometimes. Anyway, this year I've put my foot down and vowed (to myself and anyone who would listen) that I wasn't going to let work dictate or control my vacation. I'm going away, damn it, and nothing and no one is going to stop me! So there!

Current mood: warm
Current music: iTunes on shuffle–Tori Amos "Bouncing off Clouds"
Current drink: Barq's Root Beer

Start of Winter

The seasons are certainly starting to change here in Colorado. The leaves on the trees outside my apartment are all yellow. And when I've been waking up in the morning, I notice that it feels colder and colder, and the sun seems to be rising later and later. A few nights ago I was in bed and noticed that the heater clicked on. There was that familiar dusty smell for a few minutes and finally some warmth.

Now that I'm in a bigger apartment, I notice that it tends to be a colder apartment. Obviously there are more places for the air to go, and it's not like the small contained space like my old apartment. But, then again, my old apartment tended to be really cold, too. That had less to do with the size and more to do with the limited heater. In my current place, I have central heat and air, so the heat and air actually goes into all rooms. At my old place, the heater only vented out to the living room, so it essentially heated only the living room and every other room (all one and a half of them) was cold. It was also an old and odd heater, too. I think that it essentially worked by striking some miniature flint and steel together to create a small fire in the wall. As much as I loved my old place, one of the things I didn't like about it was the heating in the winter. But now I finally have central heating. I don't crank up the heat because I don't want an astronomical heating bill, but at least every room can be warm when I want it to be.

This is supposed to be a cold, rainy, and possibly snowy weekend. This reminds me that I need to get another ice scraper for my car. And maybe I need some new gloves, too. And maybe a few more sweaters...

Attack Dogs

Apparently John McCain knows that his campaign is going down the toilet and apparently he knows that he isn't very popular. What else could explain the fact that the women in his life are turning into the "attack dogs" to go after Obama. Sarah Palin has been doing her dirty work, and now Cindy McCain is getting into the act. I was really hoping that she would remain classy and stay above the fray. But unfortunately she has to stoop to a level far below what she is probably worth, all in an effort to try to save her husband's campaign. It's sad, really. Well sort of.

And I have to admit, when I saw this photo of her on a news story on the Web, my thoughts shifted to another somewhat unpleasant individual...



Ok. That was really, really mean of me. I'm probably going to hell for this, but it still made me laugh.

Wonderful Weekend

This has been a wonderful weekend. And, to make it even better, it was a three-day weekend for me. I decided to take the day off on Friday because it's been a while since I've taken time off, and I needed a break. I spent Saturday with my best friend, Julie, who is here with her two kids and visiting the rest of her family. We met at Chautauqua park and went on a hike around the Flatirons. The weather was perfect and it was a beautiful day for a hike. As the kids ran up the hill (I wish I had that kind of energy), we followed and talked and caught up on what we're doing in our lives. We took a route different from my usual route because there was a lot of activity on the mountain. Apparently some guy was trying to climb one of the Flatirons without any safety ropes and he fell and broke his leg. So the mountain was crawling with crews from the Boulder Fire Department, Rocky Mountain Fire Department, and Rocky Mountain Rescue. Maybe, just maybe, he learned a lesson and it's probably good that it came with a lot of pain! Next time use some ropes, dude. But I digress...

After our hike, we came to my apartment so that I could show it off, then we went to Pearl Street and had lunch at Mountain Sun. We ate yummy burgers and drank their always-wonderful beer. After lunch we just wandered around Pearl Street. After that, we drove up to Loveland and had dinner with her family. It was a great day! It was just wonderful to spend the day with a really good friend. But now I'm sad because she's gone and I miss her already. But it was a wonderful weekend.

Hypocrite? Coward? Senile?

So today, the day of the Vice Presidential Debates, McCain made an announcement that he would be giving up on the state of Michigan. Because Obama is leading in the polling in Michigan, the McCain campaign thinks that it is not worth spending the money on a state that he will presumably lose. Are you kidding me? This is the bastard—oops, candidate—who for months has been saying that he puts country first? And he is giving up on Michigan? The state of blue-collar workers? The state where the auto industry is failing? The state where unemployment is high? And he's abandoning them because they are not worth the money? Just more proof that he doesn't care about the middle class. And McCain accuses Obama of playing politics and of partisanship and not caring about the people? What a first-class idiot!