Speechless
.
My dearest son left me speechless today. The drama club needed someone to play a bit part in the Fall Play, which is a comedy. It's only a handful of lines, so L decided he would give it a try.
Today, the director had the actors run through the play to work on blocking. L entered on cue and delivered his first line. I heard a few laughs. By his sixth line, "So am I." The room was filled with laughter. Even the director was laughing.
Not because my son was goofing off or making a fool of himself. He was genuinely funny. He delivered his lines with perfect timing, tone, and gesture. He was not L playing the role of Donny. He *was* Donny, friend of Brian; and the history of friendship between "Donny" and "Brian" was apparant on stage. Even though L and the other actor had only interacted once before.
After practice, the director asked L what other plays he'd been in. L responded, "None... Unless you count when I announced 'act 2' in the third grade Christmas play."
The director told him that he was naturally funny, and really talented. At the time, I was speechless. The director had a gleam in her eye that I haven't seen since I left Visual & Performing Arts High. When a good teacher finds a student with a knack for the subject being taught, and realizes they might play a small part in cultivating that knack; the gleam appears.
On the way home, I advised him to not let her pidgeonhole him into comedy. When he takes drama classes with her next semester, he should try out a variety of genres.
I've watched how the drama teacher/director interacts with her students, and I don't believe she will try to keep L in a comedy box. I think she'll encourage him to try out as many genres as she can!
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Monday, November 13, 2006
Lucky Me
.
This past Saturday, Amylynn called me to share the news that her hubby had taken down (killed) a 9 point buck. I was really thrilled for them. That's a lot of meat! The hubby-man asked if they were keeping the skin. (He's always wanted a deerskin) They said, "No. Would you like it?" Sweet!
It seems that deer hunting is a lot of work. Amylynn's hubby made his kill about 2 miles away from his vehicle. He was hunting on an island, so not only did he have to drag 185 lbs of deer through the woods,(alone!) he also had to get it in and out of his boat.
Anyway, she had called because I'd offered to help with skinning and butchering the carcass. I thought it would be an awesome learning experience. And it was.
I drove out to their home and parked in the driveway. Right as I was pulling on the parking brake, Amylynn walked out of the garage; and I busted out laughing. Because she is *always* fashionable. ALWAYS. I don't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't what I saw. I beheld a vision in plaid and denimn. With a knit stocking cap. She looked like she'd just stepped off the set of "Fargo". And she still made it look good.
I felt a little out of place. I was expecting the job to be messy, so I wore my old paint stained sweats and a few layers culminating in an oversized sweater that I'd ripped the collar out of. I looked like crap, and she made plaid look runway good. Thus the laughter.
Anyway. We walked around back and I saw my first ever non-roadkill deer carcass. He was hanging by his back legs from a tree, with his head and chest resting on a cardboard mat. He was cut open and all his guts had been removed, so you could see what his ribs looked like from the inside. The skin had already been pulled off his legs and Amylynn's hubby was working on stripping the butt and tail.
It is astoundingly easy to skin a deer, at least once the initial cuts have been made. You just grab some skin and pull on it until you see stuff that looks like cobwebs between the skin and the muscle; then you use a scalpel or very sharp knife and cut the cobwebs. You don't have to use any pressure at all.
So we cut and pulled for a while, until we were stooping to reach more hide. Amylynn's hubby came out of the garage (where he was putting together their brand new meat saw/grinder) and pulled the buck higher up so that we didn't have to bend. Isn't he sweet? The we cut and pulled some more. :D
Their daughter offered to make us coffee, "Because it was cold outside, and she thought we might like something hot to drink." That was impressive.
We took a coffee break and hubby-in-residence raised the deer even higher. The we finished cutting. Amylynn's daughter brought a trash bag and we folded up the skin, bagged it, and I tossed it in the back of my truck.
Unfortunately, putting together the meat saw didn't go as well. The manual was a mess. It had blurry pictures of crucial parts, diagrams that were incomplete, and references like "see figure 22b" when there was no figure 22b -just a blank space with the text "22b" underneath.
So I didn't get to help quarter the deer, which is a shame. I was standing for a long time yesterday, and my foot hurts too much to go back and help today. I'm hoping that he catches another deer, so I can have the butchering experience.
Nevertheless, I have a big 'ol deer skin folded up in my freezer right now. As soon as I finish this blog entry, I'm going to look up some local taxidermists and find out what else I need to do to prep the skin for tanning. Yay!
.
This past Saturday, Amylynn called me to share the news that her hubby had taken down (killed) a 9 point buck. I was really thrilled for them. That's a lot of meat! The hubby-man asked if they were keeping the skin. (He's always wanted a deerskin) They said, "No. Would you like it?" Sweet!
It seems that deer hunting is a lot of work. Amylynn's hubby made his kill about 2 miles away from his vehicle. He was hunting on an island, so not only did he have to drag 185 lbs of deer through the woods,(alone!) he also had to get it in and out of his boat.
Anyway, she had called because I'd offered to help with skinning and butchering the carcass. I thought it would be an awesome learning experience. And it was.
I drove out to their home and parked in the driveway. Right as I was pulling on the parking brake, Amylynn walked out of the garage; and I busted out laughing. Because she is *always* fashionable. ALWAYS. I don't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't what I saw. I beheld a vision in plaid and denimn. With a knit stocking cap. She looked like she'd just stepped off the set of "Fargo". And she still made it look good.
I felt a little out of place. I was expecting the job to be messy, so I wore my old paint stained sweats and a few layers culminating in an oversized sweater that I'd ripped the collar out of. I looked like crap, and she made plaid look runway good. Thus the laughter.
Anyway. We walked around back and I saw my first ever non-roadkill deer carcass. He was hanging by his back legs from a tree, with his head and chest resting on a cardboard mat. He was cut open and all his guts had been removed, so you could see what his ribs looked like from the inside. The skin had already been pulled off his legs and Amylynn's hubby was working on stripping the butt and tail.
It is astoundingly easy to skin a deer, at least once the initial cuts have been made. You just grab some skin and pull on it until you see stuff that looks like cobwebs between the skin and the muscle; then you use a scalpel or very sharp knife and cut the cobwebs. You don't have to use any pressure at all.
So we cut and pulled for a while, until we were stooping to reach more hide. Amylynn's hubby came out of the garage (where he was putting together their brand new meat saw/grinder) and pulled the buck higher up so that we didn't have to bend. Isn't he sweet? The we cut and pulled some more. :D
Their daughter offered to make us coffee, "Because it was cold outside, and she thought we might like something hot to drink." That was impressive.
We took a coffee break and hubby-in-residence raised the deer even higher. The we finished cutting. Amylynn's daughter brought a trash bag and we folded up the skin, bagged it, and I tossed it in the back of my truck.
Unfortunately, putting together the meat saw didn't go as well. The manual was a mess. It had blurry pictures of crucial parts, diagrams that were incomplete, and references like "see figure 22b" when there was no figure 22b -just a blank space with the text "22b" underneath.
So I didn't get to help quarter the deer, which is a shame. I was standing for a long time yesterday, and my foot hurts too much to go back and help today. I'm hoping that he catches another deer, so I can have the butchering experience.
Nevertheless, I have a big 'ol deer skin folded up in my freezer right now. As soon as I finish this blog entry, I'm going to look up some local taxidermists and find out what else I need to do to prep the skin for tanning. Yay!
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
*sniff*
.
During the drive to L's school this morning; he asked about yesterday's elections, and what did it really mean. I started to explain, and suddenly it all hit me. Tears were streaming down my face as I tried to talk around the ball of cry in my throat.
What does it mean?
It means our votes counted.
It means there is again balance in our system of government.
It means the House of Representatives might use the power provided by our Constitution to prevent any future President from doing what Bush has done -or worse than what Bush has done.
And it means there are enough votes in the Senate to back the House.
Some options for our Legislative Branch include:
* Impeachment. It's phenominally expensive, both financially and in the stress it causes U.S. citizens. And it's an option in our Constitution specifically "Section 4 - Disqualification
The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors." Thanks to the first amendment, calling the constitution "Just a piece of paper" is not a crime. But declaring that laws don't apply to you, then using your power as President to prevent your written declarations from being reviewed by the Judicial branch is a crime. Deliberately witholding crucial information, providing misinformation, and giving the Legislative branch false information is a crime.
* Inquiries into the corruption in both political parties. (Oh, please!)
* Asking the Supreme Court to rule on the constitutionality of so many of Bush's actions these past 6 years. (Again, please! Pretty please with sugar on top!)
* Trials for war crimes or treason. (Not something I favor. I think that's too extreme.)
It's not about Bush. And it's not about the war. It's about making sure the Constitution continues to provide a balance of power. Bush has set precidents that must be dealt with, or somewhere down the line some President might use those precidents to sieze even more power.
.
During the drive to L's school this morning; he asked about yesterday's elections, and what did it really mean. I started to explain, and suddenly it all hit me. Tears were streaming down my face as I tried to talk around the ball of cry in my throat.
What does it mean?
It means our votes counted.
It means there is again balance in our system of government.
It means the House of Representatives might use the power provided by our Constitution to prevent any future President from doing what Bush has done -or worse than what Bush has done.
And it means there are enough votes in the Senate to back the House.
Some options for our Legislative Branch include:
* Impeachment. It's phenominally expensive, both financially and in the stress it causes U.S. citizens. And it's an option in our Constitution specifically "Section 4 - Disqualification
The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors." Thanks to the first amendment, calling the constitution "Just a piece of paper" is not a crime. But declaring that laws don't apply to you, then using your power as President to prevent your written declarations from being reviewed by the Judicial branch is a crime. Deliberately witholding crucial information, providing misinformation, and giving the Legislative branch false information is a crime.
* Inquiries into the corruption in both political parties. (Oh, please!)
* Asking the Supreme Court to rule on the constitutionality of so many of Bush's actions these past 6 years. (Again, please! Pretty please with sugar on top!)
* Trials for war crimes or treason. (Not something I favor. I think that's too extreme.)
It's not about Bush. And it's not about the war. It's about making sure the Constitution continues to provide a balance of power. Bush has set precidents that must be dealt with, or somewhere down the line some President might use those precidents to sieze even more power.
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
My Experience
.
The hubby-man took the morning off so we would have plenty of time to vote together. Good thing, too. There were 2 electronic voting machines and a table with corrugated cardboard shields for paper ballot voting. Most people chose the paper ballot. When we walked in the door, I saw people sitting at the table filling out ballots and a line of maybe 8 people for the electronic touch screen machines. Then my eyes took in the rest of the scene. There was a line of at least 20 people winding around the table. There were people filling out paper ballots at the table, in benches, in chairs, leaning against the wall, and a mom who was using her baby stroller to fill out her ballot.
There were at least 60 people crowded into a space not much bigger than my (admittedly large) living room. Everyone was quiet and patient while waiting for their chance to vote. Volunteers and poll workers helped voters find any available nook or cranny to vote with at least a little privacy. Even though the poll workers were clearly exhausted (at 11:30 am); they were cheerful, helpful, and they moved us along as quickly as they could. The entire process took about 35 minutes.
Hubby and I chose the touch screen machines because it prints a paper trail, and Missouri is unlikely to throw away those ballots prematurely. The machine prints your ballot so you can see what a recounter would see, and make sure that every single vote you cast is correct. The paper ballots are fed into a machine, then lord knows what happens to them.
I called my mom and asked her how rough it was at her polling place. She said they were slammed, but things were moving smoothly.
.
The hubby-man took the morning off so we would have plenty of time to vote together. Good thing, too. There were 2 electronic voting machines and a table with corrugated cardboard shields for paper ballot voting. Most people chose the paper ballot. When we walked in the door, I saw people sitting at the table filling out ballots and a line of maybe 8 people for the electronic touch screen machines. Then my eyes took in the rest of the scene. There was a line of at least 20 people winding around the table. There were people filling out paper ballots at the table, in benches, in chairs, leaning against the wall, and a mom who was using her baby stroller to fill out her ballot.
There were at least 60 people crowded into a space not much bigger than my (admittedly large) living room. Everyone was quiet and patient while waiting for their chance to vote. Volunteers and poll workers helped voters find any available nook or cranny to vote with at least a little privacy. Even though the poll workers were clearly exhausted (at 11:30 am); they were cheerful, helpful, and they moved us along as quickly as they could. The entire process took about 35 minutes.
Hubby and I chose the touch screen machines because it prints a paper trail, and Missouri is unlikely to throw away those ballots prematurely. The machine prints your ballot so you can see what a recounter would see, and make sure that every single vote you cast is correct. The paper ballots are fed into a machine, then lord knows what happens to them.
I called my mom and asked her how rough it was at her polling place. She said they were slammed, but things were moving smoothly.
Blogging The Vote
.
Scavenged from blogs around the nation: *note* the "..." means I cut part of the story. Each tale has a link to the full blog entry.
This morning, at around 7:05 a.m., I went to my local voting place ... Sure enough, in the few minutes I was there--and remember, this is just after the polls have opened--there was a problem with one of the machines supposedly not having enough paper to confirm the electronic voting! ... As I left, a line was starting to form.
Early voting in five states showed that voters' choice are being flipped to the opposite candidate on all four major e-voting machines — Diebold TSx, Sequoia Edge, ES&S iVotronic, and Hart InterCivic eSlate.
Voting problems, voter excitement, voter patience -- and getting out the vote
by Joe in DC - 11/07/2006 11:48:00 AM
*Computer problems delayed the start of voting in Delaware County, Indiana.
*Programming errors and inexperience dealing with electronic voting machines frustrated poll workers in hundreds of precincts early Tuesday, delaying voters in Indiana, Ohio and Florida and leaving some with little choice but to use paper ballots instead.
*UNBELIEVABLE turnout at my precinct in Alexandria. It's 8:30 and there are at least 150 in line.
*I feel sorry for the voters of Maryland. The polls opened at 7:00 am, so we got there at 6:55. Nothing happened til 7:15 when the poll workers began to process voters. There was only one computer to check in voters. It was a very, very slow process....
*Also, while I was driving to work, there was an enormous line outside of the public library on Arlington Blvd. I hope that voters stay patient!
.
Scavenged from blogs around the nation: *note* the "..." means I cut part of the story. Each tale has a link to the full blog entry.
This morning, at around 7:05 a.m., I went to my local voting place ... Sure enough, in the few minutes I was there--and remember, this is just after the polls have opened--there was a problem with one of the machines supposedly not having enough paper to confirm the electronic voting! ... As I left, a line was starting to form.
Early voting in five states showed that voters' choice are being flipped to the opposite candidate on all four major e-voting machines — Diebold TSx, Sequoia Edge, ES&S iVotronic, and Hart InterCivic eSlate.
Voting problems, voter excitement, voter patience -- and getting out the vote
by Joe in DC - 11/07/2006 11:48:00 AM
*Computer problems delayed the start of voting in Delaware County, Indiana.
*Programming errors and inexperience dealing with electronic voting machines frustrated poll workers in hundreds of precincts early Tuesday, delaying voters in Indiana, Ohio and Florida and leaving some with little choice but to use paper ballots instead.
*UNBELIEVABLE turnout at my precinct in Alexandria. It's 8:30 and there are at least 150 in line.
*I feel sorry for the voters of Maryland. The polls opened at 7:00 am, so we got there at 6:55. Nothing happened til 7:15 when the poll workers began to process voters. There was only one computer to check in voters. It was a very, very slow process....
*Also, while I was driving to work, there was an enormous line outside of the public library on Arlington Blvd. I hope that voters stay patient!
Monday, November 06, 2006
Angry
.
I've been angry all day, and I didn't know why. After listening to a crapload of political news, I understand my anger now.
I DON'T TRUST THAT OUR VOTES WILL BE COUNTED.
And I hate that.
On my 18th birthday, I registered to vote. I have voted in every election except one since then. (I just forgot to vote that day) I have been voting for 19 years. Every time, I hope that what I favor passes and who I choose wins -but if they don't, they don't. The people have spoken. I had faith in the system; if not in the intellect of the masses.
But then the Florida recount of the presidential votes was disrupted by right wing rioting religious groups. Remember. It wasn't that long ago. They blocked the doorways, clogged the halls, and eventually broke down the doors in one recount office. The entire office had to move to a secure location. JUST TO COUNT OUR VOTES.
As a result, not all the votes were counted in time; and Bush became President.
4 years later - votes were lost, added, subtracted, or changed. Not just in a few districts in Ohio. There were problems across the country. Our government did nothing. And Bush remained President. And this isn't about the President. There have been voting problems everywhere there has been a tight race over *anything*. People have been turned away from the polls, experienced excessively long lines, or suffered ballot mis-management for local elections and mid-terms too.
My mom, who is a Republican election judge, had an incident where no one was coming in to vote during one of those small elections. She went outside and saw that the Fire Department had blocked off the entrance to the polling place, and an officer was directing people away. (Admittedly, the police officer thought the polling place had been closed. He really wasn't trying to cause problems. But if it can happen over a misunderstanding, think what could be done on purpose!) My mother dutifully reported the incident, cleared up the misunderstanding, and got the officer to tell people the polling place was still open and safe. To his credit, the cop stuck around for hours, making sure people knew they could vote.
My mom lives in a politically mixed neighborhood. She has taken to marking the boundaries of the polling "no pester zone" with chalk, and the judges take turns standing outside to keep voters from feeling intimidated. I find that necessity outrageous.
And I feel threatened and defensive. I don't expect any problems voting tomorrow at my particular polling place; and I'm terrified about what might happen at some of the other places. Every vote should count. Every voter should feel secure while entering or exiting the polls. Every voter should be able to have faith that their elections are secure. Are they?
.
I've been angry all day, and I didn't know why. After listening to a crapload of political news, I understand my anger now.
I DON'T TRUST THAT OUR VOTES WILL BE COUNTED.
And I hate that.
On my 18th birthday, I registered to vote. I have voted in every election except one since then. (I just forgot to vote that day) I have been voting for 19 years. Every time, I hope that what I favor passes and who I choose wins -but if they don't, they don't. The people have spoken. I had faith in the system; if not in the intellect of the masses.
But then the Florida recount of the presidential votes was disrupted by right wing rioting religious groups. Remember. It wasn't that long ago. They blocked the doorways, clogged the halls, and eventually broke down the doors in one recount office. The entire office had to move to a secure location. JUST TO COUNT OUR VOTES.
As a result, not all the votes were counted in time; and Bush became President.
4 years later - votes were lost, added, subtracted, or changed. Not just in a few districts in Ohio. There were problems across the country. Our government did nothing. And Bush remained President. And this isn't about the President. There have been voting problems everywhere there has been a tight race over *anything*. People have been turned away from the polls, experienced excessively long lines, or suffered ballot mis-management for local elections and mid-terms too.
My mom, who is a Republican election judge, had an incident where no one was coming in to vote during one of those small elections. She went outside and saw that the Fire Department had blocked off the entrance to the polling place, and an officer was directing people away. (Admittedly, the police officer thought the polling place had been closed. He really wasn't trying to cause problems. But if it can happen over a misunderstanding, think what could be done on purpose!) My mother dutifully reported the incident, cleared up the misunderstanding, and got the officer to tell people the polling place was still open and safe. To his credit, the cop stuck around for hours, making sure people knew they could vote.
My mom lives in a politically mixed neighborhood. She has taken to marking the boundaries of the polling "no pester zone" with chalk, and the judges take turns standing outside to keep voters from feeling intimidated. I find that necessity outrageous.
And I feel threatened and defensive. I don't expect any problems voting tomorrow at my particular polling place; and I'm terrified about what might happen at some of the other places. Every vote should count. Every voter should feel secure while entering or exiting the polls. Every voter should be able to have faith that their elections are secure. Are they?
My Voting Dilemma
.
I live in Missouri. I can't stand the Democrat candidate for the Senate. I *really* can't stand her. I don't know what her political aspirations are, but I don't have any faith that her aspirations have anything to do with representing *me* or *my* concerns.
Her Republican opponent, while a decent guy; is completely unpalatable to me. He is pro-life, anti-homosexual rights, anti-stem cell research, pro-war and voted perks for big businesses while Missouri was (and still is) unable to provide the basics for our poor. Missouri has cut medicare, medicaid, food stamps, AFDC, and funding for sliding-scale clinics. Missouri's governor has closed several free clinics, cut school funding, and raised taxes. He has done that because Republicans have voted repeatedly to cut federal funding. Suddenly, a state that had consistently been able to meet it's citizens needs, was running in the red. (Talk about a RED STATE, sigh.)
Normally, If I can't stand either Republican or Democrat candidate, I vote independant. I can't afford to do that this time. My home state cannot afford another term from Jim Talent, and the United States cannot afford another round of corrupt Republican rule.
I'm not saying that Jim talent himself is corrupt. I'm saying that the Republican party as a whole is corrupt. I feel sorry for the decent Republican candidates, because their party's policies are bringing them down. It's insulting and degrading to those Republicans who genuinely have the best interests of our country in mind.
Fortunately, the Democratic party has been moving more and more toward the center. Most of the "liberal" Democrats vote along the same lines as the "conservative" Republicans of 20 years ago.
So. Even though I want to slap the TV every time I see Claire McCaskill's face on it; I'm swallowing my bile and voting for her.
(gag)
I also have serious doubts about the integrity of my vote. With as tight as the race is in Missouri, I wonder if we'll be the next Ohio or Florida. Are we next in line for obvious vote fraud? Will we encounter impossibly long lines, obstruction, misplaced votes, or outright vote theft? I just don't have any confidence at all.
And if I don't vote, I won't be part of the count - miscount - or recount. So vote I shall. I'll also be bringing my fully charged cell phone. We have plenty of minutes that I can use to let people call in late for work or report any kind of voter abuse. I don't care which party someone is voting for, either. Our votes (should be) sacrosanct -untouchable-. And nothing nor anybody is going to stop *my* vote. :p
.
I live in Missouri. I can't stand the Democrat candidate for the Senate. I *really* can't stand her. I don't know what her political aspirations are, but I don't have any faith that her aspirations have anything to do with representing *me* or *my* concerns.
Her Republican opponent, while a decent guy; is completely unpalatable to me. He is pro-life, anti-homosexual rights, anti-stem cell research, pro-war and voted perks for big businesses while Missouri was (and still is) unable to provide the basics for our poor. Missouri has cut medicare, medicaid, food stamps, AFDC, and funding for sliding-scale clinics. Missouri's governor has closed several free clinics, cut school funding, and raised taxes. He has done that because Republicans have voted repeatedly to cut federal funding. Suddenly, a state that had consistently been able to meet it's citizens needs, was running in the red. (Talk about a RED STATE, sigh.)
Normally, If I can't stand either Republican or Democrat candidate, I vote independant. I can't afford to do that this time. My home state cannot afford another term from Jim Talent, and the United States cannot afford another round of corrupt Republican rule.
I'm not saying that Jim talent himself is corrupt. I'm saying that the Republican party as a whole is corrupt. I feel sorry for the decent Republican candidates, because their party's policies are bringing them down. It's insulting and degrading to those Republicans who genuinely have the best interests of our country in mind.
Fortunately, the Democratic party has been moving more and more toward the center. Most of the "liberal" Democrats vote along the same lines as the "conservative" Republicans of 20 years ago.
So. Even though I want to slap the TV every time I see Claire McCaskill's face on it; I'm swallowing my bile and voting for her.
(gag)
I also have serious doubts about the integrity of my vote. With as tight as the race is in Missouri, I wonder if we'll be the next Ohio or Florida. Are we next in line for obvious vote fraud? Will we encounter impossibly long lines, obstruction, misplaced votes, or outright vote theft? I just don't have any confidence at all.
And if I don't vote, I won't be part of the count - miscount - or recount. So vote I shall. I'll also be bringing my fully charged cell phone. We have plenty of minutes that I can use to let people call in late for work or report any kind of voter abuse. I don't care which party someone is voting for, either. Our votes (should be) sacrosanct -untouchable-. And nothing nor anybody is going to stop *my* vote. :p
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