My rebuttal to the president's remarks on the war on terror, best summarized by the Violent Femmes:


Well I'm reading this poem
and it's so profound
and I like its rhythm
and I like its sound
it's by a very famous poet
no critic can criticise
and then I pause a moment
and I start to realize
he's tellin'
lies lies lies
lies lies lies

on the motel TV.
I dig the evangelist
he'll tell you all about that
and then he tell you all about this
he's preachin' up a storm
by the sea of Galilee
he's mixin' up the truth
with something funny I start to see
he's tellin'
lies lies lies
lies lies lies

I never had this problem
with nobody in the government
I guess I always figured
they never mean what they meant
and GOD help us all
not to be so stone surprised
when we wake up in the stars
with the skies in our eyes
if we keep tellin'
lies lies lies
lies lies lies

Whew! Took me awhile to get this screen up to put up a new post.

So... 12 years of insurgency in Iraq. Guess that's okay since Bush will be out of office long before the war he got us into is over. Still think the whole thing could have been settled quick and easy. - put three things in a room. Bush, Saddam, and a ruler. That way they could have whipped it out and decided who the "bigger" man really was. Oh, the ruler would have needed milimeters on it. Anyone know what is smaller than that? Whatever it is would probably be more accurate.

Spent the weekend in Lake Wilson, which was celebrating Town & Country day on Sat. Dad was working all day with the firefighters. They sold beer, soda, and brats at the big event of Sat. afternoon - mud races. Not as exciting as it sounds. Was interesting the first couple of races, but after that lost its appeal. I could see the races from a second floor window in Dad's house. We did go down for a bit, but there were some technical difficulties and the kids were quickly bored. Anyway, I think mud racing may be the one sport that even NASCAR fans can look down upon. But it did a pretty brisk business. Maybe if I'd been drinking... Oh, the firefighters grossed about 1500 on beer during the afternoon (they grossed about the same in the evening at the street dance).

We ate supper with Dad at the fire hall. This is a T&CD tradition. A meal served out of the fire hall. I got to talk with Dave Johnson, the father of my best friend, Eric. Dave had some medical tests due to abdominal pain. I, of course, started thinking of how things started with Mom. Luckily, Dave is doing better and the pain is subsiding.

In the past, after the meal on Sat., there was a play put on by the Lake Wilson Community Players, of which I was a member (either part of the crew or cast) for every year plays were put on. Saturday was always our big night to draw a crowd. We were usually sold out on Sat. I think Mom would nearly pull her hair out every year because it often would look like the play would never come together, but it always somehow did.

Instead, Saturday night has seen a return of a street dance. Dad gave us tickets to go if we'd wanted, but the kids both crashed, so we ended up hanging at the house. I did step outside a couple times to listen. They played some Gear Daddies, Back Crowes, Pink Floyd. Not great, but not bad.

During the day and night, I helped Dad with tabulating the money the firefighers brought in with concessions, tickets to the dance, and beer. Suffice it to say I didn't sleep too sound as I was worried someone would remember Dad is the firefighter treasurer and come for the money. Nothing like that happened. If anyone was stupid enough to come in, they'd have had to face Dodger, who'd likely pee on them.

I missed Mom a lot early Sun. I started thinking about how we'd have spent the day together - going to the park with the kids, playing on some of the toys they'd brought in for the day. Mom talking with Amy about how things are going with the pregnancy. Walking down to the fire hall for supper together. It sucked that she missed it all, but I know that we're the ones really missing out, that she is somewhere more wonderful than we can ever imagine. Still, I know she'd love to hear some of the funny things both kids say, playing games with the kids, reading to them...

Okay, time to rant about the stupidity of some people in this state. John Thune was elected to the Senate and Daschle was thrown out on his ear. I can accept that. Don’t like it, but I accept it. What disturbs me is that Thune made some promises during his campaign and isn’t able to deliver. He claimed to have the President’s ear and that the Air Force base in the Hills wouldn’t close. Guess what, it’s on the list to be closed with all equipment and some personnel moving to a base in Texas, Bush’s alleged home state (at least, that is where he decided to copy the frickin’ accent). Don’t see Bush putting up the stop sign.

Thune – you don’t have Bush’s ear because you did what you were told to do and now are expected to sit down, shut the hell up and eat a great big shit burger if that’s what POTUS wants. If it feels like the administration is fucking you in the ass, it is because they are. This is politics, and you are definitely closing in on the equivalent of waking up in a strange place, wondering what the hell you did the night before, who the hell is that in bed next to you, why your ass is so sore, and just what is that running down your leg?

Part of me does believe in conspiracies. In that vein, I half expect Bush to grant you this one favor for getting rid of Daschle. Make you look like a hero. But, when you come up for election again, Bush won’t be in office (unless the deal the Bush family made with Satan continues and Jeb gets in – Jeb Bush – He understood Teri Schiavo’s plight as he is in a vegetative state most of the time himself). Hopefully the people in this country will realize we aren’t on the right path and find someone outside of your party to lead (it’s been a Republican controlled Congress and White House – why aren’t our lives as fabulous as they promised when they were running?). Face it, Thune, you’ve been used like a $25 whore. Did what the President needed when he needed it and got kicked to the curb when he was done with you. Good luck with your political career if the base closes. Oh, and maybe its time to quit making promises about what you can’t deliver.

And to the people of this state: when you have someone in a position of power, you don’t knock them out because you think they have been there too long, especially when that person is saying if elected it will be the last term they serve in office. If the base does close, take a long look in the mirror, especially you idiots out west if you can pull yourself off the livestock at your ranch. Look in the mirror if those jobs are lost and congratulate yourself for your part in that. Bravo.

Oh, I also love how some of the Bush/Thune supporters are saying that this situation was in place before Thune took office. Yes, and the war in Iraq needed to be fought because Sadam wasn’t taken out in the first Gulf War (thank your daddy for that POTUS). It is possible that this situation was looming before the election, but I do know that Sen. Johnson was on a committee that sent a crap load of money to Ellsworth to improve it. I think Johnson got on that committee because of Daschle’s position. I’ll end with a question to those Thune supporters out there. If Ellsworh hadn’t been on the closure list, would Thune have given the credit to his predecessor, or taken the credit as his own?

So is 33 the age when you start noticing how old you truly are getting? We went to Wal-Mart today to pick up a few things, among those was some facial moisturizer for me (can't help it, feel too guily watching "Queer Eye" without some in my medicine cabinet. Anyway, I've been kind of thinking of all the hair I have that has turned (or is turning) white - chest is where I am noticing it the most, but there is some creeping into the facial hair. I don't really mind the change and I'm not going to be rushing out to do anything to get back to the color of my youth. If this is how I'm supposed to age, I accept it.

I am liking what swimming has done for me. Not a lot of weight loss in a short amount of time, but I am losing weight slowly - more likely to keep that off, I think. I also don't get winded as quickly as I had 6 mos. ago. Defintely nice to know there has been some benefit to going there.

Ended up neatening up a closet today and fixed the cord retractor on the vacuum. My Cubs got spanked by the evil empire Yankees today. I hope they can at least avoid the sweep. They have been a difficult team to figure out this year.

Not sure what is on the docket for tomorrow.

One of my favorite bands, Big Fish Ensemble, released a new disc in April called "Raze the Duds." I saw the band open for the Indigo Girls about 10 years ago at the Dakota Dome and have all their discs. Once I heard about the release, I jumped on-line to find it, but had no luck. This bummed me out because I’ve read this will likely be the last material the band will ever put out as they are now all living in different parts of the country (originally had been in the Atlanta area). A friend (and high school classmate of Amy’s) lives down there and actually had babysat for two of the members of the band. Amy contacted Jessica, who apparently contacted Michael Lorant for me. The disc came in the mail yesterday (or the day before – it has been a long week) and I listened to that sucker today. I laughed and laughed and thoroughly enjoyed it. Thank you, Jessica, for your help in helping a BFE fan in S.D. get his hands on the disc.

Been a busy month for new music in our house (compared with some months). We bought the new Amy Ray solo disc when we were in the Hills, the new Girlyman disc was released and sent to our door, the Indigo Girls released a disc of rarities, and I got the new Big Fish Ensemble. Not much is going to top this past month for music this summer. I was tempted to try the acoustic version of Jagged Little Pill by Alanis Morrisette, but reviews have been pretty brutal. I’d prefer not to destroy what I like about the original by hearing it in a toned down setting. I do still have a disc with a version of "You Oughta Know" she performed at the Grammy’s. Just her and the piano. Not much else for new music in my radar. Have heard Queensryche is working on a sequel to Operation: Mindcrime. When it is released, it shall be mine.

Happy anniversary to Lake Wilson, MN. It was 13 years ago today that an F5 tornado ripped through the town. I can recall sitting in that bathroom with Mom, holding her hand, expecting to come out to find part of the house missing. We ended up being okay, as did Dad. I still hate seeing vehicles with IA plates. Guess I was tired of the people trying to come in and see the devastation first hand. Sorry, guess that isn’t the best tourist destination, given that people’s lives were deeply effected. There were some people trying to find the back way in that got a good look at some of the asses of the guys on my crew. I settled for saluting their ingenuity with my middle finger. Since living through the tornado there, I have had no desire to see another town that has been hit. The only way I would go would be as part of a volunteer group going in to either work or provide disaster mental health services. Anything else and I would be in the damned way. I’d wager if you asked anyone who has lived through a major storm (you know, one where you spend 5 days doing nothing but cutting and hauling fallen trees, branches and debris), they know what a pain in the ass the rubber neckers are. I do have to admit I wasn’t weeping when Iowa was hit by floods the following summer. I did keep my ass at home rather than go and see someone else’s misery first hand.

The town has just about recovered from the gas explosion last year. I guess the gas pipe leading into the building was supposed to have a kink in it but did not. Over time because it wasn’t there, the coupling of the gas line got loose, the building filled with gas, and BOOM!

Tried to go to sleep tonight, but I don’t know if it is coming. Thinking a lot about Mom . I keep thinking of her last year and how scared she must have been, especially when she started to feel the cancer return.

Mom instilled in me a love of reading. I’ve gotten through a lot of books in the last 5 weeks or so – the latest 3 by Koontz, latest by Sanford, and the latest by Patterson. I read the first few pages of a book I thought I’d not read by Janet Evanovich. Now I’m stuck between books. I have several by an author, Harlan Corben, that Mom had been reading for 18-24 months before she got sick. I am reluctant to read those, though. It is the last author Mom tried to turn me on to and I’m never going to get that again. There was a connection with us and reading. She got me reading King, Cornwell, Evanovich, Balladuci, Grisham, Connolly, Cook. I got her reading Patterson, McCammon, Deaver, Koontz. I think we both discovered Kellerman at about the same time. Amy got us reading Reichs and Hoag. I know that it will still happen – that Amy or I will read something by an author we’ve never read, and we’ll be hooked. I also know that Amy and I can talk about the books we’ve read. I still miss talking books with Mom. One of the billion things I miss about her.

The Indigo Girls released an album of rarities (covers, bootlegs, etc.). On it is a song Amy Ray wrote as a tribute for a friend of hers who died of ovarian cancer. Her friend had been an environmental activist, trying to make the world a healthier place. She ended up being poisoned by the pollution she fought to eliminate. I first heard the song yesterday and it transfixed me. I know that at the end, when the chemo didn’t work and Mom made her decision not to fight, she simply wanted to go easy.


let me go easy
------------------------------------------------------------------------

come pleasure me again
i'm so tired of digging in
i've done my share i don't need to win
just let me go easy

for two years my body fights
at this point it don't seem right
just to do it out of spite
and keep hanging on

come on let me go easy
won’t you let me go easy
you let me go right now

seen the numbers dwindling
of my enemies and my friends and
still i know it never ends
so i'm passing you this torch

fight the greed and the federals
fight the need and the toxic spills and
drink from that wishing well
but may it never quench your thirst

(let me go easy)
come on let me go easy
oh would you let me go easy
you let me go right now

(let me go easy)
come on let me go easy
oh won't you let me go easy
you let me go right now

so when you get to laytonville
for the tears and the fare thee wells
for a moment stand real still
and you'll feel me moving on

go ahead with your plans
oh you won't be seeing me again
you'll feel me in the hand
the hand that holds the plow

(let me go easy)
come on let me go easy
oh would you let me go easy
you let me go right now

(let me go easy)
come on let me go easy
oh would you let me go easy
you let me go right now

words and music by amy ray

Happy birthday Accalia! I can not believe my little girl is already 6. It’s happening too fast. I can still recall bringing her home from the hospital and how tiny she was. I feel truly blessed to have her in my life and that she is a happy (most of the time), healthy, well-adjusted girl.

We ended up going up to Mitchell to get a wood sample (damned imaginary termites that can only be seen by pest technicians) to be sent in for testing so we maybe won’t have to drop a thousand dollars to treat a problem that doesn’t exist. The bonus about the detour was that we saw a vehicle with Louisiana plates. Another one down (hey, I’m giving us until the end of the year…)

After that 15-20 minutes in Mitchell, we were off to Sioux Falls. Went directly to Chuck E. Cheese for some pizza (haven't had THAT in awhile) and a lot of games for the b-day girl and her sidekick. We all had a blast. Ended up discovering that the tickets that are won are basically the cash equivalent of a dime.

Anyway, from there, we went to the Children's Science Center at the Washington Pavilion. It was pretty cool, lots of hands on stuff for the kids to do (and Amy and I as well). There was one hallway where the light is manipulated to make everything look black and white. Really weird. We also took in a show at the Cinedome. Almost got motion sickness with that. Kids were pretty much ready to go after that. We had two non-birthday related stops to make, then grabbed some supper and were on our way back home.

My cousin Autumn had her baby today. Another sign of the Apocalypse fulfilled.
Told Amy I'm hoping this will get her out of focusing only on herself but fear she'll end up making everything no longer about her, but now about her and the baby. Am very happy that everyone came through it and is healthy.

Woke up the night before last with a bat in our room. At about the same time as our noticing it, Accalia came into the room. We got the bat out of our room and tried to hunt it down. Didn’t find it. We settled for closing off our room and hunkering down for the night. Last night, the little bastard made a return appearance. We again tried to hunt him down, again he was smarter than we are. Amy and I ended up opening a window and removed the screen from one window downstairs and turned off the lights to watch and wait. Nothing. As we started back up the stairs, we spotted it up in the landing. Tried luring it outside by opening an upstairs window. That didn’t work. We ended up opening the window downstairs again (would have been the one upstairs, but it is by a dormer that we know was a main entry point for the bats last year). No sign since then. Little nervous though because this is really early for them to be in here – when we’ve had them in the house, it usually starts in August and goes into September. Amy called the company that supposedly bat proofed out house. They do have us on the list for a spring re-check but the wet weather has kept them from getting back here.