Red Eye w/ Greg Gutfeld

I've had a lot of new readers comment and e-mail me in the past few months and I know a lot of you guys (and friends) have told me you are kind of tired of the same old news and politics lately... I also said something the other day about this show and I didn't mean it the way it sounded! So, I just wanted to say, if you're looking for something to lighten up the election season, you should really check out Red Eye w/ Greg Gutfeld on the Fox News Channel. It's on at 3:00 AM EST weekdays and I think a better time on the weekends (midnight EST maybe?). It's topical, but hilarious (and that's a smart hilarious)! I really can't say enough good things and believe me, I've tried!

(And yeah, I said something like this the other day but it really got buried in one of my lengthy "Sarah Palin is the greatest person to ever live...ever" posts. Now I'm off to watch "Leatherheads!" Tomorrow, I'm thinking I'll post a "top ten"...movies? women who make me die a little inside?)

Bob freakin' Barr

Quote of the Day: "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety." – Benjamin Franklin

I've spent most of the day mentally composing a post about the economic "crisis." But I've been economic "crisised" to death and I just don't feel like it now. Plus, I'm not sure where to start...I can sum it all up in a few talking points, but that's boring. I do want to say this: if I hear one more person say "Wall Street" and "Main Street" in the same damn sentence again, I'm going to rip them a new one...I'm just not sure how I'll get there to do it because there is no gas in my entire county and I found out the hard way last night that the whole running over myself thing has stolen any hope I had for running in the near future.

The other thing? Out of everyone I've heard on TV, the person who has made some sense to me, is Bob freakin' Barr. I don't care for Bob Barr too much - he used to be my congressman as did Newt Gingrich - and I've spent a lot of time telling people why they shouldn't vote for him, but I don't know, I'm going to pretend I heard him wrong. That said, I was recently given the option to receive the money from my pension plan now vs letting it roll over, but I think I'm going to opt for taking it now. And now, I'm going to go withdrawal the $20 I have in the bank and put it in a shoebox. Just saying...

Actually, I just spent $20. I'm determined to cure Gabby without actually taking her to a vet because I'm convinced the stuff they give me is poison. Hmmm, I'm becoming one of those weird people who think "the man" is out to get them. If I start giving weird explanations for 9/11, please don't hesitate to come shoot me...just make sure I'm not hiding in the bushes somewhere with my own gun, waiting to go all vigilante on you!

Song of the Day: "Down" - Stone Temple Pilots

Chinese Wisdom and Fantasy Football

Quote of the Day: "An interesting stranger will soon become a friend." - from my fortune cookie

Drew Brees is the new Peyton. That is all.

Song of the Day: "Hollywood Nights" by Bob Seeger - one of my favorite songs in the whole wide world!

P.S. My hair isn't red anymore!! Yay!

Saturday at the Movies...

I've said it before: I suck at reviewing movies. I also seem to see everything months and years after the rest of the world. I have a very poor knowledge of many basic, classic films and I have really cheesy taste. Says the film major/actor.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE LOVE LOVE the film world, obviously, but it just seems like these days there's no one to go with (everyone I know is getting married and/or lives in other states) and I wouldn't be caught dead in a theater alone. I am currently working my way through the "classics" I've never seen.

So, the invention of Netflix has been this girl's best friend. I used to sit and catalog what films I wanted to see to a very obsessive point. Netflix kind of allows me to do that without even opening a Word document or a pen. (For what it's worth, I do it with books too.) With Netflix, as soon as I hear of/see a trailer for/remember something I want to see, I just add it to my queue...which brings me to today.

I've had the same few movies sitting on top of my DVD player for a while now and today, I decided it was time to watch them...I got to two of the three and I'm betting you've never heard of either of them, but this is the thing with Netflix, I add something to the list, it suggest ten other movies I may like with similar actors or plots and before I know it, I've added eight more to the list. So, now I have this list of 500 but half of them I get and can't remember why I added them, which may describe the two I watched today:

1. The Life Before Her Eyes - this one is about a high school shooting and flashes back and forth between the time of the shooting and fifteen years after the shooting took place. It stars Uma Thurman and I think I spent the first 2/3 of it thinking why am I watching this? It struck me as barely a step above a Lifetime movie of the week. There is a little twist at the end, but nothing spectacular. If I'm being nice, it wasn't awful and some of the cinematography was pretty good but overall, I wouldn't go out of my way to watch it. Truthfully, I just read a book about a school shooting and I'm thinking that was the only appeal.

2. Then She Found Me - starred and directed by Helen Hunt. This one was better but still not something I'd suggest you run out and rent or buy. It is a romantic comedy but not in the traditional sense, which I liked. As a matter of fact, I loved Colin Firth's character and the relationship between him and Helen Hunt. Basically, it's the story of a 39 year old teacher who's desperate to have a baby, her husband leaves her, she falls in love with one of her students' fathers, and her eccentric birth mother shows up out of the blue. I hate to use the word "quirky," but it was just that - and as one who loathes most traditional romantic comedies, that worked for me.

And those are my sucky movie reviews. Next time, I'll try to watch something better. I also have "Gone Baby Gone" - Ben Affleck's directorial debut, but I didn't make it to that one today because apparently it is impossible for me to say "I'm going to go sit by myself and watch a movie." without someone coming up with something better I could be doing. God, I miss my house.

Finally, Paul Newman died today. I don't really have a lot to say about it, but I will say Hollywood lost one of its biggest stars. And today, in a world of Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton, and God knows who else, it's such a shame to see someone like that gone - someone who cared about his craft and cared even more about helping others. And quite a good-looking man, if I may be so crass. I was trying to think of my favorite Newman film and I have to admit, a lot of his classics are on my "catching up" list, but I came up with: "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" (I bet you didn't see that one coming) but I also decided on "Empire Falls." If you haven't seen "Empire Falls," I do recommend you run out and get it. It's a book turned HBO miniseries and I loved it. It was one of Newman's last roles and he was great!

Oh well, enjoy your Sunday...I have to go to a party tomorrow afternoon, but I'll be around.

The Great Debate...and apartments!

Quote of the Day: "I'm not going to set the White House visitors schedule before I'm president of the United States. I don't even have a seal yet." - John McCain

OK, so I'm a little late with this (I got caught up talking to friends who were also watching) but is it just me or was the debate a little...boring? I think McCain won and I say that not as a partisan, but because Obama seemed to stutter and be on defense the whole time. It was like he was reading talking points or a bunch of stuff he'd memorized while McCain actually knew what he was talking about. McCain got in some good little zingers, I thought, or at least good for him, let's face it, he's not exactly "Mr. Personality," otherwise, eh, it wasn't as great as I hoped. Bring on the VPs!

So, yesterday, I mentioned I've found a place to live. It's an apartment and I've never actually lived in an apartment, but it's $200 a month cheaper than my house was and even though it's only one bedroom, larger in square footage. And check out all that closet space! And well, I don't have to worry about anyone selling the place. It's also here, but it'll work for now. I'm also worried about Gabby. She barks - not constantly like some dogs, but when she sees or hears something out of the ordinary. The bad thing is, I won't be able to move in until after Thanksgiving unless I find another kick-ass job. I just don't want to spend Christmas moving again - I moved on December 26 last year! I was also working two jobs and I was really sick. It was tons of fun! Anyway, Monday I'm going to start taking the job thing a little more seriously whether than means subbing where I don't want to and looking for something part-time to supplement it or whatever, then that's what I'll do. I need to get this show on the road...or something like that. But right now I'm going to go heat up my leftover Mexican food (I cooked last night - the only thing I can make -tacos!) and watch a movie.

Oh yeah - I added a few links to my fave websites over there to the right...just a few more friends' blogs and the Alliance Theatre (which is where I studied acting). I'd put more friends' blogs up but I know some are looking to keep their anonymity because of jobs and things like that and I didn't want to ruffle any feathers. Plus, most of the losers just do MySpace. I'm not linking those. Ick.

Song of the Day: "Rain on a Tin Roof" - Julie Roberts - I picked this particular song because of the lyrics but Julie Roberts has got to be one of the most underrated singers in the world. Her first album is one of my favorites and one of the few I'll listen to all the way through. She's just got this great, "bluesy" sound. The quality of the song on this video isn't that great but it's the only version I could find:

It's on!!!

And by "it" I mean the debate. But if you didn't know that, I have no interest in talking to you right now.

Sorry for the lack of updates, I've had a bout of...uh I'm going to say food poisoning. I found a new place to live though!! More on that later...

And that's all I have to say. I'd actually decided I was going to make a post about Red Eye w/ Greg Gutfeld since what I said a couple of days ago about it got buried in one of my "Sarah Palin is the best person ever to live" posts but it looks like there is no show tonight due to the debate. I'll do it next week, maybe.

The "Red Eye" guys (at least Gutfeld and Andy Levy) are actually on the strategy room thingy at FoxNews.com now which is awesome, they are great outside the show, but I don't know how much longer they'll be there and personally, I'm not sure I can take too much of one of the other panelists.

update 5:00ish: Now all the "Red Eye" guys are there and the annoyance is gone. Here's the link: http://www.foxnews.com/video2/live.html?chanId=3

(see how sick I am, not only am I sitting here watching this, I'm apparently live blogging it)

Jump!

(unless you have a torn or sprained MCL, then I personally suggest postponing and any and all jumping)

Quote of the Day: "Don't keep a man guessing too long - he's sure to find the answer somewhere else.” - Mae West

So, here's a random thought (because when I have nothing to say, I blog anyway). I've noticed a lot of people I know are doing the online dating thing now. I guess it's becoming more of a normal thing because these are attractive, intelligent, normal people who just don't have time to get out and meet people outside of work. And let's face it, there's not a bevy of single men floating around elementary schools. But there's just something cheesy about those stupid dating websites and the way people advertise themselves. I am NOT one of those cheesy, romantic, "long walks on the beach" types. Trying too hard is the vibe I get from those sites and men who try too hard make me die a little inside. Of course there are always career-oriented networking sites on which certain detectives you can't get out of your head have profiles and are just one click away from a "Hi, you don't know me, but..." Yeah right.

Oh well, I'm going to go watch a movie...alone. (which is fine, I've always been a pretty happily solitary person)

Song of the Day "Jump" by Van Halen - just because

Larry Munson

I meant to post this a few days ago but I got busy with stuff and it slipped my mind.

Lary Munson, voice of the Georgia Bulldogs for the last 42 years, decided to retire on Monday. It's one of those things you knew was going to happen, you just hoped it never would. For as long as I've lived, every fall Saturday was filled with the sounds of Munson's voice as my father and grandfather turned down their TVs and turned up the radio to hear that old familiar play-by-play. Even as a child who knew nothing about the sport, I knew that voice and I learned to associate it with all the "down-home" comfort I feel around this time of year. Football Saturdays won't be the same. UGA won't be the same.

Here's a great little article about Munson from a former "Red & Black" reporter: My Memories of Munson.

And a great little Munson tribute someone made:

Maverick

1. McCain is going to put his money where his mouth is.
2. Harry Reid says McCain isn't needed. Either way, Harry, the eyes of the nation are now going to be on Washington, looking for some answers...that means you.
3. Obama pretty much said he told them to call him if they need him. That's leadership for ya!
4. I love this.

Oy

That word pops into my head a lot. I'm not sure how it came to be part of my internal vernacular, but lately, it seems to be the proper response to every and all situations - from the small and meaningless to the big things that linger in your mind. Gabby wants to go out in the middle of the night. Oy. Gas is back over $4 a gallon. Oy. Terrell Owens did nothing for my fantasy team this week. Oy. I can't find my nail polish remover. Oy. Somehow my TV got turned to "The View." Oy. I'm the only person on the face of the earth who quits their decent-paying job on the brink of economic disaster without a concrete back-up plan. Oy.

OK. Hmm, I've had a bit of writer's block for the past few days, both here and elsewhere. I gave up on trying to get that short story cranked out before September 30, but I still want to write it and I'm still looking to FO'C for inspiration and I've decided it's high time I read "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil." (And maybe a book about run-on sentences.) So, I drove to the $100 a month 10x10 space that now contains my life, and in all of my one-legged glory, took off my shoes and climbed up on top of all my furniture to get to my box of "to read" books. Only to realize, it wasn't actually my box of "to read" books and was, instead, a box of Gabby's toys. The box of books was, of course, sitting by the door. Then I sat on one of my dining room chairs, basked in the smell of my old house, and wondered if the kind people at the storage facility would mind if I just curled up and took a nap on MY bed. Then I remembered the kind woman who more or less hit on me when I rented said storage facility and decided against it. Though in her defense, it was shortly after I ran over myself, I had to put "law enforcement" as my career on some form I had to fill out, I was not wearing any makeup and I was dressed very much like a boy. But I digress.

So, I was planning to launch into this political rant today but you know what? I can't. This whole election is becoming a joke. Last night, I read an article by some guy about how Sarah Palin worships the mentally ill and we all need to get off our high horse and realize the mentally ill should all be aborted because they do not contribute to society. His name was not Adolph or Karl. I suppose I'm just narrow minded this way, but that was possibly the dumbest thing I've read. I followed it up by reading something stupid about how many cars John McCain owns. Are these people serious? I finally just laughed. I sat in my bedroom at 4:00 AM while reading this crap and laughed because what else can you do? I'm hoping Friday night's debate will put a damper on these extracurriculars and get everyone focused on the big picture. Then again, I'm sure after a night of talk of war, the economy, and health care, the media will still be worried about how much Cindy McCain's outfit cost.

Quote of the Day: "Politics is supposed to be the second-oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first." - Ronald Reagan

Song of the Day: "Say Goodbye" - Fleetwood Mac I know I used this five or six weeks ago but once again, I find myself thinking the lyrics "Once you said good-bye to me, now I say good-bye to you" are pretty meaningful to something in my life.

Every Little Kiss

I was looking for the Bruce Hornsby version but I could only come up with Sara Evans covering it, which I like too. Supposedly, Bruce played piano on this anyway.

That's all. I have a headache. And I learned the hard way that my knee is definitely not healed.

Palin draws crowd of 60,000 in The Villages

I bet that's more than the number of people watching the Emmys!

Palin draws crowd of 60,000 in The Villages

(All things snide political statements and Josh Groban aside, Lauren Conrad is a presenter? I'm not even 100% positive who she is, I just know she takes a supposedly respectable show down a few notches.)

Live Blogging the Emmys

8:00 PM: Emmys begin with smug Oprah speech and horrible improv? by five...yes five...hosts...

8:55 PM: And so, all fond childhood memories of Tommy Smothers and his yo-yo are ruined. It wasn't so much what he said (anti-war, Bush, blah blah blah), it was more the fact that when he went to dedicate the award, I figured at least the bastard is going to dedicate it to troops overseas, even though he just insulted everything they stand for. But no, he didn't even do that. Instead, he dedicated to the people who speak out and "won't shut up."

9:00 PM: Heidi Klum and Ryan Seacrest announce Josh Groban will be singing 30 television theme songs

9:01 PM: Green Bay 6, Dallas 3

What I did this weekend:

(in pictures)

Football (What a game! Matt Ryan is looking pretty good for the Falcons, as is Michael Turner...I guess we'll see next week if today's game was just dumb luck against a really bad team)





Flannery (I'm re-reading and hoping for some inspiration. The story I was going to write for that contest has a beginning and an end but no middle.)



and...Gabby (Fall is definitely in the air and I've been trying to take her for some nice scenic walks so we can both enjoy it...)

Oh yeah, and I've been playing this dumb game called Stand O Food . I downloaded a one hour trial and since then I've been downloading every one hour trial I can find.

Me: "I'm doing this new thing on my blog called 'The Daily Sarah.' You have to guess if it's going to be about me or Sarah Palin."
My Dad: "I'm sure the world is holding its breath."

Off to watch the rest of the Colts game...or Denver/NO...some of my former classmates are playing (Champ and Boss Bailey)!

P.S. If anyone runs across video of last night's SNL skit where they are sending reporters to Alaska, could you please send it my way? Thanks!

Georgia on My Mind

Oh Georgia, take me to your southlands

I sometimes feel my life is rolling on

Oh Georgia lead me through your heartlands

I need to see them one more time before I'm gone - Elton John

I love my state, I really do. It's such a beautiful place when you get right down to it. We have have one of the biggest cities in the country and some of the nicest small towns, we have beautiful mountains, a gorgeous coast, and a very rich history. I'm sure most everyone feels that way about their home state at some point in time - the same sort of pride you might feel for your favorite sports team - but I tend to bask in it whenever possible. This is probably why I found myself sitting here last night watching "The Seven Natural Wonders of Georgia" on our local public broadcasting channel. But when it hit me I'd only been to three of the seven, I was a little disappointed. As a child, I was lucky enough to have parents who who took me to places that were both fun AND a learning experience when they could afford to which is how I got to see two of the "seven wonders." The ,first being Warm Springs. If you don't know Warm Springs, it's a small town in central Georgia known for its well, warm springs. Franklin Delano Roosevelt's "The Little White House" is there and I believe he spent a great deal of time of there because of the springs. (According to Wikipedia, the springs are full of minerals and remain 90 degrees at all times.) Anyway, my parents took me to see the springs and The Little White House (which is now a museum) when we were down there at Callaway Gardens on a big family vacation one year. It was a neat place to visit, though my most vivid memory was, despite the warnings of tour guides, reaching out to touch the bed FDR died in, just so I could say I did. The second place I know from childhood remains one of my favorite places to go in this great state: Stone Mountain. If you ever come to Georgia and you're as big a geek as I am, I definitely recommend you go. Stone Mountain is a big, well, granite stone! Not so natural, but Stonewall Jackson, Jefferson Davis, and Robert E. Lee are carved into the side of it. It's surrounded by a park of sorts with tons of things to do. You can walk or take the skylift up the mountain. There's a railroad and my favorite, the riverboat cruise. There's a real Antebellum plantation, a museum, a 4D theater, a "town" modeled after something out of the 1800s with food, shopping, activities, a patriotic laser show and more! I love that place and have been back on numerous occasions. Every time I have a friend in town who wants to do touristy things, I take them there.
The third place I've been is Amicalola Falls. I don't have a lot of memory of this one, I stopped by with friends when we were in the area for another reason and looked down over the falls, but I think I'd definitely love to go back. As a matter of fact, I'd love to visit the four I missed: Okefenokee Swamp (I was supposed to go here on a school trip when I was in 8th grade but the school system voted it down), Providence Canyon, Radium Springs, and Tallulah Gorge. If I had a willing partner, I'd probably spend a lot of weekends taking trips like this! Back when I was in full-on acting mode, I actually used to want to create my own show, much like this "Georgia Traveler" only I'd visit places around the South and share their beauty and history with the world. I think it's even one reason I'm thinking about teaching now. I'm not just a Georgia Geek, but a history geek as well, and when I'm subbing, I love social studies time, especially when the kids are learning Georgia or US History. I love to gather them up in the front of the room and have them sit in a big circle and read and chat about history and I find I can make it interesting pretty easily with a lot of them. I also hope, that when I have my own children, I'll be in a position where I can take them to places like this, just as my parents did me.

Anyway, that was my little geeky thought for the weekend. I was cleaning out my list of "Favorites" the other day and I ran across this: 25 Books Every Georgian Should Read. I know a lot of the books, but I've only read a few: "Cold Sassy Tree," "A Good Man is Hard to Find" (I have it sitting here by me right now, planning to read it again actually), and "Uncle Remus: The Complete Tales." I think I may just have to pick some of my fall reading material from the list. I love Southern fiction anyway, which is probably why Donna Tartt's "The Little Friend" became one of my favorite books when I read it in the spring.

Oh well, I should go do something productive but I leave you with this: "Georgia On My Mind" by Ray Charles...I, of course, have always loved this song but even so, I'm a big Ray Charles fan and will always consider myself lucky that I got to see him perform live before he died, or more importantly, I got to see him perform this song live before he died.

Perspective

"I'm one of those people, you know, I see a soldier walk through the airport and, you know, my heart does a little double-take. And I hear the Pledge of Allegiance or our National Anthem and I get a lump in my throat. And know that that's the majority of Americans. Also, I am so proud, have been so proud of our country, every step of the way. We've made mistakes. We learn from our mistakes. But just the passion that I have for Americans." - Sarah Palin

I don't want to do politics again today because I don't even know where to start. There's so much I'd love to tackle but I can't pick just one thing because it's all starting to run together. Last night, during part two of the Sean Hannity/Sarah Palin interview, Hannity asked Palin how she deals with the nasty attacks that seem to grow more and more frequent these days and her response was this:

"The shots that perhaps our campaign has taken, it's nothing compared to the shots that some people across America are taking today. The things that really matter: Somebody worried about losing their house because of Wall Street collapses. Somebody worried about losing their job or being able to pay for their child's health care coverage or a parent perhaps having lost a son or daughter in battle, those are the shots that matter. I'm going to keep it all in perspective."

And she's right. We all need to keep it in perspective. I get way too into this stuff. It's so easy to get caught up in what doesn't matter that we forget what does. It's easy to get caught up in the hate and let it grow inside inside ourselves until we no longer remember what's important. I don't want to stoop to the level of the Sandra Bernhards of the world, I want to move my country forward. I'd love for every one of these Hollywood and Washington elites to spend a week putting their money where their mouth is, doing something good for their country. I don't care who you're going to vote for and I don't care how much or how little you support them, but take the endless hours you spent bashing the opponent and donate that time to someone less fortunate. Volunteer. Visit soldiers. Do something positive. Make a real difference. Get some attention for doing something besides running your mouth. Get some perspective.

By the way, I really enjoyed the Palin/Hannity interview. Whether or not you think it was a puff piece, it was nice to see. I like what Newt Gingrich said after it was over - something about her being at ease, like she was sitting around the kitchen table. That's why people like her. Today, Frank Luntz summed it up well, "Palin speaks like the American people." He's right. I never thought I'd see someone like this in my lifetime, even back in June, when I decided she should be VP (yeah not gonna let that one go), particularly after the Thompson campaign went down the drain, I figured my fellow citizens didn't have it in them. Anyway, if you missed the interview, Fox News is going to replay it Saturday night at 8:00 PM.

The Daily Sarah

I can't do politics today. The hacking into Sarah Palin's e-mail account grosses me out. Wait, it's not the hacking into the e-mail that bothers me, it's the way it's posted on the internet...or was...by certain websites. The contact info, phone numbers, e-mail addresses, and photos of her underage children posted proudly followed by a breathless, immature explanation. A line was crossed and I hope like hell there is some sort of repercussion. Moving on.

So, this one is about me. I'm just warning you, it will probably bore you to tears. As I said before, for the first time in my life I'm absolutely unsure of anything, but the one thing I am sure about is that I want to go back to school. I am in the process of getting with my previous schools to see what all it would take for me to get certified to teach, but the more I learn, the more discouraged I get. No one can seems to answer my specific questions! The only person who has been able to answer my specific questions is from a school in Nashville that is awfully appealing...that whole romantic idea of moving to a new city, and the fact that they have this program that would really work with my needs...but it's also awfully expensive. The other reason this one is so appealing is that there is no grade point average requirement to get into their program. They choose you based more on an essay you write on why you've chosen this path for your life and if there's one thing I can do, it's BS my way through an essay (or a blog post). I'll never forget one of my wiser teachers calling me out on it, "Sarah, sometimes you have no idea what you're talking about, but it'd take a lot of effort to realize that when someone reads your writing." Needless to say, she never let me get away with it as other teachers had for years. Anyway, I just had to vent about that.

I'm happy about that idea, but I still have other things I want to do that I stupidly denied myself when I was younger because it took me nearly a decade of "the real world" to realize that, for the most part, what other people think of you doesn't matter much in the long run. I let others dictated who I was for so long. I was always the smart kid, kids like you don't do the things you're trying to do was how it always went and all it led to was nine years of bad choices and internal conflict. Rush Limbaugh has this speech he gives about how life changed for him when he quit worrying what people thought about him and I wish I could find it or get him to give it again because it's one of two things that man has said to me that have change my way of thinking and will stick with me for life. In a way, I feel like I'm starting over as a teenager with no idea of how the world works. For the first time in my life, it doesn't freak me out that I don't have a concrete plan. Of course, I'm probably going to have to do a little extra hard work to convince people that I am better than a fresh-face out of college 23 year old, but I'll cross that path when I get there. I guess my point is, yes, I'm going to try to get this early childhood education degree and become a teacher, but I can't promise you I won't still join up with a local theater and I can't promise you I won't send out some applications for internships and lowly jobs in fields I still want to get a taste of, and I can't promise you there won't be some manuscripts sent to publishers and agents. For once in my life, I'm going to do what I want and I don't care who's laughing behind my back or who does and doesn't approve. I am not going to reach 30 and look back and realize I turned down every opportunity I had to do great things, I've done enough of that already. I just need a job to get me started :-)

Finally, I have a lot of great teacher friends out there and I'm sure I'll just ask you all in e-mails anyway, but I'll post it here too. Occasionally, I run across some things that are ideal for classroom use, craft supplies (that will keep), books, etc. I know how hard it is to stock a classroom on a measly little $100 or whatever it is the school gives you, but do you think it's too early to start planning for that? Set a few things aside as I run across them, maybe get a 30 gallon tub and keep it in storage?

Quote of the Day: "Life would be infinitely happier if we could only be born at the age of eighty and gradually approach eighteen." - Mark Twain

Song of the Day: "Dreams" by Fleetwood Mac - Come on, I'm in a good mood for the first time in a month or so, I had to go with FM...eventually I'll run out of their songs, I'm sure. And besides, I'm beginning to think players really do only love you when they're playing...or something like that.

The Daily Sarah

OK, this is not a post about me, I just figured, I'd warn everyone that it's pretty much all going to be about Sarah Palin. I've already told most of my lib friends this: I've been a fan of Palin's since she became gov. of Alaska. I've been pulling for her for VP since June when I first heard mention of her name as a possibility. I will more than likely say just about anything to defend her and no, I do not care if I'm not fair. Remember how I was about Fred Thompson? Same story with this one, only a little more so. Now, wasn't that fun?

Quote of the Day: “Governor Palin believes that the danger of a nuclear Iran is greater than party or politics. She hopes that all parties can rally together in opposition to this grave threat." - McCain spokesperson, Tracey Schmitt in response to this: Clinton Cancels Rally Appearance After Learning Palin Invited

According to the article, Clinton people claim she pulled out because she didn't want to appear at a partisan event. Um, if Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton are at the same event, I'm not exactly sure what's so partisan about it. You know it's killing her that she's not the most important woman in the country anymore.

I actually wanted to get this out of the way early because two great things happen tonight!

1. Palin is going to have her first town hall meeting!
2. Sean Hannity's interview with Palin

Forget the new fall lineup, this is must see TV! I am hoping we'll get a little bit of new material from the good Gov., and maybe actually confront some issues. Important ones. So, I'm doing the blog thing now, getting anything else I gotta do out of the way, and tonight you can bet my ass is going to be parked in front of my TV with my fresh bag of Chipotle Ranch Doritos (so not something I'd normally eat but I've been craving them lately...after I tasted them once a few months ago when someone else had some).

Anyway, this is not that important and it's really short, but I ran across it today at National Review and it made me laugh: Sarah Palin Running for President -- Unopposed.

I know Halloween's coming and it's the time of year when everyone is in the mood to be scared. Well, let me help you out a little...watch this two minute video on Obama's "economic policy." If that doesn't scare you, I hear there's this nice little country just south of Florida you might want to look into.



And finally, not exactly about Sarah Palin, but I'd like to clarify something I said the other day so no one gets their panties in a wad (I'm kidding)! I said something like I'm "not really into Red Eye anymore" and that was not exactly what I meant but that part of the post must have escaped my superior editing skills (believe me, that post got edited). What I meant is that I am not writing much about it anymore for several reasons. So, just to be clear, I am not advocating that anyone not watch Red Eye w/ Greg Gutfeld on the Fox News Channel and I do continue to suggest it to the unenlightened people I encounter on the internet (you know, on blogs and stuff people actually read) and in real life. If you've never seen it, check it out, Greg Gutfeld and company are pretty damn good.

Gift of Screws

The Lindsey Buckingham album I've been anxiously awaiting came out today. I don't actually have my hands on it because I quit my job. (No, I'm not going to get over that!!) I've mentioned that a lot of LB's solo stuff and I have yet to find common ground but this album has a lot of potential. From what I've heard, I really like "Wait For You," but I'm not sure you can pick favorite songs from the 30 second clips on iTunes. I did decide to go over to YouTube and check out some more of his older solo stuff and I'm actually finding some things I like, which leads me to...

Song of the Day: "I Am Waiting" - LB. This is a cover the Rolling Stones song and it is absolutely gorgeous! The video the poster made up isn't half bad either...

Starting young...

I often joke that my politics came to me early and often and not through any force from my parents. I guess it just always came very natural for me. Today, while cleaning out some old things, I found even more proof: a return letter from President George Herbert Walker Bush's White House, circa 1989. I guess as an eight year old, I felt the need to give the original President Bush a piece of my mind. In return, I got a form letter thanking me for my time and suggesting I spend my summer doing things like visiting my local library, along with a picture (I think I actually requested it) of the President in his casual wear. A proud moment in my history if I do say so myself. I just sort of wish it'd been Reagan.

I've mentioned how my little diary from those years not only talks about my crush of the week or who did what to whom on the playground, but I also make the case for that war in Iraq.

A few other examples of my young political mind:

2nd grade: My class held a mock election for that year's presidential candidates George Bush and Michael Dukakis. I was one of the kids chosen to go around polling people and I believe I lost that privilege as soon as this dinky little kid looked at my sheet and proudly pointed to the picture of Dukakis. I, the usually quiet girl, set him straight and Mrs. Head chose someone else to do the polling.

Also in second grade - I played softball and well, I wasn't the best player. Not for lack of ability but because I didn't really care. One day, as I was walking up to bat, one of the team moms jokingly (and maybe mockingly) called out to me, "Sarah, hit a homerun and I'll give you $5." Well, I might not have cared if my team won this game, but the little capitalist inside of me knew darn good and well what $5 could get me. I stepped up to the plate and swung on the first pitch....wham! I earned my five dollars.

1st grade: For my sixth birthday, my parents gave me a tape recorder and I recorded most everything I did. My mom still has a few of those tapes and awhile back, she found one and popped it in a tape player for my family's listening pleasure. On it, I am apparently playing school and recording myself giving instructions to "the class." There is no shortage of patriotism as I make my class say the Pledge of Allegiance three times before concluding they said it loud and proud enough. Then I make them sing a barrage of patriotic songs, the favorite being "This Land is Your Land."

Also (and this is the kicker), I decide my class is going to take up money for "poor people" and as I'm explaining this, I follow it up by saying, "Now, it's OK to give money to poor people today, because it is Thanksgiving after all. But just for today."

My dad's response: "Oh my God, it's young Dick Cheney."

Maddie & Mac

(Before I say anything, let me point out I know the quality of these pictures is awful - I miss my camera - it's in storage with the rest of my belongings.)

Anyway, so Mac seems to be fitting in just fine and today he FINALLY ate real cat food. Granted I had to soak it in water and let him suck it out of my hand, but he seemed to like it and maybe we can do without the bottle now! Anyway, I mentioned that my parent's dog Maddie adores Mac and most of the time, Mac adores Maddie. If you don't remember, Maddie is the puppy I found at the gas station in the middle of a tornado back in April. She stayed with my parents for a couple of nights until I could find a rescue group to take her and within a week, my mom drove across town and adopted her back from said rescue group. Anyway, I'm not usually one to pick up a stray animal, but I'm two for two this year and they seem to be kindred spirits. All the more reason Mac should stay here when I move...right?

Maddie back in April, at my house...she's actually bigger than Gabby now for those of you know know Gabby...

Fall

"Everyone must take time to sit and watch the leaves turn."
- Elizabeth Lawrence

When I was a little girl, my grandparents bought a house on top of Talona Mountain in Ellijay, Ga. At the bottom of the mountain was the Panorama Farm Market or "the Apple House" as we always called it. No trip to the mountains was complete without a stop to buy bags of apples and other goodies (I hope they don't mind me using their photo - below - but if you are ever in Ellijay you must go there!) and it didn't seem like fall unless we went to the annual apple festival. After all, Ellijay is often called the "Apple Capital of Georgia!"

I loved that place more than life itself and every trip, whether it was with my parents, my grandparents, or my entire family, was like I'd died and gone to heaven. I read a lot as a child and had a great imagination, and I always dreamed about a place like that. Ellijay is a small town in the North Georgia Mountains, about an hour and a half north of Atlanta. According to Wikipedia, the population in the year 2000 was 1,584. I haven't been there in a few years -my grandfather sold the house after my grandmother died -but I've heard it's grown up a little since then, but I have so many memories.

The view from the big screened in porch was amazing, it seemed as though you could see for hundreds of miles...you can imagine what it looked like in the fall. There was so much untouched nature around, my cousins and I would spend hours outside, looking for secret nature trails, hoping to see some wild animal, or just looking out over the river. And the town was just as quaint as you could imagine. I've even thought about looking for a job there. That town and that part of my life installed a love for the mountains in me that I don't see myself ever losing.

And every year, around this time, I begin to think of those days and long for them. Actually, this time of year makes me nostalgic for so many things. First days of school, fall festivals, Halloween costumes, baseball play-offs, football games, the gorgeous UGA campus, good books, and just an overall feeling of peace and coziness. Tonight, I stepped outside to walk Gabby and I felt it. The tiniest hint that fall is looming, ready to return. The slightest chill in the air. Blink and you might miss it but after years of enduring some of the hottest and most humid summers imaginable, it's hard not to notice. In a week or two, there will be a slight breeze in the air and 90 degree days will be soon be forgotten. The leaves, of course, will turn - gorgeous reds and golds all around. To me, fall is like the world settling down for a few months, resting up after a long year of hard work and before the exhilaration of the holiday season. I long for the day I can put on a sweat shirt and sit outside with a book and a cup of hot chocolate, and as of today, I know it's coming soon. (I also know anyone stumbling upon my blog is likely to think I'm 87 instead of 27.)

Song of the Day is from Alison Krauss & Union Station's "Live" Album - the first time I heard this playing, I was in Borders and the song "We Hide & Seek" was on. The song immediately reminded me of those days in the mountains and I had to find out what it was. Since then, I've been hooked. AK&US is probably the only group I listen to more than Fleetwood Mac. To me, they are 100 times better live and luckily, this is a two disc set. The music is just the perfect soundtrack for this time of year. Hmmm, I feel the need to explain my love/hate relationship with country music but I'll save that for another day. Instead, I'll leave you with Jerry Douglas doing the song "We Hide & Seek" I mentioned (it's the only version on YouTube).

I must have had an operation...

...because according to most of the media, I am not really a woman.

Quote of the Day: "She started shooting a gun when she was eight and shot her first animal when she was ten...I would tell those boys in Washington, 'Don't underestimate her.'" - Chuck Heath (Sarah Palin's father)

I do not remember the exact moment in time when we got together and elected certain people to speak for us as a gender (maybe it was before I was born), but whenever it was, I'd like a recount. If I hear one more POS "feminist" explain why Sarah Palin does not stand for women, I'm going to give up hope for womankind. As I said before, I'd rather have Sarah Palin speak for me than Katie Couric, Campbell Brown, Maureen Dowd, Matt Damon or any other pathetic excuse for a woman who hides behind "women's rights" to push their political agenda.

The very things they parade around as some sort of absurd reason you should no longer want to vote for McCain are the very reasons most people I know were holding out on voting for McCain! The more I read or hear in these "negative" reports about Palin, the more I like.

If that's hard to understand, let me try to explain:

1. "The Biggie" - Sarah Palin is pro-life! Oh-My-God! I thought pro-choice means you get to choose whether you are for or against abortion. At least that's what my liberal friends tell me. BUT HOLY CRAP that's wrong. That chick in South Carolina (the one who's husband was let off the hook for pretty much saying he was glad Hurricane Gustav was coming through <-- look at how I am by identifying her not by her name, but by her husband) said Palin was picked because she didn't have an abortion. Then she backtracks and said she was only encouraging people not to vote on a single issue. OK, single issue...do this little test: how many of your liberal friends are very quick to point out and are up in arms over how Palin will take away their right to have an abortion (even though they'd never actually have one, oh no, not them, no way they just like to know the option is out there) within five minutes of a conversation about the election. Now, how many of your conservative friends can talk for an hour about Palin and not so much as mention the words "abortion" or "pro-life" and don't even discuss her children...any of them...other than to say how awesome it is that her son signed up to go to Iraq or how cute that little girl was slicking down her baby brother's hair.

Anywho, just like Gov. Palin, I, too, am pro-life. Why? Because as a woman, I have a tremendous respect for any living thing. It has nothing to do with religion and all to do with science for those of you who want to make that argument. I don't get the "when does life begin?" argument because when I was about nine or ten years old, I was taught that once that sperm fertilized that egg, you can pretty much be sure you got yourself a life. (Yes, contrary to popular belief, we do have sex education outside of NY and San Fran.) So once you have that knowledge, I think it's pretty safe to say life began at that moment...as Peggy Noonan said, any young man in a drug store buying condoms can tell you that. With that sort of reasoning, I don't see the difference in aborting an eight week old fetus or smothering an eight week old infant with your pillow. Maybe I'm just unenlightened.

2. That is SO not lady-like! That woman shoots guns!! O-M-G, she kills animals and eats them too! O-M-G guns kill people! Guess what, Dowd? That Filet Mignon you're eating didn't come from a vegetable garden. Know what else? That knife you're using to cut it with could kill someone too. As could the car you drive to work in every day (are driven to work in every day?), just ask the families of about 40,000-50,000 people every year. Would you like a list of other items that can easily be used to kill people? I'd be glad to make it and at the top would be your column because I get the feeling if the right person with already high blood pressure or a weak heart comes along, reading the BS you write each week could send a lot of people straight to their grave. Anyway, as a woman, I have total respect for the fact that Gov. Palin can handle a gun. As a woman who lives alone, I feel a lot safer with a gun in the house than I would otherwise, and as a woman who likes strong women, I'd rather be in control if ever faced with a situation in which I needed to protect myself or someone else. Maybe if you live in an elitist bubbles, the rapists and murderers of the world are easily thwarted by popping "An Inconvenient Truth" in your DVD player...well, at least that'd send me packing.

3. Sarah Palin is a Christian. She goes to a church that promotes Christian values you seem to see as hate. Doesn't your Hillary Clinton claim to be one too? And let's not go there with hate being preached in a church, right, Lord & Savior B. Obama? And I'm not totally sure what this "message of hate" being preached in the Gov.'s church is, but I'm guessing it has to do with gay rights or something along those lines and if that's the case, I'm willing to bet not one person whining has actually researched the good Gov.'s history with such rights and has more than likely gotten their info from Lindsey Lohan's latest MySpace ramble. Remember that whole, "I'm pro-choice but I'd never actually have an abortion thing?" It goes a little something like that. Look it up.

4. I'm getting tired of this but am I at least making my point? Any point? This isn't really an "issue" I guess, more of a thing I'm tried of hearing. The Palin family is in crisis, mom needs to be at home. Why? Three reasons stated: A. Son going to Iraq, B. 17 year old daughter pregnant, C. baby has down syndrome.

Crisis? Ok...

A. I'd be proud as hell of any son I had who joined the military and fought for their country, particularly one who's obviously got a lot more options than most people in this country and could very easily live a cushy life (ie. Mom is gov of state).

B. I think at this point we can all conclude that no one has 24 hour control over their 17 year olds (unless you've been arrested for keeping them in cages) and the most you can do is give them a solid upbringing and hope they make great decisions. Well, I don't know of anyone 17 or 77 or who always makes great decisions and I don't necessarily always see that as reflection on the way they were raised. When I found out about this, I looked to the Palin family to see how they would handle it. Do you know how many parents opt to kick their seventeen year old daughters to the curb when they find out about something like this?

C. Probably almost as many people don't hesitate to have an abortion the moment they find out their child is not going to be just like everyone else.

5. This the last thing I want to say. Governor Sarah Palin is pretty. She's stylish. She has great hair. And yes, under the lipstick lives a pit bull. I'm not sure if the so-called feminists are jealous they didn't think up that joke for Hillary or if they just can't find the right shade of lipstick to go with their lack of bra and hairy under-arms (though I think Lancome makes a great shade called "Misandry"), but last time I checked, being a strong woman didn't mean you had to wear enough flannel so that people question your sexuality or even your sex.

Today's articles:

The Good: Again, not really into "Red Eye" anymore, but Greg Gutfeld is genius all the same and has, on this day, enlightened us with this: Greg Gutfeld: SARAH PALIN'S MURDEROUS WEB OF DEATH (that's a direct link because I don't wish the HuffPo's homepage on anyone...not that Gutfeld's column is featured there anyway, shocker...but because it's the kind of thing you stumble upon and wonder if this is a legitimate liberal website or if someone really clever decided to make a parody of a liberal website.)

The Bad: I'm not some Tammy Wynette standing by my man... - written by me a few years ago on how a man is a man and a woman is a woman. If I had the time, I'd rewrite it...it's pretty bad, but the message is still a good one, I think...

The Ugly: I apologize in advance for the shrill, VERY ugly nature of this one but I just think everyone should know what people are saying out there: Why aren't women furious about Sarah Palin? Salon Life That may be the worst thing I've read to date on the subject.

The more these people talk, the more I get excited about this McCain/Palin business. These ridiculous attacks not only insult Palin and true feminism, but they insult a large portion of the country and hurt their candidate, their party, and everything they fight for.

The Zoo

After about 48 hours of dealing with my aunt's little yappy dogs, I just spent the evening playing Dog Spa/Kitten Daycare to my own pets. Gabby (pictured - she is my dog) has this horrible skin condition and fleas are horrible down here right now. Those things combined make the poor thing miserable...she looks like she's been tortured. It drives me nuts but I can't afford to take her to the vet right now (the vet gave her these great pills that clears her skin condition right up but they are $100 for 14 of them...). So, I filled the bathtub with warm water and her medicated shampoo and then scrubbed her down for twenty minutes. I cleaned out her ears and put ointment in them (she has ear problems). I brushed her teeth (again, medical issue or I would so not brush her teeth). I took a flea comb to every inch of her body. Once she was out, I brushed her from head to toe, clipped her nails, put some aloe vera gel on her wounds, and doped her up with Benadryl. You know that kid in school who's always sick and allergic to everything? I have the dog version.

While I'm clipping her nails, Mac the BRAT (now I see why his mother abandoned him) decides to wake up and let the world know he's well overdue for a feeding (I think he needs to start eating cat food now but he seems to disagree). I go fix his little bottle and stick it in a cup of warm water. Gabby needs to go out for her last walk of the day so I do this while the bottle warms and once inside, I grab the bottle, a diet coke, and settle in to feed him...only when I pick him up out of his box, I realize he's had a little accident and didn't quite make it to the litter box. As a matter of fact, not only is he covered in the brown stuff, but he's been playing in his litter box and little white pieces of clay are stuck all over him. So, I take him and give him his 2nd bath of the day...3rd of the last 24 hours.

All the while, Maddie (the puppy I found in the tornado and who now belongs to my parents) is driving me nuts wanting to play with Mac (she thinks he belongs to her) and/or Gabby who can't stand Maddie and growls and yelps when she starts bothering her. Meanwhile, my mom's little dog Puppy (yes that is her name) who's mouth is as big as her owner's, just sits and barks at everyone because she has to add something to all that's going on. Throw in the fact that the old cat (she doesn't really have a name but my mom calls her Coosey), who thinks the house is her throne and we're just in her way, is running around hissing and growling because she thinks everyone is out to bother her.

I'm beginning to think a baby would be easier.

(I'm so smart! All comments posted on my blog go through me before they are published -long story- and for some reason, I just went to publish one on my "Ghosts" post and managed to delete the whole post. Sorry, Roxy! I'm too tired to retell all of that and it wasn't important anyway. I am going to repost my song of the day though.)

SONG OF THE DAY: "Holiday Road" by Lindsey Buckingham - because after having to watch "National Lampoon's Vacation" three times, it was the high point of my weekend.



Update 12:58 AM: Even more proof that I'm a genius! If you saw my "Ghosts" post, you saw that I was going to take a class this week so I could sign up to sub and hopefully get a permanent job as a teaching assistant in another county. Well, apparently I misread the website because I went to double check the time for the online sign-up thing in the morning and realized I read the date wrong. How I got the 15th out of the 9th, I couldn't tell you, but needless to say, the class is closed now. SIGH.

Gas!

Good grief...if you do not have a full tank in your car then I wish you luck. I have about 1/8 tank and I just took my cousin's son to his high school football game, thinking I'd get some on the way back. WRONG! Not only is gas back over $4.00 a gallon, but you can't even turn into any gas stations because of the lines...that is if that gas station even has gas.

Have a great weekend!

Quote of the Day: "I have not and I think if you go back in history and if you ask that question of many vice presidents, they may have the same answer that I just gave you. But, Charlie, again, we've got to remember what the desire is in this nation at this time. It is for no more politics as usual and somebody's big, fat resume maybe that shows decades and decades in that Washington establishment, where, yes, they've had opportunities to meet heads of state ... these last couple of weeks ... it has been overwhelming to me that confirmation of the message that Americans are getting sick and tired of that self-dealing and kind of that closed door, good old boy network that has been the Washington elite." - Sarah Palin when asked if she'd ever met a foreign head of state.

I'm heading out for the weekend...I'll have my laptop but I'm not sure what kind of internet connection I'll have, so this'll probably be my last post for the next day or two! Hope y'all have a good one! If you're in the path of Ike, stay safe!


Song of the Day: "Surfin' USA" by the Beach Boys - Just because!

Palin/Gibson

Did anyone catch the interview? I wasn't home and I'm hearing not great things.

Instead, I'm watching Jon Stewart interview Newt Gingrich about Sarah Palin. Not the biggest Newt fan in the world, but Jon Stewart is such a disrespectful ass.

Update 9/12/08: From what I've seen and heard, Gibson played a nice little elitist game of "let me see if I can get you and/or put words in your mouth." I wonder if he'd ask Obama if he's ever met any foregin dignitaries?

I also had the distinct pleasure of watching John McCain visit "The View" today and thought it was the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen in my life. The questions were ridiculous, the women were (shocker) disrespectful, and at one point, Whoopi asked McCain if his policies would send her back into slavery. I have to admit though, when Cindy McCain joined them on the sofa from hell and BabaWawa asked her how many houses they owned, she basically told her "none of your damn business" with as much grace and class as I've seen in anyone. Of course, the liberal media writes it up like so: Cindy and John McCain on ABC's "The View." Cindy dodges Barbara Walters question on how many houses they have.

Finally, I don't know about some of you ladies out there, but I'm tired of these women out there who are telling me Palin is not for women. Palin doesn't represent women. I'd so rather have her talking for me than Katie Couric.

And finally finally ( ha ha), more stupidity than I care to wrap my brain around (as Rush says, they need to all just keep talking):

1. Canadian doctor warns Sarah Palin's decision to have Down baby could reduce abortions Top of the Ticket Los Angeles Times (I have no words)

2. Jonathan Martin's Blog: S.C. Dem chair: Palin primary qualification is she hasn't had an abortion - Politico.com (The woman did apologize and say she was making a point about people who vote based on single issues - um, that's basically all I've heard from liberals about Palin...that's she very pro-life.)

3. National Ledger - Susan Sarandon May Move Out of US: Complains About Hillary Clinton (Here we go with the "let's move out of the US" crap. Anyone really all that sad?)

4. Pamela Anderson tells Sarah Palin to suck it The Daily Telegraph (Great political minds - mature ones too)

You have got to be kidding me!

I just got finished with six months worth of jury duty! Now if it were grand jury again, I'd probably be the first one there and beg them to sign me up, but this is the real deal.

update 10:57 PM: I just found this and I have to say I couldn't describe my previous jury duty experience any better. From the lady who told the detectives and attorneys to "slow down" because she doesn't "watch any of that Law & Order stuff" so she doesn't "know the lingo," to the suspicious looking guy who seemed to know far more about the legal system than he should have and always had some weird "hypothetical" situation for which he wanted advice from an officer.

September 11

"I know in my heart that man is good, that what is right will always eventually triumph, and there's purpose and worth to each and every life." - Ronald Reagan

I'm never sure what picture I should use when my make my annual 9/11 post. On one hand, I think a picture of Manhattan before that day will be sufficient... World Trade Center shining. brightly. We're not going to let anyone bring us down. On the other hand, I worry about people forgetting that day and I want to post the most horrific, gruesome pictures I can find. Not because I want to be morbid, but because I don't want anyone to forget how lucky they are to live in this country. I don't want anyone to forget how easily the freedoms we often take for granted (myself included) can be taken away because a lot of us have not had to live without them.

There is always the great debate of "overkill" when it comes to remembrances and media tributes, but every year on this date, I watch as much of it as I can. I watch every special. I listen to anyone willing to talk, tell their "where they were" story. I search the internet for videos of chaos, of people shocked and frantic, of the "jumpers." Again, not because I get a sick thrill out of it, but because I worry that I will become complacent. I want to remember that day. I want to see the men and women who'd rather jump to their own deaths than be burned alive and remember the only thing they did was get up and go to work that day. When I see the man's white shirt billowing as he falls from his office window, I want to think about how, when he decided to wear that shirt to work that morning, he had no idea what kind of decision he'd have to to make later that day. It makes me sick to my stomach and it makes me cry, but it also makes me realize how easily that could have been any one of us and how easily it could happen again if we do forget.

In the end, I always end up using the same picture, because I think it makes all of those points and then some. It shows that we can unify and be strong, even in the face of tragedy. It reminds me there are people who will always come together to help their fellow man, both public servants and private citizens. It reminds me that patriotism, though we may not always show it and it may stay tucked away in the back our minds, is a place people will visit when times are tough. Of all the videos, photos, TV specials and tributes, it's the one thing that always makes me hopeful.

Tomorrow, I was supposed to take a class at the fire department to learn a little bit more about some particular things they do, and I remember when I signed up, I thought to myself, what better way to spend the anniversary of 9/11?

Personally, I'm not sure I'll ever forget that day, the details I remember shock me, but the fear is there. I think that's one reason people want to tell their story. There's a desire to relive and remember, and there's a desire to bond with others over the one thing that most everyone in the country feels a part of, whether they were sitting in an office at the Pentagon or sitting on a beach in California.

I was twenty years old at the time, a student at Georgia State University. I had a Tuesday/Thursday sociology class at 9:00 AM and on this rare day, I actually had plans to attend. I remember what I was wearing down to my eyeshadow - one of those little facts that amazes me (for that reason, I still have that eyeshadow in my huge box of makeup, I can't seem to throw it away). I'd stopped by Chick Fil A to get breakfast and I remember what I ordered and which employee (she still works there) gave me my food. I was driving east down I-20, listening to my favorite radio show "Barnes, Leslie, and Jimmy," a show I'd been listening to since I was in 8th grade. They had a guest on and I wasn't in the mood to hear that so I popped in a CD and listened to it until I got just past 285 exit.

As I neared Atlanta, I decided to turn the radio back on and when I did, Barnes was talking about an airplane hitting a building in New York. I remember sitting on the ramp, waiting to get on the 75/85 connector and vaguely listening, but it didn't really connect. I was young and oblivious. It was a beautiful day and I was more worried about whether or not my professor was going to give a pop quiz that day, not some unfortunate accident happening in New York. Images of a pilot losing control of his plane flashed through my mind until the radio DJs began tossing the word "terrorism" around. One of the DJs called a friend in Manhattan and she was telling them what she saw from her apartment window, and I will never forget her saying, "Oh my God, there's another one" as the second plane hit. They didn't seem to believe at her until they saw it for themselves on TV and then they began to question everything from whether there would be more to if everyone in Atlanta was safe or not.

That was all it took for me to begin wondering if I should take the next opportunity to turn around and drive home but I'd skipped that class the Thursday before and still not grasping the magnitude of what was happening, I went on to school. As I often did, I watched and listened to others as I walked to my class, to see if anyone was talking about it. It wasn't until I got to class that I heard a few people asking others if they'd heard. My professor came in late, looking a bit frazzled and apologized in advance if class wasn't exactly structured. She explained to those who hadn't yet heard what happened and the girl sitting beside me mumbled something about her cousin working there and took her cell phone and stepped out of the room. Five minutes into our lesson, the girl came back into the room and without apology, interrupted my professor with news that a plane had hit the Pentagon. That was all it took for her to end class and assure us that the entire university would probably do the same.

The walk back to my car was definitely different. People were on their cell phones, calling to check on loved ones or telling friends to turn on the news. There was talk of evacuating the city or not letting anyone in or out. When I reached my car, I worried that I wouldn't be able to leave because the parking lot (which actually belongs to the state capitol/Coke) was surrounded by some sort of SWAT team, but they were the least of my worries. The traffic in downtown Atlanta was 100 times worse than it normally is and I sat on International Blvd for what seemed like hours. I flipped back and forth between radio stations, trying to get different accounts of what was going on. I don't remember a lot about that drive, but I do remember that I was sitting in front of the Hard Rock Cafe when the first tower fell. And I do remember looking up in the sky, bracing myself for the potential of what I might see with my own eyes. For the first time in my life, I didn't feel safe in my own country, and I can pinpoint the moment I actually realized how easy it would be for us to lose everything we have.

Not having a cell phone at the time, I had no idea my mom was home freaking out as the plane crashed in Pennsylvania and rumors of attacks in other major cities (Atlanta) were rampant. Once home, she and I exchanged stories. I told her how my professor had reacted and she told me of how she'd called my grandfather to make sure he was watching.

Beyond that, I can't remember a lot of the specific details. I know she made me go fill my car with gas at one point and my dad called and told us to just stay home. I remember calling my friend Jessica who was away at school and talking for a while. I remember being glued to the TV for days, not getting any sleep, and glued to Peter Jennings at that. It wasn't a time for partisanship and for whatever reason, I found something comforting about him and how many hours he worked straight. I remember flags on every home, words of encouragement and support for our president, our military, and those who lost their lives that day on every business sign. Patriotic music played throughout every store and everyone just seemed a little kinder. And for the most part, it was authentic.

(FYI: I wrote this yesterday but was too tired last night to edit and publish.)

Mac

He was laying on a pillow in my lap there and the cell phone just happened to be next to me. Eventually, I'll try to take one with an actual camera!! Anyway, he had his little paws wrapped around the bottle and it was just too cute not to take a picture!
By the way, "Mac" came from John McCain, not Fleetwood, though I guess it can serve both purposes.

Those Hypocritical Democrats, Part 1

I may start a new series of posts. Every time I find a democrat being a big fat hypocrite, I will point it out like this (and considering that their current presidential nominee can't seem to take a dose of his own medicine, there's a lot of hypocrisy going around these days):

Barack Obama on his pig in lipstick comments: "[The McCain campaign] seize an innocent remark and take it out of context because they knew it's catnip for the news media. See, it would be funny, but the news media decided that would be the lead story yesterday. This happens every election cycle. Every four years, this is what we do. This is what they want to spend two of the last 55 days talking about...Enough!"

Barack Obama on a McCain comments taken out of context: "[McCain] was asked, 'Well, who do you consider rich?' And he thought about it for a second, 'I don't know, maybe if you make five million dollars.' Five million dollars, then you're rich, which I guess means if you're only making three million a year, then you're middle class. I guess that's what he meant."

Obama is referring to a statement John McCain made at the Saddleback Civil Forum on The Presidency. Rick Warren asked Senator McCain what dollar number he uses to define someone as "rich." McCain responds with a thoughtful answer and then throws in the JOKE about five million...adding that he knows someone will take it out of context. You can see it for yourself here:

Digging for some positive...

"I find that most people know what a story is until they sit down to write one.” - Flannery O'Connor

I really don't have much to say. I'm sort of bummed about the whole "no place to live" thing. I think I'm going to grab a notebook and head to the pool to do a little writing (and swimming) myself.

Instead, I'll leave you with these:

1. A fair look at Sarah Palin? You don't say! Is Trig at the Heart of Media's Reaction to Palin?

2. I know I'm not doing the whole "Red Eye" thing anymore but Greg Gutfeld is good all the same, check out today's "Gregalogue" over at The Daily Gut: PALIN WORSE THAN HITLER

3. And finally, I listened to a little bit of Rush Limbaugh today and he played Lindsey Buckingham...not Fleetwood Mac, just Lindsey Buckingham. It was great.

Every time Joe Biden speaks...

... McCain/Palin gets a vote.



If you like that, check this out: Was Biden Talking About Palin During Stem Cell Research Reference?

Can't wait for the VP debate!

Meet Mac

"A baby is an inestimable blessing and bother." - Mark Twain

For some reason, I decided today would be a good day to stop by my old house and check the mail (I should really start having that forwarded). I was actually heading out to Publix to pick up a few things and my mom asked if she could tag along. For some reason, I said "yes." And for some reason, after I got my mail, I lingered a bit while I filled out a deposit slip...long enough for my mom to hear something crying and long enough for her to spot a very young kitten (above) sitting alone in the middle of the front yard.

"Aww, it's a baby!" she said.

"Aww, it sure is," I replied, as I put the car in the reverse.

"It's a TINY baby," she said as she jumped out of my moving vehicle. (A brave move considering recent events involving me and moving vehicles.)

Before I knew it, I was in Wal-mart buying a little bottle and kitten formula and feeding him every two hours (I think he's about three or four weeks old). I apparently now have a cat. I am not a cat person. I am not currently a things that are not me person. Gabby is the exception.

For now, his name is Mac. But if you are interested in owning him, you can name him whatever you want. (I'll try to post a better quality picture later, that one was taken with my cousin's cell phone.)

I guess this is my reward for putting up with the feral neighborhood cats for all those months. If you're keeping count, this is the second stray animal I've rescued this year. I'm going to quit going places.

Who was that and what did they do with the Falcons?

Quote of the Day - 9/7/08: "Ships in harbor are safe, but that's not what ships are for." - John Shedd

Several years ago, when I worked at Borders, the other lady in my department and I would sit and talk about our goals for the future. She ended up moving across the country and we e-mailed for a while after that, but before we lost touch, she sent me that quote and it's stuck with me for quite a while. I was going to use it on the day I quit my job but I decided to save it for another day when I had more of an idea as to how I could apply it to my current situation. Not even a week later, Sarah Palin used it in her speech on the day she was announced as McCain's running mate.

(Speaking of Palin, if you don't know a lot about her and want a good, unbiased, biographical report, try to catch the Fox News special, "Sarah Palin: An American Woman.")

In other news, how 'bout those Falcons?? Was that an amazing game or what? Who knows, maybe we've got something this year...and by "something" I may mean Michael Turner. Should have picked him for fantasy but who would have thought? I also should have put Drew Brees in today, but no, I chose Tony "Hollywood" Romo because everyone said he was going to be amazing, even though I've said for a week that Drew Brees would do amazing things today. Of course, no one believed me when I said McCain should pick Palin either and look how that's going. Oh well, my worthy opponent had Tom Brady in for his QB, so I should win anyway. And from the looks of this Indianapolis game I'm watching now, I may also need to go with more Saints and less Colts next week anyway.

Song of the Day: "Llorando" by Rebekah Del Rio (AKA "Crying" by Roy Orbison) This is from the movie, "Mulholland Drive" which I LOVE and a gorgeous version of this song. Since I've been in the mood for a good movie lately and can't seem to find anything that matches up to this one...

I just did my part.

Ordered: 2 McCain/Palin bumper stickers (one for my car, one for my scrapbook)
Donated: a small contribution to the McCain/Palin '08 campaign that would have been bigger if I had a job.

Now it's football time!!! Off to figure out my fantasy team...

Flannery, Faulkner, and...Lippman?

Quote of the Day - 9/6/08: “The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it.” - Flannery O'Connor


I was going to use another O'Connor quote, but that one really reminded me of the current state of the liberal world. However, I'm still trying to stay away from politics this weekend so I figured I'd post my irregular "what I'm reading" update.

I guess it's because fall is in the air and that makes me want to do any and all things cozy, but I want to read anything and everything I can get my hands on lately. A friend of mine's twin daughters started high school last week and she was telling me what all they are reading for English. Our conversation made think back to my days in school. Even though I took advanced classes, I still managed to slide by without putting tons of effort into it (lazy) and therefore, I didn't read a lot of the books we were supposed to read during those four years. Despite the fact that I love to read, I hate reading things that are forced on me. So, now I'm thinking about revisiting some of them, I'm just not exactly sure where to start. My dad (who may have read every book ever written) suggested Faulkner the other day, so I thought I'd go with the requisite As I Lay Dying. Besides, I'm a sucker for a good Southern Gothic story. Any suggestions?

Speaking of Southern Goth and Ms. O'Connor, I'm thinking of checking out Wise Blood. She's one of my favorite authors, but I've never read her actual novels. As a matter of fact, contrary to popular belief it was not my very hot college sophomore English professor who convinced me that required reading wasn't always a bad thing, it was FO herself. I was a freshman at UGA and on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, I had three classes: some math class full of football players that mysteriously made better grades than me despite the claims they never studied at 10:00 AM, a geology class I eventually dropped because my teacher didn't speak a word of English at 11:00 AM, and freshman English at 2:00 PM. Once I dropped the geology class, I had a lot of time on my hands between math and English. If you've ever been to Athens, GA, you know the UGA campus is not a small place and you've ever gone to school there, you know parking is the most ridiculous situation ever known to man. And if you know me, you know riding a bus stuffed with college kids in a strange new place is way too far outside my comfort zone. Even though I had three hours between classes, there was no point in walking the three miles back to my car, driving to my house, driving back to a full parking lot and walking the three miles back to class. So, I did what any good person afraid to ride the bus would do, I sat. I sat on benches and took in the sights of what I consider to be one of the most beautiful places in the world. I watched people, I made up stories about them. I turned them into characters for stories and took mental notes. I watched as people walked over the bridge overlooking Sanford Stadium and across the movie set-like lawn of the North Campus. Then one day, out of pure boredom, I got out my English book and turned to the O'Connor story I'd been assigned for homework. I honestly can't remember which one it was, but I do remember I was sitting on a bench under a big old oak tree on one of the most picturesque parts of campus (a huge cliche in itself). As I read, I realized what I was reading was just like the stories I made up about the people in my head. I quickly became interested and for the first time in my life I thought maybe not all of the old "classics" are awful.

But back to today. I actually have a lot of books I bought right before I started the job and planned to get started on them as soon as I was settled in there, but they are now packed in boxes in storage and will remain that way until I find a new home. One author I have been reading is Laura Lippman. I've never been that into most of the mainstream genre-oriented stuff. (Wow, does that sound snobby or what?) I've explained that before so I won't again, but aside from knocking through the entire Patricia Cornwell collection a few summers ago, I usually stick to other things. (No "chick lit" comments please.) In a desperate attempt to find something good and easy a few months ago, I ended up getting What the Dead Know by Laura Lippman. I liked it and since then I've been reading her books when I have the time. She has a series that I've started and three books that aren't from the series, the third of which I'm reading now, To the Power of Three. I started it while my class was in music yesterday and I was almost late picking them up, so hopefully it'll be a good one.

I started a list of all the books I've read this year on this site called Goodreads that my friend Bridget suggested. It's a neat little web site and with my desire to organize and put everything in a list, it makes it easy for me to keep up with what all I've read this year, what I plan to read in the future, and the books I plan to buy back (I refuse to part with anything I've read but didn't have much choice a few years ago so I made a list of the ones I had to sell and have been re-buying them when I spot them out and about). I'm embarrassed to say I've only read ten but this year has been wild to say the least. We'll see how far I get by the end of it. (Yet another reason I need to look for another job...I miss the days of going crazy in a bookstore. And being that I worked in a Borders for three years while I was in college/studying acting, there were a lot of "go crazy" days...usually every two weeks when I got paid.

I had more I wanted to say on the topic but once again, I started this blog post, got sidetracked and now it's seven hours later. Plus, I swore I wasn't going to spend much time online this weekend. That said...I'm off to read.

Song of the Day: "God Only Knows" by the Beach Boys - one of my favorite songs by one of my favorite groups. Not only does LB have an album coming out in a week and a half, Brian Wilson has a new one out I'd like to get.



P.S. No, the peacock is not irrelevant to this post.