My :30 High

Damn government...they had me excited for all of 30 seconds today.

On the way home I found myself thinking about my lovely economic stimulus check and that I’m supposed to get it around the 13th of this month. Of course, I’m hoping it would get here early. The gears start clicking in my head: today is the 8th -- 5 more days -- Friday! So I get home, grab my mail from yesterday and see an envelope from the IRS. On the back it says in big red letters “stimulus payment”. Hey Dubya…nothing like alerting potential mail thieves that there may be a check inside. I’m so excited that I stand there at the counter across from the bank of mailboxes and rip it open. What do I find? A letter. A f***ing letter. What does this letter tell me? That I’m getting a check. And the check will be here on or before June 13th. Talk about a huge let down, I was on a high for approximately 30 seconds. You don’t know all the happy thoughts running around my head for those 30 seconds.

This is the second letter I’ve received in the past month announcing that I will indeed receive a check. The magic check that is going to cure the mess our economy has become. Right.

I can’t help but think…if they didn’t spend so much money sending out all these notices about the check we’re to receive, they could have actually given us all more money.

Randy Pausch Inspires Graduates

Randy Pausch is such an amazing and inspiring person. If you haven't seen his original video titled "The Last Lecture", please watch it. It was originally made for a group of his cohorts that were unable to attend a lecture he gave. But, as what always seems to happen, someone found it on YouTube. And the rest is history. What did we ever do before YouTube?

Randy is a relatively young man, not yet 50 years old, who was told last summer that he has pancreatic cancer and it's terminable. Since that time, he gave a lecture about living that has inspired millions of people and has led to a book, "The Last Lecture". And now this graduation speech at Carnegie Mellon. Each time I watch this man talk it sends chills throughout my body and I realize how much more I need to do in my life. It comforts me to know that I, too, have found a lot of the passion that he found. And that feels really good.

History has been made...

History was made just a few minutes ago. Barack Obama has been named the nominee for the Democratic party for President of the United States of America. And on August 28th when he makes his nomination speech, it will be the 45th anniversary of Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech. Amazing.

War is Not Healthy for Children and Other Living Things

During the late 60’s I proudly wore this patch on my bell-bottom jeans, sewn near the hem for all to see. I also had the pendant that I wore most days but I’m not sure what happened to it after all these years.

It’s been fun to be in vintage shops and see this same patch show up or to see young people wearing it once again. It’s also been very sad to realize that forty years later it’s been resurrected because another village idiot has gotten us into another senseless war.

I need to find that pendant. And then hope that when I put it away this time, no one will have the need to wear it ever again.

This is Your Brain....This is Your Brain on Hope

They Said He Was Unprepared...

Obama Rally...Portland, May 18

Last Sunday I was one of the 75,000 people who gathered around to see Barack Obama in Portland. What an incredible day. I went with my friends Dori and Brent. The plan was for them to park at my place, since I’m so close to where the rally was being held, and we’d walk down to the waterfront. When Dori said they’d be here at 9:45 or earlier, I thought she was being a bit zealous to think we had to get there that early but I agreed. And was she ever right! The gates opened at 12:30, Obama was to speak at 2:30. We were there at 10:00 and the line already had wound itself down to 3rd and Jefferson. One of the volunteers told us that people began lining up at four in the morning. I will never doubt Dori again! We had fun sitting on the sidewalk talking to people around us and watching all of the politicians and their groups solicit votes. And of course my conversation with Greg MacPhearson on his negative campaign ads. Thank you to the others who agreed with me and told him so. The couple behind us were so much fun. And as others quickly learned, don’t even think about cutting in line; the guy behind us was having no part of it. Never piss off a former Marine! I wish I knew their names, they had us laughing and were so much fun.

Once we got through the gates (if TSA would only be that quick and efficient at the airport) we made a beeline to the stage in order to get as close as possible. We were so lucky, we found a spot about 50 feet in front of the stage. The Decemberists played for about and hour before Obama spoke. They were great, as always. When Obama came out with his wife and daughters the crowd went wild. He was visibly stunned by the amount of people and said it was the largest crowd ever. It was incredible to look around and see this mass of people gathered on the banks of the Willamette. The water was filled with boats of all sizes, people in canoes, kayaks and jet-skis.

One article on The Huffington post called us ‘latte liberals’ and CNN referred to us as ‘earthy people’. Damn right…and proud of it!

The pictures in this post were taken by my friend Brent, with the exception of the last one which is from The Oregonian (click on that one to see the magnitude of the crowd).

When the Phone Rings at 3am........

These Guys Always Make Me Laugh...

Flight of the Conchords -- Ladies of the World

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Happy Mother's Day everyone.

I feel so blessed to be the mum to my two incredible children...Erika Nikole and Tyler Michael. They are my heroes and the rock that I stand on. That sounds so cliché, but it's true; they've been here for me through good times and bad times. And honestly, I don't know how I could do it without them. I love you with all my heart and I'm proud to me your mum!