Opinions & Politics

I am out of my sleeping pills. Let’s not get into the why’s…but anyway, as a result I have been staying up later than usual.  Ok, a lot later, like 2 or 3 am. Which wouldn’t be too bad, except that I get up for work at 5:30. So staying up that late gives me the opportunity to watch shows on TV that I normally wouldn’t get caught into. Like this week the History Channel has had a series of 3 nights on World Wars.  It was pretty interesting and I learned quite a few details that I hadn’t before.  Scott, always deferring the remote to me, also got quite into the series as well.  Many of you may not realize this about me, but I have a little trouble keeping my opinion to myself, and you may not also realize that politics is a somewhat major hobby of mine.  The combination of those two things made watching this series with me a bit of a trial for my dear husband.  He probably didn’t appreciate me calling historical figures scumbags, morons, or loud comments at the TV like, “Oh appeasement didn’t work for Neville Chamberlain? Odd, I’m sure it will work against Jihadists now days”.  I can’t help it, but for now that is my reality. I’m sure my husband will be much more content to watch his late night tv after his wife gets back on some sleeping pills.

A More Innocent Time?

Last weekend we had a half hour to kill before the program came on that we actually wanted to watch.  Scrolling through the endless channels I happened to see Gidget was playing on one of the movie channels.  I flipped over to it, thinking that it had been a really long time since I had seen a Gidget movie.  Just then Emily came in and became quite interested, mostly because the whole premise and reality of the movie was so foreign to her.  Of course I can’t keep my mouth shut and began making rather sarcastic remarks about the entire movie. 

1)      Are we to believe that if Gidget manages to go her entire 16^th birthday/summer without MoonDoggie pinning her that her entire life is laid to ruin?

2)      Is there any worse special effects than that of Sandra Dee attempting to learn to surf?

3)      Why does her father appear to be old enough to be her grandfather?

4)      Where does the big Kahuna get his money from?

5)      Why aren’t Gidgets parents concerned about her hanging out on a beach with a bunch of older men that they have never met?

6)      How many bathing suits does she have?

7)      Why does the father allow the much younger police officer to lecture him on how to properly raise children?

8)      Why does Gidget try to take a leg of lamb to the beach party?

I have so many questions! I am pleased however that Emily found this movie and the idea of spending an entire summer attempting to attract one boy absolutely baffling.  A little later while talking to my sister Nancy, I mentioned that we had watched the last little bit of Gidget, (knowing that it is one of her favorites) “Oh, isn’t that a great movie, don’t you just wish for those times? You know when things were more innocent?” uhmmmm….I think she missed the part about the orgy on the beach at the end of the summer.  Innocent??? No I don’t think so.

Vanilla People

Many years ago I had an uncle that ran for Mesa County Commissioner. I remember during the campaign a radio announcer saying, "John Whiting is the only man I know that would go into Baskin Robbins and order vanilla". To be fair I think Uncle John would have at least picked strawberry. The other day I thought about vanilla people. 

I wonder about people that are vanilla, you know, never change, never anything slightly controversial, they dress very conservative, they smile politely, never make any waves... how dull. Personally I can't even begin to imagine how that would be, to go through life without any ups or downs, like traveling forever across a calm lake.

Even though I occasionally have to eat a lot of crow, I would never change my up and down life. When they say variety is the spice of life, I whole heartedly agree.

Graduation

20 years ago my niece Kassandra was born 6 weeks early, and without oxygen for nearly 7 minutes.  My sister nearly bled out and they both had to recover in the hospital for several weeks.  Specialists informed Nancy and Jaw about all the things that Kassie would never be able to do, talk, walk, learn, etc.  Conservative on purpose I know but experts can be real downers.

It turns out that despite amazing odds stacked against her, Kassandra graduated from GJHS on May 13th, 2014. She walked across the stage, unaided and with a little help from the Principal, went down the steps with a real life diploma from high school.

We cried, we cheered, we had a party with a bump and jump and the candy canon.

Then Kassie realized that she is facing the rest of her life....a little daunting.  She was going to just take a week off and then start volunteering at the VA with Uncle Scott around, when we hit a little snag.  Sunday while everyone was a church Kassie went out to get a bottle of salsa from the food storage, fell and landed her knee into the bottle.  Blood everywhere and a trip to the urgent care to fish out additional glass shards and stitches, Kassie is now on hold for a few weeks before starting the rest of her life. 

On the plus sign, she now is going to go to church on Sunday's and she got her own cell phone, to call in the event of an emergency!

Cold Cruel World

I know I haven't updated in quite a while, but I have kind of a reason.  First we had to go get that little Ore Digger back from Golden.  It has been a tough semester, and she was pretty fried.  We had to get her moved out of her dorm and then we had to locate a place for her to live next year.  So we started calling around about apartments and discovered we were running about 4 months late.  So we did luck out because a friend of a friend was graduating and Emily got a line about an apartment across the street from the college.  But it was a two bedroom and we didn't have a roommate. 

We made the plunge and put the deposit down, but I have to say it is one thing to move your 17 year old daughter into the safe confines of a college dorm, with 14 locked doors to get to her room, An RA two doors down and a meal plan.  Right after we put the deposit down I had a serious panic attack about throwing our little girl out into the world. 

Then we faced the challenge of looking for a roommate.  By happenstance we were in the bookstore and Emily saw a young woman who she kind of knew. They started chatting and the girl didn't have a place lined up to next year either.  I think the Lord was looking out for me because I think this young woman will be a perfect fit for Emily.  So the apartment will be ready on July 1, and Tyler (the roommate) will be moving in first and then Emily will be heading back in August.

Love on the Rocks

Me and my great ideas!! Sweet Lola, she seems like such a nice pig, but she loves to eat, and eat, and eat. So I was reading in one of my many hobby farming books, and they claimed pigs are so easy. Then I look on Craig list and see spring pigs selling for 100-125 a piece.  Pigs have litters between 8-12 twice a year. So I do the math and think.... hey... Lola could pay her own way.

So first I see a boar being pimped out on Craig list - I called "Romeo's" owner and I had some early contract negotiations.  Then I asked how I would know when Lola was amenable to being visited.  Even on the phone I could sense the pig man's uncomfortableness, he said, "uhhhh....well look at her piggy parts, or look it up on the internet" then the conversation ended.

So I went to my second pig expert-18 year old Colby at Murdocks. Colby was much more forthcoming with the signs of pork estrus. But I was still nervous about the whole idea.

Then I see an add on Craig's List for Wilbur, a hand raised 700# sweet heart in Hotchkiss. He was very mellow, so off we went in Jason's trailer and Wilbur came home.  The very first introduction went well, Lola thought Wilbur was pretty hubba hubba.  She frolicked and nuzzled, showed him around, two hours later however she hated him.  I don't mean like they just had a fight, it was like "GET AWAY FROM ME  I HATE YOU!!!!!" Finally pushed enough, Wilbur started taking a few swipes back at his new arranged mate.  Pretty soon, both of them were scaring the hell out of me when I went out to feed. It would be one thing if they just didn't like each other, but they have poor eyesight and really sharp teeth, and they are loud...I mean really loud. Not to mention that they have town the place apart, gates, shelters, holes everywhere.

So guess what, they get along really well in separate pens... but that kind of defeats the whole purpose of getting Wilbur.  So my handsome boar went back on the Pig Harmony website known as Craig's List.  At this point I have had only one interested party, they insisted on coming by on Thursday afternoon while I was at work. Utilizing Erik and my brother-in-law they attempted to load Wilbur into a large horse trailer.  I'm not sure exactly how it went down, it involved rope, an entire bag of corn, and a refrigerator door, and when I got home Wilbur was back in his pen, very thirsty.  Erik told me they changed their minds.  In the mean time....