Earthquakes suck.

And tsunamis that refuse to be great breaking news suck too. Woo. The water in Hawaii is dirty from their teeny little tsunami. The people on MSNBC are beating this boring horse, but it ain't running. Wait! Wait! There are rocks showing in the surf offshore on the Big Island in Hawaii! So pretty much the tsunami in Hawaii is like a speeded up tide. That is big news. Never mind that there was an 8.8 magnitude earthquake in Chile -- they don't have any awesome shots o' destruction to share with us? Instead the Powers That Be are hoping for some big exciting tsunami action in Hawaii.

I still haven't downloaded and uploaded those photos. Maybe I will do it today...Although I have lots of stuff to do today, including dragging Tess to her school twice so she can play the drum for three minutes at the start of their play. She is really good at drumming -- even playing on her own, she keeps the beat, no speeding up or slowing down.

Don't get it...

I don't understand those who say that they don't want health care reform because they don't want the government telling them which doctors they can see and stuff like that -- right now, you are limited in the US by the insurance companies telling you which doctors are in your network, which hospital you can go to, which tests you can have, which procedures they will pay for, and on and on and on.

Argh.

It's still snowing, we must have over six inches of new snow so far. I have to take some photos...

Mark sent me some flowers for Valentine's day, which I completely forgot to photograph, but there is a lily that just opened up and is gorgeous. I did remember to grab my camera this time --

But I am too lazy to download and upload the photos tonight. So you will have to wait until tomorrow. Sorry!

Ha! It's still Thursday in Alaska.

So I haven't missed a day after all.

Today was ugh. I was having a thing done in the doctor's office, and she dropped something on the floor. Something that needs to be sterile. So I got to lay there in a very uncomfortable position -- it's way tmi,but if you really want to know, give me your email address and I will fill you in -- while the nurse ran around looking for another one. Lucky for me, somebody had one. But geez. Really? You had to drop the one not easily replaceable thing on the floor? It couldn't be a swab or a tongue depressor, something easily and QUICKLY replaceable? Oh well. Good story, in the right company...

Oh, yeah, then I get home and it has been snowing, so the wonderful little Civic -- which is an awesome car, I love love love it -- can't quite make it up the VERY slight incline in our driveway, because there were three or four inches of snow. So I had to hop out and shovel a couple feet of driveway between the car and the garage, then back up and take a running start at it. I love the Honda, but it is not really the best car for Alaska winters. It's really not an issue, especially since I have the Suburban too, which does really well on snowy and icy roads, but even with the Honda, I mostly am driving in Anchorage and Eagle River so it's only days like today when we get 6 inches of snow where I might have a problem. Eh. It's completely worth it because it plays my IPods.

This afternoon I took a long nap on the couch. I guess going to bed at midnight and getting the kids up at 5:30 is taking a toll on me.

It's been a long day...

And I should be going to bed. I have a doctor's appointment in the morning, and I never get enough sleep so it's very hard to get up before 10 am. Tomorrow I have to be out the door by 8:15.

But I am very happy that I get to go to the doctor tomorrow, that that visit and the lab work and prescription that accompany it are free. I don't pay a dime. I get thousands of dollars worth of drugs every year, drugs that do an amazing job at keeping Crohn's at bay. I get allergy medicines and the drugs for my ridiculously-slightly too high blood pressure (thank you endless crushing stress), and any and all the tests my doctors order for me -- the random ones everybody should get and the ones that come from having the digestive tract from hell. Two sleep studies and the machine that keeps me breathing all night. Hospital stays, ER visits, radioactive egg sandwiches. All free.

I don't pay a dime.

God damned socialized medicine at work. I don't have some cadillac health care plan, I am married to an Army guy. So all my medical care is provided by and paid for by the US government.

I know it's not always perfect. I had symptoms from Crohn's disease for 18 years before it was diagnosed, but in those 18 years, there have been great strides forward in military family health care. The US government can get it right.

My Mom almost died this Christmas. Thanks to the valiant efforts of the nurses in the Cardiac ICU, she survived. Some death panel there -- an 80-something year old woman, and they are spending lots of resources to keep her around. We are all very grateful for that. And again, it's government provided, since my Mom is on Medicare. The doctors talked about choices and issues and complications and heroic measures, but never once did they suggest that we should let her die, to preserve resources for the next person. The younger, healthier next person. So much for your death panels, Governor Palin.

But then wander over to Lou's, and he will guide you to another blog. One with a person who isn't so lucky. Start asking around, and I bet you can find lots of people who are either without insurance themselves or know somebody who is.

Health care is not a luxury. Having access to drugs that save your life, your sight, your kidneys or heart, that should not be a privilege. Dying too soon, too young, because some worthless person at an insurance company gets a bonus for denying as many claims as possible, because some heartless and thoughtless and subhuman exec thinks that making money for the shareholders is far more important than some average person's life, that should not be happening in this country.

Dear Republican Politicians. I am an American Citizen. I am married to guy who has spent the last 20-whatever years serving our country. I have spent countless hours volunteering for military families and civilian families and the communities where we have lived. I am a real American. I want health care for every single person in this country. I want health care reform. I want my friends and family to have the same "privilege" that I have -- to be able to go to the doctor when they are sick. To go to the doctor when they feel great, so that they don't die early from undiagnosed and untreated diseases. To be able to buy food and heat their homes and get their prescriptions filled.

I know I haven't been political on my blog much, because I don't want to offend. But this is who I am. I am very liberal, very progressive, very non-Republican, and I am pissed. And tired. And worried about my kids and your kids and everybody's kids.

I am a real American, and whenever somebody says that Americans don't want health care reform, well, they sure as hell are not speaking for me.

Worm holes and black dogs...

Secret Mom and Lou think they have worm holes, too, and Lou wonders where his socks end up. I am suddenly relieved that I only have a small kitchen-to-Suburban wormhole. I would hate to endlessly find someone else's socks on my kitchen counter...

Mojo dented the wall today. With his head. Not to worry, though, Moj has a head of steel and thus bounced off it without noticing. Very unfortunately the wall doesn't bounce back so well...

Today was a class -- FRG Fundraising and Finances -- then off to the hospital for lab work, then a quick lunch, to another meeting, then home --but wait! A phone call (curses. Finding my cell phone bites me in the keister.) before I even get home summons me to another meeting...When I finally actually do get home, the dogs have once again ripped into the kitchen trash.

And I have no tequila.

Oh, yeah...

Did I mention this here? I found my cell phone. In the Suburban.

From now on when something is missing, I am checking the Suburban first. The dogs were missing -- turns out they were in the Suburban. (We had taken them with us somewhere, and nobody remembered to let them out...an hour later we couldn't find them until I opened the door to the 'burb to go drive around to find them. I had even been on the elliptical trainer a couple feet from the 'burb and didn't realize they were there. They are very patient dogs.)

Thor's wallet? In the Suburban.

And now my phone. Perhaps we have some sort of tiny wormhole...stuff gets sucked from the kitchen counter to the Suburban. It would be great for bringing in the groceries if it were the other way around, although I would really hate for the carburetor to show up on the counter.

It's Tuesday.

I have nothing.

Except my basil plant -- if it is basil, why would I buy a basil plant when I don't particularly like basil...is not dead. It's a dead looking stick with three sorta green, slightly crunchy leaves.

(I may be back later...but I didn't want to miss a day of PoEvWeeDy!)

The Further Adventures of What the Hell Was I Thinking...

I think I should rename my blog...because I am the anti-organizer, and wonder what the hell I was thinking when I realize what I just did or did three days ago or two weeks ago.

Really, if you are one of those super-organized people, I hate you (just a little and only the anal parts...shit. That came out wrong. Whoops. We are on an accidentally bottom themed moment here, all completely inadvertent. Let's try that again -- just a little and only the super organized bits. Doesn't have the same ring to it, but less open to misinterpretation. I was not in fact insulting your behind.)

But that's beside the point -- what I meant to say is that if you are one of those super-organized people, I am your kryptonite. Spend enough time around me, work with me on a project, and I guarantee you will start losing papers and slacking off by playing Farmville on Facebook. You will find yourself ignoring your internet calendar to browse the intertoooobs for shoes and fabric. You will purchase items for a really fun new hobby and spend exactly 37.2 seconds on that hobby for each dollar you have spent.

That is how completely unorganized I am at the moment. I am so unorganized I am contagious.

Also, my basil plant died.

(And I know I skipped the weekend, but hey. If I post every weekday, that's like my own version of NaBloMoGo or whatever that acronym is... It's PoEvWeedy. Post Every WeekDaY. Works for me! Avatar coming soon!)

From the Glad It's Not Me file...

Thor is camping this weekend. In a snow cave. Well, tonight he is "camping" in a cabin, but tomorrow morning he will be building a snow cave to sleep in. He was looking forward to it, especially since a couple of his good friends are in the same troop and camping too.

Me, no. I am not thrilled with the idea of snow caves. Not thrilled with the idea of shoveling up a huge pile of snow and then tunneling into it. Especially not thrilled with peeing in the woods at night in Alaska in February. It's been in the high 30's this week, so I have been scraping the snow and ice off the driveway. That is enough of the great outdoors for me at the mo, although I think Tess and I might go to Potter Marsh tomorrow just to check it out.

The car is again filthy. Can't tell what color it is filthy. Headlights barely seen filthy. Because the entire world (or at least the roads) are all slush and muck and gravel and dirt and bleh.

Tomorrow if it is still heatwaving, I will be opening windows in every room in the house to get some fresh air, especially after the Mojo fart incident the other day. Nobody is evil enough to deserve to live in Mojo funk.

Mostly I spent today driving to Eagle River and back home...I had a meeting at my friend's house this morning, then dropped Thor at the Lion's Club for his Boy Scout trip, then finally to Eagle River one last time because Tess was playing the drum for her middle school's opening song in their play. We only stuck around for about 20 minutes to watch the play (Something about Juliet -- it's a Romeo and Juliet parody, I think), but it was a long week and we just wanted to get home. There was one last piece of pizza sitting on the counter waiting for me (yeah, I totally love courting food poisoning by leaving food laying around for an hour on the counters...), I thought there was one last piece of pizza waiting. Nope. What was waiting for us was the pizza cutting board and the pizza cutter on the kitchen floor. Apparently one of the dogs decided it was his slice o' pizza. Probably Moj. He has been kinda pushing the counter surfing idea lately. I am chasing him out of the kitchen ALOT lately...

Oh, well. I really didn't need that last slice of pizza...I just hope this doesn't trigger a repeat of the tasty Mojo farts...

My cell phone is missing...

And has been missing for over a week. This is pathetic. Where the hell did I put the stupid thing? Of course it was almost out o' battery, so calling it was useless. I am sure I will eventually find it somewhere stupid. Until then, I swipe the kids' phones or just go crazy, and step out of the giant communication bubble.

Actually I don't really care if people can call me or not -- and we still have the landline, so it's not a big cone of silence around me or anything -- but I don't like that the kids' schools can't get in touch with me instantly, since Mark is oh, yeah. In another country.

I have been watching the Olympics -- I love men's short track speed skating. That is my favorite this year. My least favorite? NBC's coverage. Dudes. I really don't need all the freaking "ooh, look how cute or terrible or tough or determined" various athletes have been. I really just want to see a bunch of athletes doing their thing.

I wonder if they have any speed skating around here...probably not. This is a big hockey town, and I am not big on hockey. I used to love it, but I get really bored with the need for violence on the ice.

Plus yesterday there were six crashes on women's downhill yesterday, and you only showed three of them. It's like NASCAR. We watch for the crashes and spills. Don't want anyone hurt, but seriously. Skiers bounce. No serious injuries yesterday, so c'mon. Show us the "agony of defeat" moments.

I got nothing else at the mo. I haven't had coffee yet today. I got up so late I didn't even have the four minutes it takes to use my Keurig coffee maker. By the way, if you lick the top of a used KCup, you get grounds in your mouth. I don't know, I was trying to figure out if I had used the cup that was in the coffeemaker. yeah yeah yeah. Everything you are thinking at the moment, I was thinking to myself in the immediate aftermath of the licking. Bad idea. Kinda dumb. What was I thinking. However, this gives you an out for the rest of the day. No matter what you do, you can think, at least I don't have a tongue full of coffee grounds through my own utter stupidity. Although toungueful is pushing it, bud. It was more like a teeny little bit, right in the middle.

I should stop typing now.

Yeah.

I am back. Stop giggling and mocking. Yes, there is a very good chance I will be back again in another two months, but maybe maybe maybe I will stick around a little this time...

But. I am tired of thinking of others and pulling punches and making sure I am not offensive, so at least for today I am going to be blunt and me. Liberal liberal liberal me. Cranky me, sometimes swearing, occasionally a tiny bit well, obscene? profane? dirty? whatever you want to call it...

Like this is me. I burst into Thor's room -- his door was closed -- but I burst in and as I am, I think I should knock, he is a teenage boy after all, what the hell am I thinking? And of course, because I am me and not able to stop myself around my kids, I say something along the lines of, but slightly, a teeny bit, just a little less direct than this: "I should knock and wait, you could be, um, enjoying yourself in here..." (C'mon. He's 17. I have to bug him about sex and stuff.) I did not actually say the m word, but I was about to, when I realized he was on Skype with four friends. His mike was open and right there. I whipped around and closed the door, not waiting to find out if his friends heard that or not...

Zach's friends would totally not be shocked by this, because this kind of thing is what I do sometimes.

In other news, I found on Huffingtonpost.com, a perfect description of Sarah Palin.

I will miss you when you're gone. Your entertainment-value quotient is off the charts, especially for "over educated", cultural-elitist snobs like me. There's the maddening little sing-song delivery of your speeches, with those weird, unmotivated upticks and misplaced emphases that suggest you are literally reading "your own words" for the very first time. For anyone who appreciates real oratorical skills, like those of Churchill, MLK or Pliny the Elder (you can google all these names, sweetie), it's like having knitting-needles kicked into one's ears over and over again. There's your matchless ability to grind grammar and syntax into a non-intelligible word-pulp containing the odd sharp, indigestible fragment of John Birch ("Bomb Iran!") or Jesus-Freak ("More Divine Intervention!") insanity, the frequent cheap slurs against your political enemies -- who, I can't help noticing, are sprouting up even in the madder precincts at your own end of the political spectrum -- and the usual genuflections towards Boy Jesus and Saint Ronnie (who I bet wouldn't touch your ass with a forty-foot pole).

Thank you to Kara Vallow, who has written exactly what I feel when I hear Gov. Palin speak. I didn't like her as governor before she was chosen by McCain, I didn't like her when she was running for VP, and nothing I have seen of her since then has changed my mind. I am putting this here because I love the wording..."the odd sharp, indigestible fragment of John Birch ("Bomb Iran")..." It captures what I have struggled to explain.

Changing the subject again...dang. Mojo is farting up a storm, like I said on FB, it's like bad lasagna and I can taste it. I can't get away from it, because I can't put him outside -- too cold for my short-haired, thin-coated baby to stay outside long -- and because no matter where I go in the house, Moj follows. I am sitting here with a vanilla scented candle almost singe-ing (how do you "ing" singe without making it sing?) my nose hairs...