For one, we went out for ice cream, which we don't do all that often. Nothing special (not that around here much is!), just down to a free-standing building in the next town, but it was fun. We sat near a family with two young Chinese daughters (who were, of course, cute as the dickens). I had a strawberry ice cream in a waffle cone; my wife had chocolate and banana in a cup. It was pleasant.
Not so pleasant was an article I read about people's reactions to Obama's European tour. I continue to be surprised at how much people who don't like him, don't like him. Its not a mild 'well, gosh, there are things I like about him, and things I don't like'; its more 'dammit, there are things I don't like, and things I really don't like'. These are sometimes the idiots, I guess I ought to say misinformed, who still think he's a Muslim out to take over the country; those folks, I don't listen to, because short of the heavens opening and a thunderbolt slicing across their foreheads, nothing's going to change their mind. He could be sworn in, serve eight years, reduce the debt, solve the problems of Iraq and Afghanistan, and have bin Laden's head on a post, and these people would still go all squinty-eyed at the thought of this guy in that House.
No, these seem to be pretty normal people who just don't trust him. Some of them think he's nice enough but just doesn't have enough experience. Some don't believe he means what he says; other times, they believe he means it, but don't believe he can do it. And of course, some don't like what he proposes, hope he can't do it, and feel that the best way for that to happen is for him not to be elected. Very few seem to prefer McCain; they just don't like either of the candidates, and he's the one they dislike more. It's depressing. I think it comes down to believing. I wish I had a candidate with his attitudes, his values, and more experience, but I don't see one; for sure, its not McCain, who really is Bush reincarnate (not entirely, but substantially). But since I can't get the candidate I want, this is the candidate I choose. As as for the people who just don't like him -- well. Its a little late to be saying they want someone else, though I hear Bob Barr and Ralph Nader are available.
Perhaps some differences of opinion require greater skill than my own to resolve.
My wife will have to work this Sunday, for about eight hours, supporting some system upgrades. I've told her that I do occasionally think that I'd like to go back to work, partially because I'd like to buttress our financial position, and partially because I miss being a techie. I force myself to remember how dull work can be (tech stuff, no -- that I like. The stuff that surrounds it -- meetings, standards, audits, dress codes -- that, pretty grim.) I also have to remember that working means that you don't get to take a nap at 1:30 for a couple of hours, which I've gotten used to doing. You don't get to say that you're going to take the morning to mess around with baking. And you don't get to stay up late reading and just sleep in, tomorrow. You work. Put that way, its a lot less appealing.
On the bright side, dinner today was good, I'm about half way through Eclipse, and I'm thinking about doing some baking this weekend. I saw this page about, omigod, Chocolate Chip Cookies.....
4 comments:
Aw, Bill, I feel terrible about my post now. Please know that I'm not one of the crazies who think he's a Muslim extremist or anything. I'm just one of the ones who don't trust him or think that he's truly honest. I don't trust McCain either, though. There are three big issues that I don't see him being any different from Bush on, and that scares me. So yeah, I'm one of the ones that doesn't have anyone to vote for. I don't see Barr or Nader as much of an option.
The strawberry ice cream in a waffle cone sounds very nice on a summer evening. And when you said "cute as the dickens" you sounded like you're from my neck of the woods. I bet they were cute.
You don't have *anything* to feel terrible about, L. Even if you were a crazy, I'd still like you -- but I know you're not. There are still things that pop up about you which surprise me --B.A.S.E. jumping off a cherrypicker? Who'd have guessed? -- but none alarm me.
As for Obama, I understand your feelings. To an extent, I share them. Its just that, you know, I think his wife is both cute and smart, and you know how I like that mixture.
Cute as the dickens is actually a phrase I picked up in either Texas or Mississippi -- don't recall. (I almost said 'don't rightly recall', but I would have been faking it.)
I LOVE not working! I cannot understand why any woman would ever complain about getting to avoid corporate slavery in exchange for nothing more than cooking, cleaning and doing laundry. Taking care of a house is a lot easier than doing a corporate job and there is no performance evaluation.
CF, imagine if there were! Man, I can see an Oprah show based on this...and a line of reality tv shows, too....
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