Fun Monday - Veteran's Day

I'm really late joining Fun Monday this week, but I think the topic is so worthy that I had to contribute.  Our host this week is Janis.  Her very timely assignment:

Since Next Tuesday is Veterans Day, I thought it would be nice to salute our Veterans and show our appreciation. Photo requirement of something patriotic.

My stepfather passed away two years ago.  He was a WWII veteran, an Army Laboratory Technician.     

Occasionally, when I was young, he would talk about the war.  I don't remember the specific stories, just the overall lesson that being in a war was a very tough way of life.  I know the war made an indelible impression on his life.   Maybe if I had listened closer to those stories, I would have understood him better.  

Veteran's Day is a tribute to him and all the others who have served our country.  Let us never forget the sacrifices made by so many, and do what we can to honor those.  Even those lucky enough to come home bring memories of the horrors of war with them that we can scarcely imagine.  Let us pause in our daily routines to say a special prayer of thanks for their sacrifice, and to remember those who are no longer with us.  

Voter Report from NH

It was a beautiful, unseasonably warm day in NH for this election.  I'm comfortable predicting we'll shatter voter turnout records today for our state at least.  The mood at the polls was unlike any I've seen in all my years of voting.  Despite the fact that whomever is elected faces major challenges, voters were excited to cast their ballots.  I didn't mind having to plan my trip to the polls to minimize traffic congestion and wait time - I think it is great to see such a high level of civic involvement.  Let's hope that the involvement doesn't end here!

My town did a great job - they were very well prepared for the turnout, which was quite heavy.  I voted at 3:30PM - not usually a real busy time - and the parking lot was full.  The high school had set up separate lanes for registered voters versus those registering today.  They had also set up extra voting booths and had people directing the traffic.  

A few high school students were doing exit surveys for their statistics class - this is quite normal for us, they do it every election.  And Kid's Vote was set up in the room next to the polling room.  

All in all the process went very smoothly, and we were in and out in 15 minutes or less.  Finding a place to park was the biggest challenge!

Giant Pumpkins - Oh My!

Here's another reason I love NH, and my town in particular. Every year we have this great Giant Pumpkin Regatta.

First, we have a contest to see who can use a trebuchet to shoot small pumpkins thru small holes in a floating target. And yes, the target moves when the wind blows!

Next, we take some of the giant pumpkins that weren't quite big enough to be crowned #1, and make them into boats for our big regatta. Yep, we scoop out the pumpkin guts and there you have it - instant boat.

The racers spend the evening decorating their craft, and the next day we all gather at the river for the big race:
Since pumpkin boats don't travel very fast they also shoot at each other with super soakers to keep things interesting (and this is NH, so that water is cold in October!)
Don't worry, we have divers standing by for any boat that sinks!

Now we'll bring in the 'big guns...'

But still our brave Fire Chief fights on:

Life in a Purple State

Only ten days remain until the 2008 Presidential election.  In my entire adult life I don't recall ever looking forward to an election as much as this one.  Is it because I can't wait to cast my vote for my chosen candidates?  Nope.  Here's a list of the reasons why I can't wait for this election to be over with:

~ so I can answer my phone and actually have the person on the other end be someone who is calling to talk to me, not to poll me.  Number of times I've been polled in 2008 -- greater than ten.

~ so I can answer the phone and not have someone offering me directions to my polling place.  I know I'm getting older, but honestly, I can remember where and when to go vote.

~ so I can sleep in on Sunday morning, get up and roam the house in my jammies, and not hear my daughter yelling "Mom, there is a strange man at the door with a bunch of papers and an "insert candidates name here" sign on his car."  At 9AM no less!

~ so I can listen to the radio again, without hearing the words "I will stand beside George Bush" in the ads of the candidates from BOTH parties in the Senate race.

~ so I can listen to the radio again without having to eventually give up and switch to my iPod because the only stations not playing attack ads are interviewing people about the attack ads.  

~ so I don't see the people filling up the comments section of my local paper and tv station continue to spew hate-filled rhetoric about anyone who doesn't share their point of view.  And, for the record, no one party has a monopoly on this rhetoric.  What happened to basic respect for others?  For that matter, what happened to the ability to think for ourselves and not spew some party line?

Okay, I'll get off my soap box for now, plug in my iPod, unplug my phone and cable-tv (but never my internet access,) lock my doors, and count the days until this election ends.  

Oh yeah, and I'll pray that whomever is elected has the wisdom, the will, and the ability to do something to rally the people of the U.S. to address the multiple crises our Nation faces.  Because the job is too big for any one person.  

October Sky

A five page philosophy paper.  Statistics homework I don't understand.  A research methods midterm.  Clients traveling soon.  Tests to grade.  Laundry to wash.  A house that even I term 'dirty.'  Yep, this is the highlight of my to do list for this weekend.  All the things I should be doing.

Outside my office window:

The entire sky is that blue - not a cloud in sight.  Maybe all that stuff I have to do will just have to wait a bit longer....

This Can't be Good...

After a long day of classes and a long drive home, I made the final turn toward home.  Sitting a few feet away from my driveway was satellite news truck.  Uh-oh, this isn't usually a good sign.  

The school I live next door to (and my daughter just started attending) was just letting out.  Bus loads of kids were waving as they drove by.  I walked by and noticed the truck was from a Boston station.  We're an hour north of Boston.  Double Uh-oh.  

When Diva and I walked by on our way down, we noticed a man sleeping in truck.  Immediately I start thinking of good reasons why he might be there.  With a hotly contested Senate race, and our status as a purple state, maybe some politician was in town at the local college and this guy thought he found a quiet street to take a nap?  Yeah, right....

Turns out that a former teachers aid (female) was arrested for an inappropriate relationship with a 14 year old (male.)    They communicated via text messages and online chat, so police have plenty of evidence.  The school did a criminal background check before hiring her, but she had no criminal history.  

Now is when I really envy all my homeschooling friends.  It really shouldn't be this scary just to send your child to school.  

Back in the "Real" World

Now that I'm in school I'm actually required to get up, get dressed, and leave my house four days a week.  Over the past four years of mostly working from home, I forgot how good I had it.  

I just completed week 4 of classes, and Diva, who is fortunately (knock on wood here) a very healthy kid, came down with a flu bug on Thursday.  We Mom's know how this one starts:

(Weds. Night)  Diva:  Mom, my throat is scratchy

Me (hopefully):  Maybe you yelled too much at school today?

It invariably continues in a sleep-deprived fog around 4AM:

Diva:  Mom, I'm cold and I can't breathe good.  

Me (unintelligibly):  glubglobglib....  I think that means I'll get you a glass of water and some cough syrup.  

Me:  Oh drat, we don't have any kid's medicine in the house because Diva hasn't been sick in so long.

Then comes the 6AM arm-wrestling match:

Kilowatt:  Do you think she's really sick enough to stay home?  She's never sick.

Me:  What do you have going on at work today?  I have Philosophy class at 10 and Fraud class at 5:30.

Kilowatt:  Do you really think she's sick?

Me:  If I were still working from home, I'd keep her home.  Let me go get the thermometer.  (pause.)  Uh-oh, we're in 'no man's temperature land' 99.5.  That means the school won't officially consider her sick.  But I do since she never has a fever.  

Kilowatt:  I guess I can work from home today.

Me:  I'd better go hit the showers so I can come home between classes.  

Kilowatt:  I'm off to the 24 hour pharmacy to pick up drugs.  

Lucky for us, it appears to be a just a 24-48 hour bug.  I had Friday off so Diva stayed home both days, and is now eager to leave the house where she's been stuck for two days.  

So far, Kilowatt and I are okay.  Now I have to go drink my OJ!