Monday, November 10, 2008

There’s a brief update at Ticklish Giggles.

Thursday, November 06, 2008

Via Dad via email - Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address.

Abraham Lincoln
Second Inaugural Address
Saturday, March 4, 1865

Fellow-Countrymen:

AT this second appearing to take the oath of the Presidential office there is less occasion for an extended address than there was at the first. Then a statement somewhat in detail of a course to be pursued seemed fitting and proper. Now, at the expiration of four years, during which public declarations have been constantly called forth on every point and phase of the great contest which still absorbs the attention and engrosses the energies of the nation, little that is new could be presented. The progress of our arms, upon which all else chiefly depends, is as well known to the public as to myself, and it is, I trust, reasonably satisfactory and encouraging to all. With high hope for the future, no prediction in regard to it is ventured.

On the occasion corresponding to this four years ago all thoughts were anxiously directed to an impending civil war. All dreaded it, all sought to avert it. While the inaugural address was being delivered from this place, devoted altogether to saving the Union without war, urgent agents were in the city seeking to destroy it without war—seeking to dissolve the Union and divide effects by negotiation. Both parties deprecated war, but one of them would make war rather than let the nation survive, and the other would accept war rather than let it perish, and the war came.

One-eighth of the whole population were colored slaves, not distributed generally over the Union, but localized in the southern part of it. These slaves constituted a peculiar and powerful interest. All knew that this interest was somehow the cause of the war. To strengthen, perpetuate, and extend this interest was the object for which the insurgents would rend the Union even by war, while the Government claimed no right to do more than to restrict the territorial enlargement of it. Neither party expected for the war the magnitude or the duration which it has already attained. Neither anticipated that the cause of the conflict might cease with or even before the conflict itself should cease. Each looked for an easier triumph, and a result less fundamental and astounding. Both read the same Bible and pray to the same God, and each invokes His aid against the other. It may seem strange that any men should dare to ask a just God’s assistance in wringing their bread from the sweat of other men’s faces, but let us judge not, that we be not judged. The prayers of both could not be answered. That of neither has been answered fully. The Almighty has His own purposes. “Woe unto the world because of offenses; for it must needs be that offenses come, but woe to that man by whom the offense cometh.” If we shall suppose that American slavery is one of those offenses which, in the providence of God, must needs come, but which, having continued through His appointed time, He now wills to remove, and that He gives to both North and South this terrible war as the woe due to those by whom the offense came, shall we discern therein any departure from those divine attributes which the believers in a living God always ascribe to Him? Fondly do we hope, fervently do we pray, that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. Yet, if God wills that it continue until all the wealth piled by the bondsman’s two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said “the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.”

With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation’s wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.

Eloquent.

I love the Monday morning (or Wednesday, in this case) quarterbacking. I’m disgusted that there are staffers from the McCain campaign who are trying to lay the blame for their loss on Sarah Palin. Listen up, you ran an ineffective campaign from the git-go. Palin came on the scene in August and you think she’s the reason you lost? You were losing well before she came along. You hemmed her in, over coached her, and ignored the very traits that made her the perfect VP pick for the last months of this campaign. She is the one who brought in up to 60K people to rallies. I wasn’t hearing those types of numbers for the Presidential candidate’s rallies. Shut yer traps and go lick your wounds, quietly.

I feel for her. From the moment she was named as the VP pick, her whole life was picked apart. I don’t know why people even think about running for higher office anymore, especially Republicans. They have to know that the media will nitpick over every tiny thing - any slight mistake in your life and you’re doomed. It’s shameful and it’s what I loathe about politics.

As for our President-elect, I’m praying for him. Expectations are high on all sides. I hope he can live up to them. 

Wednesday, November 05, 2008

It seems I’m doomed not to get a full night’s sleep until this baby arrives. Well ... until the baby decides to sleep through the night and who knows when that will happen.

I got home later than normal last night because of horrible traffic and was feeling pretty ill by the time I managed to eat something and go upstairs to change clothes. So I changed into my PJs and crawled into bed. I watched election stuff until I dozed off at about 9pm. Beau came to bed at 10pm with the pending bad news. I barely lifted an eyelid, rolled over and went back to deep sleep. Until about 12:30am… At 2am I gave up and got up, headed to my recliner in the basement, and turned on the TV to watch more election coverage. I watched and watched, waiting to get drowsy. No go. I did eventually doze off at about 5am, but didn’t fall into deep sleep because I was afraid of oversleeping. At 6:15am I went back upstairs to start getting ready for work.

At this point, I’m starting to get very tired. I think the drive home will be very long. And I’m headed straight to bed again.

I’m going to ask my doc about getting a sleep aid. I need to sleep more than a couple of hours a night. I’m exhausted.

*yawn*

As you can expect, I am sorely disappointed with the election results.

I’m disgusted with the GOP Senatorial candidate here in Virginia, who lost to Mark Warner. Did the man even campaign anywhere? What a travesty.

I’m gratified that our incumbent Republican Congressman was re-elected - he’s fantastic.

The Republican party has some serious work to do to get back on track. At least there’s young hope in folks like Sarah Palin and Bobby Jindal.

Today I mourn and pray. Tomorrow it’s time to acknowledge and move on.

Tuesday, November 04, 2008

I got an email from a co-worker from one of our sub-offices where she related her voting ordeal.

She got to her polling place early this morning and waited in line for a bit. Once at the table, she gave her name and ID and was told that she could not vote because she already voted absentee.

“No, I didn’t,” she told them.

She was told to go to the county government center Registrar’s office (I believe that is across town) to do the research into the problem. That took more than an hour. Of course, they had no record of an absentee ballot being mailed to her. That’s because she did not request one. They told her she could vote by Provisional ballot, to which she protested that she absolutely would not vote by that method - she wanted her vote to count! She was told to go to another building where she was able to vote by a paper ballot that she hopes gets counted (I’m skeptical). Total time spent voting - 4.5 hours and most of that was driving and waiting around. The only plausible reason given for the error - a typo when entering someone else’s social security number for their absentee ballot.

I have no clue for whom she voted, but that tale is surely but one of many poor people whose voting experience was less than pleasant.

My boss said that one candidate said one word repeatedly during the campaign that completely offended him. When I asked him what the word was, he said, “Fight.”

He followed that up with, “That man has to stop fighting. There’s been enough fighting in this country.”

I think he misinterprets what the candidate means by fight and I really don’t see how his use of that word is offensive.

My response? “I don’t want him to stop fighting. He fights for the people when no one else does. Frankly, I don’t think he fights enough sometimes. Some politicians don’t do enough of that period. Others do it for the completely wrong reasons.”

He just walked away. I think he voted for the other guy, which I expected.

Of course I thought of the best questions to ask him just a minute ago. “What do you want him to do then? Sit back and let things happen that he knows will be bad for our country?”

Monday, November 03, 2008

We slept in on Saturday. It was nice. Beau and I chatted while we listened to Jesse in his room chattering to himself, his blankets, or whatever.

And then I noticed the itching. My arms especially, were super itchy. Taking a look, I saw what looked like sleeves from shoulder to wrist of tiny red bumps and my arms were hot and slightly swollen. I quickly checked my belly, but it was clear as were my legs. But there was a slight rash on my back as well.

Process of elimination narrowed the culprit to the maternity sweater that I wore on Friday. It was one I had when pregnant with Jesse and had loaned to a church friend when she was pregnant. When I got those clothes back from her I didn’t wash them before wearing, although I will be washing the ones I haven’t worn yet now. This particular sweater was a bit tight in the sleeves, which is why I think the rash was so much worse on my arms than anywhere else.

I still have itchy patches on my arms today - mostly at the elbows and the backs of my upper arms. I’m grateful it wasn’t worse since I can’t take anything and even if my doc said I could take Benadryl I wouldn’t because it knocks me loopy. I tried topical Benadryl on Saturday night, which it worked only marginally.

So I just have to live with the itching. Fun, no?

I like to think that this dreadful election season will be all over but for the shouting, but I have lived long enough to know that won’t be the case.

So someone will win tomorrow and either way it’ll be ugly.

I firmly believe that our country is losing its way - the Founders would be horrified to see where we are today, imho.

That said, I look forward to casting my ballot tomorrow morning and I will be watching the coverage on TV in the evening.

Saturday, November 01, 2008

Thanks to cousin CB, Jesse had a cute hand-me-down costume for Halloween.

Beau took him trick or treating at a couple of specific houses in our neighborhood while I tended to the candy distribution at our house. About the time we ran out of candy, they got back home with a larger amount of candy in Jesse’s bag than I would have expected for 4 houses. Folks were apparently way more generous than I.

After they got home we got into the car to take him to Marmie and Pop’s to show off his cuteness.

Bonus photos today - Jesse has transitioned from the high chair to a booster at the table.

Friday, October 31, 2008

I went to the funeral of The Amazing One’s husband this morning.

I posted a request for prayer for TAO and her husband when he was first diagnosed with cancer back in the spring. I started to post last week about how he had deteriorated in the past couple of months, but I lost that post in the intertubes ether and didn’t bother to try to rewrite it. Suffice to say, he had not responded well to radiation or chemo and later developed clots in his lungs and a tumor in his heart. Two weeks before he died he had a small stroke and TAO arranged for hospice care.

His siblings all flew out from California the weekend before he died and got a chance to all spend some good quality time with him. He was lucid enough for that time and it was such a blessing for TAO and his siblings, who also sort of looked at him as a father figure. He was the older one and helped their mother raise them when their Army father was deployed.

He died last Friday. He was 58 years old and leaves behind his beloved wife and two grown sons as well a bunch of friends and coworkers who adored him. From the tributes given at his memorial service this morning, he was the best of men. Having met him, I agree wholeheartedly.  I grieve for TAO and her loss - she was separated from her husband far too soon but they had a wonderful 25 years together.

Please pray for her - peace and comfort and for God to reveal Himself to her through this process.

Thursday, October 30, 2008

On my commute I spotted an unnecessary quote on a minivan. I didn’t have my camera, so no picture.

In Loving Memory
of
“D---- A-----------”

Now the sentiment caught my eye because I recognized the name. The man lovingly remembered was a member of my former church and died of cancer last year. Then I spotted the quote marks around his name.

Why?

A Fairfax County cop died in a training accident and his funeral is today. There’s a huge motorcade/procession this morning and as a result they shut down all exits onto the Outer Loop of the Beltway from Braddock Road to Route 1 in Alexandria (basically, that’s I-95N headed into Maryland). They expect 3000-5000 cars, not people but cars, and that it will take at least 1 full hour for the procession to clear. That means that a major interstate is shut down to all northbound traffic in late rush hour. That is insane.

Fortunately for me, I woke up earlier than I have been and managed to get on the Beltway 10 minutes before they closed my entrance. I walked into my office at 9:05am.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

So Sen. Obama proposes that folks take the day off to go vote. Others suggest that the day be a national holiday.

I say no way to both.

There is no need to take the whole day off to go vote. The longest I stood in line to vote ever was maybe 2 hours. Usually I get in and out in about 30 minutes. As for the holiday idea, that’s ridiculous - half of the people don’t even bother to vote, so they would get a free day off and that just hurts the economy.

If you want to vote, get off your lazy butt and go vote.