Wednesday January 13, 2021

Welcome to hump day. I ate way too much last night. I had thought about going out but the weather wasn't good so instead I overate at home. Sort of LOL???

Today is going to be gray and rainy especially this afternoon and evening. Yesterday was gray but I could get Justice outside. We don't get these too often which is why I am in Florida so I guess I can manage it. But I really have no plans for the day other than trying to get a Covid vaccine appointment again. I am not sure my county is putting new appointments up today because they haven't publicized it, though they did so on Wednesday last week and the week before. They are now using a text based notification system to tell people when appointments open up. Last time the notification came out 1/2 hour after the appointments were up so they were already gone. And do they really think EVERYONE over 65 uses text messaging????

And I really am finding myself missing Mike. I will probably drive to his place either late tomorrow or early Friday.

Have a safe, healthy and interesting day!

155.6. I'm wearing tight pants today to try and be good. Steps over 10k yesterday. I had to do some returns and easier just to return to stores than mail. Boy is the mall depressing. The world is changing so fast. For good? Several of my favorite stores boarded up. Forever?

Covid aside, I appreciate some conveniences of online shopping. But especially as a SAHM I really liked putting my kids in the stroller and browsing the mall. I'm a very touchy-feely person so scanning a store for clothes, and be able to try them on is in some ways more efficient for me. I don't think brick and mortar are gone forever. But the big shopping malls may be a thing of the past

I'm not sure I can handle the news any more. I really applaud Peps in trying to understand varying lines of thinking. I think too often our political discourse lacks nuance. It's very simplistic. If you vote for x then you're bad.

There's also the legal junkie in me that is fascinated by the case law to come on issues from scope of impeachment power to limits of 1st amendment (and other constitutional protections) as applied to private companies/individuals.

But today i'll focus on what I can control. I'm raising my babies

And doing a fantastic job of raising them! Happy girls!

Liz-that is so sweet you're missing Mike so much. I'm missing normal R. But I also kinda miss the dating days. I think you're right to enjoy that. One big thing I'd like to do again is get really into dating my spouse. Hard to do right now. But it's something I really really believe in. I hear so many of my contemporaries talk about why they can't...expense, kids nighttime routines, etc. I guess different strokes for different folks. Dating my husband is a priority. If I didn't have family or reliable babysitters, I'd be offering to trade babysitting services with someone, and looking up free concerts, etc. Aw, I miss normal times.

For MANY years, DH and I had one fixed night out a week. We had a regular babysitter who was committed for that night (obviously with the caveat that periodically she wouldn't be able to). I think it made a huge difference in keeping our relationship fresh. Which is probably one of the most important things we can do for our children as well as ourselves.

I am committed to taking 3-4 days breaks each week in seeing Mike at least for a good while. Though we just booked Key West from 3/15-3/17 and Siesta Key from 3/20-3/27. I guess we will have a long stretch there, but the timing just sort of happened. My birthday is 3/16 and the place we wanted to stay in Siesta Key was only available that week during the time span we were considering.

I also think it unfair as well as sad that individuals are castigated when they express what they believe their Party stands on and they believe in. When you are the enemy because you will not support what some individual or faction wants instead of what your party stands for the party system no longer works.

The sticky wicket re constitutional protections for me is - where is the line where a persons or corporate rights impinge upon said rights of others. There seems to be no concept of compromise. America was created in compromise understanding the diversity (even then) of its citizens.

Weight up 196.6. Hello salty soup.

Coffee now, therapy later today, a walk, and lots of water.

I took a carload of 7 boxes to the Salvation Army yesterday. It felt good to get them out of my garage. Time to fill up more...

160.4

Liz, you are so fun; sending me a-looking for "funnies"---

Early early mornings, I often turn radio and listen (if you can call it that- snoozing in and out 'till I get up) to NPR. I like the news that is presented more as an article instead of a surface sound bite. Any way (missing the first part- something about the ever growing change in attitude congressional members have in regards to Function- in that,

greater emphasis is now placed on getting in back of whoever the quarterback happens to be (voting leadership) so the team can win- no matter the rules (Party planks, philosophy- what the party stands for) instead of voting for what the party stands for . What happens is the playbook (the party's Base and Purpose- as well as the rule book - laws and procedures- are chucked out the window.

This results in chaos- the focus is on winning for the purpose of what political leadership wants as well as beating the **** out of the opposition.

Playing the game should end in legislation that benefits the fans that support it- liberty, justice, security and confidence in a government based by the people-and for the people .

What is lost are the principles of each party.

The team sport analogy is interesting as I have for a while thought politics (and really most subjects on which one can have an opinion one way or another) has gone the way of extreme team allegiance. Where no longer do people just disagree, but they get violent in defense of their "team" both verbally and physically - and this happens on both sides of the political aisle with their fringe components. You're no longer allowed to compromise or meet in the middle (no ties). Protesters beating up people from the other side (no matter the side) is no different than post-football game nutjobs beating up someone supporting the other team in the parking lot. People publicly rooting on social media for the death of someone who caught Covid, rooting for the president to be hung, saying the speaker of the house should be shot, on and on. We sit in judgment at the horrors of stoning and public executions in other countries, but are we so far behind?

Exactly! Just that!