I drove to Nashville today... its my "ME" weekend, and I'm sitting in a very large bed with a nice flat screen television telling me about the great things to be found in the experience of driving a lincoln and listening to El DeBarge sing about all his love... and well... chillin...All I need is some chablis... where IS that room service menu anyway?
on the drive down, I stopped at a Waffle House just south of Louisville for a bit of breakfast. You know Waffle House...home of breakfast anytime you want it... full of locals and overly friendly waitresses...yeah, that place...
I sat in the last open booth and requested a cup of tea and some hashbrowns and eggs over easy, with a side of sausage ...I watched people for a few minutes... someone way on the other end of the counter was discussing stocks and what his nephew in california was doing now; a little girl was asking why all the men in the place were still wearing their caps and wasn't that rude; two guys outside were repairing the concrete in a few of the parking spaces.
There was a couple sitting in the very next booth. She was facing me...her husband, apparently on his way to, or recently returned from a hunting trip had his back to me. They spoke quietly about things to do today and ordered steak and eggs; her was medium rare, his was rare...
They ate quietly when the food arrived and then asked for doggy bags. He got up and started for the cashier's. I continued to eat as I heard her say...."Michael, you need the ticket don't you?"
I looked up... Michael didn't hear her...he was already at the cashier's booth. She looked at me and shock her head...
"I swear, he's like a 2 year old."
I smiled. I understood completely.
"What ever would they do without us?"
"Die while trying to decide which pair of draws to put on."
I choked on my sausage and laughed out loud. The waitress who returned for the ticket shook her head and said... girl...don't even give them credit for being able to manage that...
We all laughed...
I started to get out the booth and added one more comment...
"mine is home with $50 worth of expensive meat. Pray for him, ok?"
She guffawed and climbed out of her booth and followed me to the cashier.
"Girl... I'll pray he doesn't burn your house down, ok?"
lol
I sat in my car and watched them walk to their truck, he was fussing and complaining about something and she simply said yes dear...
Gotta love our men, don't we?
Labels: mah peoples...
Ok, so about a week ago, three people in town were killed within a 24 hour period and the usual conversation about black and black crime and why folk around here kill each other came up. The convo then turned to how it used to be around here... which, naturally meant I had to speak up.
After doing a general search of how wonderful Gary Indiana is, I found this website called Forgotten Buildings and a page in particular called Gary Indiana - A Ghost Town. I read a few of the posts in the blog and came across one in particular that was .... interesting...
Some total stranger from california is working on a docuentary of politics in the middle west and racism in political elections. He commented on how he'd be in the area this week and would anyone be interested in talkin to him. I emailed him. He emailed back. We met Wednesday and talked for a while.
I discovered something about myself and the place I live. I like living here. Its NOT a murder captial. Its NOT some ghost town. Its people who are working hard to pay mortgages and educate their children and keep some sense of peace in their lives one way or another. Its a place with intellectuals and artists and culture and history... Its a nice place to live. If you've never been here... don't discuss it like you have...simple as that.
I was asked a lot of questions: thinkgs like why is having the right to vote important to me, how long have I lived here and participated in the political life of the community, what do I do to make my hometown a great place to live, and so forth...
I like me and my life. I like my hometomwn... and I discovered that I do what I do because its important to be proud of SOMETHING...and to be able to speak on it...
I did... its all good.
Just do it... speak on your hometown... you apparently like the place or you wouldn't be there...right?
uh huh uh huh...
Labels: mah peoples...
What are the "experts" saying today...one month out?
Electoral Votes
Labels: politics as usual
Sarah Palin said something the other night during the vice presidential debate that has been bothering me...
She kept talking about soccer moms and how "scared" they are about the economy. She said something about soccer moms representing the average american. I was watching this train wretch with my husband and turned to him and asked what I felt was a very important question:"What exactly does the average american mom spend on soccer equipment and fees for her precious child anyway?"
He looked at me and muttered something about swimming, tennis, basketball and golf (the sports our children excel in) and stopped mid sentence as she said something else stupid and elitist....
So I looked it up...
Soccer ain't cheap people. According to the author of the article I found in On the Pitch, in his community, the costs can be between $500 - $1500 just to be in the league! This doesn't include all the equipment, etc. that goes with playing the actual game, that's just to go out on the field and say hi!!
My daughter was captain of her high school girls swim team, co-captain of the girls tennis team and manager of the boy's track team... I think I spent about $1500 on all three her senior year...grumbling happily that she wasn't somewhere smoking, drinking or otherwise destroying her body, mind and spirit. (seriously, this was money well spent on my social diva). Her brother plays AAU basketball (just wrote a check for that and he's picking out his new shoes as I write this) and he plays golf in the spring. Again, all to keep him busy and learning some team building skills. I will probably spend about $500 on him this year.
So what is my point in telling you this? Palin kept talking about and to a specific demographic as if the rest of us po folk ain't hollerin like fools on the sideline for OUR babies too...
I don't know a whole lot about Alaska, the average income per capita, etc.; that's information that is easily gleaned from the US Census report, but, well, I don't know... I wonder just how many kids play soccer in Alaska and how many parents up there spend the $1500 for their kids to do something other than shoot moose?
What button was she trying to push anyway? Who was she attempting to scare? The ones that will cut back on backyard barbeques so their kids can CONTINUE to play soccer or the ones who budget in the swimming and golf every year because playing the sports the kids love is more about the love of the sport than getting the kids the hell out the house so mom (who probably watchs soap operas all day) can get herself together before dad gets home.
(Ok, I'll stop..that was rude, wrong, and ridiculous...laugh under your breath so they can't hear you.)
Sarah angel... not every mom in America is a soccer mom. Not every mom in America is scared of the economy. Not every mom is a more realisitic version of what you wish you were....(what IS the opposite of a sub-urban female social lemming?)
And being a "Washington outsider" ain't got ish to do with any of it...
I'm an average American mom, raising my children in a two parent, two income home. We've given our children what we feel is a solid moral base and have educated them on the ins and outs of living as "minorities" (whatever the hell that means anymore huh?) in this country.
You didn't speak to me Sarah... and you know it. In your mind, I'm invisible. I don't exist. I'm only some aberration you see in movies and on television and on the national news every night. I'm the sort of person that should be happy and pleased if someone like you even acknowledged if you came into the room I was in...
Sarah Palin...wannabe washington insider... go home. This has gotten stupid...for real.
you have set women... ALL women... back 50 years...
soccer moms... yeah... right...
shit.
Labels: politics as usual
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
