Productive Sunday

Since we normally go to church on Saturday evenings, this frees up our Sundays quite nicely. While we don’t get to truly sleep in because of Jesse (and sometimes Annie), we do get a good day of rest and relaxation. For some reason yesterday turned into work on the house day and we got quite a lot accomplished before 10am when we paused to make breakfast.

The following is the list of stuff that needs doing. I’ve struck through the things that are done. As you can see, there’s still quite a lot to do.

Things That Need Doing Before We Have Guests for Thanksgiving

1. Switch armoire/buffet in living/dining room

2. Switch living/dining room areas

3. Put up ceiling fan in kitchen.

4. Put glass/silver away into the buffet. (This is partially done - the silver still needs to be unpacked.)

5. Hang pictures in living/dining room.

6. Hang curtains in living room and kitchen (Mom is in the process of making them.)

7. Finish unpacking boxes in living/dining room.

8. Finish unpacking kitchen boxes.

9. Paint green chest white.

10. Steam clean living/dining room carpet spots (Some of these are from moving. Some we think are from the previous tenant.)

This only covers the main floor. There’s still a lot to do in the basement (although that is slowly coming together) and upstairs (again, its coming together slowly).

The good thing? Jesse’s room is pretty much done. The guest room needs pictures and valance hung. Our bedroom needs curtains hung (Mom made them and I just got them last week), boxes unpacked, closets reorganized.

Also, we installed the gate on the entry stairway. We have gates for the other stairways. Jesse doesn’t get free floor access anywhere yet because of the still packed boxes and other moving junk hazards still about.

Anyway, still lots to do, but progress had been made.

Saturday Stuff

Beau has a cold. Jesse is teething (but you’d never know it except for the extra chewing and slightly more drool).

Marmie and Pop head to the UK today. I’m taking them to the airport later and then will meet Beau at church. Before that Jesse and I will head to the mall to pick up my new glasses that we bought on Thursday. Because we got there late, they couldn’t get them done that day and I didn’t get a chance to head to the mall yesterday. Beau’s glasses are taking 10 days since he’s getting *whispers* bifocals */whispers*. I laughed that my cataracts trumps his need for bifocals on the getting older scale.

I’ve decided to do a jewelry open house here on December 1. I figured since my main floor will be ready for company (ha!) by Thanksgiving, then after Thanksgiving should be OK to have strangers traipsing through, too. If you’re in the area and want to come let me know and I’ll send you the evite. I’m participating in my mother‘s open house in mid-November, too. So this means I’ll have to watch my cam girls list to make sure I have enough to watch in December. This is assuming I sell things at Mom’s open house.

So things are typically busy. But good. Life is good.

For Whom to Vote?

This is the first time in my years of voting that I have no idea which candidate to support. Going back to Reagan in the 80s, I’ve always known early in the primary season for whom I planned to back as the nominating and general election drew near. But this time, I’m so torn about all of the choices.

When I do those silly little quizzes the candidate who tops them nearly every time is Duncan Hunter. But he’s at the point of needing to just drop out of the race. So who is next for me? It’s a complete toss up because there are things I love/like about all of the top contenders and there are things that greatly concern me about all of the top contenders.

Of the five who debated last night the one I know I do not support is Ron Paul. He is so out of touch with reality about foreign policy that the thought of him as President scares me almost as much as the thought of Obama as Commander in Chief. I understand why people do support him - he’s got interesting things to say about economics, but he lost me when he said ”Austrian theory” when responding to a question about the economy last night.

On Fred, I like that he’s more interested in the position of the President than the campaigning required to get the job. Unfortunately for him, in order to get the job I believe he does want and would do reasonably well, he does have to campaign. It’s his long interview process. Sorry, dude. He showed up last night, which was a nice change, and I think he did well.

On Huck, there’s a reason for his move up in the standings and it isn’t just the evangelical voters. My concern is that he’s sounding a little weaker on foreign policy issues than I’d like, but having a strong VP and a membership on http://www.chaturbaterooms.com/ could go a long way toward helping him out. Since he can’t pick those folks or float name until he gets the nomination, then he’s stuck looking weak.

On Mitt, my issue isn’t his faith. Again, it’s the foreign policy unknowns.

McCain - just, no. I said no to him in 2000, too.

Our primary is February 12. At this point, I have no idea for whom I will vote. I’ve got a month to pin it down. I have a feeling I’ll may not walk into the booth with a person decided on and the final decision will happen when I do finally push the button.

Head, Meet Desk

Get this.

I just walked back to the squad room to deliver something to the supervisor. I saw Useless One with some young dude who actually looks kind of familiar but he’s not a regular around here.

On my way back to my office I stopped in Bossman’s. “Boss, does Useless One have an intern?”

“She sure does!” he said with glee.

I raised my eyebrows in disbelief and squelched the myriad comments that popped into my brain.

“You need him?” he asked.

“Nope,” I answered with a pointed look that he ignored.

It’s amazing to me that the one person in the office who doesn’t work gets an intern to help her to do less work.

She, of course, looked happy as a clam, showing him around. I bet she’s loving having someone to boss.

Back to his familiarity - I think he’s been here as an intern before. I’ll ask him later.

New Hampshire

In my 5.5 years of living in Manchester, NH, I only experienced one presidential primary. I sort of enjoyed the mayhem, but once was enough. My only regret was that I did not attend a single rally for any jasminelive candidates, including the one I supported.

One political hot spot is the landmark diner in town, the Red Arrow Diner. Our office was in the building next door and we ate there often because it was convenient, the food was excellent, and it was cheap. And it was a great diner as diners go - teeny-tiny, fun ambience from the locals, cool collectible mugs (my parents have a set).

The thing that amazed me the most about the whole thing was how the city managed to accommodate all of the media when they descended about two weeks before the actual primary day. And how quiet things were after they left. I liked it when they left. I’m sure all of New Hampshire will be happy for the peace and quiet tomorrow.

Back On My Computer

I bought my subscription to Karol‘s Insider yesterday.

Day One of listening to the mp3 of Beck’s show on my computer started yesterday at home. It was great - commercial free and I could pause when I needed to leave the room.

Day Two so far is successful and enjoyable. I downloaded the three hours of his show to my thumb drive (since I don’t think I should download it to my laptop) about an hour ago. I’m now about halfway through the second hour. It’s fantastic.

Well worth the money, which is only about $5/month.

[UPDATE]: Each “hour” is really only about 35 minutes of actual content. Yowzah. So that’s probably 5-8 minutes of news and the rest is commercials. Sickening. Definitely worth the money to save 90 minutes of wasted listening time.