The Governator

I am a volunteer for a Youth and Government program. It is a wonderful experience. High School students from all over California come together for trainings in November and January and in February they take over the Capitol for 5 days. They debate their own legislation, try their own court cases and learn about the workings of the California government first hand.

It is truly an honor to watch them in motion. Part of the experience includes actual government officials speaking to the students. The Atty General Bill Lockyear showed up, as did Jack O'Connell and we were even given the honor of having the Governor show up to speak and he actually took questions from the students.

Too bad he didn't answer any of the questions directly. He anwered the Walmart question with regard to using up state resources for health care with a diatribe of sport analogies and pulling ones self up the boot straps cliches.

He actually said that when he came here as an immigrant he knew the importance of health care and so purchased his own at the rate of $25/month. He knew it was more important to have health insurance than a television. YES, a television. Basically all you part time workers at Walmart who make $8.50/hour and pay rent in the neighborhood of at least $1000 per month should forgo a television (that might set you back $200 as a one time purchase) and purchase your own health care at ooh, let's me kind and quote it at $150/month. No mind to food, clothing, gas, auto insurance and the like.

I am sure we all aspire to be a dimwitted ex body builder whose claim to fame is "I'll be back" who made in excess of $29 million per movie. But since that is a pipe dream at best for the majority of people not just in California, but in the world, I have this to say:

Governor Schwarzenegger, if I have anything to say about it, you will not be back in the Governorship when the next election takes place.

Please go back to Pacific Palisades and stay away from the 5th largest economy in the world.

Peanut Allergies

I have no idea why this came into my head today.

Here goes. When I was in 3rd grade my mom stopped making my lunch because I complained. See my problem was, I only ate peanut butter sandwiches and only on roman meal or sourdough bread. Never jelly on the sandwich in my sack lunch because it made the bread wet (gag). There would be an orange (hopefully) or a pear (in a pinch) or an apple (ugh, they get mushy) and two cookies, hopefully the kind my mom made.

I didn't like ham or turkey or cheese (ick) or tuna or egg salad. Now, it isn't that I never ate those things at home, but when a sandwich has to sit in closet for 4 hours before it is eaten, it needs to have a good shelf life.

And honestly, no one in my life would say I was a picky eater. I guess I'm just picky about the texture of the food when I eat it. Warm ham, half melted cheese, bread soaking wet from tuna or egg salad still grosses me out.

I also was one of the few kids who did not like eating in the school cafeteria. I honestly do not know what I would do today or what my mother would do if Peanut butter had been removed from my list of available foods.

Now, I don't want any kids to have to die for my love of peanut butter, but . . .

If you were the parent of the kid who only ate peanut butter and who could not find an alternative (note reasons above) what would you do? It is not exceptable for a kid to not eat all day.

I can also tell you I have a mom who never wanted another kid to be hurt or left out and I had a friend, Simone, who was Jehovah's Witness and could not celebrate any holidays in our classroom. My mom always made her a plain sugar cookie with plain white frosting in the shape of CIRCLE to have just because.

Simone's mom called to thank my mom. I wonder if, today, when my mom had to go to my elementary school, which was now designated a peanut free school and complain because her daughter refused to eat anything but peanut butter sandwiches and she felt my civil liberties were being ignored over another child, if any parents would call her to help.

I know this is somewhat trivial, but children all over this globe die each and every day from malnutrition. This happens at much higher rate than children dying from peanut allergies.

I have no answers. I have no plan. At least Skippy is putting their money where their peanuts are and funding research for a peanut allergy vaccine.

Money well spent I'm sure. Maybe they could send some of their peanut butter to the starving children of the world and become a non profit peanut organization to combat world hunger. I guess then I could live in one of those places.

Just a thought.

Where to start

I read yesterday about Senator Hillary Clinton MLK day speech. I guess she will run in 2008. That gave me hope.

Maybe some young girl will come up to Geena Davis and say "Commander in Chief" makes her believe she can be president.

Then I read that 60% of the US believe we could nominate a women President. 47% said they would vote for Hillary and 46% said they would vote for Condoleeza. Of course those numbers were based on only women running. But maybe we are moving closer. Maybe this country is not as conservative as we might be led to believe.

And maybe Pat Robertson will continue to speak all his uncensored craziness. And maybe all the liberals who stayed home in 2004 will vote for someone.

Hope springs eternal for me. I have witnessed unexpected delights in my life and for two years I have been sending out postcards that proclaim "Hillary in 2008." Primarily I sent them to the conservative republicans who are my friends. But, maybe I'll get to send them out in support of a woman I nearly moved to New York so I could vote her into the Senate.

Plus, wouldn't Bill make the GREATEST first 1st Gentleman?

California Girl in Search of Winter

In one week I leave the sunshine (eternal) of Los Angeles and venture to the other coast in search of REAL WINTER. In fact, it is my Birthday present to myself. Everyone thinks I'm crazy including my friends in Massachusetts and Maine who wish they could up and leave the winter forever.

My Dad constantly tells me I live on the wrong side of the country. And I tell him I would move back there for good if he would fly on an airplane. But he doesn't fly and he's kind of old and last time I moved 3000 miles away he got cancer. (Doing fine just now) He's nearly 80 and I don't want to jinx him with another move.

The truth of the matter is, my winter in Boston was glorious. The California girl learned it can be too cold to snow. I remember, with a romantic heart, waking up each day and praying it would be above 30, then 20 then 0. I learned about windchill and experienced my one and only snow day.

So, I am off to wear long wool coats, warm cashmere scarves, a thick wool muffler, hat that covers my ears, glove,s fuzzy warm boots and "silks". I can walk all over town like the crazy eccentric I aspire to be. I can drink coffee and tea and hot cocoa all day long. I can hardly wait for my return to a place that gave me winter. And for the briefest of moments I will feel like I could live there forever.

I love the east coast (Boston) winter. It was spring that made me wish for Los Angeles.

Shut the F*** Up

Normally a comment such as my title would only be used by me in the most close of relationship with friends and almost always in jest.

Today my Friday lunch group was walking around Westwood and as we often talk crassly to one another, one of my friends said Shut the F*** Up while we were in Starbucks. I work with kids and so I shushed the friend.

But as I walked outside I came to a conclusion. If Pat Robertson can say that Sharon's stroke was caused because of the splitting of God's Land, then we can say STFU on the street. I am positive one expletive is not nearly as inflammatory and inappropriate as saying Rabin was assassinated and Sharon was afflicted because God is pissed off.

In fact, is it such a stretch to think that God from the heavens is yelling at Pat Robertson, "Shut The Fuck Up! You do not speak for Me. I am a loving and compassionate God and you are speaking the nonsense of evil."

Everyone, please take heed. It seems the Religious Right may have sold their souls to the devil. I wonder if they got more than a golden violin for their part.

The Lack of Shopping, Baking and Sewing

I have no excuse for the predicament I find myself. My Christmas Shopping and Holiday Baking is not done. In fact, it has not really started. Somewhere in November I found the time to spend my AmericanExpress Reward points on most of the children in my life. And my darling favorite little boy, Max, will be getting his Bruin football. However, other than that, nothing has really been accomplished.

To be completely honest, I do work full time and go to school and school consisted of a treacherous research project and I felt I could not attend to the holidays until it was complete. (run on sentence on purpose) But now it is all coming full steam ahead, which of course means, I am sick. Luckily it is not too bad, but all I want to do is sleep.

And yet my kitchen and sewing machine beckon. Plus I feel as if my shopping woes may have been solved. I saw an ad where you can buy 30 different gift cards at Vons and Pavillions. I still plan to be as creative as possible, but using the not so real excuse of finals will have to suffice this year.

I have also discovered a festive and easy recipe to make the baking go quickly and I will sew all the flannel in my fabric arsenal and the holiday runners may actually be completed as well.

I love Christmas, but this year I am finding it hard to find true joy in the season. Dropping toys at the Union Rescue Mission helped, soy peppermint mochas from Starbucks help and I believe finding my roommate the much needed perfect jeans may help and I will even make the drive over Laurel Canyon to the Grove if necessary.

I really want to find my Festive Self and soon. Hopefully once I calm down I will once again be able to string coherent words together in sentences and maybe even pararaphs.

I refuse to be a bah humbug person.

Ranting and Solutions

People say they don't like hearing people complain, but what they really mean most of the time is, they dislike people who complain and never have a solution.

However, I am one of those people who always has a solution to go along with the ranting. Problem is, people don't like know-it-alls. My unique problem is most of the time I am right and I do have the best solution.

The next problem is other people don't like to be wrong or in the politically correct world we live in, they don't like being not right enough. So, I trudge through the mind fields each and everyday at work, at home, with friends, etc. Sometimes people truly want the best solution, but those are such rare occasions I mark them on my calendar. Most people just love to rant and complain.

My next problem, people assume I am one of those people. I'm not! I want things to be the way I want them because that would be best. Now to balance out what might be deemed control freak behavior, some things I don't care one way or another about and some things I don't know enough about. In those instances I still want solutions, but those solutions will require others with knowledge to speed up the process.

This is my PC rant on the frustration I am feeling in my work place today, so no specifics can be written. Just know this is one of those times where I am ranting and solving, but to no avail. She will do what she must and I can not control each and every situation.

Yea Right!