Honey, have you seen my machete?

It's been a while since I have weeded my vegetable garden... like maybe since the 4th of July? So, I set out yesterday morning to do just that. Holy crapola! I've neglected my garden before, but never like this! You know how the saying "the corn is high as an elephant's eye"?, well, lets just say that I had some weeds (lambsquarter, ragweed and something I don't even knowwhat) that are as tall as me (which by the way is 5" 2" on a good day)!

That's not to mention all the "volunteer" elm and maple trees that shot up since we started getting rain and some hot weather... I could have supplied a whole boy scout troop with Marshmallow toasting sticks with the nice switches I could pul out (cut down) in the herb section!

And speaking of volunteers, for the love of god, I wish I could get rid of my now-wild chives... It grows everywhere... in between the bricks of the path, in the lawn, it's take over a good portion of the I've pulled and I've yanked, I've cut and I've sworn at it... and yet, if I left the garden alone for a whole year, it would be nothing but garlic chives and raspberry canes.

My garden has been producing some great crops - green beans, tomatoes, snow peas, raspberries (2nd crop has now started!!), cucumbers, zuchinnis, lettuce, herbs, etc... but something amazing happens when you go out to the garden to pick stuff... you are so focused on finding all of the near gargantuan beans, you don't see the spanish bells, or the pig weed, growing right next to you! Well, maybe I see them, but with both my hands busy and full of bean/tomato/pea picking... how could I pull weeds?

So, each year in the middle of august, I schedule a mondo-weeding day. I am about two weeks late this year, due to actually having a life, having fun with my family, etc. etc... So, I am actually taking a day off of work to accomplish this mission.

What did I do yesterday then? I pulled the weeds next to the vegetable garden! Yes, I'm talking ragweed, nightshade, and some other noxious stuff that I needed to get out before it went to seed, or worse, took over the whole f'ing world! And yes, if I had a machete, I could have used it... but alas, I only had my hands and my trusty clippers, so it took a little longer and I never got into weeding inside the veggie garden...

Which leads me to my main point - the best part of gardening... while I love the idea of having a neat, tidy and perfect garden, I just don't think it will ever be true. And I'm not stressed about it, nor do I feel guilty for letting the weeds take over. It's my personal space, no one cares about it but me (and my vegetable loving family, although they never complain because they know I'll ask them to weed the damn thing!).

It's my one space that can be in control and out of control at the same time. I choose when to weed, when to water and when to harvest. I can't say that about any other facet of my life at this point.

So Wednesday, I choose to weed.

Rest in Peace, Teddy

Today, our nation lost a great leader. And while I know I'm going to get all kinds of crap from those that like to point out Chappaquiddick, I'm still going to miss Ted Kennedy. Aside for his larger than life personality, and his family legacy so often focued on personal tragedy, he really did speak for those with no voice, or limited access to power.

In his career, he authored/sponsoered bills that I consider core to my values:

Civil rights
Voting Rights
Neighborhood Health Care Centers
Nuclear Arms Control
Americans with Disabilitties
the original Teach For America Program
Abortion Rights
Workers Rights
FMLA
Americorps
Immigration
Anti-war
Amber Alert

And the list goes on and on...

He fought for the little guy, advocated for truth and justice and stood for everything that has always been right with this country.

Good Night Teddy...

The Rolling Money Pit

Anyboday want to buy a 2003 Saab 9-5? Less than 70K miles on it. It's a pretty car - candy apple red, light brown leather interior... it's very zippy.... except when it's not.

My car is in the shop, again. The check engine light came on and I have no idea what's wrong with it. Seems every 6 months or so, something go wrong with it. That's not even the usual maintenance... brakes, alignment, lamps/bulbs, etc.

In the past 12 months, I have probably spent $2,500 on repairs and maintenance, and I know I'll dump at least $1,000 into this repair, since I have some (cough cough) deferred maintenance that must be done or it will turn into a non-rolling money pit.

Here are some of the repairs I've done recently:
Fuel pump: $1,000
Thermostat replacement: $500
Brake Job (the seond one): $600
Headlight (damn xenon bulb) replacement: $250
Oil change: $75

It's time to dump the car, but I need to repair it before I do. Then, in that hot second between repairs, I need to sell it to some sad soul who doesn't know what it means to own a Saab out of warranty.

Would I buy another Saab? Yes! If I had a lifetime warranty and a trust fund for the repairs. I love the car other than these pesky repair issues. I have learned my lesson about high sticker price autos. You might be able to afford the payment, but if you intend to keep it longer than 5 years, you have to look at the average repair cost of the car once out of warranty. Do your research, or you might end up like me: Praying for a huge hailstorm so I can get the value out of the car without having to sell it!

Jenn'fer's top 10 things that could go without media coverage

And the world woudn't notice or care:

10. Crop Circles - Alright people, they are not created by aliens.
9. Infidelity by elected officials - it's none of our business, really.
8. The end of the world according to the Mayan calendar. Not going to happen
7. Celebrity Breakups - again, it's none of our business... Plus, who can keep track?
6. Why Pit Bulls are a dangerous breed- It's the owners that are dangerous. Any dog can be turned into a vicious beast.
5. Denny Hecker/Tom Petters...etc - I'm so tired of reading about these guys. Ignoring them is the best thing that we could do.
4. George W. Bush - Check.. this has already happened!
3. Birthers and Deathers - please stop providing a platform for these crazy people
2. Brett Favre signing with the MN Vikings - Ok, we know he's here....
1. Jon and Kate plus 8 - enough already. You love one, you hate the other. Either way, it's not news!

End of Life counseling - It should be a right, not a way to win elections!

ARE YOU KIDDING ME? ARE YOU SERIOUSLY KIDDING ME?

Yes, this is me shouting... I can not sit quietly as this issue plays out. In a recent post about dying, I talked about my experience with familiy members in their end of life experience and two friends who are going through the same thing. I had no idea that post would be relevant to a national tragedy currently upon us.

I continue to struggle with the idea that dying is shameful and being born is a joyous occasion! How is it possible that we automatically provide prenatal counseling as a matter of publich health policy, but discussing end of life counseling and treatments is now off the table. Again - ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

In the cases I posted about, the ability to meet with doctors and specialists (including hospice care workers) to understand prognosis, symptoms, palliative treatments and end of life care was critical to caring for our loved ones. I couldn't imagine not having access to that process, and while it was difficult to assemble these doctors and health care professionals, it wasn't a matter of insurance coverage, it was a matter of schedules!

Again, that would be like denying an expectant couple the ability to understand from their practioner what happens during labor and delivery. Unspeakable, right?

These astroturfers, pundits and politicians who are labeling these humane practices as "Death Panels" should be treated as criminals. They are spewing lies in a manner I have never witnessed personally, but remind me of racist protests in the south.

This move by the Wrong Wing merely uses the current health care debate as a means to spread their hateful, vile messages. Healthcare is a very convenient medium- something everyone can relate to, makes use of and has issues with. Trust me, this is the new wedge issue. It's just like their attacks against abortion rights, civil rights, gay marriage, anti-islam, gun control.. the list goes on and on. And just like all of these "Old standby" wedge issues, they synthesize their own facts, use highly emotive slogans created by evil doers in the basement of the GOP.

These slogans and screaming matches are not really about protecting anyone's access to affordable healthcare... no, these events are the opening salvo into the 2012 presidential election. Wrongt Wingers have demonstrated that they don't give a damn about the average american, the working poor, or the elderly (look at their funding priorities!).... Just like they used "Joe the plumber" to try to win the 2008 election, they are using your healthcare as a way to win 2010 congressional seats, and eventually will try to spin this into a vcitory in 2012. DO YOU THINK WE ARE THAT STUPID?

I'm here to tell you that it won't work. Just like Joe the plumber didn't work. Our nation's citizens will eventually see these tactics for what they are. We are smarter than the Wrong Wing thinks we are. We really are.

My apologies to all of my rational and reasonable conservative friends - I'm not talking about you. You know who I'm talking about... don't you?

Big Question of the Week

This is an interesting question:

If you had $100 that you had to give to a charity of your choice (not your kid, a friend, etc.).... what would you choose, and why? You can't split up the dough - it's a one time $100 donation?

Here's my answer: A literacy project in the local school - because we still fight literacy issues, and without the ability to read, most systems in America don't work. Illiteracy = poverty = crime=danger.

I dig the Vibes

A little jazzy haiku for this Tursday AM...


I dig the vibes

Bringing beat and melody
Mallets pounding bars ringing
They sing a sweet tune


If you want to hear some great vibes... go here!

I am a huge fan of Robert Reich...

What's not to like? Secretary of Labor under Clinton, Professor of Economincs At UC Berkley, political commentator on NPR and CNN .... all add up to extremely smart fellow who sees today's econimc and political craziness for what it is.

I enjoy his economic analyses, as his belief in the only way we are going to recover is to create/bring back jobs aligns with my own belief.

And today, I have an example of why I am tickled by his political view points... in his blog today, he points out that the Republican's are buying their way into communities by "astroturfing" - an artificial form of grass-roots organizing... In fact, I've received some of this propaganda from my republican friends.

I knew their was a machine of some kind behind it... and now I know who the machine is and who is paying for it. US chamber of Commerce - we know who you are and what you do.... no matter how folksy you look in the local community. In the end, you support big business, big wealth and big money. Not Joe's coffee shop, trying to stay alive in the community.

Freakin Interrupt ads

Oh, how I hate them! I seem to have found a new hobby mousing around interrupt ads... you know the kind.. when you inadvertently scrollover an innocent-looking ad on a content page and more than 1/2 of your screen is taken up with some BS picture? The kind marketers display a close "X" button, but I've recently seen some where there is no escape... ARGH!

Wasn't it bad enough that we had to endure psycho dancing chicks on side bars? Who clicks on those lame mortgage ads anyway? Which PhD. actually believes that these kind of tactics get more business rather than piss of the viewer? Who recommeds these annoying ideas. I know, the whole premise is to get viewers to remember the ad, not necessarily feel good about it.... but I have actually boycotted advertisers based on their web advertising tactics!

Rant over... for now...