2009 is on the way out. It’s been a year of firsts, and hopefully, some lasts, and no one seems to be sad to see it go.
We have had almost a year with our first African American president (born in HAWAII!), Barack Obama, who has disappointed in some ways, and has offered the change he campaigned on in others. He has persevered with a couple of his promises: Health care reform is almost done, and he has been pushing educational reform. Some of the stepbacks are due to the recession he was handed. [Hello! That mess started at least a year before Obama was sworn in and was made a bigger mess by all of Bush's bailouts for Wall Street before he left office. Look at a calendar!]
Obama seems to be serious about closing Guantanamo. He has turned out to be not-so-much-change in the overseas military situation, however. He recently signed off on another “troop surge”, although to his credit he fought it as long as he could. Obama is still seeking an exit strategy, and a cut off date for when the troops will come home at last. When it happens is another thing.
My biggest disappointment is Obama’s declining funding for NASA, which will leave us behind and probably unable to catch up with the Chinese, the ESA and the other space faring nations. Private enterprise, this is the time to break out of your supposed NASA “yoke” and go for it. Are you listening??
The hopefully-to-be-lasts: Extreme lack of cooperation on the political front! Congress can only get worse if we have a shooting on the floor of the House or the Senate. And please don’t tell me who you would want shot, I’ve got a list of my own. The flagrant misrepresentation of fact has got to go, too. The FCC should start fining the most egregious lies, if they’re broadcast. In print, not so much, as “middle America” seems to get all the news they want or “need” from TV/cable.
Three years to go, and we’ll just have to see far along we get.
Well, we have him — the new President that so many have pinned their hopes on. One who has bravely promised Change, and I believe will honestly try to accomplish it.
Obama will be the most scrutinized President in our history, and his path will be crowded with those who would slander and libel him, just to make it seem that Bush was competent after all, and not the abject failure he proved to be.
I hope the voters remember how bad Bush was for the economy, for diplomacy and for the rights we had enjoyed, when 2010-2012 rolls around. Obama has a *lot* to do and his progress will seem like it was too slow — no matter how much he eventually does.
The attempts to “modify” Bush’s track record have already started — one well-known pundit has already said “Poor George Bush, he inherited a recesiion and 9-11…” Uh, sworn in on January 20, 2001, while 9-11 was, well, on September 11, 2001. Doesn’t September 2001 come *after* January 2001? I certainly thought so.
As for the inherited “recession”: — when you have a $140+ billion surplus, it’s called a recession now? I see, kinda like “redundancy is the new career path”.
Yeah. Like that.
I got the niftiest Christmas present this year — a trip back home! My friend flew me back to L.A., to house-sit for *her* friend, while she’s out of the country for 5 weeks.
It hasn’t quite turned out like I thought it would. Someone whom I thought would race to visit me didn’t bother. The house I’m sitting is *remote*. I can’t get any bars — no mobile signal — up here, and can’t get out of the area to visit on my own, since it’s 3 miles to the nearest bus stop. I could take a cab to that stop but, oh yeah, did I mention I’m doing this gig for free?
Still, it’s been lovely being with people who *like* me! I’m so sad (and feeling very anxious!), now that the month is about up. I go back this weekend, to the uncomfortable living arrangement I’ve had for the last year, to be glowered at and nagged. As soon as my disability status is settled, if they decide in my favor, I can resume my life, albeit in considerably reduced circumstances. If it doesn’t settle out my way, I’ll be *really* homeless.
But, I’ve had fun, that’s the important thing!
I thought when I got this new old laptop up and running that it would be better! WordPress still loads like shit. Probably not their fault, but still…
So, maybe now I can get some reading and posting in over at my pal az’s blog, Casa Az ! At the least I hope to get Skype up and running.
Also, in preparation for the ending of Couch Tour ‘08, I’ve been researching whether there are any blogs on surviving being homeless out there… I’m amazed at how many there are! Maybe there’ll be another blog soon, you never know — could come in handy, if the world economy tanks. Or, maybe I’ll win the lotto or find that nice little job I’ve been looking for…a girl can dream, can’t she?
Things change, and sometimes they change in directions you could never foresee.
In the past year I’ve gone from a resident of the Los Angeles area — on disability, then on unemployment, then employed (for all of three weeks!) to no income at all, to giving/throwing away 37 years of stuff including the many books from my life as well as my late husband’s (I’m down to 8 boxes of stuff and two very confused cats) – to moving 450 miles north to the San Francisco Bay Area, still unemployed, on to general assistance, and back to employed again (for three weeks…).
Brings new meaning to the phrase, “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” I’m considering writing a book, “Feng Shui for the Transitional.”
But from the score I got on this music quiz for that decade, I should have been–or at least the mother of one! Actually, I’m alarmed at how well I did do, 118…YIKES!
http://www.yetanotherdot.com/asp/80s.html
Today is the day before the start of the New Year, and traditions for good luck and prosperity are numerous. One of the good luck traditions that comes from the Southern United States is to have Hopping John on New Year’s Day. The dish dates back to the days of slavery, and was made from ingredients available to the slaves. The story goes that if you eat humbly on the first day of the year, you will be prosperous for the rest.
There are a lot of traditions like this, around a lot of different foods. My friend June’s mother, Michi, makes Corned Beef and Cabbage every New Year’s day. I have no idea where she got this tradition using this very American dish, since she herself is Issei, first-generation Japanese!
I skipped making Hopping John this past New Year’s, and look what happened — I had a heart attack! So, this year, I’ve got my ingredients at the ready, and I’m prepared to start cooking this evening, for tomorrow. Here’s my favorite recipe, of the many out there, for this tasty and hearty stew:
TRADITIONAL HOPPING JOHN Yield: 10 servings
Recipe fron the collection of Joan Mershon
4 Bacon strips [*]
1/4 C Onion, diced
1/2 Bell pepper, diced
1/2 Red bell pepper, diced
2 C FRESH Blackeyed peas
-or purple hull peas
-or 2 pk (10 oz) frozen blackeyed peas
1/2 C Uncooked white rice
2 C Water
Salt & pepper, to taste
Louisiana Hot Sauce
Dice bacon*. brown in dutch oven with onion and peppers, until bacon* is
crisp and vegetables are soft. Add peas and rice. then water. Cover and
simmer over very low heat about 20 minutes, until the rice is tender. Salt
& pepper to taste. Add a dash of hot sauce (to taste).
What is YOUR tradition? What little thing do you do to make the coming New Year a happy, healthy and prosperous one? Please share — we can all use a little good fortune!
EDIT: [*] If you’re vegetarian, you can use a whole black cardamom pod (available at Penzey’s or other spice and herb sources) instead: Place the whole pod in the beginning of the cooking time — and remove it after about 1 hour, to give a smoky taste without bacon. You can also add about 1/4 tsp. of cumin for the smoky goodness. I’ve made it that way for some veggie guests, and it rocks! –SC
It was a friendly orange plastic recipe box, and it had *so* many recipes! Family ones, from my mother, who is now gone. My mother-in-law’s showcase dinners. Friend’s fondest childhood memories. They had names varied and nostalgic, like “Saucepan Brownies”, “Evelyn’s Seafood Gumbo”, “Shroodles”, and “Lillian’s Lemon and Raisin Cookies”, each with a story or a memory.
read more…
The other day, I just *had* to have some salsa, so I poked around in the fridge and threw in anything even remotely salsa-like and a few things which weren’t. Results were surprisingly…excellent! But then, I’m one of those 15 minute, seat of the pants, wander into the kitchen, wander out with dinner types. :)
What’s the best impromptu meal you’ve ever made, and how did you decide what to put in it? Was it something traditional or a never-to-be-repeated off-the-wall delight? Do your choices while in the creative mood fall into the traditional ingredients only category, or does your mind sample tastes from what’s available and experiment? C’mon, spill the beans…
Or, more to the point, unable to sleep.
Lack of sleep robs your health, your energy and your daily routines. It steals your alertness and creativity. It impairs judgement, and endangers you. So getting enough sleep is a good thing.
The world is full of advice (most of it contradictory!) on how to get to sleep, but there are so many remedies, it’s hard to choose: Read a book, but not in bed. Always keep something to read handy at bedside. Don’t lie down until you feel sleepy. Exercise right before bed. Only nap for 40 minutes or less, during the day, to stay alert. Don’t nap before bedtime, no matter how tired you are. Have some hot milk. Don’t eat after 8 pm…
What relaxes you and puts you in dreamland? Your favorite formula for when you really, really need to sleep?
