A Patriotic Turkey??

I don't know how he did it but my brother Heath has managed to orchestrate a full on insurrection from nearly 5000 miles away. (He must be so pleased with himself!) The family was perfectly happy (even excited) about our Thanksgiving dinner consisting of going out for Ethiopian food then returning home for our favorite part- homemade pies- something we tried last year and really enjoyed (Heath too!)

It was all set until Dad came home after talking to Heath. Somehow Heath had managed to fill his mind with words like "tradition", "patriotism", "secular society", and "liberal left-wing media" I don't really know how any of these terms specifically relate to a turkey but suddenly Dad now felt it his civic duty to cook a turkey. (I wish I had pointed out that even George W. pardoned the turkeys.)

I almost had him back on the Ethiopian track with talk of the "melting pot" and such but I pushed it too far and he got stubborn and dug his heels in (I know, where do his kids get it from!) So plans changed and a traditional Thanksgiving meal it was- and I have to admit, it was pretty good!

The joke, however, is on Heath. We were actually planning on saving the traditional meal for when he got back in town but it is already done. Hope Ethiopian sounds good for Christmas Heath! Yummmm....

Happy Veteran's Day!!

I can't really let today go by without saying Thank-you to all those veterans who have served and fought for our country and our freedoms. Because of you our lives are amazingly blessed. Let us all remember those past and present who have served us by defending our country.

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them." John Fitzgerald Kennedy





But fame is theirs - and future days; On pillar'd brass shall tell their praise; Shall tell - when cold neglect is dead - "These for their country fought and bled." Philip Freneau


"When our perils are past, shall our gratitude sleep?" George Canning

Back on the Wagon

I am very excited as I think I am finally back on the wagon. For those who know me, I can really be a bit obsessive about running- once I'm on a kick I hate even missing a day (even if I am working a 24 hr shift) and I am OCD about how far I go, how hard I run, etc... I even wore a calorie counter for several months- I know it sounds strange but I love numbers and it is really fun to see how well I've done and compare each day! It even made me more diligent with housework as I discovered that constant cleaning, like dishes, laundry, or scrubbing the floor are nearly effective as running. To add to my delight there is truly no more beautiful place to run than here in Seattle- if you haven't tried it you really should try the Magnolia Bluff- start with Discovery Park, run along the bluff looking out over the Puget Sound, Mount Rainier, and finally the City- absolutely breathtaking! (I know, I sound like a commercial encouraging Seattle tourism)

Unfortunately, the last few months have been a bit lax (okay extremely lax!) I don't feel great when I am like that, physically or mentally.

Thankfully, my wonderful Airlift sister Nicole (people who don't know us well get us confused and think we are sisters- I'm complimented but really neither of us can see it), has helped me get back on track with a jog at Green Lake on Tuesday- It felt great!! I can feel my obsession returning (this better stick!) Yeah!!

Proud to Vote!!

Now that I have rambled on and on about my voting frustrations I have to take a minute to express how grateful I am for that right and privilege. I love living in a country where I have the right to have my voice heard and counted. I love that I can have my own opinions and can post them here on my blog.

I am thankful for the soldiers who have fought over the years to ensure my rights. I feel so lucky to be able to walk up the street or simply sit in the safety of my home and fill out my ballot however I want, not having to explain myself to anyone. I am an American and yes, I am proud to vote!

Voting Woes!!

I know, what could possibly inspire me to overcome my lazy attitude toward blogging and post at 3 AM. Well.....

It just so happens that this afternoon I found myself doing my civic duty and filling out my ballot. I actually look forward to this duty and right of mine, generally speaking. However, today I found myself getting more and more frustrated (and not just because I had the news blaring in the background with every last minute campaign commercial they can cram into the 11th hour.)

First, I started with the initiatives- on one I had a definite opinion- the rest I had to wonder- what are our elected officials doing down in Olympia? Can't they debate amongst themselves make a few of these decisions? As much as I try to research the issue I'm not going to be able to adequately evaluate and balance every pro and con in the few hours I spend on my ballot. They have been elected to do just that. Heath once said that he thought our elected officials were getting lazy, passing every decision on to the, at best, semi-informed public so they wouldn't have to face scrutiny. I'm starting to see his point.
On to the King County charter amendments. More of the same.....

Next, President-

Not really all that hard. Seriously, after all these months is there really anyone who still doesn't know who they are voting for? Whatever you believe it's not like these guys are all that similar. Who are these "undecideds"? Do they really exist or are they just something the media made up to keep us tuning in to their months and months of the same old rhetoric?

Next up, Washington State Governor. I just have to say- EMBARRASSING!! I have always been proud of my state but I am utterly embarrassed at how trashy the race has been. If I saw Rossi's face in a commercial, is was usually an anti-Rossi commercial by Gregoire. Anytime I saw Gregoire I could bet it was Rossi's anti-Gregoire commercial. Mudslinging and trash talk (I am grateful to have learned that Rossi is actually in favor of battering women or something to that effect- he denies it now but Thank-You Chris for enlightening me- don't worry, Rossi has done the same for you too!) Anyone ever see Chris Farley's Black Sheep? Eerily reminiscent of our current race- except far more civil...
Okay, more state and local offices, and then.......

The Judges!!!! I can see exactly why our founding fathers set it up to have the Supreme Court appointed by the Executive. Seriously, I feel like when I vote I need to make a good faith effort to know what I am voting. Has anyone else had difficulty finding out anything about the judges running for office? How exactly am I supposed to choose? Nicest sounding name? Best Hair? At least when the President chooses a nominee for the Supreme Court he has a panel of experts to help find out everything they can about the person. I refuse to vote for someone I know nothing about so I decided I had a better option.....REBEKAH HUNTER for Washington State judge!!!