Today I'm thankful for...

- a pasta shop within walking distance of our current apartment. It makes heavenly pasta - fresh and cheap. Hallelujah!

- my absentee ballot arriving! CO already mailed his back to his state of residency. I got my ballot in the mail yesterday from Hawaii and am researching the issues on the ballot. Hmm... I have to figure out what I think about cannabis enforcement?

- chocolate. It makes me happy.

- the fact I don't have to work tomorrow! Woohoo! No screaming at me by some little "ankle-biter" tomorrow!

- all the friends/family having babies.

- my family's health. I'm reading My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult. It's really interesting.

- the chance to live in Australia. We're loving it! (As evidenced by the fact my husband got to go surfing at Bells AGAIN today!).

- my CO having a stable, good job that he enjoys. He really believes in what the Coast Guard does and really likes his job. I'm thankful they sent him to grad school and consented to let us go to Australia for part of it.

- my birthday being a short time away. Well, I might as well celebrate it!

I'm a bad American

So, this week has been a big week in American politics. And Australia has been covering it pretty well. But why does that make me a bad American? Um... I'm registered to vote. Kind of.

Yeah, the former poly-sci professor doesn't have an updated voter registration. You see, I was registered and did vote in Hawaii, but I haven't gotten a new driver's license since I moved to the South. It's not fair that dh can keep residency where ever he wants, and I have to change every 6 months when the military moves him/us. So, whatever. I still have my Hawaii drivers license. Plus, it was a great picture.

The state of Hawaii sent me a nifty little notification thing when we were at dh's family's house in FL that my address wasn't up to date. So now what do I do? I wasn't going back to the state in the South for another 6 months. I don't really live in Florida (and who knows if my vote would have counted - hanging chads and all...). And I don't live in Hawaii. So... I did nothing. And now I'm not registered to vote. In one of the greatest elections of my voting career thus far.

Any suggestions, anyone??

Waterboarding ???

This weekend we had a discussion about waterboarding. If you don't know what it is, here's the wikipedia entry on it.

The questions were:
1. Is it torture?
2. Is it acceptable, if a doctor is present and there is no "real threat" to a person's safety?
3. Is it too harsh?

Supposedly the three terrorists who the US have used it on have given up critical information within 30 seconds and then returned to their cells.

Anyone have views on it, before I express my own???

Woohoo!

Thanks, prez.

Military.com reports:

Troops to Receive Retro Pay

Week of February 11, 2008

Active-duty servicemembers will receive retroactive earnings this month, followed by a supplemental payday for non-active personnel. The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) signed into law Jan. 28, 2008 by President Bush stipulates a 3.5 percent military pay raise.


Also from Military.com - A creative way to support the troops :)
Operation Thin Mints

What does it take to become staff?

To all of you who live in Michigan or the Chicago area, enjoy a paczki for me!! I'll be enjoying my own :) In case you need proof I actually made paczkis, here are a few pictures.

I haven't really deep-fried much in my life. And as my friend Jen Ponder says, "Everyone has to deep-fry something in their life. Now is your time". Well, Sunday was my time. Look at those beauties bobbing around in the liquid heart-attack.


See, I forgot the powdered sugar. They were still good anyway.


I am also dealing with some remorse that I am not voting today. Here it is, "Super Tuesday" and I am making it mediocre, average Tuesday. I, the one-time political science professor, am not voting. Bad example.

Also, I, in Nehemiah 2 fashion, presented my boss with a list of dates I wanted off from work. And like the true Artaxerxes she is, (just kidding), she granted them all to me without blinking an eye. I thought "hey, I'm a valuable employee, perhaps she will beg me to stay, to not take time off." But no. Have fun. Later gator. I think my first indicator should have been the fact she told me about the staff meeting and told me "You can come if you want". Apparently working there 4 days a week doing all of the yucky jobs no one else wants to do still doesn't qualify me as a mandatory staff-meeting-attender. After all, only staff are allowed. No, I'm not bitter.

Anyway, this does help me want to do exceptionally well for my interview that I have tomorrow. Even if the interview doesn't go well, this week I get to take Sabbatical and work at a flower shop for the next week or so.

Blue skies on sunshine mountain...

First of all, thanks for the advice about the dress. I got it. Hopefully it looks cute on me :) Otherwise, I'll get to start this whole shebang all over again, and dh will not be thrilled about that.

In case you need a little help figuring out who to vote for in this election, you can check out this handy-dandy website to match you with your ideal candidate. My highest compatibility with any candidate was 48%. That does not bode well for me this election.

I grew up in the church, and I wouldn't trade that foundation for anything. There were a few things that I still can't figure out though. Namely, I can't come to a conclusion about what a few songs mean.

Exhibit 1:
CLIMB SUNSHINE MOUNTAIN

Climb, climb up sunshine mountain
Heavenly breezes blow
Climb, climb up sunshine mountain
Faces all aglow

Turn, turn from sin and sorrow
Look to God on high
Climb, climb up sunshine mountain
You and I

Exhibit 2:

BLUE SKIES AND RAINBOWS
  Blue skies and rainbows and sunbeams from heaven
  Are what I can see when my Lord is living in me

  I know that Jesus is well and alive today
  He makes His home in my heart
  Never more will I be all alone since He
  Promised me that we never would part

I just don't get it. I know that not every song needs to be steeped in theological gems, but these are just beyond me. I don't get them. And who thinks everything is going to be perfect once you become a Christian? And yet, my kids ask to sing them all of the time at preschool...