Kids "Learn" About the Progressive Era

Hey it's a lighter post for once!

Last week, kids read the chapter of their WA state history book about the progressive era. They also took part in skits, debates, and other activities designed to help them get a sense of the issues. At the end of the week, you guessed it; they had to take a quiz about this information. Many did a fantastic job and made me very proud. Others struggled a bit, and some were clearly not paying attention at all. Here are some of the funnier answers:

Question #1: The _________________ movement was a push to make life better for many kinds of people. (Remember, this was the title of the chapter)
Funny answer: Prostitution (knowing this girl, she was NOT trying to be racy or funny)

Question #2: Prohibition was an attempt to outlaw the sale of ________________________
Funny answer: Flappers

Question #4: Part of the initiative system allowed voters to ________________ politicians who were unpopular.
Funny answer: hit

Question #5: The suffrage movement wanted to give women the right to _______________.
Funny answer: bare arms (sort of correct I guess)

Question #8: The _________________ World War was found in Europe.
Funny answer: really bad

Question #9: The government passed the ______________ Act which made it illegal to speak against the war.
Funny answer: Sedation

Question #14: Rivers helped to provide ____________ for the region by creating hydropower.
Funny answer: rivers

Question #15: The ______________ Dam in eastern WA was the largest hydropower project.
Funny answer: God (I think this kid WAS trying to be funny, but still they got no credit)

Don’t worry too much about the youth of America. Several kids even got perfect scores, so they can be the next generation of leaders. Or perhaps the kid who wrote “God” will one day be president.

Sort of Relief

Not everything is resolved, but at least I feel a bit better about things.

Yesterday, I went to see the VP. I didn't go because I thought she could do something that the principal wouldn't, but I just thought it might help to hear from another perspective (I did get his permission before talking to her). I laid out the situation for her (yay! I can talk to someone about it and have them understand the personalities involved) and asked for her interpretation and advice in moving forward. When I did this exact same thing for the principal, all I got was very neutral language and nothing that felt like support.

What the VP did was not anything all that special. She heard my concerns, repeated key points back to me, gave her impression of the situation, and suggested a few things I could do to improve my position in the future. She then reassured me that I was doing a good job, that she valued my contributions, and that I did not have any fundamental personality flaws (how sad is that? I SHOULD have enough self-worth to know that without being told!). She said "You have high standards for yourself and your team, and I expect nothing less from you." In my head I was doing a little dance.

She also assured me that the principal feels the same way about me, but just cannot express himself worth beans. Like I said, not exactly rocket science, but it made the proverbial world of difference to me. Why the difference in approach between her and the Principal? Is it a woman thing? Is it because she is closer to my age? More recently in the classroom? Who knows?

Okay, so at this point I was feeling MUCH better about life. Sure, not everything was resolved, but at least I felt like I could cope with the situation. Little did I know that there was more to come.

The next part was where the VP told me that the problems with Lazy Man and Evil Woman are both known issues. She feels that there is not so much you can do about Lazy Man, but that Evil Woman is the one doing the real harm to our team. She (the VP) has been trying to get Evil Woman removed as leader for some time. Given this fresh set of problems, she is doing everything she can to have Evil Woman relieved of all leadership positions. Of course, the principal has the final say, but given this latest situation, she feels confident that she will finally get her way. Halleluiah! I absolutely will not smirk when the news comes down.

Suspended Animation

Sorry folks, my job is still a soap opera, nothing has been resolved, and so you are all forced to read yet another post about it all.

When things really blew up last week, I went to my boss in search of some help. He ordered everyone involved to stop talking to one another. This was a good thing because one "enemy" had been going around to the rest of the team bad-mouthing me and demanding validation for her terrible behavior.

I accepted his solution because he said that we would eventually all sit down and he would help us "hash out" the disagreements. I didn't like to leave things hanging, but I could see his logic, so I honored his request. Now he tells me that he doesn't plan to have the one-on-one meetings at all because "he doesn't know if it would help." Instead, he plans to attend our team meeting to help everything "run smoothly."

In my view this means that both of the people who treated me so badly will get off scott free (as the saying goes). Not only that, but the lack of consequences will certainly (I know these two) validate their behavior and encourage them to act this way again. My boss' cavalier attitude makes the situation all that much worse. Now I really don't know what to do.

Art Immitates Life

I absolutely could not believe my eyes when I opened the Sunday comics yesterday. It seems that my dilemma is well-known in the business world too.

I don't know if this will make sense since I haven't been able to explain the whole situation, but here goes.

Today was refreshingly quiet with not one single haranguing session from one of my fun co-workers. However, that is only because my boss ordered them to stop talking to anyone (there was a small gossip problem, and it WASN'T me doing the talking) about the issue until he can be there to mediate. I am still not looking forward to the resolution at all.

However, on the whole, I am feeling better than I was last week. First of all, the excellent friends and family rallied round and reassured me that I was not, in fact, a worthless scumbag. Also, on Sunday I had a chance meeting with another co-worker at the gym.

This woman is not on my team, not part of this whole big mess, and supposedly in total ignorance of the situation. She walked up to me, put her arm around my shoulders, and said "It's her not you. She's crazy and everyone knows it." I was so surprised I didn't know what to say. Needless to say, it made quite a difference to my frame of mind.

The Fun Continues

Day three of the patented "trying not to care" program. Not caring seems to be going well as long as I don't talk to anyone. Unfortunately, I got cornered by an enemy agent, and given the third degree. The caring rushed back in full force. I've now violated rule #1 of being a woman in the workforce: Never cry in front of your boss. Pretty much have no professional self-worth left. On the bright side, this should aid in furthering the "not caring" protocol.

Fun at Work

Hello and welcome to my personal pity party. Work sucks, can't say why (no kids are involved), and I'm feeling more than a little sorry for myself.

I have discovered the secret to professional success! First, you have to reach down deep inside yourself and find the place that cares. Some of you may remember this, it's the part that wants to work hard, make progress, be a force for positive change, and achieve professional satisfaction. You must find this part (however small and helpless it may have become) --- and beat it to death. This way you can put your head down, do the bare minimum (or a little less), and watch the years role by with the anonymous comfort of complete apathy.

Spring For the Moment

What an absolutely glorious day! Sunshine, shorts temperatures, and lots of blooming flowers are enough to convince me. Sure, I know it might snow/rain/sleet tomorrow, but that doesn't matter right now. M and I did yard work, and then we were actually inspired to do some spring cleaning too. This afternoon I read my book in an actual patch of sunlight. Needless to say, the cats are also beside themselves with joy.

The Next Caucus

Last weekend T volunteered to attend the next level of caucusing with me. Therefore, early on a Saturday morning, we headed down to a local high school (an hour early to be sure and get parking) to attend my district caucus. We were not the only people to arrive early, and by about quarter to the hour, there was a huge crowd outside the glass doors. We happened to be standing near the front, so when a caucus official stuck her head out to grab a volunteer, she happened to pick us.

We spent the next several hours signing people in who wanted to run for the delegation to the state caucus. This in turn gave us the chance to chat with a Clinton staffer who's spent the last several months driving around the country working for the campaign. I was very impressed with her intelligence and dedication (she gets almost nothing for the work but room, board, and gas money), but more on her later.

After our volunteering job ended, we joined the crowds of waiting people listening to speeches. The speeches were really there to make you not mind the waiting so much. It seems it takes a loooong time to figure out how many delegates are there, how many alternates are there, and how many alternates need to be credentialed to become delegates. This process took literally about five hours.

The one thing that really disturbed me about the experience was the behavior of the Obama supporters. I did not hear one Clinton person say a nasty thing about "the other side" but the Obama people would actually walk up to you and be rude. They booed speakers, carried on, and generally behaved like rabble. As T said "the main thing to remember that we have nothing in common with McCain." Obama may say he wants to bring people together, but his supporters REALLY haven't gotten the message.

Finally, we were called into our respective voting areas, and the voting for state level delegates began. More than 50 people put their names in the proverbial hat, but only 12 could move on to state. We all gave ultra-short speeches about why we should go, and then we marked our 12 choices on a ballot. By this time it was 4pm, we'd had no lunch break, and T and I both had somewhere we needed to be that evening. We left without hearing the final result (I didn't make it :( no surprise there).

All in all, I'm glad to have had the experience. I still have the county caucus coming up, and then my participation in the nomination process will be over. The saddest part of the whole thing was being unable to accept the invitation from that Clinton staffer to attend an after party for volunteers. The main guest at the party? Sean Astin otherwise known as Samwise Gamgee. How cool is that? I wonder if Frodo is for Hillary too?

Future President

Recently, I asked my class to pretend that they'd just been elected president. Their assignment was to write a letter to the nation explaining one or more important changes they would make. Surprisingly, they took it much more seriously than usual. Many were concerned about the war in Iraq and another large portion were worried about the environment. On the whole, I was very impressed. However, there are always the goffballs and those just not paying attention. The following are some of the most memorable (usually because they're bad, but not always) lines from their work.

“A recent studied showed that when kids in France were asked to draw a picture of an American, many of them drew Ronald Mcdonald. This is not what I want people to think of our wonderful country.”

“As president of the USA I propos to band all types of non-purpos car racing.”

“Our biggest Concern is Zombie attack”

“Thank you for supporting me through a long fought battle of the Poles.”

“We need to pull troops out of Iraq and use the money to fund electric cars and also ban smoking.”

“Wasn’t the war supposed to end when Sudan Hoosane was killed?”

“Making peace is a good choice because we would get new items and have everlasting friendship”

“This could influence the choices when eating out in a negative way”

“Piece is so much better than war.”

“So no taxes at all in the U.S.A.”

“Taxes are a hand foll to deal with”

“..but peace is effortless…”

“Being prez doesn’t mean just laying around in the Whitehouse all day.”

“Did you know many Homeless kids cannot Apford happiness”

“Something must be done and I will make it happen.”

“My fellow Americans thank you from the bottom of my intestines for choosing me and ordinary man w/ extraordinary vision as your President of the United States.”

“…along with vice president Schwnizerger…”

“War is another issue. We fight so many wars that the Simpon’s talk about it.”

“We are America home of the brave, so don’t be afraid of change.”

“Again, I want to thank you all for electing me your president. Sorry for the convenience.”

“To increase learning, all school days will be shorter.”

“We need to go over and take what we need but, if they so “no” Then we just let it go for awhile and then to back and ask again.”

“Our government has come up with the latest technology called the fake wall… If some of the immigrants don’t fall for it and run right through it we have border patrol waiting for them.”

“Even after Sadam Husseins death a year ago, Sheight militans are still threating.”

“I am proposing to shut down all cigarette factories in the U.S… If you some how keep getting cigarettes, we could care less.”

“What kind of country sells their military jobs to other countries?”

“Our country is filled with the fattest of the fats”

“We can’t have a strong economy if every American job is being shipped to China! What if we, God forbid were to go to war with them? All of their supplies would be paid for with the money that came from the jobs we gave them.”

“Also, since I am president I am going to make chocolate milk the state drink.”

And It Snowed

It really, really snowed. It was quite a surprise how quickly it came down and how much actually accumulated. I watched it snow all evening on Saturday, and I even went out into the backyard for a bit to enjoy scene. However, the next morning brought a sad surprise. The heavy, wet snow weighed down all the trees and bushes in the neighborhood. Some, like the cedars and firs, are "built" for snow and had no trouble shedding the accumulation.

The ethereal little flowering cherry trees all over our community were not so lucky. All those beautiful masses of pink blossoms served to hold on to the snow and overburden the branches. When I got up Sunday morning and looked out the window to admire the snow, I saw our tree all bent and broken. We were actually relatively lucky, some trees keeled over altogether, while others will probably have to be cut down due to damage.

Cutting out the cracked branches and disposing of them in the yard waste bin was no picnic, but the worst part was just how sad it all was. The driveway was covered in pink petals by the time we were finished, and I couldn't help thinking "If only I'd gone out, even once, to shake off the snow, it might have been okay." I know, I know, it's just a tree, but I hate to have my precious signs of spring damaged. Proof once again that our climate is doing something strange.

Earth Hour

Years ago, when I was a nanny, I knew a little boy who thought that candles were romantic. Somewhere along the way, he'd come up with the notion that candlelight equaled romance. He wasn't sure exactly what romance was, but he was confident that it was a good thing. He was constantly asking to have "a romantic dinner" or "a romantic bath" or even "can we light the romantic candles while I play with my trucks?" Coming from a three year old, it was often hard not to laugh at these requests. However, I think he was perhaps a budding environmentalist.

Tonight, we are all supposed to turn out the lights (and light romantic candles?) from 8 to 9pm in support of Earth Hour. This is an international event created by the World Wildlife Fund to help remind people about the power (ha ha) of energy conservation. By turning off the lights (and maybe even appliances and electrical heating?) at 8pm in your time zone, this even creates a voluntary rolling blackout around the globe. If lots of people do it, it will save an impressive amount of energy (you can read about the specifics on their website) but more importantly it will raise awareness (sorry, but it is the best term here) about the impact made by individuals.

Of course many people will argue that there's no point to an event like this. "A single steel plant uses as much power as 27 million households! What's the point if we don't get the steel plants on board?!" (that's not a real quote and I'm making up the numbers) These are the same people who argue that there’s no point in fuel efficient cars because the space shuttle is so polluting. I refuse to give in to this type of logic. There is nothing I can do about steel plants or the space shuttle, but there is something I can do about my house tonight. Wouldn't it be a good thing if we all did this every week, or even, dare I say it, every night?

Therefore, I urge you to light a romantic candle, turn off the lights, and cuddle up to your sweetie/kitty/comfy chair tonight. You'll save a little energy, feel slightly better about yourself, and perhaps even sleep better than usual.

Spring Snow

The first day of spring was more than a week ago. The last day to legally have studs on your car is March 31st. The weather, however, has not yet gotten the news that winter is supposed to be over. The temperature right now is 33 degrees F. The snow is falling thick and fast, and the children are beyond excited. Since it's Friday, there's no snow day/snow delay to get them worked up. Nevertheless, they are thrilled by the novelty. I love the snow too, but I really hope M will not have trouble coming home from SF. I also hope it doesn't kill my poor daffodils who are just now attempting to bloom.

Baby Naming

A little while ago, I was lucky enough to be invited to a baby naming ceremony for our youngest friend, C. Her parents are members of a synagogue in Seattle, and it is part of their tradition for new baby girls to be welcomed and have their names announced for the congregation (I'm sure that's not the right work, but...). Lucky for the rest of us, friends as well as family are welcome to attend the Sabbath service which includes the naming.

The invitation to this event included some general hints on attire, but I wanted to make certain that I didn't make a mistake. I checked with some Jewish friends from work about the dress code. The two of them were guessing about what type of synagogue it might be, but they both agreed that generally conservative clothing would be appropriate. One suggested that I should just "wear what you normally wear to church" which left me to explain that I was just as much a stranger to churches as synagogues. Finally, they told me to avoid anything sleeveless or above the knee, and to wear a hat if I wanted to be really safe. Hat in hand, I set off for the synagogue on a Saturday morning.

I was most impressed by the welcome we received at the door. Not only was there a greeter there, but he handed us off to two people who welcomed us again and patiently explained what would happen and which books we would need. I've been to other religious gatherings where the feeling of being the stranger is very pronounced. In some places you get questioning glances and even cold looks from people who recognize you as an outsider. Here, however, people went out of their way to be kind.

We (the friends) all sat together and tried to keep up with the service. It took me a moment to remember that the books are read in the reverse order from ours, so turning to the correct page took a little time. Luckily, there were people around us who let us know when to stand, when to sit, and when to read-this-section-until-you-finish-and-then-sit. Wanting to not mess up meant paying close attention to the proceedings, but not one time did I feel that people were craning around to get a look at the outsiders.

The part where P, A, and their kids went up on the Bema (Bima?) was my favorite. They all looked so happy and proud to be there (was that an act to cover the nerves? I would have been very nervous). Baby C was perfectly behaved, never cried even once, and looked absolutely adorable in her little pink outfit. After the service there was a lunch where more people came over to chat with us, welcome us, and generally be friendly. All in all, it was a great experience, and I was very happy to be a part of such an important day. I'm still not a religious person myself, but it is very heartening to know that there are places where religion creates real community and encourages people to be their best.

Water Safety

Water, water everywhere (in WA anyway), but is there a drop that's safe to drink? Everywhere you turn it seems like there is a news story about a new way that your water might try to kill you. Dioxins, Bisphenol A, and a wide array of pharmaceuticals have recently entered a field of possible dangers that already included such a wide variety of old standbys. It's enough to make a sane person want to run screaming from the tap/Britta pitcher/Nalgene/BPA-and-led-free hip-n-cool metal drinking canister.

A big part of this dilemma is that I'm just not sure who to believe. I do not have a reliable source for clear and trustworthy water safety information. In fact, when you go looking for this kind info on the internet, you end up buried under such a huge pile of often conflicting information that you feel worse off than before. Should we or should we not be drinking out of plastic bottles? If we do drink out of plastic, are the hard Nalgene-type plastics better or worse for us? Will we grow weird bacteria by re-using either of these types of bottles? Will we drink dangerous levels of pharmaceuticals if we drink tap water? Should we care at all about any of this, or is it all a bunch of hype?

Okay science people, this is your chance to be the expert. Should the average person:
A. Hide under the bed until death by thirst?
B. Drink only filtered or bottled water from glass or metal containers?
C. Trust that the tap water is safe and use it in our Nalgenes?
D. Ignore the whole business and do whatever seems easiest?

Easter 2008

Happy Easter! Let us all worship the Great Bunny who brings us chocolate and spring and happiness. This year I'm limiting the candy to only classic jelly beans and Cadbury chocolate eggs. Even though there aren't any kids around, I still couldn't resist coloring a few real eggs as well. M is making his famous carrot cake, and we will toast the Great Bunny as we try to avoid going into diabetic shock.

Airborne Equals Quackery?

There has been much debate over the years about the benefits of a product called Airborne. This "vitamin immune booster" is supposed to protect you from illness in situations like airline travel, and it also claims to ease the effects of colds and flues after you get them. All sorts of people have endorsed the product, and the creator was even invited to the Oprah Show to tout its amazing powers. Many who might otherwise be skeptical of these claims were mollified by the "rigorous double-blind" testing done by a "recognized and accredited" institution.

Now it turns out that the testing never took place, the "institution" is really a sham, and the supplement itself may contain dangerously high levels of vitamin A. Once again, fake "science" has been used to fool people into buying something they would not otherwise trust. Why, oh why, is the vitamin and supplement industry not regulated like food, drugs, and just about everything else we put into our bodies? One day we may regret this on a large scale.

Goodbye K

Today is the day when my friend K and her family are flying away to their new home on the East Coast. I know this is an exciting new opportunity for them, but I can't help being very, very sorry to see them go. As Stargirl would say, there are no pebbles in my happy wagon today. K and her family never seem to stay in one place for more than a few years, so I guess I should have known that this day would come. Our turn to have K around is over now, and somebody else is about to get a great good thing. I just hope they know how lucky they are.

The Skillful Florist

Warning! Boring wedding planning entry ahead! Proceed with caution!

Wedding planning has been, among other things, an interesting look into a service industry. Some of these people just assume that you have no clue what you want, and they proceed to tell you exactly which one to pick, how many you will need, and what color is hot this season. The idea that you might not need or want their chosen item never seems to enter their heads.

On the opposite end of things are the people who don't want to be too pushy (or don't want to be blamed for bad choices) so they just refuse to offer any help/support/opinion at all. "Tell me exactly what you want and I will get it for you" is their motto, but sometimes it's not very helpful because you actually DO need a professional opinion. This is why meeting our chosen florist was such a treat.

Fena Florist was recommended by a co-worker at school whose daughter used them for her wedding. I made an appointment for a weekend morning, brought along my mom and Big Niece, and held my breath about what kind of service I might get. I had a pretty good idea in my head of what I wanted, but I had not been able to find many good pictures from magazines or the internet.

Our florist started out by looking at the pictures I did have and listening to my feeble descriptions. Then she had us look at books of flowers to find things that had the right colors or textures. Finally, she brought out a huge range of flowers in roughly the right colors, and we went through deciding which would be included. She had great advice about color, texture, and design. In the end, I felt like the choices were still mine, but I was much more confident that it would all turn out well. Best of all, the prices did not put me over budget.

All in all, I was very satisfied with this experience. If only the cake guy, the jewelry lady, and the dress ladies could have been so helpful yet not pushy. I can't wait to see how these flowers will turn out. One more thing checked off the list!

Observed in a Bridal Salon

I've been meaning to post this one for some time because it was such a striking experience. In case you didn't know already, I am a bad, unkind, judgmental person. I just can’t seem to help it.

When I went for my first bridal gown fitting, I shared the alterations dressing room with a tiny little girl in a long and flowing gown with a full train. She was there to have a dress cut down to fit her for her THIRD birthday party. Now lots of little girls are quite excited about trying on pretty dresses and being the center of attention. In fact, when we took little S to get her flower girl dress, she was ecstatic about the whole process. This little girl, however, was not having a fun time.

At not-quite-three she did not seem to understand what was happening, and she did NOT want to stand still while a strange lady pushed pins into her clothes. She just kept saying "I wanna put my paaaants on!" accompanied by much wailing. Mom explained that she was missing her nap, and perhaps that was all that was wrong. However, as we all stood there putting up with the pin ladies, Mom told the story of the planned birthday party, and my judgmental nature just popped out all over.

First, it's important to mention that Mom herself was very young (maybe 20?), had long talon-like nails, lots of makeup, and a tight and somewhat revealing sense of fashion. Does this make her a bad person? No of course not. What makes her a bad person was the plan for the actual party.

Mom explained that the poor little girl was going to have a "celebrity birthday party." The kids were all going to be dressed in "fashions" and there would be many parents to be the "photographers." Kids would get goody bags with "bling" and a stretch hummer would pick them up and take them out to Appleby's. A kind person could imagine the kid who would love this kind of thing, but this child wailed and cried at every mention of the party. I was so disgusted that I didn't trust myself to comment on the plan. The only safe thing was to tell the little girl how pretty she looked in her gown.

Whatever happened to birthday parties with cake and balloons? Pin The Tail on the Donkey was the big news at most toddler birthdays in my day. Maybe if the parents had gotten really over the top, there might be a piñata. I understand that times have changed. Nevertheless, it's one thing to go over the top to make your kids happy. It's quite another thing to make your kid do something just so you can have some sort of weird vicarious moment. Maybe this mom should buy herself a gown, rent herself a limo, and take her own friends to Appleby's. That way the little girl could celebrate by staying home, eating some yummy cake, and putting her pants back on.

Big Kids Little Kids Everywhere Kids

The sunshine pouring in at the window is making me nostalgic for the mid-winter break we had last month. It was sunny that whole week, and I had the two nieces almost the entire time. We did all sorts of fun things, and one day we even asked two of my little friends to join us. That made FOUR kids all running around together.

Rather than being a difficult time, all the kids were on their best behavior. I was deeply impressed by the effect that the little kids (2 and 4) had on the big kids (7 and 9). As soon as the younger kids arrived, the nieces stopped any hint of arguing and went into role-model mode. They were polite, helpful, and quite touchingly concerned about the well-being and happiness of the smaller fry. When we went to the park, everyone had a buddy, and I kept having to remind Small Niece that she did not actually have to carry her buddy around. Later, when we enjoyed a little time with sidewalk chalk, both bigger girls went out of their way to share colors and keep an eye out for cars.

I don't know if this experience was just a fluke or not. If you have lots of kids do they just naturally shift into a more responsible mode? I do vaguely remember noticing this effect years ago when I was a nanny, so it isn't just this one group of kids. Perhaps we are hardwired to enjoy being in a group? Somewhere, deep down inside, maybe we know that if we don't get along we might end up getting left behind as lion fodder. What ever the reason, I love the effect it has on kid behavior.

Registering

I guess I've always had the vague notion that registering for wedding presents would be fun. However, it is quite a different experience from anything I had envisioned. Usually when you go shopping, you have only one or two objects in mind. You make comparisons, look at prices, and then choose the items that seem right for you.

When doing a registry, on the other hand, you have to make dozens of choices one right after the other. We did do some research before we set out, but it was still much more of a mental workout than I'd guessed. By the time we had about forty things on our list, we were both completely exhausted and just wanted to head home. Now I understand why wedding registries sometimes include items that do not seem to fit with the personality of the couple. After a few hours with that little scanner a marble cheese board with brass cat handles and a silver mouse slicer probably seems like a great idea.

Dream Restaurant

A friend's blog recently invited readers to come up with a dream restaurant/lounge/cafe. What a fun exercise! I thouroughly enjoyed dreaming up my tea room. However, knowing how hard restaurant owners work, I have no desire to go into the restaurant business for real. That said, here's my fantasy. Now if only someone else would open this place, and I could just enjoying going there as a patron.

My "restaurant" would be a tea shop called "Lady Gray's Tea Room." It would have hardwood floors, rich drapes, comfortable booths, and also smaller tables in cozy nooks. The primary colors would be white and cranberry with accent pieces in silver. We would have elegant white china with a silver pattern, and there would be lots of silver serving trays and three tier cake stands. During the day we would serve high tea (with all the attendant goodies), light lunches, and even a few coffee beverages. Then, after 5pm, we would switch over to cocktails and light dinner items.

Our signature drinks would be the Sour Cherry Sidecar, Sage G & T, and the Peach Passion. The dinner menu would consist entirely of small plates, and one person might try three or four different things. Examples include: superb seasonal soups, creative salads, cheese trays, quiches, marinated veggie trays, small sandwich assortments, and a selection of light pasta dishes. The rent would have to be fairly low since we would want people to linger over our selection of decadent desserts. These would include the superlative lemon bar, seasonal fruit pies, molten chocolate cake, toffee almond bread pudding, and candied orange brownies.

2 Tiny Dresses and 1 Big Gown

During last week's mid-winter break, my friend K and I screwed up our courage and took FOUR little kids to a bridal salon. There was nothing for it, we had to choose flower girl dresses, and there was no easy way to do this without taking the flower girls and their siblings. Fortunately, these are four exceptional children, and the whole outing was a big success. There was much admiring of tulle, satin ribbons, sequins, and lace, and Small Niece was especially enamored of the available fashion choices. I did have to step in and assert some control over the process when it looked like she might ask for an all-white rose and sequin encrusted dress with spaghetti straps. Fortunately, she was quite willing to be swayed. We now have two absolutely adorable little pink and white dresses for two absolutely adorable little pink flower girls.

In addition to flower girls, we were also able to have K try on the bride's maid gown. Unfortunately, she had to try it on in brilliant Barbie pink which is really not a color I would associate with any of the maids. However, the fit of the gown looked absolutely beautiful on her. All three ladies have such nice figures that I may have to put pass out burlap sacks at the rehearsal dinner (just kidding!). Now that all three have ordered the gown, there is another thing I can tick off the "to-do" list. I can't wait to see the three of them all dressed up and ready to go.

At the same time, I was able to pick up my own gown from the alterations department. K bravely held on to all four children while I went back to try on the gown, and the reception I received upon coming out from behind the curtain was quite satisfying. I must say, even I (the self-critical one) thought I looked pretty darn nice. It was such a lucky thing that K was there because someone had to learn how to bustle and un-bustle me for the transition from ceremony to reception. I still need a few bits and pieces (shoes, hair decorations, did I mention shoes?), but it feels great to have the finished, fitted dress hanging in the closet at home. We are coming closer and closer to the point where I feel we have the essentials for the wedding. After that, anything else is just gravy.

Bicycle Birthday

On a regular Monday, I get to work just before 7am, teach two classes in the morning, prepare for the next day during my prep, teach three classes during the afternoon, and usually attend at least one meeting. Generally the students and I are a bit slow and sleepy from our weekend, but we get through and the week is off and running. Mondays are not usually my favorite days, but they are not terrible or depressing either. However, this Monday, was quite a bit different from normal. Thank goodness for Presidents.

Small Niece turned seven (seven!) about a week ago, and she decided to have a bike riding birthday to celebrate. Now many seventh birthday parties probably involve bikes, but that usually means a few turns around the local park. This was a SERIOUS bicycle birthday, and we estimate that about twenty miles were ridden. It was a wonderful sunny day, and we had a marvelous time.

We started out at my brother's house and spent some time arranging everyone on their bikes. There were two tandems, one bike with half bike on the back, and one mini-bike for the mini-grandma to ride. All in all, we made quite a picture going down the road. Our first stop was Gasworks Park where we met up with a few friends (and some people also took the opportunity to run up and down the hills). The next trip took us to a cupcake shop in Wallingford. We each got to choose our own flavors and a special topper for each little cake. M got a really horrifying bride and groom with badly mis-painted faces.

The last leg of our journey took us through the Olympic Sculpture Park. Now I am not a huge fan of the sculpture choices they made for that park (I think I am an art Luddite), but it does have two fantastic features (aside from the eraser of course). Any park that takes you along the water and gives you such an incredible view of the mountains has to be good. Finally, we made our way to The Old Spaghetti Factory. This was the perfect dinner destination for a huge group of hungry bike riders. We wolfed our food before heading back out to do the last bike stretch home. It was a wonderful day, but my posterior has still not returned to normal. Hats off to my brother and to my friends C and R who have the guts to do this kind of thing on a daily basis. Also, happy birthday once more to Small Niece!

Inappropriate Humor

Sometimes people find my blog through the most unlikely search queries. For example, this week someone searched for "monkey butt heart valentine" and ended up with me. It seems that, unable to find a complete match, Google pointed to an archived post in which I referred to our fair president as "a monkey's butt." I'm sure that's not quite what the searcher had in mind. Coincidently enough, I recently ran across a great example of "monkey butt heart valentine" on LOL cats. I thought it was both amazing and funny, but then again 7th graders have completely robbed me of any remaining shreds of decency or decorum.

Happy Valentine's Day 2008

How about a little Dickenson on a day like today:

It's all I have to bring today
By Emily Dickenson

It's all I have to bring today –

This, and my heart beside –

This, and my heart, and all the fields

–And all the meadows wide

–Be sure you count

– should I forget

Some one the sum could tell

–This, and my heart, and all the Bees

Which in the Clover dwell.

Caucus Excitement

This is a very busy day, so I'll have to make this quick. Perhaps I will have the chance to write a longer entry later.

I certainly must say "thank you" to my friend T who got me started on a very exciting adventure. It was T who invited me to attend a caucus training session with her, and it was the training session that made me volunteer to run our local precinct caucus when the regular officer was called away. It was serving as the PCO at the actual caucus that gave me the courage to "run" for a delegate seat, and it was who-knows-what that got me elected! That's right, I get to be a delegate to the local and county conventions! As you might expect, I am quite excited to see how this whole things works. I am one delegate for Clinton!

No End In Sight

Super Tuesday has come and gone. In years past this event sealed the primary season, and the de facto winners could switch over to bashing each other instead of members of their own party. However, we seem to have come to a new era in American politics where nothing is clear or simple. Once again we've had a contest where the results were too close to make any kind of significant change to the situation.

Super Tuesday may be over, but the election still has yet to be decided in the later date states. Now this is great if you happen to live in a frequently ignored place (Washington), but it is still frustrating to have the population/party so very divided. It would be nice (yeah yeah wishes/horses I know) if we could have one stellar candidate who wows most people and wins an easy primary victory. I suppose there is a small measure of satisfaction to be found in the fact that the other side is having the very same problem.

I find myself wondering why we are such a divided country, (on both left and right) and what made us so much more decisive in previous times. Perhaps there is less willingness to simply vote for a party pick. Perhaps people have become more decidedly one-issue voters (whatever the issue may be). Perhaps more diverse segments of society are voting than ever before, and they have vastly different agendas. Or perhaps it's the effect of reality television. I say this only partly in jest. Maybe so many people are now programmed to love the underdog they actually switch their vote when they see one candidate or the other coming out on top. I really, really hope it isn't that last one. Nevertheless, record numbers of voters ARE coming out to the polls, and that has to be a good thing for the democratic process. Now if we could just make up our collective minds (he he) then the real election process could start in earnest.

First Grade Homework

Small Niece is now half way through first grade at a very good school in Seattle. She loves her school, loves her teacher, and even claims to love homework. There is much debate about the value of homework in the younger grades, but those who do assign it claim that it prepares kids for later. I can completely understand this logic, but I was still amused to read Small Niece's great big weekend homework assignment:

1. Reading: Read or have someone read to you for at least 30 minutes (this one was the most serious, and I have to commend her teacher for requiring it)

2. Math: Mrs. Smith buys an orange for 60 cents. Think of two ways she could pay for it using different coins

.60 =

.60 =

(Here Small Niece had written ".60 = 167 corters" and ".60 = 57 dollrs." I asked her how she'd come to these answers, and she said her older sister had been helping her. After threatening smirking Big Niece within dire consequences, Small Niece and I worked out some better answers.)

3. Science: Tell an adult one thing you learned about Australia last week (At this point she turned to me and said "I learned that aborabinginamals were the first people in Australia.")

4. Writing: Keep a journal, and write at least two sentences each day. (This one was no problem, and in just a moment she had written "I lick candy. I want candy." She was confused when I asked her to add more)

Admittedly, none of this homework was a huge challenge for Small Niece. Part of that is due to her extreme brilliance, and another part is that desire by the teacher to keep things really manageable for everyone. I'm just happy that she actually looks forward to Monday mornings. May that stay with her as long as possible.

New Addition

Happy birthday to our smallest new friend, baby C.A.! Baby C. was born just a few days ago, and we are very much looking forward to meeting her. Congratulations also to her parents and her newly promoted Big Brother. Well done P!

Kids Have a Dream

In honor of Martin Luther King Day, my class did a special assignment a few days ago. First, I showed them a copy of the "I have a dream" speech, and we discussed his meaning and perspective. Next, I asked kids to think about the issues that face people today (are they the same or different than in 1967?). Finally, I asked them to write their own speech discussing the issues that concern them the most. As usual, there were some great ones, lots of so-so examples, and a few stinkers. On the whole, however, I thought they did better than average on the assignment, and I was impressed by the depth of their thinking about these issues. Some things 7th graders are concerned about:

-Race
-Hunger
-Global Warming (this was the most discussed issue)
-Terrorists
-Wars
-Gas Prices (this is a big deal here in SUV land)
-Inflation (they didn't use the term, but that was the main idea)
-Good Vs. Evil (will evil just overcome good?)
-Weapons/gun violence (guns are bad was the idea in all of these)
-International Co-operation (again, they didn't know the term, but they knew what they meant)
-AIDS
-Poverty
-Domestic Violence
-Cancer

Proof once again that not all kids are as shallow as some people would make them out to be. Granted, their proposed solutions to these issues were sometimes quite goofy (the government should just give everyone money and then no on would be poor) but at least they are thinking about things that need change.

Snow Day!

There was nothing on the ground when we went to bed last night, but when I woke up at 2am the snow was already falling. By 5am there was a nice frosty blanket on the yard and the driveway. I checked the school news website, and sure enough, we were closed for the day. The call came just a few minutes later. I was surprised to see that it was not just us closed, but also several other surrounding districts. I rolled over in my cozy blankets and went back to sleep.

After waking at a leisurely 8am, I spent my day in the following pursuits: baking bread, going for a walk, reading my book, tidying the house, and playing video games. Oh what a life! Tonight there is supposed to be another round of snow, so I may get that day off too. Of course we will have to "pay back" these days in June, but right now I don't really care. Snow! Snow! Snow!

Fitting

A few days ago I went for the first fitting on my wedding dress. There I was, standing on the little dais, with pins under my arms, pins at my bust, pins around the waist, pins on my bum, and pins at my ankles. It was wonderful to see how it will look once it's finished, and it was fun to chat with the seamstress, my mom, and my friend C who were kind enough to keep me company. Nevertheless, it was also a painful experience. First, because I kept forgetting about the pins, moving around, and scratching myself. Second, and much more painfully, because of the price at the end.

It is true that I got a great deal on that dress, but the cost of alterations has brought be nearly back to the original MSR. My mom has pointed out on several occasions that a significantly customized dress for that price is quite something, but I can't help smarting at least a little. Nevertheless (again) it really is going to be beautiful when it's finished. I want very much to describe the original dress and the alterations for the fashion/sewing inclined reader, but of course M would then have details he shouldn't. Suffice it to say that it is a classic type of dress, and soon it will suit just me in a dozen different ways. Also, the green polka dots and orange lace really compliment my complexion ;)

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice

At school we have a lunchtime girls group led by our fair councilors. It is a safe place for girls to come together and discuss the issues that can make life so tough in middle school. The councilor leads the discussion, but the topic is allowed to migrate as the girls choose. Recent topics have included body image, social pressures to look, think, act in a certain way, the joy and suffering of friendships, etc. At a recent meeting, the group discussed societal expectations of women, and someone brought up the idea of "sugar and spice and everything nice." One particularly wise girl observed "that's what cookies are made of!" The discussion that followed was nothing short of wonderful. It warmed my feminist heart, and it reminded me that not all kids are caught up in being vapid and silly. There is hope for the future.

Coincidence

A few weeks ago, M and I met with a wedding officiant I found on the internet. I wasn't too sure about going with someone who did not come with a reference, but I was having trouble finding someone available on our date. We met with him at a Starbucks, answered many questions about ourselves and our wedding, and then agreed that we would send him a deposit if we decided to go with him.

M was really not sure. We both liked the guy, but we had no way of knowing if he was good or not. M wanted to interview a few more to make sure we chose the right person. He started asking friends of ours for recommendations, and one of them actually had a suggestion. She'd been to a family wedding the summer before, and remembered the ceremony as being particularly good. She consulted with the bride, and sent us a name. It was the same guy we'd met with the week before. We've decide to go with him because now we have a recommendation, and besides, it was obviously meant to be ;)

Resolution Follow Up

Now that we are more than two weeks into the new year, I think it is time for a resolution follow-up. One of the reasons so many people fail to keep their resolutions is because they simply forget about them. I have a copy on the refrigerator, and I'm keeping track here. Let's hope something works:

1. Get married--- I can't say I've actually done this yet, but we are making good progress

2. Exercise for at least 30 minutes--- I've been keeping up with the three times a week, but I haven't yet managed to go for five. Most gym visits are an hour long.

3. Say something friendly to someone who is not already a friend--- I've been doing this regularly.

4. Try a new recipe--- I did try a new recipe last week (a new kind of lentil soup) but I haven't done it since. I've been doing very well on making lunch instead of eating frozen.

5. Read a non-fiction book on a new topic--- Three down and three to go.

6. Take dance lessons--- We have not yet done this, but I did get info from our friend M.

7. Tackle "thorny" (i.e. organize closets, sort papers, ironing) house chores--- I'm, urm, still working on this one :P

8. Think carefully before responding at work (seconds in conversation, a few hours via email) --- So far so good.

9. Rest on laurels less at work. One-on-one with each kid in Basic Block--- Done

10. At work, if it doesn't NEED saying, don't say it--- I've been doing very well with this one, but then, I haven't really been tested yet.

Slip Sliding Away

The drive to work yesterday, even with a delayed start, was nothing short of exciting. The snow that fell over night turned to ice, and all the cars on the road were moving as gingerly as possible. Well, all the sane people were being careful, but there are always a few yahoos who think the laws of physics do not apply to them.

As I slowly crawled my way down one hill, an Explorer-type vehicle decided to test out this theory. The driver was at a stop coming from a side road, and decided just to punch it when he saw an opportunity in the line of cars. He made it across the first lane, but when he went to turn, the car hit ice, fishtailed wildly, hopped the curb, and came to rest on the sidewalk. Meanwhile, everyone else tried not to skid behind him. Eventually, the slow crawl of traffic continued leaving Mr. Bozo to sort himself out.

This was the first test of my new snow tires. How anyone who had ever driven studs could say that snow tires are just as good is completely beyond me. Studs are orders of magnitude better on both ice and snow. This is not to say that I'm disappointed with my snow tires. They are much better than three season, or (god forbid) summer slicks. On snow they are really quite reasonable as long as you remember that conditions are not normal and drive accordingly. On ice, though, they are a crutch and nothing more. Why don't I have studs? Because they tear up the road and are, therefore, not socially responsible. That doesn't stop me from missing them on days like this.

New Hampshire 2008

Okay, so I am a little late on this one. It's been a busy week. Nevertheless, the results from the New Hampshire presidential primary were both interesting and exciting. Analysts had actually started calling for Hillary Clinton's advisors to start looking for new jobs. Polls implied that Barack Obama would carry the state just like he did Iowa, but somehow this was not the case at all when it actually came time to vote. There has been much speculation about the reason or reasons for this upset. Everything from the power of Clinton's "machine" to her teary-eyed confession that campaigning is tough to the froggy condition of Obama's voice have been put forward as a cause for the change. In the end, it's impossible to say for sure.

I find that I am finally starting to lean towards one candidate instead of the other. I'm still deeply concerned about the electibility of both, but given that they are our choices, I have to make up my mind somehow. Here is my thinking so far. Everybody keeps going on about the Democratic contest being one of experience versus change. That seems accurate to me since she is a true D.C. insider while he is not even a one term senator. He looks good, he speaks very well, and I have no doubt that he is quite intelligent. However, he has very little government experience on the federal level. Now some people see this as a great asset, but I am not so sure.

It seems to me that we are currently in rather a large mess. I know many people would say that this is eternally the case, but I really do thing that we're even more in the drink than usual. I would like to elect someone who is capable of cleaning up successfully (please no jokes here about how women are good at cleaning). In this case, experience is a good thing. I want someone who will recover our international reputation, pay real attention to environmental concerns, and KILL KILL KILL the No Child Left Behind Act. Having watched or read several of the debates, I feel far more confident about Hillary Clinton's ability to deliver on these and many other issues. Besides, think of who her main advisor is likely to be! I like Obama, and I think he may make a great candidate, but he's just not there yet. Vote Clinton in 2008.

Snowdrops!

Snowdrops are blooming next to our front door! This is proof positive that spring is out there somewhere. First come the snowdrops, then the crocus and primroses, then daffodils, tulips, irises, and finally all the more sensitive flowers begin to return. This makes me especially happy because I just finished cutting the last late roses off as I pruned the rosebush. Even in this northerly place, a person doesn't have to go more than a few weeks without at least a few flowers.

Seattle Wedding Show P.S.

Forgot to mention that, through a quirk of scheduling, the nieces went with us to the wedding show. They were only there for a little while, but it was quite amusing to watch them take it all in. I really thought that Small Niece would love it (miles of lace and fancy things! Yay!) but that Big niece might be quite horrified (miles of lace and fancy things! Ugh!). What I did not anticipate was the effect of cake.

It seemed like there were cake booths every ten feet. If you are a cute little girl who knows how to smile sweetly, it turns out that lots of people will offer you samples of said cake. I think they got to try four or five different samples in about ten minutes. Unfortunately, they were absolutely worthless as cake testers. Every time I asked what they thought they just smiled their cakey smiles, and exclaimed over how yummy it all was. It's a good thing Dad arrived before they'd gotten any farther, or they might have eaten themselves sick. One of the great joys in life is in getting your sibling's kid all hyped up on sugar and then handing them back.

Banned Books

When I was very young, I can vividly remember the Dr. Seuss book, The Lorax, being banned from my school library. Why would Seuss be such a problem? Because I lived in rural Oregon in the early 1980s when the logging industry was in the process of going under. Many logging families (probably half my class) believed they were losing their jobs due to bleeding heart liberal policies about forests (um hello, who was president then?). Thus the challenge, and eventual ban, on the scandalous ecological message of The Lorax.

Time and place have such a huge impact over what is deemed "immoral" and what is not. The part that amazes me is the perceived need for the ban. The logic seems to be "I don't approve of this book, but rather than just keep my kid from reading it, I need to keep it from ALL kids!" Great, then we have a culture based on the lowest common denominator. I'll just get out my Dick and Jane readers then shall I? That's sure to swell hearts and inspire minds.

As a teacher, I do try to avoid using classroom materials that might be considered offensive (it's not easy, and I don't always succeed), but to take books out of libraries just because a few parents don't like them?! It makes me cringe. Take a look at the top 100 most challenged books (arranged by the number of official challenges) of the 21st century, and you'll cringe too:

1 Harry Potter J.K. Rowling
2 Alice series Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
3 The Chocolate War Robert Cormier
4 Of Mice and Men John Steinbeck
5 I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Maya Angelou
6 Scary Stories Alvin Schwartz
7 Fallen Angels Walter Dean Myers
8 It’s Perfectly Normal Robie Harris
9 And Tango Makes Three Justin Richardson/Peter Parnell
10 Captain Underpants Dav Pilkey
11 The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Mark Twain
12 The Bluest Eye Toni Morrison
13 Forever Judy Blume
14 The Color Purple Alice Walker
15 The Perks of Being A Wallflower Stephen Chbosky
16 Killing Mr. Griffin Lois Duncan
17 Go Ask Alice Anonymous
18 King and King Linda de Haan
19 Catcher in the Rye J.D. Salinger
20 Bridge to Terabithia Katherine Paterson
21 The Giver Lois Lowry
22 We All Fall Down Robert Cormier
23 To Kill A Mockingbird Harper Lee`
24 Beloved Toni Morrison
25 The Face on the Milk Carton Caroline Cooney
26 Snow Falling on Cedars David Guterson
27 My Brother Sam Is Dead James Lincoln Collier
28 In the Night Kitchen Maurice Sendak
29 His Dark Materials series Philip Pullman
30 Gossip Girl series Cecily von Ziegesar
31 What My Mother Doesn’t Know Sonya Sones
32 Angus, Thongs, and Full Frontal Snogging Louise Rennison
33 It’s So Amazing Robie Harris
34 Arming America Michael Bellasiles
35 Kaffir Boy Mark Mathabane
36 Blubber Judy Blume
37 Brave New World Aldous Huxley
38 Athletic Shorts Chris Crutcher
39 Bless Me, Ultima Rudolfo Anaya
40 Life is Funny E.R. Frank
41 Daughters of Eve Lois Duncan
42 Crazy Lady Jane Leslie Conly
43 The Great Gilly Hopkins Katherine Paterson
44 You Hear Me Betsy Franco
45 Slaughterhouse Five Kurt Vonnegut
46 Whale Talk Chris Crutcher
47 The Adventures of Super Diaper Baby Dav Pilkey
48 The Facts Speak for Themselves Brock Cole
49 The Terrorist Caroline Cooney
50 Mick Harte Was Here Barbara Park
51 Summer of My German Soldier Bette Green
52 The Upstairs Room Johanna Reiss
53 When Dad Killed Mom Julius Lester
54 Blood and Chocolate Annette Curtis Klause
55 The Fighting Ground Avi
56 The Things They Carried Tim O'Brien
57 Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry Mildred Taylor
58 Fat Kid Rules the World K.L. Going
59 The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big, Round Things Carolyn Mackler
60 A Time To Kill John Grisham
61 Rainbow Boys Alex Sanchez
62 Olive’s Ocean Kevin Henkes
63 One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest Ken Kesey
64 A Day No Pigs Would Die Robert Newton Peck
65 Speak Laurie Halse Anderson
66 Always Running Luis Rodriguez
67 Black Boy Richard Wright
68 Julie of the Wolves Jean Craighead George
69 Deal With It! Esther Drill
70 Detour for Emmy Marilyn Reynolds
71 Draw Me A Star Eric Carle
72 Fahrenheit 451 Ray Bradbury
73 Harris and Me Gary Paulsen
74 Junie B. Jones series Barbara Park
75 So Far From the Bamboo Grove Yoko Watkins
76 Song of Solomon Toni Morrison
77 Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes Chris Crutcher
78 What’s Happening to My Body Book Lynda Madaras
79 The Boy Who Lost His Face Louis Sachar
80 The Lovely Bones Alice Sebold
81 Anastasia Again! Lois Lowry
82 Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret Judy Blume
83 Bumps In the Night Harry Allard
84 Goosebumps series R.L. Stine
85 Shade’s Children Garth Nix
86 Cut Patricia McCormick
87 Grendel John Gardner
88 The House of Spirits Isabel Allende
89 I Saw Esau Iona Opte
90 Ironman Chris Crutcher
91 The Stupids series Harry Allard
92 Taming the Star Runner S.E. Hinton
93 Then Again, Maybe I Won’t Judy Blume
94 Tiger Eyes Judy Blume
95 Like Water for Chocolate Laura Esquivel
96 Nathan’s Run John Gilstrap
97 Pinkerton, Behave! Steven Kellog
98 Freaky Friday Mary Rodgers
99 Halloween ABC Eve Merriam
100 Heather Has Two Mommies Leslea Newman

Seattle Wedding Show

In the words of an old musical: oh what a vision, oh what a show. People really have gone to town for weddings. When we arrived on Saturday morning, the convention center was already packed with avid wedding fanatics. There were booths for any and every wedding need you can imagine plus all sorts of services you probably never even considered. Each of these booths is there with the sole purpose of convincing you that you MUST HAVE what they offer. Examples include chair sashes, flower preservation services, rental fish (yes, live fish to make your tables look nice), and even a fully equipped party RV.

Mostly we just goggled at all the silliness and dodged the crowds. However, there were one or two areas where we made some progress. First, I think perhaps we may have found a florist. While I do not see the need for decorative fish or chair sashes, I am excited about having lots of flowers at both the ceremony and reception (I'm sort of a flower fanatic in real life too). The one booth caught my eye because of the unusual use of green blackberries in a green and white bouquet. The reasonable prices the lady quoted didn't hurt either, so I think we may talk to her about doing our flowers.

We spoke to several photographers as we wandered around. One common practice that surprised and horrified us was that of the photographer keeping the copyright to all photos. This means that they keep all the pics, and you get to choose a certain number to be made into prints. If you want more of your photos than the fixed number, you have to pay extra. With some of these people you cannot even make copies of your own photos! Add to that albums that cost $1500-$2000 for a single book! We were not impressed. Fortunately, there are a few photographers out there who differentiate themselves by avoiding these tactics. All we want is a talented person to come and take digital photos, and then hand us the CD. Is that so much to ask? Hopefully not.

The biggest coup of the day came in the ring department. We have looked at approximately eight thousand men's and women's wedding rings. M had seen several he liked but didn't love, and I had even less luck. At the show we happened across one lucky booth. They had the perfect ring for him. I cannot explain what made it perfect, but it just seemed to suit him. I put down a deposit, and we even got a discount for buying it at the show. Then, while we were waiting for them to fill out the paper work, my mom encouraged me to keep trying women's rings. I wasn't too optimistic because I hadn't seen anything promising while glancing through the case. The old saying "listen to your mother" has to be true because I did end up finding a very good prospect for my wedding ring. Both of our rings are quite simple even to the point of being plain, but I think they suit our personalities very well. I got more than a little thrill seeing M try on his.

As we left the show I felt torn. On the one hand, this was a perfect example of consumerism gone completely bonkers. People were there to shell out thousands of dollars for things they don't really need and from which they will derive no real benefit. On the other hand, I couldn't help but enjoy myself. There is something very satisfying about being there with M and my mom inspecting cakes and flowers. Who knows why. Nevertheless, I still do not feel any need to pay for rental fish.

Car Buying for M Part 1: Luxury Cars Disappoint

Not long ago, M decided that it was time for a new car. His old one has done good service lo' these many years, but it needed expensive repairs, so he decided it was time for something new. Well, not new exactly, but new to us. I'm delighted that M concurs with my belief that a brand new car is rarely worth the premium price. By some estimates, a brand new car loses 20% of its value by driving off the lot. In short, that "new car smell" comes at quite a price. But I digress.

M decided to get a new car, but he wanted one that still had the practicality and AWD of his old Subaru. The question was, should he just buy another Subaru, or would it be more interesting to trade to something different? SUV's were right out from the beginning (need I explain?). Audi, Toyota, Volvo, Volkswagen, Infiniti, Saab, and several others have cars that met his criteria, but when we did a Consumer Reports search, some of these makes went out the proverbial window too. It seems that many cars aiming for the luxury AWD market do not fair so well on reliability ratings. With the options somewhat narrowed down, we moved on to my favorite part: the test drive.

The Subaru Impreza STI came first. Heading out, this is the car I thought M would probably buy, but he surprised me. The car is fast and sporty, it corners well, and it has AWD, but it had a turbo lag that wasn't much fun, and it had the curse of all Subaru’s: very poor leg room both front and back (there's also the clutch issue in my mind, but M doesn't seem bothered by that). Thus we walked away from the STI without buying.

Next came the Infiniti G30. Do you remember those Infiniti commercials with Jonathan Price? You know, the ones that are supposed to make you think of Infiniti's as suave and elegant and the epitome of controlled power? Yeah, not so much as it turns out. I really expected something special given the price and the hype, but the best thing I can say for this car is that it sounds really cool when you first turn it on (with a silly push button instead of a key). That throaty purr is not enough to make up for the fact that driving this car is no fun at all. Smooth and powerful sure, but also strangely heavy and unresponsive. I've also come to the conclusion that a tiptronic (at least the ones we drove) is just a fancy/smart automatic, and it takes all the fun out of acceleration. I'll stick with a real manual (at least in cars that are meant to be sporty) thank you.

We declined to drive the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 (which was stupid because it would have been fun to try once) because who wants to look that silly, and it didn't meet M's criteria. We did not drive the BMW's, Volvos, Mercedes, Lexus, the RX-8 (sob!), the canary yellow Thunderbird or many of the other impractical or unreliable cars they had on that lot (I think maybe gas prices and the economy are helping people shed some of their sillier cars?) In fact, by the end of that day, the only real contender on the list was a Subaru Forester XT in a most unlovely shade of brown. We went home without a new car.

On another weekend, we set out again, and this time we headed over to an Audi dealer. I expected this dealership to be a funny place due to the level of snoots often put on by fancy car dealers. However, a very nice, low-pressure sales staff brought out an A4 for us to try. The Audi was certainly better than the Infiniti, but both cars lack the feedback that both M and I enjoy. The designers of these cars seem so focused on giving you a luxurious ride that they remove all "car" (feedback?) from the driving experience. I felt as though I could have been in an armchair watching a movie about driving. No thank you. I was all prepared to talk M down from buying such an expensive car, but I found it entirely unnecessary. Once again, we went home without a new car.

To be continued...

Iowa Primary Shake-Up

Well that was quite a night! M and I watched with great interest as the caucus results came in, and things did not end as anyone (I heard from) expected. Of course this is still very early days, but it was still pretty momentous. The fact that Barack Obama (whose name, liberal tendencies, and race would have counted him out in any previous era) was able to take the democratic nomination is amazing. Equally surprising was the fact that Hillary Clinton did not even make second. By one percentage point, she actually came in third BEHIND John Edwards. Just a few weeks ago, I heard one strategist count him out if this election, and call Hillary the sure thing for the Democratic nomination. Go figure.

On the Republican side of things there was also a major switch. Mitt Romney spent the most money and the most time in the state, but he lost by nine percentage points to former Arkansas governor, Mike (isn't my dimple endearing) Huckabee. I find this switch to be the most disturbing. While Mitt Romney is no picnic politically, at least his cards appear to be on the proverbial table. Huckabee, on the other hand, has convinced the national media that he is "a good guy" when, in fact, he is a slithering snake (or worse yet, a centipede with legs in every pie). All sorts of people from Arkansas are writing about how ridiculous it is to be painting Huckabee as a moral paragon. It seems that anyone and everyone in the state has a Huckabee horror story. Add his views on abortion, education, church and state, and gay marriage, and you have one very scary candidate indeed.

I just keep reminding myself that things can change very quickly. Look at Howard Dean in the last election. There are all sorts of places along the campaign route where the course can be altered. We couldn't possibly elect ANOTHER frightening conservative could we? Please no! Please no! Please no!

Happy New Year 2008!

I hope the new year found each and every one of you warm and happy. Once again I trotted out the paper and pencil to make a list of new year's resolutions. Did I do last year's? Some of them. Do I have any more hope for this year? Who knows. However, I do think the process of reflecting on change is a good one. Also, this year I have decided to take a page from work and do more quantifiable goals. I'm hoping this will keep me a bit more honest. For good or ill, here's the list:

1. Get married--- once (hooray!)

2. Exercise for at least 30 minutes--- 3 times per week (or 5 would be great)

3. Say something friendly to someone who is not already a friend--- once per day

4. Try a new recipe--- once per week, and cook my own lunch (vs. frozen, canned, or otherwise prepared)--- twice per week

5. Read a non-fiction book on a new topic--- six times (or better yet, twelve) per year

6. Take dance lessons--- four to six per year

7. Tackle "thorny" (i.e. organize closets, sort papers, ironing) house chores--- once per week

8. Think carefully before responding at work (seconds in conversation, a few hours via email)

9. Rest on laurels less at work. One-on-one with each kid in Basic Block--- once per week

10. At work, if it doesn't NEED saying, don't say it--- always (this may be a good one for home too :P)

Christmas 2007

The stocking are indeed hung by the chimney with care. M and my brother are tucked all snug in their beds, but I can't reliably guess what kind of visions might dance in their heads. I am not in my kerchief, but I am in my Christmas-y red robe. I am fairly certain that M does not own a night cap. I have not heard any clatters arising in the yard, but I will listen carefully. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good rest of December.

Here We Go A-Caroling

One of the best things for getting in the holiday spirit (in my opinion anyway) is Christmas music. No, no, I'm not talking about the horrible muzak versions of "Christmas favorites" that they pump into all the malls. I mean the real thing. This is the one time of year when I set aside my suspicion of things Christian, and give them credit for some really good music. In order to get the complete effect you have to sing the carols yourself.

Yesterday was my book club's annual holiday sing-along, and it was just as much fun as always. Luckily, one of our number plays the piano, so she provides us with a good supply of sing-able music. A few of the ladies (including the pianist) can actually sing. This is a good thing because it gives the rest of us a way to follow along without being too painful. I am, by no means, an accomplished singer, but it is still SUCH fun to go along with the old familiar carols. "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" is one of my favorites along with "Joy to the World" and "It Came upon a Midnight Clear." Many of the carols are too high for my one inch range, but I just drop out of the parts I can't hit.

Singing really is good for the soul, and everyone should get the chance to do it. I think it is a lot like dancing in that you have to get over being self-conscious in order to enjoy yourself. Even if you're not very good, beg the pardon of the person next to you, and sing away. Thanks very much to my book club ladies for putting up with me!

How Not to Get Ready for a Party

1. Have the power go out
2. Try to get ready by candlelight
3. Try to get ready without the aid of irons, washing machines, or clocks
4. Have it snow/slush/ice in your neighborhood
5. Spill cocoa on your dress when the car hits a slippery patch
6. Wipe the spill in the bathroom only to find the color of your dress coming away on the cloth
7. Cover the large wet patch on your dress with a coat for most of the party

This is the absolute truth about M's company Christmas party this year. It was still fun once we got there, but it was more than a little stressful. I was getting quite grumpy by about step #5, but M was very good natured about the whole thing. Still, it would be nice if next year could be a little less thrilling.

Big Niece Goes to the Symphony

We finally did it; we took Big Niece to the symphony. I've been contemplating it for some time now, and I was just not sure if she was old enough (nine), if she would like it, if she could sit still and be quiet. Then, last week, an extra ticket became available at very short notice. We made a phone call, swooped in, and picked her up still wearing her school clothes. When asked if she wanted to go, she was not remotely ambivalent. "Yes, duh!" were her exact words. It seems that she has read a few books about Mozart, and she is fascinated by the idea.

Before we entered the hall, I explained how everyone would listen silently, and how she would have to be able to sit still for TWO WHOLE HOURS. She said she could handle this idea. We made a quick potty visit, and then we headed down to our seats (for future reference, seats up fairly close to the stage are good for kids because they can really watch the performers). She was thrilled with the idea of having her own ticket and her own program, and we spent some time talking about how you can just imagine a story for each performer you see on stage.

As the music began, she was enthralled. She hardly tried to talk to me or wiggle in her seat, but sat there with nearly rapt attention. Only once or twice did I have to remind her to be silent. At the end of one particularly boisterous piece, you could hear her voice say "Wow!" just before the applause cut in. I was thinking we might have to leave at intermission if she seemed bored, but when we actually got there, I was sure we didn't need to go.

Just before intermission ended, I borrowed a pen from a friend. My plan was to avoid any talking at all by letting her write notes about the music. We used the back of a card, and she happily wrote questions and comments and passed them to me. She did not talk (at least I really don't think she did) and she did not wiggle. Her comments about the music where quite interesting too. For example, as she watched the cellist really feeling the music she wrote "It looks like he is smelling a really good smell!" I was very proud of her because she was not the only child there, but she was definitely the best-behaved. Thus you would think this was the perfect evening. However, this was not quite the case.

After the rounds of applause were over, and stood chatting as we waited for the crowds to clear. The woman (the enormously large woman I can't help but add) who had been sitting behind us leaned forward and said "You must not pass notes at the symphony! It is very visually distracting!" I was in complete shock. The only responses that came to mind were not appropriate for children to hear! I just shook my head at her, and watched her ooze her slimy way up the aisle. My poor little niece was silent. I really think her whole experience was tarnished by this awful, unkind person.

People often remark how youth does not appreciate culture. They moan about the lack of manners and respectful behavior. Is it any wonder that kids often behave badly when there are people out there who treat them like this? I am not suggesting that kids be allowed to run wild, but a little kindness and understanding would have been invaluable in this case.

In spite of the ending, it really was a successful visit to the symphony. When my brother heard that she'd gone, he asked her, incredulously, if she enjoyed it. She laughed and said "Duh! Yes!" She gave the same response when he asked if she wanted to go again some time. I guess the experience can't have been tarnished too much (although I still hope the nasty woman gets an unpleasant disease) because she's excited to go again. Next time we need to find a concert with some Mozart.

Pranking All the Way

Last night we got M so good (as they say)! In keeping with a long tradition at his company, we went to his office after he'd left and made a significant impact thereon. In fact, we spread Christmas cheer from one end of the office to the other. About 50% of the things in the office got wrapped in festive paper. This included his white board pens, his keyboard and mouse, his computer monitors, and even the paper cup that was left on his desk! We created lovely winter scenes on his bookcases, and we even used a 1/2 life-size deer to add that special outdoor touch. There were garlands, lights, and Christmas tchotchkies all over the place. The best part was the door into the hall that was wrapped like a package ribbon and all.

Our friend, B, also had the brilliant idea to leave a "naughty and nice" list. M's name went in the nice column, and all the rest of us were naughty. It seemed like the perfect way to let him know who'd done the damage. I also left a Christmas card promising to help him clean it all up again. When he got home last night, I snuck the camera into his car where he wouldn't see it by accident. Judging by the email I got from him this morning, I think he was pretty pleased with our little prank! Hopefully pics will come out soon.

Thanks again Naughty People!

Sandra Lee Should Go to Mars

There are many horrible things to be found on television lately, but I recently came across something that really turned my stomach. No, I am not talking about some gory slasher thing, or a skeezy gossip program. Nope, I actually found this piece of twaddle on the Food Network! "Semi-Homemade with Sandra Lee" is a crime against food in America.

This is a program that ostensibly caters to the new or time-strapped cook by using pre-made ingredients to make dinner preparation easy and convenient. You know this theme; it's the same one Rachel Ray uses on her "30 Minute Meals" program. You too can create Norman Rockwell-worthy meals without any knowledge of food or cooking! Just open a can and a packet of seasoning, mix well, and sprinkle parsley on top to make your guest thing you've slaved all day! Who cares if it tastes like complete crap and makes you fat! Ugh!

Watching a show about Thanksgiving, we were exposed to one horrible fake recipe after another. Open a can of beans, apply mayo, sprinkle parsley. Open a box of mashed potato flakes, apply hot water, sprinkle parsley. Open a can of biscuit dough, cut out shapes, sprinkle sugar. You get the idea. The worst, though, was the turkey.

I am not making this up! Get a prepared, but not cooked, turkey from the store. Next, open a packet of Italian salad dressing mix, mash into A POUND of butter, squish butter under skin, squish butter over entire surface of turkey. Bake. Of course, it isn't very hard to disgust me when it comes to poultry, but I understand that many poultry fans are hugely offended by this recipe.

In addition to her wonderful meals, Ms. Lee always prepares a cocktail (perhaps to kill diners' taste buds before they have her food?). This time it was a version of a hot toddy, and it began with, surprise surprise, a lump of butter. Mix spices into butter, spoon one to two tablespoons of butter into each glass. Next, make a cider packet with boiling water, and pour cider over butter. Add rum, non-dairy whipped topping (hydrogenated oil whipped with sugar and stabilizers) and crushed cookies. Serve and enjoy!

Some argue that these recipes are perfect for a certain portion of the population, and that anyone who dislikes them is just being a food snob. Translation, there are poor and stupid people out there who need these recipes! What a horrible idea. I know for a fact that the least expensive, simplest food to prepare is that which comes from scratch. The problem lies in the fact that people have literally been fed so much garbage that they no longer appreciate or understand the simple good stuff. Sandra Lee should be ashamed of herself for perpetuating the problem instead of trying to address it.

Snow, Rain, and Wind

Whew! What a weekend it's been! For those who do not live in the Seattle area, we've been having some wild weather. Three storms hit our region in about three days, and it has been one extreme to another. First came the snow which was fairly light at first, but then fell heavily enough to coat roads and houses with about three inches in our area (we are up a bit in elevation). The next day, as the snow began to melt (dammit!), we had high winds and temperatures just above freezing. Today we are full "Pineapple Express" mode. All the snow is gone but for a few melting snowmen, the temperature is unusually warm, and it is POURING rain. Roads are beginning to flood, creeks are rising, and there is no firm answer on when it will stop. Please no more power outages! Please no more power outages!

Two Odd Things in 20 Minutes

The first was a woman selling proteas on a frosty hillside near Seattle. Protea flowers are native to South Africa, and I'm used to seeing them in that sunny setting half way around the world. I know people grow them in this country, but it still came as a huge surprise to drive by and see them on that hillside. It definitely made me smile.

The second thing was confusing, surprising, and perhaps a bit funny. As we drove into Bellevue we ended up following a very nice late model BMW M3. The car turned into the driveway and we could see that it was a pizza delivery car! We imagined all sorts of possible scenarios to explain this, but our favorite was the idea that parents bought the car but expected the kid to pay the insurance.

Wedding Spending

I am starting to understand why the average American wedding costs $16k-$25k. That amount sounds completely insane for a one day party, but if you just bought everything that "they" suggest, things could get away from you very quickly. Everyone knows you need a dress, but then they also hit you up for shoes, veil, tiara, clips, garters, undergarments, crinolines, garment bag, and a gown preservation kit. You are still feeling light-headed from all the gown trying, that you may become weak and cave to it all.

At every turn, "they" try to tell you that you have to buy "one of these," and you have to buy the best one you can afford because this is the ONLY chance you will ever have to get one. Do you want to look back on your wedding and think "oh those cocktail napkins were so cheap and nasty! If only I'd splurged on the really good cocktail napkins then my day would have been perfect!" Actually, when I look back on my special day what I want AVOID is feeing like a chump. Contrary to popular belief (or at least what "they" are trying to sell) the lavishness of your wedding DOES NOT equate to the quality of your marriage.

Birthday!

Happy birthday to my dear M who means more to me than I can say. Hopefully the next year will be very full of good thing!

Gown!

I found a gown! I found a gown! After going on SEVEN gown hunting missions with my ever-patient mom, I found a gown that I really love. Okay, so it's not quite what I thought I wanted when I first went out, but it is beautiful and very wedding-y, if you know what I mean. Of course, I can't tell anything about it because M reads this blog. I keep telling him that it is pink and green polka dots with lots of frothy orange lace.

Now I still need to shop for a veil, shoes, and various other bits and pieces. The veil they wanted to sell me at the bridal salon cost more than the dress! It was a lovely veil, but MORE THAN THE DRESS! I don't know if I can cope. They also kept trying to give me a tiara every time I tried on a veil, and I just kept taking it off again. How many times do I have to say NO TIARAS! Who do you think I am? The princess of Andorra?! Why do brides feel the need to pretend at royalty? You're the bride for goodness sake! You are already the center of attention!

Polka dots and tiaras aside, it was fun searching for just the right gown. I am quite happy with the one I finally bought, and I am looking forward to wearing it when the time is right. Let the alterations begin!

Bad Dreams

The other night I had the second of my wedding anxiety dreams. This is odd because I don't "think" I have a lot of stress about the wedding. The first dream was just about heading to the wedding, being late, and never seeming to get there. It was really more annoying than anything lese. This second one, however, was much more detailed.

The first thing I noticed was that we seemed to be just about to get married in a church. That struck me as odd, but I decided that there must not have been any other venues available. I decided I could just speak to the minister about having a god and obedience-free ceremony. Next I realized that I'd forgotten all the flowers, but that was okay because my brothers could head to Safeway (ooo Safeway flowers would be lovely) Then I'd forgotten even to brush my hair. I decided that this too would be okay because no one would be able to see it under the veil. That brings me to the veil. It was edged in Barbie-pink ribbon. That was the final straw. I woke up in a sweat. The pressure (that I didn't know was there) must be getting to me. I'm definitely cracking up.

Emerson on Success

We are forever doing snippets of poetry in my LA class. I have this belief that students should be exposed to lots of poetry because that's the only way they can find poems they really love. I also have this theory that poetry, like art and music, is entirely in the mind of the beholder, and that just because I like a poem does not mean you will. I tell the kids that probably 80% of the poetry they hear will not mean anything to them. Another 5% or 15% will be actively distasteful, and then a small, small portion will really strike a chord. It's a lot of work to find meaningful ones, but once you do, they sort of stick with you forever. Here is, in my opinion, a "good" one.

What Is Success?

By: Ralph Waldo Emerson

What is success?

To laugh often and much;

To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;

To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;

To appreciate beauty;

To find the best in others;

To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition;

To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived;

This is to have succeeded.

Minor Complaint

Okay, I know this is completely unimportant, but I just can't resist whining every once in a while.

Why, oh way, must "they" do such horrible things with women's fashion? I'm not talking about the ridiculous things they get up to on the runways; we all know those are stupid and un-wearable. What I'm talking about is regular everyday stuff that you (many of you anyway) and I are supposed to buy and wear on a daily basis. Everywhere you go you find things that are silly, inconvenient, poorly made, and downright embarrassing.

Several times now, I've gone out looking for reasonably priced sweaters in natural fibers. In the men’s department you can find any number of nice, simple, inexpensive (often $20-$30) wool and cotton options. Unfortunately, these are cut for men (boxes) and the sizes tend to run large (go figure). Therefore, a person is left with the schlock they call "separates" in the ladies department.

First of all are the fibers. Oh the horror of a purple knit item made from something called "tricot." Every single ridge of a person's fingerprint catches on this nasty stuff and creates (at least for me) that awful nails-on-chalkboard sensation. Don't get me wrong, I don't object to human-made fibers in principle, I love my fleece after all, but I just can't stand some of the textures.

Next, is the annoying tendency to create sweaters that wrap, tie, ruche, hook, belt, gather, or (god forbid) lace. It turns out that sweaters stay on just fine without ANY of these extra details. Not once, in my entire sweater wearing career, has a sweater gone flying off willy-nilly! I am willing to accept a decent cardigan or two, but that is about it.

Last, and perhaps most horrifying, is what passes as sweater decoration. As it turns out, I am a grown-up, and I do not need or want any type of characters on my clothing. This includes all Disney images, Hello Kitty, and every other cutsie-poo animal motif. Same goes for flags, most flowers, butterflies, hearts, and clever sayings as well. Leave off the weird collars, fuzzy do-dads, odd buttons, huge buttons, appliqués, and all the other horrible stuff. What is so hard about making plain, simple sweaters in nice shapes and pretty colors?

Yes, yes, I know I could find what I am looking for a J. Crew, L.L. Beane, or Eddie Bauer, but that is the yuppie solution. On top of everything else, I do not wish to spend $80-$120 on a single item. Also, I like to be able to try things on before I buy, so the internet is not really an option. The search continues...

Tasting for the Future

Last night, M and I went and had a tasting at the Ravishing Radish Catering Company. These people were recommended by a friend of mine, and we were certainly not disappointed by what we had. This was a monthly tasting, not just for us, so there were many different types of food laid out for people to try. I had at least one helping (and sometimes TWO!) of each of the vegetarian items. Everything from the salad to the vegetable tort was very tasty, and M reported that the fish was quite good as well.

On the whole, we were quite impressed with the food, the ambiance (they will be setting the tables and doing some of the decorations), and the professionalism of the people. The owner and the chef both came over to speak to us about our event, and they really did go beyond the smile and wave and "thanks for coming." The Chef seemed a little taken a back when we said we were not providing a meat option (sorry meat-eaters, you'll have to make do with fish!), but she quickly turned to discussing the various seasonal vegetarian options. Unless something changes, I would think our wedding guests can look forward to yummy food catered by The Ravishing Radish! Whew! One more choice made, and it feels so good!

WA State Election Picks 2007

Warning, Washington State Election information to follow. If you can't or won't be voting in the election, this probably will be a very boring post and you might want to give it a pass.

Some people don't get interested or excited about elections unless there is a president, governor, or at least a senator involved. None of those positions are up for election this time, but it turns out to still be a fairly interesting ballot. We have an array of interesting initiatives and referendums on the list, and we also have a number of local positions to fill. I've read the voters' pamphlet and done a modest bit of research on my own, but I do not claim to be an in-depth expert on any of these issues. Feel free to comment if you have any constructive input on any of these issues. Without further ado, here are my Washington State elections picks for 2007:

1. Initiative 960 (aka the 2/3 majority requirement for tax increases)---> NO
The logic here? If Eyman is for it, than it must be bad. Sure enough, upon further inspection, this initiative would make it very difficult for the state government to authorize even the most important increases. As a teacher I feel that simple majority is the way to go.

2. Referendum 67 (aka the insurance fair conduct bill) ---> Yes
The short version, as I read it anyway, is that insurance companies are currently able to deny reasonable claims in the hopes that the patient will just accept the denial and go away. In other states, this practice is illegal, and any patient who finds there reasonable claim denied may sue the insurer. I've had this one happen to me (denial of a reasonable claim) and it sucks. Let's nail them to the proverbial wall.

3. Resolution 8206 (aka the rainy day fund) ---> Yes
My logic for this one is very short. Oregon has a rainy day fund, and it has proven to be a major asset when economics take a downturn or natural disasters hit. Washington needs one of these too.

4. Resolution 8212 (aka The Prison Work Program) ---> Yes
I admit that this one was very tough to work out. It changes the way prison labor is allocated, and it has a provision preventing certain types of competition with outside business. In the end, I narrowly decided for support because some of my research indicated that there would be better employment for inmates under the changes. Like I said though, this is one of the ones I feel least confident about.

5. Resolution 4204 (aka eliminates the supermajority requirement for increases in educational funding) ---> Yes
This one is a no-brainer. For the same reasons that I can't approve #1, I am in support of this one. The idea of requiring supermajorities for this kind of thing seems antithetical to democratic principles.

6. Resolution 4215 (aka Investment of higher education funds) ---> Yes
This one was also quite tricky for me to decide on at first, but then my union stepped in. It seems that this proposal gives greater flexibility in investing certain types of education funding.

7. King County Initiative 25 (aka county director of elections) ---> No
After some research, I am convinced that this office is unnecessary. There are already a number of good checks and balances on our elections, so I really don't think this is required. It seems to me like a potshot by Republicans who are still smarting over Gregoire. I also do not want to politicize this type of position.

8. King County Proposition 1 (aka EMT renewal of services) ---> Yes
I like the idea that someone will come REALLY QUICKLY to my house if I need them. I am willing to pay for this service.

9. Regional Transportation Investment District Proposition 1 (aka transit tax) --> Yes
This one was also tough. I would like to see more traffic relief for roads. However, I think I would probably vote for this thing even if it included NO traffic relief. We are in desperate need of mass transit in this area, and the longer we delay, the worse things will get. At no point will any of these proposals get any cheaper either. Given the current price of gas, this proposal seems all the more timely.

Sorry, I've run out of time for now. If I have more to spare tomorrow, I might delve into people. Do feel free to comment if you have additional information.