Anxiously Awaiting Snow

We went to the Acton Ski Swap on Sunday and picked up some nice used XC-skis for the kids (and some nicely priced new shaped skis for moi). We also bought some goggles for Grace and Charlie so they won't be blinded by tears as they fly down mountains this winter.

Of course, they don't need snow and steep descents to don their new eye gear. In fact, they felt a LOT safer raking with their eyes protected.

I've Got a Baaaaad Feeling About This

So far I've been very pleased with all of Obama's appointments. However, that string of contentment ended today. I'm going on record to say that Hillary as Secretary of State scares me. Is it because of her hawkish stance on Iraq? Yes. Is it because she lugs around all the baggage from the Clinton years? Yes. Is it because she really wanted Obama's job and was positivity Rovian during the campaign? Yes. Will it cause me worry about back-stage back-stabbing? Yes.

I'm wondering if this was the deal Obama made back in June.

Man, I thought the voters spoke loudly and clearly about CHANGE.

USS Salem

I spent a good portion of the last weekend aboard the USS Salem in Quincy, MA. Just little old me and about 200 cub scouts and their dads (or in the case of three, their poor, poor mothers). I found myself wishing that David Foster Wallace were still alive to document the proceedings.

It started with getting yelled at by Chief Tate, an old submariner who looks a little like Clarence in It's a Wonderful Life. This was to get us in the Navy spirit and was largely effective. We then went on a tour of the ship with a very nice young woman from Quincy. Who told us some things. But couldn't answer any questions like how far could the 8" guns shoot, or what was the difference between a battleship and a heavy cruiser.

Then the activities. It started with a cold water survival session where we had to put 15 items in their proper order of importance for the lifeboat (shaving mirror #1, more important than water, who knew?). Then came "hoisting" where a 12-year old junior ROTC recruit yelled at our children to "man the line", but then screamed "don't touch it till I tell you." Over and over. And over and over. Next up was a game like Simon Says where more teenaged camouflaged youth yelled out things like "starboard" and "port" and "torpedo attack" and "hit the deck," etc. If your child failed to do the right action upon each command, they were kicked out of the game. The parents looked at each other and nodded, "yes, this is a good way for the boys to burn off some steam." At about the 4th time the game was played, I actually saw the clock move backwards. Parents were gripping their own thighs as if their feet were being amputated.

The penultimate activity was a session on steam propulsion where yet another teenager explained the rudiments of a steam engine and then we went down to the engine room to be harangued by Chief Tate. He teaches by the Socratic method and parents were visibly shaking. I actually liked the Chief and was psyched he was giving night terrors to some of the wayward scouts. We finally wrapped up with something about emergency medical treatment where 5 scouts bundled up a sixth in a canvas stretcher. Everyone was exhausted and we almost left the last kid cinched up.

Dinner was pasta and meatballs and salad. For us vegetarians, it was PBJ and salad. Starving, Charlie and I raided our secret snacks and got ready for National Treasure 2 and then bed. Did I say "bed?" I meant "racks." 60 of them packed three high in our room. Filled with coughing, sneezing, gacking kids and their snoring fathers. Cold, damp, and lit by red emergency lights that made the sleepless night seem like the actual hell it was.

I'll skip the morning activities and just say that getting in the car was a very happy moment. And to be just: Chief Tate and all the other activity leaders were volunteers. Neither the Navy nor the state goverment nor the federal goverment gives any funds to the USS Salem. These people give up their weekends for free because of their love of the ship (Chief Tate) or they can't wait to become 18 and join the real Navy. The kids all had a blast. The parents endured.

The World Is Still Here

Tuesday night was truly epic in so many ways. I wanted to post something yesterday, but decided to wait 24 hours to see if all of it was still true. I'm happy to say it is. Some thoughts:

• John McCain's acceptance speech was gracious, from the heart, and very well done. I felt like it was the first time in a long time that he was being himself.

• Obama's speech was just great. He was confident, in great voice, and set the perfect tone. It also seemed that he was fully aware of the enormity of the task in front of him.

• I took note of one of the night's contrasts. When McCain mentioned Obama, the crowd booed. When Obama mentioned McCain, there was polite applause. It spoke volumes to me about the people supporting each candidate.

• I need to bone up on my statistics. It still boggles me that they can call a winner in a particular state with only 3% of the vote in.

I'll be honest, after the past 8 years I wasn't sure this country still had it in her to pull off something like Tuesday night. I was so thrilled to be proven wrong.

And won't it be awesome to once again have a president that is really smart, listens, can represent the very best of us overseas, and most importantly, CARES about the whole country?

A Good Day

It's been a pretty great day (so far). This morning we had a call with an ornery client we were fully prepared to say goodbye to. Instead, they finally approved a design and asked us to go forward--and send them an invoice. At 11:30, I pedaled down to the fire station and voted. No lines, no fuss, great satisfaction. I then walked across the street to Starbuck's, received my free coffee and pedaled home. Given the awesome 64-degree weather, I snuck out after lunch for a 19-mile bike ride to cleanse some stress and revive the spirits. It worked.

Here's hoping the good mojo continues through tonight. It has been 8 very long years of Bush/Cheney. It has been 20 very long months of the campaign. It has been several very long weeks dealing with my Swift Boat father. I was beginning to think today would never come. But it has.

And tomorrow, let's hope for the beginning of a lot of good days.