Gaseous Politics - Thursday 5/1/2008

Hmmm.... Is this what all our gas powered vehicles will look like in a few years? (Amazing how a photo sometimes just presents itself. I took the back way home.)

I voted for Hillary Clinton, but after her pledge to repeal the gas tax, I wish I'd voted for Barack Obama. I didn't decide until the last minute before entering the polling booth. I went with my gut feeling at the time, because I've always been a bit wary of the seductive power of a great orator, and because I was a big fan of the Bill Clinton administration.

But his is just insulting. It's as insulting as the George W. Bush tax rebates that we're all getting. It's not a fix, it's pandering to us. It breaks down my resistance to all those people who have been saying that Hillary Clinton will say anything to get elected.

I'm not happy about the gas prices and the food prices. It scares the heck out of me, especially since I live 45 miles from work. But does anyone really think this will help long term?

Do the math. We're only talking about $1.80 on every ten gallons of gas we buy. In the meantime you can bet that the oil companies will just see that they can charge that much more and up the prices again.

We're over a barrel here...an oil barrel.

Here's a story about it from MSNBC.

Oh, and! While I'm at it... Happy Mission Accomplished Day. We're celebrating it by noting that George W. Bush has the lowest presidential approval rating in the history of the ratings. Now that's an accomplishment.

Cool Thing: Barack Obama was in Columbia City, IN today. I grew up about 12 miles outside of town; it's where we grocery shopped every weekend. My mom line-dances at the Y there three times a week; she recognized a few of the people in this room. My sister lives in town.

Unfortunately, although my mom tried to find out about it, it was a closed event. Here's an article about it from the New York Times and here's some of what you missed!

Apple Update - Wednesday 4/30/2008

Remember those apple blossoms I showed you a while back? They haven't been just sitting on their duffs!



These are maybe an inch long.

Ouch! - Tuesday 4/29/2008

Slammed my finger in the dishwasher door.

Der!

It hurt a lot. But not quite enough to give me the rush of a near-death experience.

Unlocking the Power - Monday 4/28/2008

Met with my personal trainer. (I signed up for 5 half-hour sessions.) Coincidentally, she's also a transplanted Hoosier. She took measurements and we set goals, and she'll get me set up with a program that should carry me through a few months, I expect.

I'm very much enjoying the gym experience. Feels great to up the exertion.

Planting Et Cetera - Sunday 4/27/2008

Bought three tomato plants today. I think this is a Sweet 100 cherry tomato. I also brought home an Early Girl and a Celebrity bush-style, one of which will be planted in the cool upside-down hanging planter we bought...when we figure out where to hang it so that it's four feet off the ground.

I'd heard that you are supposed to plant tomato plants beneath the surface, but the instructions said 80% under the surface! Okay, that's what I did. We'll see!



Also started sunflowers and mixed herbs in these nifty little things. They were flat pellets a couple of minutes ago. Now they'll be in a little greenhouse till they're happily sprout-laden.



Remember the palm fruit and the light a while back? The fruit has opened up!

[For comparison, click here!]




An unidentified egg that Hydra found on the slope a few days ago.

Inside the X-Bar - Saturday 4/26/2008

So... Saturday night we went to the wrap party for CSI : Miami, which is one of the shows I do legal research for. We got there unfashionably on-time-ish, around 8:30 and happened to meet up with One-L in the parking lot. She backs me up on Miami when I'm out and I back her up on CSI : New York when she's out.

We took a walk around The X-Bar at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza and decided to claim one of the cool booths with a view of the bar. You can see photos of the interior on the website.

And, yes. The lamp above our booth is made of little Styrofoam peanuts!


Hydra's hand on his virgin margarita. He always volunteers to be the designated driver, leaving me free in this case to have Miami-esque mojitos. As the color of the light above our table changed, so did the atmosphere around us.



Looking into the bamboo growing between and behind the booths.

I found out that the clearance person I work with on the show used to work across the street in the late eighties. Me too. She was a lawyer; I was a waitress.

In fact, I was the lunchtime waitress in the bar at the Sports Deli from summer of 1987 to spring of 1989. She used to eat there, so it's very probable that I waited on her!

Oddly, earlier in the week I received an email from some one who worked at the Sports Deli about six months before I did, because of something he read on my blog. Synchronicity!




Fabulous garlic French fries with freshly grated Parmesan cheese! Really, dolling these up with such a fancy container is not necessary. Yum. Lots of good appetizers.

I didn't get any photos outside. The new building that sits where the ABC complex used to be completely blocks the Century Towers. Gone are the Sports Deli, the Schubert Theater, Harry's Bar and a lot of other places that used to be part of my daily life.

It was interesting working at the deli back then. The Century Plaza was President Ronald Reagan's favorite place to stay. When he came and went, everything shut down for the motorcades. Some of the Secret Service guys came over to the bar at the deli on their time off, which wasn't really time off. They were amazingly upright guys. No arrogance at all. They simply were the best and didn't have to prove it to anyone. Some of the other servers partied with them at the Century Plaza.

My big moment at the Century Plaza came one day when I was cutting through it to get to street parking. I was wearing a cute little pink cotton jumpsuit my Mom bought me in Germany (discreet, but cute), and this big voice said, "Nice outfit!"

I looked up. And up. It was Chuck Connors!

"Thanks!" I said, and we both kept walking. But you know, it stuck with me.

Last night as we were leaving Hulk Hogan and a woman were coming in.

Apparently he didn't like my outfit.

The Shadow They Cast - Friday 4/25/2008

Shadows and desert primrose petals.