Lots of loose ends

So much crapola, so little time. I feel like I've been running around with my head cut off. Would probably forget it if it wasn't attached...and all that sort of goodness.

Had one very last trek to the cabin for 2008. Just me & the 3 kiddos - we stopped to see a friend and her horseys & had lunch en route. Kids LOVE that. At the cabin we closed up shop.

It has been forever since I've put a boat in or taken one out of the lake. Well, that didn't go all too well...hehehe...and yes I did giggle at myself. 1st - I drove the vehicle w/the trailer to the landing to pull out the pontoon. My deal with backing up - if I have an audience, it does not go well. There were 2 guys there taking a boat out on the far side. Not good. After they left, I shot it back perfectly...but the last thing Dad had said prior to leaving was - 'Make sure you are far enough away from the dock.' Well, I thought I was too close. (Ended up that I wasn't. Live and learn.) So Dad pulls up w/the pontoon. I get out and hold the boat and just have him back it in. Much easier!! And he put it right where I HAD it that 1 time. Anyway, so Dad's back in the boat, pulls it onto the trailer so I start trying to pull him out. OOPS. Forgot 1 very important part. He's got to tie it onto the trailer 1st. Yep - my blonde roots were showing. But we got it done - with a LOT of commentary from K1, of course. She just talks NON-STOP. Whenever I needed full concentration it was "Now K1, you HAVE to shut up now." And you know what? She did. Amazing.

So we put the other boat in the shed. Pulled the boat lift out of the lake & chained it up (that's the worst job). Put the canopy away. Pulled the pontoon out. Tarped it up. Got the RV turned around. Boxed up all the canned stuff & cleaning stuff that cannot freeze & packed it into the RV. Washed the RV & the truck while we were at it, that that's about it.

I did have to watch "P.S. I Love You" again on DVD. Jeez, I love that movie.

So last week was hounding K1 about not running, jumping or riding her bike. She ends up doing all of these things. She figured I wouldn't be as mad if she took K2s bike...and she did...and she fell off the darn thing and it has TRAINING WHEELS on it! Nice. So Saturday her ear starts to hurt. Nice. So help me if this surgery isn't successful, I'm not really certain how my temper will react - because I will certainly know it is K1's fault for not following Dr. orders. I will also be bald...just a fair warning for you.

K3 started to say "HEY!" if you take something away from her (or anywhere near her). She also gives you a corresponding dirty look that is just priceless.

I started really working with K2 on letters and sounds. He has zero interest what-so-ever. Not good. It's like pulling teeth to talk with him for 2 minutes. Terrible. So I asked the women at ECFE for some ideas. 1 used to be a preschool teacher, so I was surprised when she mentioned a Leap Frog video called "Letter Factory". I picked it up this morning. K2 LOVES it. So we'll see how long that lasts.

Saturday I took K1 and a neighbor girl to see "High School Musical 3". K1 is completely in love with Zac Efron. Wow. I wasn't into drooling over movie stars until I was like 11. This isn't a good sign. Anyway, the movie was cute and the girls loved it. I liked that all the kiddies in the theater were singing along!

Election stuff
I have had great fun with this election cycle. I will freely admit that. But I am such a political and history nerd that I'd have to be dead not to. My interest and passion has been re-kindled. I think it has to do with the fact that all the 'rules' have changed. Seriously. You look at how this sucker has gone - there's been nothing like it in the past. Obama's campaign is the model of the future campaign. We'll see it again - but it won't be as awe inspiring to me because of that fact.

People discuss this as an election of historic proportions, but to date it has only been related to 3 things.

1. A Senator - there's NEVER been a Senator elected President. This cycle was bombarded by Senators.
2. A woman - Hillary Clinton. This is the closest a woman has ever come to being elected President.
3. An African-American man - Barack Obama. This is the closest an African-American man has ever come to being elected President.

Although these are 3 great reasons for this election to be historic. I think this election is historic for more reasons than these. The way a campaign is run is completely new. You are no longer able to focus on your hard-core party members for financial purposes. The McCain-Feingold legislation regarding campaign finance 'reform' has nipped McCain in the rearend. Public finanacing of presidential campaigns is a thing of the past. If you are unable to raise a minimum of $600 million dollars to run for this office - don't bother trying. Save what you have and look on from afar because you won't get anywhere in 2012 without that kind of cash.

The 'machine' that the Obama campaign created is completely amazing. Ground up. Amazing. People have publicly knocked his community organizer background. Let me tell you - how do you think he was able to put this huge network together? Using that background baby. True grass roots. From day #1 - not just after his party endorsement. Heck, after his endorsement his network was tried and true and only was expanded in number of participants. All bases were previously established - nothing was seen even close to this from the Clinton or McCain campaigns.

Obama's tech person/team should be lauded. The use of the internet in information flow and fundraising has been jaw-dropping. It will be duplicated for campaigns in the future, and tweaked I'm sure.

I understand David Plouffe is the 'numbers man'. To know exactly in which states, in which specific counties, then townships where to place the exact amount of campaign resources (time, talent & money) has been astounding. To actually look into taking the 1 electoral vote from Omaha to go Blue when the rest of Nebraska would probably go Red. That 1 vote could be 'it' - you NEVER know. Genius. (FYI: Nebraska is the only state that alows its electoral votes to be split based upon their popular vote in specific regions.)

And my last issue for making this historic - taking the high road. More often than not, Obama has taken the high road (and I'm certain has bit his tongue off in the process). I am sure analysis was done on how to run against a war hero. 1 - you never slam the war hero. That is another historic portion. If a war-hero has run, they haven't lost. I am hoping this 'rule' is broken in 2008. So back to the high road. You want examples? I'll give them to you.

1. Whenever McCain's veteran status/POW experience is raised, it is ALWAYS praised. My own personal response would be: Yes, McCain provided great services to this country we all love. Yes, we commend him. However that was a LONG time ago. We need to move forward people. This is 2008 and we need to work on being the best we can be beyond 2008. Not backwards pre-1970.

2. When asked if Palin was ready to be VP/President, it's always 'that's for the public to decide.' You've read my thoughts on this woman. I couldn't have kept the high road on this either. She's completely inept!
2.A. Remember that government checkbook fiasco? The woman wanted to run for VP based on something Obama already DID. And Obama said nothing. Wow. I couldn't have done that one.

3. William Ayers - Bottom line, if you call Obama a terrorist for his affiliations with this man, you are also calling several well-respected Republicans 'Terrorists', as well as several University Presidents in the Chicago area. The result is highly unlikely. Last thing I would have had to state, 'If you are applying this standard to me, then I suggest you research the Keating Five and then go knock on McCain's door.' That's DIRECT involvement baby. You wanna talk character? There is a smear-fest waiting right there.

The high road was taken on many more occasions than these. I do hope that the high road pays off and that politics change course. We, as a public in general, don't like smear campaigns. We don't like campaigns based on being scared and fear mongering. The current Republicans seem to LOVE to run these. I do hope these are a thing of the past & we can put Karl Rove to rest outside the political arena...never to be heard from again. Wishful thinking? Perhaps. Dearly wanted? ABSOLUTELY.