lxforever

“Sweet confetti I’m looking for a saviour / Finding it hard to break the chain / Nothing ventured nothing gained // Ice cream beauty acting on her best behavior / finding it hard to bite her tongue / feeling so old as the night is young…”

—Natalie Imbruglia

…Oil? Palin? Who? I think it’s pretty clear what this is all about, so I won’t necessarily re-detail it. First of all, Sarah Palin is a super hottie. Sorry, it’s true. Not only is she attractive, but she embodies that sexy librarian look too many males I know seem to adore still. Ha! I’ve said it a million times but I’ll say it again: winning the Presidency is just as much about how good you are as it is about how good-looking you are. I’m serious. Gore-Bush: sorry, Bush was way cuter. Kerry was just plain ugly. I wasn’t aware for most of this, but even Reagan was a movie star. HELLO!

So I figured, the Dems have it locked up. Though he’s not your typical white celeb, Barack Obama is pretty good-looking, and I’m not just saying that because I have a thing for sticking-out-ears ala Will Smith. He’s an attractive guy. Couple that with “hot, handsome Joe Biden” (you really should read that article, it’s hilarious), and you have a hot ticket waiting to win. Put up against nasty-toothed, crumbly-faced McCain and you have THE CRUSHING. At least when it comes to looks, anyway.

Part of his pick has got to be that McCain realized this, somehow, unconsciously (and also found her attractive as well as saw her maverick-status mirroring his own), because with Palin on the ticket McCain’s good-lookin’ factor just shot up about 100x. Ha! I don’t really want to get in to the other thoughts I have about this situation, so I’ll stick with my attractiveness-factor analysis, or what have you, but geez. If that’s how you’re gonna do it, good pick of Johnny Mc.

K, well, I have a ton of other things going on but I really just wanted to update about this. Adios for now, friends! Happy campaigning.

SHAWN JOHNSON is leading the Pledge of Allegiance Thurs at the DNC!!!!!!!!!!!!

AS IF I had to love her more!!!!! WOO HOO!!!!!

BIDEN! Yeah, yeah, how can he be ‘change’ when he’s old-school, war-votin’, McCain-toutin’ (2005) and all that jazz. To that I say, still the guy I want…I was impressed with him from the get-go in the first debate back in JUNE of 2007 (CRAZY how long ago that was, ha). Biden - F Yeah! here. So that’s pretty sweet. I could do without the hoopla surrounding it, but, hey. I’ll take what I can get.

My trouble with it is, indeed, superficial; the way Obama-Biden LOOKS just like the name of America’s Most Hated Terrorist Leader is somewhat unsettling. BUT, yet another reason it would be amazing as anything if it happened, if they were elected.

So. Yeah. What’s new. THE OLYMPICS!!!! I almost cried when Nastia won, and she’s not even ‘my girl’—Shawnie’s my new gymnastics fave. But Nastia has been through so much and just put it all together at the right moment—what an athlete. It was so satisfying to see her completely overwhelmed, and so wonderful for her and her pops, too, to finally make it happen. And Shawn got her gold on beam, so yeah. And the way these ladies handled all of the crap they get from the media was so graceful; they amaze me. Let’s not forget Alicia, Bridget, Sam and Chells: sad to see Chells incapacitated, but so proud of her for hitting bars at the right moment (Nast too) and so gutted for Alicia when she fell. Oh honey. But proud of Bridget and Sam too for delivering when it counted, as newbies. WOO!

OK enough gymnastics-gushing. Although I will say this: I know it’s overdone and no one cares anymore, but China is cheating and that’s total bullshit. Obviously we need to revert to a Communist regime in order to play fair. Indeed.

Um what’s new. It’s been a weird month at work. The good news is, what I’m doing is fun so I concentrate on that. Design is pretty fun, after all. I am uncomfortable with the recession and how I don’t see it ending anytime soon, but what can you do other than suffer in silence and save more cash.

Not that we’ll be saving cash today. Off to the great MN State Fair we are, the first pinnacle of Jeff’s year (the second being Christmas). Until I was dating Jeff, I never went to the fair, but now it is a must-do every August. And every year I get more excited for it, ha. I’m becoming such a MN homer.

Allison and Justin’s wedding and the tea shower my sisters threw for me were FANTASTIC. The Marshalltown event was one for the books, and I have pictures up in the photos section. Just a grand ol’ time, they were wonderful hosts and it was a terrific party. Woo! The tea shower was just above and beyond and one of my favorite days ever. THANK YOU JJ and STEPH! Photos from that may be up, too (I can’t remember).

I hope this suffices as an update. (Now that it’s almost September…time is scaring me with its speed.) The wedding is a little over two months. Insane. And then it’ll be 2009 before I know it. AAAH!

Happy end-of-summer (how can that be happy, bleah)!

“Born to please, every simple need / I stand alone in my thoughts indeed / Hate you / for ever making me / I’m in you, I’m your anything // And I want you / And I need you/ And all you are is brand new / And I need you”

—Smashing Pumpkins

“All you have to do is run away / and steal yourself from me / Become a mystery to gaze into / But still I believe, I believe in you”

—Smashing Pumpkins

Was that really FIVE YEARS AGO? And how did I get so lucky?

Time to recover from my unexpected MMR booster. Ha! Later.

“No I don’t want to battle from beginning to end / I don’t want to cycle, recycle revenge / I don’t want to follow death and all of his friends”

—Coldplay

“See? They just can’t help hitting on me.”

—Ross, 7/31/08

I could feel the weight of August start even yesterday, pressing. It doesn’t help that it was Pete’s last day, this end of something old dragging the best month into the lesser one, arms heavy, ready to pull down, one week after another. I’m such a jerk, because this August is going to be awesome, filled with way more wonderful things than I deserve, but despite its summer setting, August always feels somewhat like a slug, something steep.

For all the ribbing and jabs and jolts, for all the talk about the continuum and that crap, I just wasn’t ready. I’m still not. But I have to take all the great things August is offering and be grateful.

Nastia/Shawn/Alicia/Etc in Beijing, looking so starstruck and proud! National Night Out, Wino Wednesday, dinner at K-10’s on Thursday. 8-08-08 … THE OLYMPICS!!!!!! The tea shower so lovingly prepared by my sisters, I can’t wait for that. THE OLYMPICS!!!!, the fair, the heat that I cherish while everyone else sinks. The DNC, the RNC, the speculation. The free-er weekends, when they come. And then into September, which will feel better, I hope.

It’ll be a good month, no worries. I’m just getting ready for the next stage.

And tomorrow to Iowa for Allison and Justin’s wedding woooo! I haven’t been there in quite a long time. I’m looking forward to the last wedding of ‘08 - except for ours of course, I guess that’s the real last one, but that’s different.

How can I possibly top 2008? We’ll see. Happy August.

Got up and finished some awaiting tasks. Read some of my book in the big comfy chair and showered to cool off. Cooked up a very nice lunch using fresh herbs from our darling garden! Enjoyed a short rainshower. Headed over to Diana’s to feed Trigs and lay out reading my book on her lounge chair (thanks D!) Upon my return I read some more and had a very nice nap while my hardworking fiance did some more yard tasks following up to removing the giant behemoth bush yesterday. Awoke and made us a lovely meal of couscous and chicken (Moroccan Chicken it’s called) and watched some of the pretty TV. Took a nice walk to Pumphouse and had fresh, local cherries and cream ice cream. Walked back and admired the beautiful houses in the neighborhood. How wonderful.

Allison’s wedding, then my shower - I am so excited! Hope everyone is having a super July.

Yesterday was. No time to write. Worked in the garden. Mowed the lawn in perfect weather. Took a nap. Woke up early. Installed bike lights. Went on a long bike ride, discovering new paths, getting lost, seeing craziness at Stone Arch Bridge. Come home and grill out in our beautiful yard in the lovely day. Walk to ice cream and fireworks not five minutes from our house. Incredible…the most perfect day!

“I always get nervous putting things on the car - bike racks, skis, top racks, Christmas trees, canoes, decals.”

—Barb F. Mason

“A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame / is the imprisoned lightning, and her name / Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand / glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command / the air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.”

—The New Colossus, Emma Lazarus

“America, America / God mend thy every flaw / Confirm thy soul with self control / Thy liberty in law.”

—America the Beautiful

As a liberal-minded young American—growing up during the reign of possibly the worst president in U.S. history, no less—I am pseudo-obligated to carry a varying degree of distaste and disgust for the actions and errors of my country. When interfacing outside of the country, it wouldn’t be prudent to champion a nation that’s so questionable in the minds of many abroad, and when amongst other left-winging-folk, it would be uncool to associate with something so filled with mistakes.

But this is a big year. It’s an election year: it’s the end of the Bush era and the start of something new, whoever and whatever that may be being an improvement on what’s there now. It’s an Olympic year: even as the Games wane in their popularity, it’s still a time for our citizens to come together and cheer on their fellow Americans, hungrily counting our medals, excitedly lapping up the human interest to the stories. It’s a year when gas rockets past four dollars a gallon, when China stands poised to pick up where we left off, when homes and economies stand in peril, when our superpower status may begin to fade. When uncertainty could be all that binds us together.

I’m trying to change. I’m trying to see hope, and starting to feel it. I’m starting to wonder if maybe we can bring it back together again, if that wasn’t just an idealized notion, if we can take care of the poor, the tired, the tempest-tossed, without angering the rest. If perhaps I can stop worrying about being a ‘cool’ liberal and start being a thoughtful, unifying American…without feeling like that constitutes betrayal. And I think I’ll let this one big year be one big help in these attempts.

Happy 4th of July! I’m off to the northern woods of Wisconsin for a few days of lakewater, friends and family, and reading. Oh yeah and in case this was too dense, you really should check this out—hilarious:
http://quotation-marks.blogspot.com/

“You know, if I was a 20-year-old, I would ask you out on a date.”

—my Grandpa…uh, thanks?…ha ha ha

“I am SURE you will be better than the drunk chick.
Evidence: Do you have a personalized, decorated beer ‘coozie’?
Will you throw borrowed Crocs in the dugout while yelling ‘f*** all of you!!’?
Do you know not to stand on home plate when you bat?”

Christie Bauer

“You’re such a white suburban Caucasian nerd.”

—Jeff Akervik

“the romantic air of your eye patch / called me across the room / I clung there and i danced with you silent / admired your divine tattoo // .. don’t lose yourself…”

—Laura Veirs, Don’t Lose Yourself

Bah! It has come to my attention that if I do not post today, it will be yet another June with no words. It has also come to my attention that a certain boss has been spreading terrible rumors around the office that I have a blog (which reminded me about it, and to update it). WELL I DO. So there.

In any case, obviously it’s been awhile…like, a month…so yeah. What is NEW? (”So…I was just wondering…what’s UP.” -A-K’s friend, hahaha.) It’s summer, my favorite time! It’s almost July, my favorite month! Pretty great if you ask me. I know if I try and recount this month I will miss something, suffice it to say it’s been fun. I had my first dinner party (other than TG07, that is) which was all in all a grand ol’ time and so lovely to see all my lady friends. Susan and Peter’s wedding was wonderful and they loved the quilt, hurrah! I was supposed to go to Madison but there was terrible flooding, leaving me stranded in Minneapolis but allowing me to take another biking adventure. We had a weekend of grad partying/Saints game/bridal showering (Allison) and it was a nice pseudo reunion of sorts. My whole family stayed in our house which was actually really fun. I saw a musical that Melissa K. Hall was in which was really sweet. I’m kind of intimidated to hang out with her now that she’s famous ;). And MJ joined us for a Wednesday night of LXDW hangout time, yeehaw! So yeah. Too much going on, but it’s all good stuff.

So July. Friday is the 4th, duh, one of my favorite holidays if only because of when it falls, and then we head up north for a few days. Very excited to read by the lake, swim, bike (maybe!) around and see our friends. I don’t think I’ll ever get sick of it!

OK, time to complain. My old sekret blog was all about complaining, and my super-sekret one still is, ha, so, get ready. My complaint. Why do people NOT understand the difference between a car path (the road), a bike path (or sometimes a road), and a walking path (usually a sidewalk)???? Seriously. This is especially vexing along the river/creek paths. Seriously, if I come across one more runner taking up the bike path, don’t be surprised if I smash them with my bike. No, not really, but I do come pretty close. What is the MATTER with you people? A road is for cars. A bike bath is for…wait for it…bikes!!!! A footpath is for…THOSE ON FOOT! I am so tired of morons. I deal with at least 15 of them every day (most of them at the gym, but still).

I had another complaint, however I was just served a dinner of steak (I KNOW!!!! HA. it happens sometimes), potatoes and peppers, grilled by Jeffrey Akervik himself. Pair that with some red wine and brownie batter and you have yourself a noncomplaining situation. Indeed. And tomorrow is hopefully a pool party at Dave’s! WOOOOOOOO pool party. I want a pool. Or a trampoline. But both have been banned (which is probably a good thing).

This is a horrible update. That’s what happens when you force yourself to post for a particular date. LAAAAME. Sorry. I’ll get back at it sometime. Later.

This post just inspired me to make my first political donation in history:
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/06/05/obama-making-imprint-on-dnc-organization/

I have more to say, but for now…

BARACK OBAMA 2008 wooo!
(+ Shawn Johnson too!)

What a year this could be!