Well, what to write about today?

The new year? I guess. I’m very excited about this New Year’s with Funkle Ester, Modern Skirts, Cowboy Mouth, an open bar, and a hotel room. But, I’m just not feeling it yet, as I’m here at work for the next two days.

Work. Ugh. There is so much I could be getting done, but I’m just not. When it’s so dead in the office, it’s hard to get motivated. Of course, it doesn’t help that the Hagerman blood in me indicates a serious need to procrastinate. We Hagermans are champions at procrastination. If there was an award, we’d probably win it.

Anyway, so I look around me at all I could be doing, and here I am, doing this. Oh well.

And this isn’t because I don’t like my job or the company I work for. On the contrary, I love my company and my job. As a matter of fact, I think most people I know get really sick of hearing me gush about this place, the people I work with, even the people I work for. It’s incredible. They just do things that are logical. Honestly, you would say it’s common sense, but it seems to be so uncommon for companies to do things like ours does, that I can’t say that.

Oh well, it’s just that it’s the end of the year. Not much is going on, and I’d rather be at home taking care of some things like cleaning, throwing stuff away, painting, painting and more painting. That would be fun for a couple of days. But I don’t have any more days off.

Can’t wait for Friday.

Seriously, this is what our government does - spend

A billion seconds ago it was 1972.
A billion minutes ago Trajan ruled the Roman Empire.
A billion hours ago our ancestors were living in the Stone Age.
A billion dollars ago was only 4 hours and 10 minutes, at the rate Washington spends it.

I have run this through http://www.snopes.com/ for verification.

Many of you who know me, know that I lean primarily libertarian. Small "l," not Libertarian. I should explain the difference when I have a little more time. Short version, I don't belong to the Libertarian party, but I believe in libertarian principles – personal freedom and personal responsibility.

Outside of the protection of its people from violence – direct, not indirect violence – is the federal government’s primary responsibility. So much of what our government does to “protect us” from each other and ourselves is unconstitutional. If it’s not spelled out explicitly in the constitution as a federal power, then the responsibility falls to the state governments and to us as individuals and private groups. It’s pretty damn clear, but so many people are hell-bent on protecting me from myself.

Well, thank you very much, but I want to make my own decisions and pay my own price if I screw up – and reap the rewards if I succeed. The more responsibility the government assumes for my protection, the more they can justify intrusion into my life. Any decision to offer federal protection should also be based on proven, not junk, science.

So that’s my vent for the day.

Ah, Christmas

So, here we are, Christmas is upon us. It’s so different being a grown-up. You don’t have two weeks to do nothing and prepare for Christmas. Strange thing that when you are a teenager and in college, you don’t really have to prepare for Christmas, but you’ve got all the time in the world for it. Then when you get older and have a job, you need that time, but you don’t have it.

I would like a day or so to just relax and focus on Christmas. Typically, I can take a couple vacation days, but not this year. I’m all out. I’m excited, though, because next year they’re changing our time off policy here at work, and I’ll have a little extra time. Basically, we’re losing defined time off (15 days off, 5 sick days) and getting 18 days off total to use as you wish. A lot of people see this as losing time, but since I only took a ½ sick day this year, I’m gaining 2.5 days off. Yay.

Anyway, back to being able to focus on Christmas. The only real chance I’ll get this year is church. And I can’t wait. Much to my chagrin (I love that word), this year my husband and I became those people who only go to church on Easter and Christmas. While that works very well for a lot of people, it doesn’t work for us. We left our church because of the denomination’s involvement in politics (recommending EPA emissions standards – um, what!), and we just settled on another denomination this week. While they recommend that their members get involved in groups that align with the teachings, the denomination and churches do not get involved in politics. As it should be, thank you very much.

So, with all the politics and searching, we’ve both lost something this year – focus, grounding, something inside that makes everything seem ok, no matter what’s happening. We need to get that back. And it will start with this Christmas’ service. I’m more excited about that than anything else having to do with Christmas right now. My husband was talking about cravings the other day on his blog (http://stumblingthroughthelines.blogspot.com), and that is what I’ve been craving. I need to get this meaning back in my life. Church will help me focus again.

They're all laughing at you

Is there something put in stereo headphones – you know, the tiny earbud kind – that makes them dissolve after a certain amount of time? Between the two of us, my husband and I have probably purchased 15 pair in the last four years. That’s no less than $150 on headphones. Yet, when I need them now because I want to listen to a really kick ass song at work very loudly, I can’t find the pair that I bought specifically for work. Damn. They’re all in a corner of our house together laughing at me.

Hmmmm... Still trying to sort this blog thing out

Because I have very few original profound thoughts, I rely greatly on quotations to get me through life. I rely on them for my laughter, tears, deep thoughts, and sometimes a good warm and fuzzy. Many of these quotations – I have books full – will probably wind up here. Today, we will study the wonderful works of one Mr. Lyle Lovett who covers all the bases I’ve listed. He is a country songwriter, after all, so most of them are sad. Just to prepare you.

Laughter:
But if it’s her you want
I don’t care about that
You can have my girl
But don’t touch my hat
-- Don’t Touch My Hat

She’s got
Ruby lips
And emerald eyes
She’s got diamonds on her mind
If you want that girl
What you need is
M-o-n-e-y
-- M-O-N-E-Y

The preacher asked her
And she said I do
The preacher asked me
And she said yes he does too
And the preacher said
I pronounce you 99 to life
Son she’s no lady she’s your wife
-- She’s No Lady
(This was played at our wedding reception)

Tears:
And you tell me I’m the one you’re not to blame
And you tell me I make you feel the same way
And we talk in circles but we never say
It’s just out of weakness that both of us stay
And it ought to be easier
When you turn your lights down low
And it ought to be easier
To leave when you know that you have to go
-- It Ought to Be Easier

I don’t love you any less
But I can’t love you anymore
-- I Can’t Love You Anymore

So now she’s sitting at one end of the kitchen table
And she is staring without an expression
And she is talking to me without moving her eyes
Because she’s already made up her mind
-- She’s Already Made Up Her Mind

And what makes those little ones grow old
To find eternity
And what takes the wise
And leaves behind
A foolish one like me
-- Baltimore

Deep Thoughts:
So meet a bear and take him out to lunch with you
And even though your friends may stop and stare
Just remember that’s a bear there in the bunch with you
And they just don’t come no better than a bear
-- Bears

But I like you’cause you like me
And you don’t like much
-- Fat Babies

And if I had not searched for you
I never would have found her
And if I had not loved you
I would never have known love
It’s not the words
Please try to forget me
That made my dreams come true
I married her just because she looks like you
-- I Married Her Because She Looks Like You

Warm and Fuzzy:
Penguins are so sensitive
To my needs
-- Penquins

let's talk about the weather

1) it's not allowed to be this cold (16 degrees - that's not wind chill) with no snow!
2) i'm so unbelievably glad I don't live even 10 miles north of where we are right now.
3) you people north of here are crazy for putting up with this for more than 3 or 4 days of the year.

Have a lovely day.