This blog started as a sort of extension and continuation of a paper journal that Morgan and I started trying to keep up with after Lola was born.  We’d write in it occasionally with updates on her growth and what was going on in our lives.  After a while, we got lazy about keeping it up, and since I was trying to keep up with photos on the website anyway, I figured this could be our own virtual journal to look back upon someday and see what our life was like “back then”.  So, in that spirit, some of this is just recording events for the sake of recording them, more than actually putting it out for you crowds (that’s a joke, feel free to laugh) of readers in the here and now.

So, since last I really wrote….

My 37th birthday has come and gone.  Fairly uneventful, not really a landmark.  We went out for killer sushi at a new place on 5th St., “Sushi Lover”.  Overindulged and enjoyed all of it.  Thanks to Turi, David, Bart, Max, Maggie, Rayna, Kelly, Carol, and Paige for sharing the evening.  Two words: Renee Chips.  If you were there, you know what I’m talking about.

EcoReno is clipping along.  Never having opened or run a new business, we don’t really have any basis of comparison, but we seem to be doing OK; customers every day, some days more than others, plenty of people interested and giving positive feedback even if they don’t actually buy, advertising seems to be working, and perhaps our most visible mention in the press appeared today.  It’s all really happening.  During the good times, it feels like this could really be the start of something successful and good; other times, I think “What’s the worst that can happen?  It doesn’t work out, we have some debt, life goes on.”  So there you go.  It certainly has made our lives much busier in a lot of ways, and trying to keep all our schedules and commitments and goings-on straight is probably the worst of it.  So that’s not bad.

Halloween.  Lola was a ladybug, Sidney was a pirate.  We hit Raley’s for trick or treating one night, did some real neighborhood trick or treating another, and I busted a punk spray-painting a fence.  Pretty standard fare, little fanfare, and the candy continues to haunt our household with its sugary evil.

Grandpa Dave came for a really nice visit, providing a good excuse for a few days off for me and plenty of eating, drinking, and being merry (usually in the form of board games).  Perhaps the only real major outing was a drive over to Nevada City, allegedly to see fall colors, of which there were few.  A nice little day trip regardless.  And it’s just nice to hang out and enjoy family time, even if you’re not doing anything touristy or special, just doing everyday errands and lounging is made more enjoyable by the presence of visiting Grandpa.  Maybe he begs to differ.

And last, perhaps most recordable for posterity, we had a little election this week.  This is almost certainly the election I’ve had the most strong feelings about in my lifetime so far.  I have felt the most amazing feelings of hope and cautious optimism the last few days.  I didn’t realize how….glum? grey? cloudy?…the last 8 years have felt until it lifted.  I sincerely hope we haven’t put too much of a burden for the future on the shoulders of our next leader.  It truly feels like he has become our leader in the true sense of the word, not just “president” (from ‘preside’ which doesn’t really have much meaning to us in our everyday lives.  We need to be led, not presided over.)  I really, really, really have such hope for the future yet mixed with fear that we’ve just put too much faith in this man.  He is still just a man, and despite being arguably the most powerful man in the world, his power does have limits and he is not able to turn lead to gold.  I think I am caught up in his election coinciding with Lola’s birthday, the dawning of a new regime colored blue, feeling like we’re close to the bottom and we’ve nowhere to go but up, and wanting this king among men to lead us to a better future.  Please oh please, let it come true.  I won’t blame him if miracles don’t happen, but I hope optimism has some power to help make the change that needs to happen.  (On a less philosophical, more tangible note, I am glad to see how many officials I wanted to see win, did indeed win.  Some lost, some questions failed, but overall, on both a local and national level, Tuesday, November 4, 2008, may someday prove to be the day that things got better.  Cross your fingers with me.)   I sort of rambled my way through this topic because I’ve had a lot of strong feelings the last few days and they’ve been hard to put down in clear words.  Today I read a very good post by a friend that hit the nail on the head in a lot of ways.  Read it now.

OK, now that you’ve made it this far, you are rewarded with more than words.  Picture updates!

• New Lola photos
• New Sid photos
• New miscellany including Halloween, Nevada City, and Grandpa Dave

Nothing else of note – nothing read, watched, or listened to worth mentioning right now.  Supper Club ate, joint Princess birthday party coming up, next update when it happens.  And I’m out.

When McCain picked Palin as his running mate,  he picked the stupidest person possible. Let’s be honest and to the point.  Why? Who in their right mind could think that this woman is even close to qualified for ANY political position?  I think this is one of the best clips of things that she has said that only proves my theory….stupidest person……

Really? Never heard of Time or perhaps Newsweek?  The News-Miner perhaps?  This is just one of MANY stupid answers she has given.

And just to reinforce the fact, McCain is old. He has had melanoma – you can still see it in his face. He could fall over dead VERY soon and that would make Palin your president. I say yours because I am moving to Canada if this happens.

UPDATE: even better description of Sarah Palin plus she tried to ban books at the library.  Scary.