Hey,

I don't really feel like posting - the kids' biomom sent me the most vitriol-filled email I may have ever received. The kids took my side but it really really hurt. I hope she gets a new shrink soon.

However, I did say that I'd be wearing red, white, and blue for the first time [except when I worked for Red Cross in September '01 and January '02] in eight years. I had fun getting ready; I even put 1/2" plugs with stars into my ears.

The United States has been the most amazing country to me, and I'd always stand by her. It wasn't fun to have to stand by her, fearing that our "fearless leader" might make a fool of us along the way.

I'm not psychic, but I sure have hope.

And smudged eyeliner. The Inauguration did what a vicious Social Security meeting did not: it messed up my M.A.C.

Well, We Did It!

I got to work early to put on WQUN to listen to the Inauguration. In a surprising turn of events, my boss, who was out of town until today, will not be back until tomorrow. With only half a file left, tissues in hand, I took the headphones out of my transcription machine and plugged them into my computer. Then I went to CNN.

CNN had a brain fart, so I F5'd. I got kicked out: too many people were on CNN, and I had to "wait for a spot." I went to NBC/MSNBC. By this time I was already crying and coughing in a most unladylike manner.

Unfortunately, MSNBC kept stuttering when Vice President Joe Biden was sworn in, and I finally went back to the radio to hear President Barack Obama sworn in.

When he gave his speech to us, I moved from my desk and stood in the sunlight.

I kept the video on, with my radio in the background, and saw the sea of people covered in lavender.

Lavender is what you get when you swing a red, white, and blue flag with glee. (Is glee something like peanut butter?)

And when you've got a camera focused on a section of half a million Americans with half a million American flags, you've got a sea of lavender.

It sure looked pretty. I was glad I'd worn red, white, and blue today.


Lee Greenwood's "Proud To Be An American" was on the radio when I drove to work. I'd have stood if I could. I cried when I stood for America. (And I loved Aretha Franklin's hat!!)

What a glorious day. I hope that President Obama has a good sleep, because we're sure gonna need him tomorrow.

The horrid story about the poor owl was the only bad thing all day. I hope it was like that for everyone else.

Don't get me wrong: I always want a boyfriend. Aside from the obvious, I miss the companionship, the curling up on the couch to watch a movie. I miss riding in the car, talking about everything and nothing. I miss having someone SMART to talk to, who isn't my mom. I miss the escort to parties and conventions.

And I really miss having someone to shovel for me. I may die before my massage tomorrow (24.5 hours!!!)

Ben has done our driveway [when the neighbors with plows don't] and our walk and front steps for the past fifteen years. That's the only part he's responsible for.

My car is parked in the garage and my sister-in-law's car, which my mom has been driving, is in the driveway. My mom says that I should get the garage because I have to go out in the morning, and she doesn't. Every day that we get snow, or that branches fall off our old oak tree, I'm SO grateful to her - even more so than usual.

As I said, we have neighbors with plows. Therefore, our street is clearer than the rest of my entire route to work.

My boss let me go home an hour early, since he's out of town and, with all the other offices closed, no new work came in.

I stopped off with his outgoing mail, parking in icky slush.

When I got back to the house, I stopped the car in the driveway so that I could knock off as much of the slush as possible, so it won't melt in my mom's garage and make a muddy mess that I'll be sweeping until spring. Then I needed to clean my shovel, so I used it to clear off my sister-in-law's car. [I use a child's plastic shovel; with the snow on it, it's about the max that I can lift.]

Then I looked at our deck. Oy to the vey. It hasn't been cleared since the first snow of the season. Because it's already unsteady, I worry that the weight of the snow will bring it down. [Ed, my mom wants to talk to you about carpentry!!]

So, I cleared the steps, one by one. My boots are damn good for $30 promotional items; I was warm.[I don't get the point of the pink camouflage ones. Why pink camo, to blend in at the mall??] I started to do the sides, and I remembered the man I almost married, John. He was a pain in the ass, but he shoveled and cleared my car for me. Before I even reached for the cell phone, though, I remembered that he was a psycho stalker who made my mom cry.

I only made it 3/4 up the side and wanted to quit. The center of the deck is what scares me, though. I shoveled a line through the center, hoping that the sun [it's sunny and 31F right now] will melt along the dark line of the [untreated - the last carpenter was a thief] wood planks, and maybe the snow will be easier to move later.

On shaking legs, I made it back down the stairs [which had to be shoveled after the snow I knocked over the side] and to my car. I finished knocking the snow off my wheel wells, and cleaned the shovel in the other snow.

Aside: I never see the neighbor kids out in the snow. Even I, the laziest child on the planet, would get involved with snowballs and forts. We have big lawns and a park across the street.

Got the car into the garage, and left the shovel leaning against it so it would dry.

Closed the door, climbed the stairs back to the house. I had to take off my boots on the stairs, to dry. As I stood on the cold stairs, I realized that my Levis are also soaked, so they're draped on the railing. Despite:Long sleeve shirt, another long sleeve shirt, long sleeve fleece, light flannel hoodie, fuzzy lined hoodie, fuzzy lined jacket, AND coat, climbing those last two steps with bare legs SUCKED.

For the record: tattoo ink is NOT enough to keep you warm. Another reason to want a boyfriend!

I think it's time for a nap. After that, I'll find a radio station where I can listen to the Inauguration at work [no speakers on my computer, or I'd just put on CBS.com], and figure out which blue or white shirt looks best with my ruffly red sweater, or if I should wear a different red sweater, or if I should look for a blue sweater and just wear a red headband... I seldom bother to accessorize at ALL - if it's clean and paid for, it's good enough for me - but even though no one will see me but my boss and my blessed massage lady, I've got to intentionally wear red, white, and blue for the first time [except for 9/11 and the surrounding days] in eight years.