@ElendilTheTall Tall!

@jolenealaska jojo!

I'm missing you!

I assume you're on paternity leave?

Try firing between breaths

hehehe :)

I am, the last day of it

Figured. I even looked it up.

2 weeks

I don't even think it's a thing here unless the company just chooses to offer it.

One of those terrible commie policies we're forced to adhere to here

How dare the guvmint force companies to let fathers spend time with their kids?

:)

This is weird, I wonder if it's only an American thing...A whole boatload (like maybe a quarter?) of paid vacation time in the US is never used. Never-mind paternity leave. Pfft, if you're that expendable, that makes you replaceable!

So how're you. I have been popping in every so often but it's always deserted.

Ridiculous. Work to live not live to work.

My new PT is going great.

I'm actually getting better.

I believe the US and Mozambique are the only two countries not to have some kind of legally enforced maternity leave too

That is fantastic!

We have enforced maternity leave, but it's goofy short.

Hmmm

Well, at least you have the VA. I'm very happy for you :)

Yes! On Monday I was almost in tears after my PT when I got into my car like a normal person (without having to lift my leg with my hands). I celebrated by using a coupon for a new Mexican joint for dinner - it was the best Mexican food Ii'd had in the 16 years in this state.

THEN>>>

I got back into the car (easily) and turned on the radio.

Awesome.

Just in time to hear that Alaska had just had its very first gay marriage ceremony. The fighters lost the court case Monday afternoon. The first couple was married within minutes. All in all...a good day.

Haha, excellent.

Nee ner nee ner nee ner.

Damndest thing...the Earth has not slipped its axis.

Ah, but there was Hurricane fernando.

Clearly a sign. If you were an omnipotent being who could simply make homosexuality disappear with a thought, naturally you'd express your distaste with large weather systems

Ah yes. I'm sure the causal relationship has been well documented :)

Which reminds me.

We may MAY finally be rid of the most embarrassing politician ever short of Palin.

Our 1 congressman has been in office since the dinosaurs.

He's awful.

I think maybe he's finally done it.

Dinosaurs as in 6000 years ago?

Yeah, those!

He spoke at a local High School last week.

A popular member of the student body killed himself last Thursday (so a few days before Congressman Young visited the school).

I am wincing in anticipation...

In response to a question, Young said, "Suicide means the person wasn't getting support from friends and family"

So he blamed his audience for the suicide.

:/

THEN he went on to comparing gay marriage to sex between bulls.

Then he cussed out a student that emotionally argued with him.

Now, he has retracted the apology sent by his office. He meant every word of it.

Wow. Superdouche.

election in 12 days

Evidently he doesn't have the support of friends and family, as he seems to have committed political suicide... M

:)

I'm crossing my fingers.

The national media has picked up on it.

Can't you just tell this guy is a douche??

Yup

I looked up his voting record, and it actually could be worse. He is in opposition of a lot of my hot-button issues, but honestly, it really doesn't matter anymore.

Gay marriage? Pfft...good guys have won

Reproductive self determination? Roe v Wade isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

Otherwise, he's pretty moderate. He'd be OK but for ethics violations that make him impotent in Washington and just basically being a douche.

It really is amazing how the US is the most successful Western country economically etc, while having a large proportion of the population, not to mention the legislature, being backwards religious hicks

It is amazing.

He's good friends with my special buddy, Jerry Prevo.

A huge, huge portion of our society thinks that the USA was formed as a Christian nation.

Indeed. When it was the precise opposite

But people really don't understand that.

It's number one, guys. Numero uno. The First Amendment.

They put it first for a reason.

So you can be as ridiculous as you want, and all I can do is shake my head and roll my eyes.

Americans get hung up on the fact that the pilgrims were puritans. Ergo, the USA was founded upon Christianity.

So why isn't puritanism the state religion?

I am so pleased. I was just working on a rice dish to make with carnitas. I wanted the feel of Mexican rice and refried beans in one dish. I did it :)

Oh, that's right, it died a death after a hundred years or so

these are really good!

Did you use kenji's recipe?

Nope...I just winged it.

Canned black beans, tomatoes, chicken broth, jalapenos, cilantro, onion, olive oil, cumin, cayenne and white rice.

I had the sense (unusual) to write down what I did (and to weigh and measure as I went), so I can duplicate it.

YAY!

That's actually my last hurrah for a while. I'm going to strictly diet until my favorite jeans are comfy again. I had a Drs appt today. I have gained 16 lbs in the past 6 months. Egad. So, here we go. As soon as I use up the pork shoulder in my freezer.

CN has gotten really, really fat; so I am going to cook for both of us until I'm back to where I should be. Then he is on his own again, but maybe he'll see that food doesn't have to be junk to taste good.

Ooh and Mexican Oregano. The one thing that might make it better is some corn. But other than that...yum. With some Cotija sprinkled on top.

Oooh, you're getting quiet. Are you with a certain miniature Tall? How is the other little Tall taking it?

@Cerberus Indeed, getting mauled by Hydra will solve my problems :(

@jolenealaska yes, sorry, fatherly duties called.

@ElendilTheTall Don't apologize for that! :) I am so happy for you. I'm looking forward to your return to "work". I imagine that you might be busy when you get back (although I still don't know what you do :), so I can hopefully steal some of your time.

I want young father updates about very young children...

and I still have a damn computer at my side that I can't get out of safe mode! Even with a PS/2 keyboard. It's making me crazy.

I have jury duty next week, so I have nothing else scheduled. I have to call in the night before to find out whether and when I have to show up the next day.

So I'll probably either stay up all night or get up bright and early to pick your brain.

@rumtscho Oh dear, still wanting to wring necks? If it's technical, I probably won't understand, but I'll happily sounding board if I can be any help at all.

Hey!

@Jolenealaska How was the show!

@rumtscho Aww.

I think in your current state your anger will make you so strong you will rip Hydra apart.

The show was great!

For reasons I'd rather not get into, I get to see it again sometime this weekend without paying more. I'll probably have to sit it the balcony, but I'll enjoy watching most of the show with binoculars.

It was an unusual production in that the ensemble was tiny,

So for the big numbers the stage seemed kind of empty.

But the performances were great.

Little Cosette (she has one sweet and easy song and a couple of lines) was cast from local auditions, so it was fun to see her.

@Jolenealaska Yay!

@Jolenealaska That is cute!

I am glad you got to see and enjoy it at last.

What was really a hoot (and I've seen it a few times before) is people watching in the theater. Alaska is really, really funny at "events".

"Dressing up" is not something most Alaskans do.

Haha.

Socks in sandals?

I have seen those at the Concertgebouw, even...

That's one!

But only at the free Wednesday concerts, which are visited by lots of tourists.

Here, you're kind of above the curve if your socks match.

Haha.

Wonderful.

BUT, there aren't many opportunities to dress up. So those that can, and want to, really take advantage.

So, bunny boots sit next to Prada.

One of the neatest things I saw was a family that showed up early and was sitting near me. The young (10 maybe?) boy was all decked out in a suit and very perfectly groomed. He was visibly excited to be there. I got the feeling that he is a young "mizzie".

His excitement as time got closer to being seated mirrored mine.

It made me all warm and fuzzy.

@Jolenealaska Hilarious.

It's nice that you bonded with young people.

And the family just oozed warmth.

Even if only spiritually.

Yep, I love kids :)

I err love them when they aren't bothering me.

A 10 year old really excited to go to the theater to watch a sung through musical (just this side of opera) based on a classic 3000 page novel by a dead French guy...

It gives me hope for the next generation.

The young woman seated next to me at the show had seen bits of the movie, and just knew she was going to love it, but she went in not knowing the story. As I expected, she was a mass of goo at the end.

If she had been wearing mascara, her socks would be ruined.

That's kind of a gauge of how much someone likes this particular show.

How hard did they cry?

@Jolenealaska Yes, that is nice.

It is better than always those Hollywood films!

When the movie was about to be released, I watched the reviews closely. They were extremely mixed. Half absolutely loved it, half described watching it as "suffering"

Of the half that didn't like it, half of reviews started the same way. "I don't like musicals."

Well, if that's how you feel, why would I care how you feel about this one??

But the other half of the non-likers really killed me.

Haha.

They all used the same word.

So there is a film that is musical-like?

Oh yeah! It was released last Christmas!

You don't know of it??

Haha I rarely watch films.

Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway, Russell Crowe.

This is definitely one to rent.

So of the negative reviews, half of the reviewers said that they don't like musicals. The other half called it "manipulative".

"manipulative"

Hmmm

Well, no shit.

"You mean they were trying to make me cry?? Now I just feel dirty and used."

Haha.

I suppose it depends on what you expect of a film...

Yep. If you know that you're not going to enjoy a film before you even see a bit of it, any review you write is useless. If you really have a distaste for a particular genre (then you have no business writing reviews for a living, but that's another rant) then you're writing for an audience that isn't going to see it anyway.