Football is finally back

Whew, football season took forever to return, or so it felt. This year the Duck start out ranked 3rd or 4th, depending on the poll, and Bama is 2nd. My Raiders are starting a new QB, and won their preseaon matchup with Seattle. There's hope. 

Of course, week one Ducks games always a guaranteed blow out win. This year was no different. Week two is when they tend to challenge themselves by playing a nationally renowned, well ranked team. This year is no different. It's Michigan State tomorrow. I'll be hopping, hollering, even screeching while I watch tomorrow. Fingers crossed.

As for the Raiders, though I was watching,I wasn't paying close attention. I suspect Seattle had 2nd, 3rd, and even 4th string floating through while Oakland played 1st ansd 2nd...maybe 3rd. But, if injuries prevail on their opponents, at least we know Oakland has a good core. As Snoop said in quoting Al Davis while sipping on his gin, Just win baby, win.

Football also signals we are about two months away from the fall elections. The tv ads have commenced, much tomy chagrin. I reallyhate seeing the same add every commercial break. No, seriously, I do. All that does is make me wish the damn elections were now so I didn't habe to see this, regardless of candidate/political party. I just want to watch the game.

As chair of the Polk County Democrats, I'm working on plugging events into my calendar and hoping none conflict with the games I really want to see. I do want to be involved in local and statewide politics, I just want to be able to catch my games. It does help,many events happen at wineries, or at times that allow me tonget back in time to flip on the game. But,  don't ask me about doing something on Nov. 1st, I'm already busy.  Go Ducks, #WTD & Roll Tide Roll #Bama

Step forward, and don't you dare step back!

Today I saw the best summation of how I feel about the recent attack on LGBTQ folks through legislation in Arizona. It was a post by Rose McGowan on Facebook thanking someone using the call sign @yahav_paris99 who posted a picture of African Americans sitting at a counter in a restaurant sometime during the 1960'scivil rights movement.

The caption says "Dear Arizona, In case you missed it, we've already had this conversation. You don't get to decide who sits at the lunch counter. Love, America"

That's when it hit me. This is beyond outrageous. People using religion to promote hate, especially the current hate aimed at lesbians and gays and marriage, are failing Jesus. I double checked and either missed it, or, more likely, confirmed that no where in The Bible does it say hate gays, or anything of the sort. Jesus does say "...Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." Mark 12:31

How is hating on someone for who they are loving them? How is getting up in arms about someone's sexual orientation got anything to do with anyone else? Where does Jesus say it's okay to bully, to look down on or otherwise do anything detrimental to someone because of who they love?

People who promote bigotry, prejudice, hate etc, in the name of God need to take a good look at themselves. Even when Jesus encountered people who were impure, he walked with them. He cared for and about them. He did not look down on them. No, he loved them.

Oh, hello snow, rain, snow, rain...

So we had snow the first week of December. On that Friday I decided to chance fate and drive to my scheduled hair appointment. At the worst spot on the route there, Commercial & Madrona, the light went red and I stopped with a Jeep Grand Cherokee ahead of me. When the light turned green, I took my foot off the brake and watched the Jeep spin out in front of me. Fortunately, there was enough distance between us (despite releasing the brake my car stayed put) and no one was hit, plus the Jeep regained control and proceeded on. Quick side note, it was 10:00 a.m. And the city had not cleared the Center Street bridge or Commercial yet, even though this was all forecast with plenty of lead time. Anyway, since I didn't roll forward as hoped once I released the brake, I lightly tapped the gas pedal. Nothing. Yikes!! I felt guilty blocking traffic so I tapped lightly but closer together. Nope. Ok fine, I'll press the pedal. Well $&@! Now I was spinning out. Fortunately i got control of the wheel. Unfortunately I had to go downhill on Madrona. 

Ok, I told myself, I can go up the US Bank driveway and turn around. Nope, the incline was too much and I was forced to idle halfway up the driveway until traffic cleared and I could back up and head back uphill to the light. I had serious fear that I was not going to be able to make the needed right turn (no way in hell was a left turn an option). Thankfully, the timing of the light and the slight downhill onto Commercial meant I made it back onto Commercial safely. I proceeded to my hair stylist and gratefully note that lot was not cursed by any inclines. 

My stylist got down to business and trimmed my hair. I skipped any fancy style since inches of snow had piled up during the hour long appointment. I was nervous getting in my car for the trip home, but thankfully the drivers at 11:45 a.m. were as cautious as the ones earlier and we all scooted along at about 10 to 15 mph. Unlike my trip there, the light at Madrona was green onthe way back, crisis averted. The Marion Street bridge had been managed but most of Edgewater and all the connecting streets leading home had not. So I prayed and carefully inched my way home. I even managed to reverse park as I usually do. That was the last I drove until the following Monday. 

Flash forward to February 2014 and boom, snow is back. the city pretty much shut down, including actual toads that were closed for almost 5 days. It started on a Wednesday evening when the meteorologist said he had confidence the predicted snow storm would come the next day. I got to work that Thursday and immediately told all my co-workers that the prior December incident was not happening again so I would be leaving before noon. I left at 11:25 and went to the grocery store en route to home. I stocked up on everything I thought I needed to get me through the weekend and headed home. Once again, I successfully parked as snow fell and didn't dare drive until the following Monday afternoon.

My best friend did rescue me that Saturday. Luckily she has traction tires. This mattered for safety reasons, and because the city had restricted all travel to chains or traction tires - all others would be ticketed. So we explored the west side, noting many places, including all Starbucks :(, were closed. Short staffing affected what places were open. For example, no deli, bakery, Starbucks, or any other specialty zones were open in Safeway that day. Once done shopping we headed up Eola as far as allowed and saw gorgeous views in the hills and looking over town. Aside from walking Yuki, that was the only outing I had for about 5 days.

Once the snow days were over, rain came hard core. The river is still up, though not at flood stage, and it's been over a week. We still have a long way to go to catch up rain levels and snow pack levels to avoid a drought this summer, but there's something nice and comforting about returning to normalcy. I also like not having the electric heaters constantly running.