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It's Saturday Nov 27th ( 2nd Saturday of Midwest invasion 2004 ).
I've just arrived back in Minneapolis at my brother's house.

This week has been plum full of Iowa. PLUM FULL !

Of, course got the Airline cold and felt like I was going to die. Spent lots of Quality time with Family. Also time with many old friends. Friends from High school and much drinking of cheap beer and making fun of the people that could never excape the gravitational pull of my old home town. Hung with Darling Sara, Missy Skippage, Mark the Mess, Amy & Travis, Scoottage Bootage, Jacula, errrr...Jessica and rebonded with a friend from "Diamond Dave's", Bridgette Porter - Who will now and forever, of course, be known as "Brigeette - that Crazy Beetch!".

Also got to spend time with my dear friend, Shannon - that now lives in Reno, Nevada. We discussed getting Amy & Travis to move closer to NV, OR or WA so we could all get together more often. We've all been friends for around 18 years.

Had a small confrontation with my Ex who now bears a startling resemblance to Fabio. Things were said like "how dare you come to this bar" and "you ruined my life" to which I replied "Yeah - Whatever". Barely avoided another confrontation with a crazy former stalker girl.

Heard way too much heavy metal and usher and destiny's choad and avril le-vag.

Lounged around at the cool Bed and Breakfast that My friend Mark lives in/manages. It's all decorated like it's from the victorian era...and actually quite creepy. Mark says it's haunted. It's easy to see that as a possibility.

anyway, it snowed today just as I left Iowa and transported 2 of my nieces back to their actual home in Circle pines. How can a 7 year old talk so much? blah blah blah and then blah blah blah.

Holy cow. Zip it, Already.

Thanksgiving was nice. Too much food and too many kids. I was zonked out asleep by 10pm.

I miss Seattle. My friends and my cat. It's a good feeling because it makes me realize that I really do like my life ( for the most part). Of course been talking to Steve and UM almost daily. TanQ is fine and bossing the other two kitties around. UM has not burned down the house yet.

I'll get through another week here somehow.

I had forgotten how GREY it is in the midwest in the winter. Way more depressing than Seattle. BLEAK is a better description.

See my parents house this morning HERE
See my and my snowman HERE ( follow the arrow the snowman )
See a close up of the amazing snowman HERE

Bear and Sydney were very concerned about TanQ's arrival. it was KITTY CIVIL WAR!

Pat dropped me off at the airport and it was very empty and deserted. It was really creepy.
Going through security I was behind this tall thin woman. in her early 40's. I noticed very quickly that she STANK to high hell. and she had huge clumps of dandruff in her hair.

I was quietly disgusted.

Of course i also had the pleasure of sitting next to her on the plane!
I must have gone through 4 pqacks of listerine breath strips....eating them temporarily overtakes all your sense...whenever her smell got to be too much, I would pop one.
She asked if I was addicted to them.

She was perfectly nice., I feel bad ripping on her, but YACKKKK!

The chichuahua ( Bella ) is in heat. she has a small homemade diaper on. it's hysterical.

I'm going to bed.

I am on vacation.
I haven't had more than a couple days off all year...last christmas to be exact.

WHINE WHINE WHINE

It feels weird. i am very nervous about leaving my job for almost 3 weeks, but I deserve the time off. It's not like I didn't earn it, either.

Going back to me roots! back to Minneapolis and Mason shitty. Should be fun. and RELAXING. Low key and inexpensive fun.

Lots of my favorite people, including family, are still there.

I'm leaving TanQ with steve and Pat. and BEAR and Sydney. I'm sure the cats will all hide from each other and be pissed about another cat in the house. TanQ usually hides up high in steve's closet.

There's only dogs with the family. BIG dogs...and a chihuahua. oh, and one pissed off little white devil kitty that bit me and left permanant marks 2 years ago. El Blanco Gato Diablo.

nothing exciting to report.

UM and I are going to go watch bad gay karaoke at the timberline. and have some cocktails.
I'm on Vacation, DAMN IT !

Enjoy it!

It’s a strange day
No colours or shapes
No sound in my head
I forget who I am
When I’m with you
There’s no reason
There’s no sense
I’m not supposed to feel
I forget who I am
I forget

From "Utopia" by Goldfrapp

Today started out Stupid.

I only had one shirt pressed as the others are dirty or in Dry Cleaner Jail. Of course, it was my dark Gray/charcoal shirt that only goes with two ties. Of course Robert (Ultimate Mess) had taken both of them to work. SO went to work with no tie and received many a "no tie glare" from the boss-folk.
Gonna have to have the come to Jesus tie chat AGAIN. Seriously, is it wrong for me to expect my clothes to be there? I think not.

Then my car decided to die in the niddle lane of I90 in 65 mile an hour traffic. It was fun coming to a slow complete stop with all the cars and their little pissed off driver peeps beeping their horns and flipping me off.

Then there was various work related bullshit that I won't discuss here. Over 2 hours on the phone with help-desk people. That was totally fun.

I realize that i skipped bloggin' about Halloween weekend in all the election drama but it just doesn't seem all that relevant now. But it was a swell time, I assure you. No Drama - even! Lots of friends, good times & great oldies. HERE is what I looked like on halloween. I look kinda stoned but I assure you - just a little cocktailed.

Enjoy it.

Ok, Not Really.

I'm in ultimate Bitch Mood today and not really sure why.

I'm tired but actually slept pretty well. went to bed at like 10:30. Oh, now I remember - I woke up to the pretty sound of wretching cat at 1:30 and couldn't get back to sleep.

Worked at the mall on saturday and then went over to the swenty's for dinner. Pat made an amazing prime rib. it was delicious. and she also made her famous Garlic bread which is the tastiest treat on Earth and I had a few slices. Pat, You DEVIL WOMAN! She made me cheat on the diet, I swear. it was worth it. Then Me, Gergg & Steve went to Manray. "The wild bunch" was there and we hung with them, even though the bar was as crowded as hell ( because you know Hell is crowded....with Republicans!). Someone was cranky and got a little Belligerant and we moved on to the Full Biz. But the Draggies had taken over for the evening and I wasn't in the mood. And Let me remind that Seattle's Drag scene is rather Unsavory - Tired Show Tune HELL. I miss the good time drag scene in Minneapolis.

Somehow, even with the cheating on Saturday - I'm down another 3 pounds - which makes 33 !

and i have to say, back when i was rather slim-ish in college - i weighed 225. Lord, grant me the strength to continue this quest for slimness. :P

As a side note to my earlier rant about religion and politics:

I've always looked at religion and/or spirituality as personal, something best kept to yourself. I don't believe it has anything to do with a church or a priest or the people that go there, which is why I always hated church and catechism and was bored to tears by both.

If you have some sort of personal relationship with God, or a multi-armed elephant or a 6 armed indian dancer of the universe or even the Devil - I consider that YOUR business and I for the most part don't want to hear about it.

I have religious beliefs and I keep them to myself. I feel that isntilling some aspect of Religion in children is important - when their brains begin to process information on their own they can decide what to believe.

...and this is why I find mixing religion and politics so vastly offensive. Using legislation to push your beliefs on other people that don't share your way of thinking is WRONG. This forces opposition and villifies organized religion. Think of how furious The democratic party is with conservative bible votin' people right now.

...just like pushing your beliefs based on a Book ( written by Men and not GOD ) that so many in our society now feel free to pick and choose what rules and regulations they will follow from said Book is absolute Bullshit.

You can't pick and choose what fits your life. And then try to force that on others.

There are many excellent aspects of many religions. The desire to live in harmony, love and Peace is a wonderful goal.

Prosecuting those that disagree or fail to follow your guidelines is not a wonderful practice.
It's very unGodlike in my Humble, Yet Correct Opinion.

Look HERE and Then HERE

Yesterday, In the parking ramp @ work - someone felt the need to remove my "defend America : defeat bush" bumpersticker.

Wasn't that thoughtful of them?

Mostly I'm wondering WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED?

When I woke up this morning after almost zero sleep - I felt lost and confused. How the hell did this happen? What country did i live in? I thought America was the land of the free, not the land of the Sheep.

What happend to the millions of new, young registered Liberal voters? The Millions of Minority voters? The Angry Elderly pissed off about sky rocketting medication prices?

Did they all turn into "Security Moms" worrying about terrorist attacks in rural Kansas? ( Because Kansas has so much to worry about ).

for the most part, It really comes down to big city VS small communities. CA, NY, IL, PA - even WA ( Barely - we have a lot of small towns here ) bent to Kerry solely on the votes of the big cities. Although, Texas, Florida, Arizona have bigger cities they have the elderly excuse or, in the case of Texas, the pledge alliegence to the Shrub because he was spawned there.

...and let me touch on these smaller Americans Communities. SO many of them vote republican because that party is more "religious" or they vote on a single subject - abortion or gay rights - things that really don't even affect them. are they thinking of having an abortion? are they gay and want to get married? DOUBT IT.

they have APPARENTLY paid no attention for the last 4 years and vote on what their church tells them. Because "If You're Not Outraged, You're Not Paying Attention!"
This is what you might call “religious manipulation"* - The Shrub won over the simple mostly Ignorant folks through FEAR and HATRED - cashing in on their basest fears - terrorism, abortion and those Damn Homosexuals!

all 11 states voted in favor of banning gay marriages - I would really like to know EXACTLY how many marriages in America have been threatened and/or weakened by the fact that those gays can get hitched up in Mass. Oh, NONE? Cute. Gald we banned it from happening elsewhere, then. WHEW ! I feel better about my Parent's marriage now.

This is not a generalization.Millions of these people voted this year.one exit poll in Ohio had over 90% of Bush voters saying they voted for him based on his religious beliefs alone. "How would Jesus Vote?" Jesus Can't vote, Moron. Fuck You and keep your keep religious beliefs to yourself!

the separation of church and state seems to be going out the door.

I fear for our supreme court. Shrub can now stack it with Idiots happy to play out his Wrong-wing Ultra-Conservative agenda. Goodbye abortion rights and goodbye any equal rights advances.

....besides the fact that our supreme court is about to be stacked with right wing nut jobs - If Hillary decides to run she is DOOMED. If all the young new voters failed to get Kerry into office how would we fair against a legion of Clinton Hating Bible Beaters?

I am Seriously Disgusted.

* this is a borrowed concept :P

I could blog all about my interesting weekend but I'm too freaked out by the election to think about it. Another day.

you better have voted !