gobama or mycain?

disclaimer: don't proceed if you feel intensely passionate about one candidate or another- this is strictly my opinion and it is not my intent to alienate anyone, including myself...

now that it's cool to think sarah palin is un-intelligent and backwoods, i gotta jump aboard another train...
not really, but sort of. its funny how the media can swing so hard on some one so fast. yeah she says stupid things, but really, i can't imagine how up a creek i'd be if i was up for any sort of election. my mouth is constantly a runnin, and makin shiz up.
so anyway. drum roll please......
since the beginning i've been pretty confident i was going to swing to the left. but after seeing mccain on ellen, and getting to know mrs. palin, i wanted to look at as many angles as i could. and to be honest, though i've made my choice, i still struggle with some foundational issues..

age: it seems silly, but its actually really relevant. when i look at mccain, its obvious he's wicked old. and with age comes wisdom right... but being president when the US is practically crumbling away requires not just wisdom, but some serious energy. obama is young- he's determined, humble beginnings can't just be whashed away. in all honesty when i watched the debates, mccain just seemed tired. i really wonder if he has the drive and energy to help make us great again. oh, and just cause everyone else says it, "can you even imagine if he dies??? there is no way i would be okay if palin was our president, she has no experience!" shoot, she makes obama seem like the dali lama.

environment: k, those dems have always had us beat on this one. try as we might to get on the green train... we really are always two steps behind. i credit my brother 100% for any greenness our house has. he's been green since before it was cool- back when we use to laugh (like what could really happen to our world, god's in control right?) no, holly and b- that's ignorance. we have a responsibility, and lets be honest, the republicans (mccain included) def don't have the edge on this.

gay marriage: i know as a christian i'm supposed to be fired up about this one... but try as i might- i'm just not. i even watched that video about the dad getting arrested for protesting his kindergartner having the homosexual agenda forced on him. i understand what they're saying, but really is it going to make them more likely to be gay if they know it exists??? i don't know, i guess we go back to big question.. are you born gay? i don't know.. i guess i really like ellen.

abortion: this is the biggie for me. god's pretty clear about how he feels about unborn babies.. (see psalm 139:13-16) and i entirely agree. there isn't a bone in me that wavers. and it does bum me out that not everyone feels the same. however i often feel confused as to whether this issue is a deal breaker. with the last two presidents (bushy and clints) nothing really seemed to happen or change with abortion (spec roe v wade). and in all honesty i'm not sure what i want to change. i often feel really conflicted about illegalizing abortion- back alley's and home remedies can be fatal physically- not to mention the emotional implications. my hope for my own daughter would be to educate, and pray for abstinence- but also to create an environment that would allow her to come to me if that was not the avenue she chose. i know this election could bring changes to abortion laws with the appointment of new supreme court justices- however, i'm not totally convinced mccain would do anything anyway- though he preaches pro-life now- he hasn't always held that conviction. and based on his response during the oct 15th debates, its evident he wouldn't elect a judge to overturn roe v wade. in the words of the shredder, "the republicans were in charge for years and never took on roe v. wade. nut up or shut up."

so drum roll please... (if it isn't already obvious)..





i'm writing in hillary...
just kidding. (but you gotta admit, next to those chumps, she sure is looking pretty good these days)

i'm gonna vote for barack obama.


i know, i'm likely blacklisted once again. but i gotta be honest. i'm not totally sold. it's def been hard to jump outside of party lines, and since most everyone i know is voting for mccain, i feel conflicted. am i less of a christian for not siding with the evangelical right? i guess i'm just thankful only god decides.
when it comes to the core issues (not the periphereals i discussed above) i feel like obama's got a good handle on them.. economy (i mean is there really a solution), taxes (taxing peeps who make more than $250K- i really don't feel sorry for you), his health care plan blows doors on mccain's, and foreign policy- two words- joe biden.

although it hasn't been easy, and though i often feel like i'm wrestling with the lesser of two evils- other times i feel a real sense of hope. i can get excited and invigorated that our nation will likely be run by someone entirely unlikely. someone who really speaks for the people- a man who has known hardship and discrimination- a man who truly epitomizes the american dream. sometimes i'm actually excited and proud to be part of that history (even if i jumped on board way late)...
so think of me on nov 4, as we load up the kids and walk to the church on the corner to cast our vote for change. we'll be amongst our neighbors and friends, all trying to do our part to renovate, and also preserve this place we call home. so here's to democracy and unity... peace out my brothas and sistas... may the polls be with ya.

dreaming of sunny lake tahoe

i'm pretty sure we'll never be able to camp again. we've returned from 5 amazing days in this pimp cabin in tahoe. from the hot tub, to radiant floors, to whirpool bath tubs, to flat screens in every room - we've officially crossed over. who knew hot running water could change you forever. its funny cause on the looooong drive up b and i were saying that as cool as tahoe is, it's just so far. we really couldn't see ourselves really ever wanting to have a second home up there (cause that's really an option right??). anyhow, that was a big fat lie. the second i swiped my key card and walked into this beauty i knew that i had arrived. i was pretty sure they would have to physically force me to leave.

highlights:

1) oz started saying yeah! instead of no to everything.
2) oz seen eating meat- its been at least 9 months since we've seen it
3) beebs trying to get nekid in the hut tub
4) the crisp tahoe mountain air
5) spending all day tues at the bomb ass pool (75 degree weather!)
6) getting to see my cousin whom i haven't seen in like 5 years
7) the drive up saw very little melt downs.
8) kings beach... sunny skies, glassy warm lake tahoe water
9) the almost free gondola ride at heavenly
10) waking up to snow- that's right snow- friday morning, and getting in the hot tub with lils to enjoy
11) stopping at non and pops on the way home for a break and some dinner


Not so good
1) upon arrival realizing that oz had been sitting in his own pee for lord knows how long (way overfull diaper)
2) the ice maker on the fridge- no joke even my super big gulp cup couldn't prevent ice from falling all over the floor.
3) our heavenly gondola passes not making it in time- but saved by a young lift operator who hooked us up on the DL.
4) having to leave the cabin

there you have it folks. i can't tell you how refreshing it was to get away. not that life is hard here- but just being spoiled in that cabin was really a treat. the kids were really great the whole time, and B and i got to enjoy some good food and wine. rarely do i go on vacation and not feel like i'm ready to go home by the end. but seriously, i could've stayed there maybe forever... in any event, we're back and life is still good- been diggin this super warm october weather- been getting some good beach time in till the time change (boo hoo)...
anyway, in sum- tahoe- you have my dearest affections. thanks for the memories.

seriously some funny shiz...

sum updates sans pictures

so here we are back from a solid week of holiday. last friday (the 3rd) we loaded up and headed down to santa barbara for some good ol fashioned camping at refugio- not pronounced (re-fu-fi-o). anyhow, we had a nice time despite it trying, and succeeding in raining on us. i must say, its quite a different experience camping down south then camping in big sur. i could digress into a lengthy rant about having all of bako camping in trailers across from you, or generators running all night, or a train literally above your head pounding its way through the campground. but i won't, cause it was out weighed by the fabulous company (atkinsons, browns, and wetzels), and the beautiful santa barbara beaches, and thankfully plenty of warm sunshine.
after arriving home sunday, we promptly cleaned ourselves up, did loads of laundry, and rested for our big drive to tahoe monday morning. all i can say about tahoe was it was the bi-zomb. i have reserved a whole separate entry for that, but i am awaiting pictures. they were in hand and ready to upload until b took our card and put them in some crazy card reader his parents had- thus somehow eliminating our pictures. however, the good news is that they are on b's parents computer and hopefully will make there way to this blog for your viewing pleasure.
in other news, we cut ozzy's mullet off. it was quite a task. after rocking him to sleep b came up and cut it off while he laid on me. i can't say how it turned out cause we had to lay him in bed after the job was done. i was quite torn about the cut, but decided that his hair wasn't growing out of the awkward in between time fast enough. update- k, when we got him out of bed this morning- lets just say it wasn't a good thing. he looked like a little girl! he had a severe- but very cute a-line. after some serious gummy bears and barney- we got it looking somewhat manageable (butchered). not quite what we had planned- but too late now! oz's hair isn't the only thing changing. his vocab seems to have quadrupled in the last week or so. he's putting 3 or 4 words together (mostly fighting words for lily), and he finally started saying yes! its not no to every single question any more.
lils is up to the same ol shenanigans. she's in a major bathing suit phase and pretty much insists on wearing a suit everyday. either by itself or under her other clothes. her #1 is of course, a bikini. everyday in tahoe i had to convince her it might snow to get her to wear, or at least bring some other clothes.
in house news...we finally got the backsplash settled on in our kitchen. b got a smokin deal on some handmade tiles at artisan's semi-annual sale, and we arranged to have it tiled while we were out of town. it was a fun little surprise to come home to. again, i will try to get some pics soon.
election update. in my undecidedness, i have made final decision on whom will be worthy of my vote. look forward to that revelation in the very near future.
so that's that for now. i'll try to get some pics up soon!