No time to blog

Ack. So many things to share but just no time. When I have the time, I don't wanna be at the computer one more minute. Right now, I should be getting in the car to pick up the boys. But here I am.

Work seems to be getting in the way these days. I want to do a good job even if I don't enjoy it but its difficult at best. I feel ineffective and I want to be doing pretty much anything else like, knitting, volunteering for Obama events, seeing my friends, doing family stuff, sitting outside, sitting inside or even doing some other job that I actually feel good about.

I facilitated a Strategic Planning meeting for a local Montessori School and loved it. I felt like I was useful, great work got done and I was energized. This past weekend, I facilitated a volunteer planning meeting for about 24 people ranging in age from High School to 60's or 70's. Awesome experience. We got loads done, everyone was excited and motivated to make a difference. I felt really alive. This is the work I want to do. This is where I want to be.


Not this. Not here:
This is for real. 2008.

Maya Soetoro-Ng

Breakfast with Barack's sister. Food first, then she spoke. She's a pretty good speaker, funny, warm and strong. Afterwards, she stepped down and said, "I'm a hugger," and proceeded to make her way from volunteer to volunteer, smiling and hugging and listening to everyone's stories. I had no story, just a "thanks" and a goofy grin.

Busy weekend

I returned from Detroit Friday night.

I participated in a voter registration event on Saturday. We were set up at the Mo Better Food Market in West Oakland. Let's just say that there are not many people who know about this small Farmer's Market.In fact, what they really need is Mo' food and Mo' customers. I do hope for the market's sake that they grow in size and popularity as they are the only Farmer's Market in West Oakland, and one of the only African-American Farmer's Markets.

So, not many registered but many more volunteers recruited. All good.

In the early evening, Our Daly City friends came for some sun, fun and food, which of course they had to bring since we had the sun. What a nice time, as Max and Matthew played with pirate ships, Aiden and Madeleine painted. Each other as well as the paper, the screen door, the floor.....
And on Father's Day, we celebrated at a large Pirate Fair in Vallejo.

This may not seem like a good time to some of you, but we somehow convinced Billy, Jessie and Will to join us. Here's Jessie having a great time on her birthday with some new friends:

It was kind of a creepy affair as the pirates or actors or whatever they were, seemed to take their pirating very seriously. I had the feeling they REALLY looked forward to this 2 day event ALL year long. "Finally, I can really dress like a pirate for real, and no one will mock me."

There was a kid's stage, putting on a play and it involved the audience (of course). Max wanted so badly to be chosen as a volunteer that he just stood up at attention hoping to be picked. They kept choosing kids for various roles (who could ARGH the loudest, who could look the strongest, etc) and finally, they needed someone who could act the craziest...yay Max! He got chosen to be the wacky pirate who had gone mad. And ended up being the hero of the story.

What a day. Both kids passed out on the way home (with mouths still filled with goldfish). BZ worked on his telescope into the evening. And, got to begin reading his new Star Wars coffee table book (that will never sit on a coffee table).

I even did the dishes.

Now that's a Father's Day.

I'm Voting Republican

Sushi with the boys

Although BZ and I were recovering from the flu, the boys chowed down...

Friendship

I meant to post something last night but got home late after taking part in Duskbusters, a run for the MS society. Really cool. I was part of Team Tom, in honor of, you guessed it, Tom.

I ran maybe a mile before walking the rest of the 5K route. I got in some great conversations, gossip and catching up with friends that I haven't seen in a long while. Although the shirts ran a bit small, we were all pretty excited to be wearing them. Our team was about 25 strong, pretty amazing. A million thanks to Kim who organized and underwrote most of it for our team. Kim is one of those friends that you really want to have around. She is fiercely loyal and I think doesn't get recognized enough. Yay KIM!!!!!

Primary madness

OK. So now the primaries are almost over. The Rules & Bylaws Committee has met. The have made decisions, impossible decisions to seat the delegates in Florida and Michigan. No way to have everyone happy.

In short, they are seating all the delegates but reducing their votes in 1/2. In addition, since Obama was not on the ballot in Michigan, they have redistributed the delegates giving Clinton 69, Obama 59. The Clinton campaign is upset as that represents a loss of 4 delegates that should be in her count, not Obama's. In addition, her camp is upset that Obama got any votes at all since he wasn't even on the ballot. Good points all. but...on the flip side, 40% of the votes were for "uncommitted", so some of those represented Obama votes, and, we can't even know how many voters didn't show up to vote as their candidate wasn't even on the ballot. And....Clinton is a household name and at that time, even now, Barack Obama, needs to build the relationships and get known...this was not allowed in Michigan and Florida. They were not allowed to campaign in those states. They both agreed last year to the ruling, they both agreed to the ruling against those states for breaking the rules.

This is complicated since all votes should count. The real crime is that the DNC didn't solve this before the primaries. Why not do it like the Republicans and just cut the delegate vote in half, but BEFORE the primaries. How crazy to say to two states that their votes won't count. Its an outrage.

Now, after the fact, voters, those who voted and those who didn't since they were told their vote was meaningless, get disenfranchised.

On the Hillary website, supporters are angry and calling for all to support McCain against Obama, they are chanting "No-bama" and referring to him as BHO (note the added Hussein). On the Obama camp side, they are screaming about Hillary being desperate, stopping at nothing, she is looked at like a madwoman. Racism, sexism, all bad.

This type of extremism doesn't reflect the country at large. Most of the country has probably turned it all off months ago. There are many zealots and true believers BUT at the end of the day, most Democrats will vote Democrat, and most Republicans will vote Republican, and the votes that change the game will depend on how well the campaign is run. How well Clinton and Obama can make nice in front of their supporters and the press by mid-summer.

So, back at the Obama camp, we aren't talking Hillary smack, we are being respectful (at least here in Oakland). We are focused on organizing Voter Registration Drives to get more voters (of all persuasions), Building a volunteer base for the Fall, and planning as many community service events(Be the change) throughout the summer as possible. Oh, and raise money. Of course.