The Happy Couple

I'm going to say the unsayable because I've been thinking the unthinkable.

I have a problem with Hillary. It started back when Bill was running the first time. Not during the "60 Minutes" interview when she said she was no Tammy Wynette standing by her man (though she quite obviously was). It was later on during the campaign when I saw her face on the cover of McCall's magazine touting her recipe for chocolate chip cookies. That grated because she so obviously is not a baking type and why should she pretend to be. I remember seeing it in a bookstore and scoffing at it. A woman standing next to me (who resembled Hillary in her glasses-wearing days) glared at me, as if to say, "You Republican Whore Scumbag. How could you possibly diss Hillary!"

I am not a Republican, for the record, and never have been. I came of age during the Reagan years and could never bring myself to vote Republican.

But could I vote for Hillary? No, and it's not just that she whores herself to get her husband elected. It's that of the two, she is the pragmatic Machiavellian. Apart from Monica Lewinsky, she was behind every scandal that tarnished the Clinton name. Let us not forget that she also voted for the war in Iraq. Her own campaign has been marked by underhanded (though denied) maneuverings designed to drag her opponents through the gutter. And here is her latest action: getting the American GQ magazine to ax a negative article about her campaign by threatening to block access to her husband. .

The day after Clinton moved into the White House, Jim Carvill allegedly told reporters phoning up for interviews: "We don't need you guys anymore." Apparently, in the Clinton camp, that one-way relationship with the press continues. They didn't learn their lesson the first time. Because the Clintons do need the press and will need the press. And hopefully the news media won't roll over and play dead anymore after the nightmare Bush years.

I like Bill, have a lot of respect for him above the waist, think he'll be ranked among the top 20th-century presidents in future years. He has charisma, brains, a heart (or at least can pretend to have one).

Hillary has ambition. Loads and loads and loads of it. It's probably what attracted Bill to her in the first place. It certainly wasn't those glasses. I have a theory about those two. He was Big Man On Campus. She was Geeky Smart Girl in Glasses. He was attracted to her brains. She was attracted to him. She satisfied his intellectual lust, but not his physical lust, hence the affairs. She forgave him in the early days because she loved him. She ignores them now (and the rumours still fly) because she needs him. And he needs her to keep quiet.

I prefer Barack Obama, someone I think I can respect. And I'm so upset that he's that far behind Hillary. Did Hillary pay Jesse Jackson to say negative things about Barack? I wouldn't put it past her.

But my dilemma will be who do I vote for if Hillary gets the Democratic nomination? Certainly not any one of those Republicans. But I don't like Hillary. And that is the unspeakable and the unsayable. I am a traitor to my sex because I don't like this woman.

My Future Son?

I think I'm falling in love. Daughter, Son, and I like the lad on the left. He's Welsh so I think he needs a Welsh name. Like Huw or Elwyn. No one else agrees. We're going to see them tomorrow after school hopefully.

Don't Look in the Mirror

Now here are two faces I'm glad I don't have to see first thing every morning. Plus I'd have to wear jewelry from QVC. I have a friend who bought a brooch from QVC (actually she buys everything from QVC; she watches QVC for relaxation). Anyway, this brooch is a monkey with a ring round its neck that reaches across her chest. It is the most repulsive thing. Just thought I'd share that. I don't know what made me think about Joan Rivers, but on YouTube there's a hilarious interview she did with Brigitte Nielsen.


Yesterday I posted that the rotten correspondent had very kindly bestowed the Blogging that Hits the Mark award upon me. I'd like to pass it on to Pixie, Queen Vixen (who wrote a very original post comparing her blog friends with cheeses. I'm Brie, I think, which is a good thing because I love Brie), Lady Macleod, and DJ Kirby. I love these awards. Don't know what they stand for or if they stand for anything, but it's fun to receive and pass them and see them passed on by the people I've passed them on to (are you still with me?).

UPDATE ON THE PUPPY

No, I don't have one yet, but hubby seems to have finally come round. I explained that I realised I would be the one with the primary responsibility and I mentioned some breeds, well one breed -- border collie. "Oh," he said, "those can be lovely dogs." (I'm no fool, members of his family have had border collies.) Deal done. I thank all of you who voted in my poll. Interestingly, not one person voted "No, your husband will run away."

Monday Moaning

Well, I've been kicking around an idea for Monday posts for a while. Having been inspired by DJ's Wordless Wednesday and RC's Thursday Three, I decided to come up with Monday Moaning. The idea is that if you're going to have a bad day, it's probably going to be Monday, what with going back to work, school, etc. And if you just have a bit of a moan about whatever it is that gripes you, you can move on. I'm even going to attempt to come up with a button for it once I visit the site recommended by british national party (who I'm sure isn't a regular visitor). If anyone else has ideas for where and how to generate the button, I'm open to them.

So I'll get the ball rolling. Here's my Monday Moaning: I stupidly allowed my daughter to have a sleepover last night since she doesn't have school today. I warned her that her dad has to go to bed at 8 p.m. and get up at 2 a.m. to drive back to London, and the girls need to keep quiet. I then stupidly rented The Grudge for them all to watch, then had to watch it with them because they were screaming with fright. I then was awakened by them at 2 a.m. (after going in and telling them twice to keep it down). Now I'm bleary eyed, it's raining, hubby won't be back till Friday night (he usually comes home on Thursday). I have 7 girls to get breakfast for. Oh, and I finally made jam yesterday with the blackcurrants I picked and froze in July. It was taking so long to set that I thought I'd just check out some puppies on the internet and rang one woman about rough collies (Lassie dogs). Then I smelled something. The jam was burning! I still managed to get about 5 slightly burned-tasting jars but the bottom of my BRAND NEW AND NOT INEXPENSIVE jam pan is covered with industrial-strength burned blackcurrants. DAMN!!! And I teach Sunday School (don't laugh) on a rota basis. If someone can't make it, they arrange to swap with someone. I have filled in any number of times for people, but the one time I can't do my day, NO ONE was available to bail me out. I practically had to threaten to quit before someone would take my place.

There. That's my Monday Moaning, and I feel so much better. Your turn.



UPDATE: I won DJ Kirby's Wordless Wednesday last week. Hurrah! Here's my button:

I also received an award from RC, which you can see on the right. I'll post tomorrow about that.

The Blog Family Tree

I am sitting here feeling very damp after a couple of hours at an un-air-conditioned gym. I smell not too fragrant, and I should get a shower. But the washing machine is on, and in my house you can either shower or wash clothes, but not at the same time.

So I thought I'd catch up on some blogs. I find it interesting that this blogging world is so large, yet so small also. When I met Pixie for lunch, we talked about blogs we read, of course. She and I both read Darth Sardonicus, but we found him in different ways. She found him doing a random search of blogs. I found him through Lady Macleod. I found Lady Macleod (or did she find me? can't remember) through Wife in the North. I read about Wife in the North in the Times. Lady M. was the first person to comment on my blog, though I don't know if she visits that regularly anymore. She is a busy woman, though, and much in demand.

So I found Pixie through Darth. I found Queen Vixen and Vi through Pixie. I found Snuffleupagus through Lady Macleod, I think. And Debio as well. I think I found Stayathomedad and Omega Mum through Wife in the North or Lady Macleod. Mind the gap found me, but I found Enidd through her. I don't remember how I found Jenny, but I think I found Bossy either through her or Darth. I never comment on Bossy's blog but love to read it anyway. I don't remember how I found Crystal Jigsaw or Kelly. I found Queeny through Snuffleupagus. I found Snickollet and Rev. Mom through a random search. I think J. found me. Marymaryquitecontrary seems to have retired her blog for now.

I may have found DJ through Pixie. I don't remember how I found Laurie, but I found Kaycie and the rotten correspondent through her, I think. After a while, I forget because a lot of us comment on the same blogs.

What started me thinking about this was a comment Laurie left saying she commented frequently on Enidd's blog, which I knew. And I wondered how she found enidd. Sometimes I visit a blog and have the best of intentions in keeping up and following it, but forget the link or how I found it. If I don't add it to my blogroll immediately, it can be lost forever. And most of those I've added are people who have commented on my blog at one time or another. Some seem to visit for a while and then move on. Others have become firm friends.

And that must be the beauty of blogging. There's no obligation of friendship, necessarily, though it's great if that happens. And I like to think of all of you as friends, some closer and some further away, but friends nonetheless.

Update on Awesome Dude

And now I've had some time to think about it, here are my selectees for the Awesome Dude Blogger award:
1. Debio, because she writes about her life in Dubai so well.
2. Darth Sardonicus, because he IS an awesome dude.
3. Enidd, a new addition to my blogroll, because she is a hoot, even when she's coping with awful things like getting mugged.
4. Snuffleupagus, because she persists in the face of so much adversity in trying to give her pupils a fair chance and good education;
5. VI, because she is my yang, meaning her life is completely different to mine, but it sounds like so much fun.
So go forth and spread the joy, guys.

Moving on

OK, enough of the Jill saga. It really drained me to write it, and I suspect it might have drained some or all of you to read it. Still, I'm glad I got it out. Time to move on.

So, to catch up: The always lovely DJ has bestowed an honour on me -- The Awesome Dude Blogger award -- because, she says, what I write always makes her stop and think. Thank you DJ. I shall give some thought to my next recipients, though I have some ideas.

Pixie put a questionnaire on her blog, which I'd like to do and pass on to those of you who are interested in answering the questions.

1. What is your all time favourite book, from childhood, as an adult?
2. All time favourite movie as above?
3. Favourite type of chocolate, and how much of it do you eat a week?
4. Favourite drink, non alcoholic and alcoholic?
5. Where is your all time best holiday destination?
6. Where is your dream holiday destination?
7. Which is the best Beatles track of all time?
8. What are you most proud of having achieved (having children doesn't count)
9. What would you want for your last supper ever?(assuming it's food you like now and not liquidized mush when you are 90!)
10.How old were you when you had your first snog, name of snoggee if you dare?
11.Do you have an unfulfilled ambition?
12.If so what is it?
13.What yer gonna do about achieving it?
14.Describe the outfit that best describes you as you are.
15.If you were on Desert Island Discs which one piece of music would you want to keep?
16. And what would the luxury item be, as in no use at all, on a desert island?
17. Outside of your partner, Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Beyonce Knowles, J-lo who do you fantasise about?
18.Describe the contents of your purse/wallet, ie receipts/ bus tickets/ plastic you never use/ and if your lucky enough money.(English use of the word purse here)
19.Outside of the family what item would you save from the inferno?
20.How much would you like me to stop now.?

And here are my answers:
1. All-time favourite book from childhood has to be "Little Women" followed closely by "Little Men." I'm a huge Louisa May Alcott fan. I have a few favourite books from adulthood, depending on what stage I'm in: "Catcher in the Rye," "To Kill a Mockingbird," "Nicholas Nickleby," "Alias Grace," "The Corrections," "The Shipping News" to name a few. I have gone through phases of reading lots by one particular author, though not for a while.
2. All-time favourite movie is a hard one. There are some I watch every year: "White Christmas" and "It's a Wonderful Life." There are some I welcome like an old friend into my life from time to time: "Sound of Music," say. There are some I watch that i find quite powerful but don't necessarily need to see again or that frequently: "Million Dollar Baby," "The Deerhunter," "Apocalypse Now," "The Godfather" series. So I can't say I have one particular favourite.
3. I try to be good and save chocolate for special occasions. I find dark chocolate to be particularly comforting these days, the bitter and the sweet combining for a satisfying tastebud experience.
4. My favourite alcoholic drink is a nice dry martini as made by my dad. No one else makes them quite so good. Non-alcoholic? Well, I drink a lot of water, coffee (natch), and iced tea when I'm in the states.
5. My all-time best holiday destination? I had a super time taking a cruise to the Bahamas when I was a senior in high school. I loved Tremblant in Canada the first year I skied there. I honeymooned in India, and despite getting food poisoning really bad (lost 10 pounds in two days), found it to be a wondrous country. Right now I have to go to the States every year to see my family, but I look forward to a time when I can explore the rest of the world.
6. My dream holiday destination involves the beach and mountains, but I don't have a specific place in mind.
7. The best Beatles track of all time is "Here, There, and Everywhere." So says me.
8. I am most proud of achieving 15 years of marriage to the same man.
9. My last supper would be a salad full of vegetables grown by me, chateaubriand cooked to perfection, and Key Lime pie as made by me for dessert. With champagne (Cristal please, now that I've tasted it) to wash it down with.
10. I was a mere 5 when I had my first kiss and it was by Andy Garcia (not THAT one), with whom I was desperately in love.
11, 12, 13. I have many unfulfilled ambitions, one being to write a book. I have done nothing to achieve it, other than think about what I'm going to write. I might copy other bloggers and create a blog with chapters to help me.
14. If outfit means clothing, it would have to be a slinky black dress with a plunging neckline to show off my (non-existent unless I wear a push-up bra) cleavage. The dress would go to the knee and be tightly fitted on top but more flowing from the waist, the better to dance in.
15. I think if I were on a desert island and had only one piece of music to listen to, I might grow to hate it with a passion. One of the joys of music is that there is so much of it and so many genres.
16. Luxury item? Well, at heart I'm a practical person so it would have to be something useful. I know. An unlimited supply of desalination tablets for water.
17. I fantasise about Woody Allen. JUST KIDDING!!! I fantasise about lots of people: sometimes it's the postman, sometimes it's my golf pro, sometimes it's a friend's husband (sshh, don't tell), sometimes it's the dishy dad at my kids' old primary school (though he's gone quite hairy now), sometimes it's even my husband.
18. My wallet is a mess of library cards, kids' photos, top-up cards for mobile phones that aren't used anymore, one credit card, one ATM card, Costco membership card, some loyalty cards, insurance card, dental appointment cards. Etc.
19. If there were a fire, I save my kids first, the cats second. Or maybe the other way around, depending on the day and my mood. The rest of it can burn, baby, burn.
20. I'm finished, now it's your turn.