Friday, October 31, 2003

The Randomest of Days

- Forgot it was Halloween until I saw Wilma Flinstone standing on a corner talking on her cell phone.

- Witnessed a guy get shot 6-7 times (on television at the office) before the shooter was tackled by an off-duty cop. The victim was shot once in the head but it wasn't fatal. I hear he's a lawyer and his client was mad. Everything was caught on tape by a newsreporter. Geesh, a lawyer's worst nightmare -- the client from hell.

- Got a raise in salary. That was very nice.

- Internet connection at work was down, and thus I was useless. Left the office early.

- Exited the office. Happened to notice that it was pouring down rain. This is the first rain we've had since Spring, or - so I am told. For the record: I LOVE RAIN. I had to walk three blocks from the office door to my car but I didn't even care.

- Wrung water out of my hair before stepping into my car.

- At a stop light, observed a passenger tooting a large golden horn in his car. Weird chap.

- Burnt my tongue on soup. The soup was tasty, though.

- Must go make some presently unknown German dish for a church dinner tonight. Need to research that so I'd better sign off. Bratwurst, anyone?

Thursday, October 30, 2003

Compelled to Blog

Oh my gosh . . . I wasn't even planning on blogging anything for a while because I realize I have been blogging probably too much lately. BUT . . . I am COMPELLED to blog. I was just researching something for work (yes, I do work) and had to access the Planned Barrenhood, oops, I mean Parenthood website. The first thing that jumped off the screen at me was this statement:

"We believe in passion — for change, for justice, for easing the plight of others, for caring, for living our convictions, and for confronting inhumane acts."

OH MY GOSH!! Talk about DECEPTION and LIES. The first part of it was bad enough . . . and I can see how some REALLY confused people would "think" they are "helping" women by "caring," etc., "helping" them to get rid of the growing, heartbeating, brainwaving, "tissue" inside them. But, the part about "convictions" and "confronting inhumane acts"? That is just WAY too much. It's like they are PROUD they kill unborn children. "Don't tell me it's not a baby," as Dr. Laura would say. You know what I think? I think that the activists promoting abortion are secretly so riddled with guilt about what they do for a living that they have to boldly proclaim these types of messages simply to deceive themselves and COPE with their morbid lives.

Flat screen glasses?

Kevin enters the room wearing his glasses.
A: You really should wear your glasses more often. You look very distinguished when you wear them.
K: I just don’t like them . . . the lenses are so thick.
A: You could get those glasses that are "reduced thickness."
K: (rolling eyes) I already have!
A: Well, maybe technology has advanced since you last looked into it and they can reduce your lens size even more.
K: Doubt it.
A: If they have flat-screened TVs, they can have flat-screened glasses!

Red and Gold

Yesterday, as I walked downtown, a gorgeous star-shaped red and gold leaf fluttered across my path and landed at my feet. I picked it up and took it home. That little act of God made me stop and reflect on more somber and wonderful things in life. After all . . . it’s fall. A time to reflect.

King's game

We were greatly entertained by Walt last night, watching him cheer, hoot and howl constantly. I, personally, enjoyed stuffing my face. It’s very hard for me to understand some people who are not highly motivated by food, especially junk food. This one guy I know, his name begins with a K-e-v-i-n, walked into the kitchen, observed the many delicious items, and came back with . . . guess what? . . . an apple slice. That’s it!

Wednesday, October 29, 2003

All in One Night

Last night we did some grocery shopping together. Kevin paid the cashier while I amused myself reading all the tabloids. Tabloids are such fun. I love the really far out ones. Honestly, Globe and Enquirer are really mild compared to this one I was reading last night. G and E only report on things like "Is Camilla Parker Dying?" and Nicole Kidman allegedly marrying some tatooed rock star (which she probably was only seen with once, or maybe never, and their images were cut and pasted together). Granted, most tabloids are on the shelves to tap into the "shock" market. But the ones that are especially shocking and outrageous take the most creativity. For instance, this one I read last night had three items on the cover: 1) Osama Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein’s "gay wedding" and how they have now adopted a baby ape with a shaved head; 2) George W. Bush’s plans to make square dancing mandatory for all Americans; and 3) Hair from God’s beard found with conclusive DNA evidence. One of the best ones I ever saw was a few years ago during the O.J. Simpson trial and also during the time when Jon Benet Ramsey, the child beauty queen, was missing from her home in Colorado. The headline of one tabloid read, "O.J. Implicated in Jon Benet’s Murder." Ha! If there are enough inane people out there willing to pay money for one of those magazines, I think the creative people that publish them deserve their salaries.

Also last night, we discussed the "B" word (budget). Now, I realize that many young couples have this conversation. That, however, didn’t make our conversation any easier. I think we’ll get the wrinkles out soon. Actually, we’re pretty like-minded when it comes to spending. Except that I like lots of "cheap" things (hey, I admit it) and Kevin likes a few good quality things that will last forever. And I shop on impulse and he plans out exactly what he wants to buy months in advance.

Otherwise, our evening was uneventful . . . oh, except for the fact that I reached in the freezer last night and spilled a whole tray of icy water (meant to be ice cubes someday) down my front side. What a klutz. Brrrrr.

Tonight we’re going to watch a King’s game at a friend’s house - the tip off of the season. The people we are watching it with are fanatics. Should be interesting.

Tuesday, October 28, 2003

Live Report from Correspondent Christy Williams in Long Beach

"The fires are scary... It smells awful down here. There is ash all over
our cars every morning, it's really incredible."
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Thank you, Christy, for that first hand report. The fires in southern California seem unstoppable as they continue to blaze and consume everything in their path.

My Philosophy on Chocolate

If you are having a good day, you should have chocolate to celebrate.
If you are having a bad day, you should have chocolate because you deserve it.

Optimism

The other day Kevin was worried about something not happening.
A: Don’t worry, it will.
K: How do you know?
A: I just know it. It will happen.
K: Yeah, and you’re the person who thinks Wal-Mart exists simply to help people.

Hey, this world would be a bleak place if people didn’t believe in love, hope, and miracles. ;)

Quote

"God doesn’t play dice." - A. Einstein

Scarlet Letter

There is practically nothing better than curling up with a good book on a cold day (not that we’ve had any of those lately) and losing yourself in the escapades of a different time and a different place. Lately we’ve been reading some good classics together. We’ve read The Phantom of the Opera and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde, both of which we greatly enjoyed. (Okay, Amy even cried at the end of The Phantom.) We are now plowing through The Scarlet Letter. We are about a third of the way through and are not liking it at all. It’s way too descriptive and the sentences drag on forever about seemingly irrelevant and boring subject matter. It’s like: get to the point! Tell the stupid story already! But, since we are not quitters, we will continue. And, maybe we’ll even like it in the end.

I Will Survive

Well, the time has changed. It is now dark as I leave the office to head home. Ick. Dark is depressing. Whenever I face it, despondency threatens overtake me. Heaviness encompasses me like a thick fog. But I will overcome. I will fight. I will survive.

Monday, October 27, 2003

Little Darlings and Flying Elephants

On Sunday after church I played in the nursery with four little girls, Elise, Emma, Arianna, and Mary Beth. They all had these poofy dresses and curly, fluffy hair. They were very adorable. We put several puzzles together and took a few quick breaks from our playtime to hide from the [imaginary] "bad man," which the girls thought was great fun. Anyway . . . we had a good time. :)
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To switch topics . . . Kevin, being the sweetest guy I know, also has an aggressive side. Warning: Be careful when he gets into his attack mode (which, I admit, only happens rarely). He is a very formidable adversary! Sunday night I experienced this. We were playing Scattergories and he (amazingly) challenged the validity of one of my answers. The letter was "E" and the category was "things in the sky." I couldn’t think of anything at first and then realized (like duh!) Dumbo flies. Dumbo is an elephant that flies. Flying things are in the sky. Thus, elephants that fly are things in the sky. (Such profound logic!) So, my answer was "Elephants." He hotly contested this. We bickered about this on and off throughout the duration of the game. He could not BELIEVE my conscience allowed me to count that answer as a point. I could not believe that he did not see the clear justice, truth, and commonsense of the matter! Anyway, when we tallied up our scores at the end, we discovered that we tied. Ha! The outcome of the game fell upon my "elephant" point. Kevin mentioned the verse in Proverbs about the lot being cast and the answer being from the Lord. So, we tossed a coin and I won. I was vindicated at last!! Elephants truly are "things in the sky."

Adventure at Every Turn

Saturday was splendid. Mid-morning we headed toward Napa Valley. We drove through the vineyards for a while in search of a winery to tour. We found a respectable-looking winery called Mumm and parked our car. The air was pleasantly warm, dry and breezy. The path to the winery unveiled a wooden gate, leading to a colorful vineyard and some blue mountains beyond. Very picturesque. The tour was incredible. I never realized how much work it takes to make wine. Maybe now I’ll appreciate it more. (But I don’t think I’ll ever appreciate it as much as Pepsi.) ;) Anyway, it was very interesting. After the tour, we continued driving through the wine country hills and stopped for lunch at a cute little town called Calistoga. We ate at a deli (red checkered tablecloths and all) and watched the end of a close college football game. We heard rumor that there was a geyser somewhere to the north of Calistoga called "California’s Old Faithful." Supposedly it shoots a 60 ft. stream of boiling hot water into the air every 20 minutes. In search of more adventure, we decided to check it out. We didn’t realize until we got to the geyser entrance that it was privately owned and not a state park. We saw a bunch of signs at the entrance advertising other "attractions" inside, for example "fainting goats." We supposed they were trying to convince us we were getting our EIGHT BUCKS worth! It was worth it simply because we laughed and laughed at how hokey it was. The geyser was pretty cool - but not eight bucks cool. There was a little "hut" outside the geyser that played a video of this little old lady who owned the property. She was hysterical. We joked that she probably had a hose underground that shot off water and it wasn’t really a geyser after all. Just a gimmick to get some attention and spending money. Funny. After leaving the geyser, we saw a sign advertising a petrified forest. Hmmm . . . interesting. Maybe we’re just suckers but we headed off to find that also. We never did find it but, hey, it was a beautiful drive. What a wonderful day. What a wonderful world.
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That night we made a Wal-Mart run to buy some frames and nails to hang up some pictures in Kevin’s office. It was fun decorating. We ended up staying at his office until late. But now it looks all spiffy and stuff.

Friday, October 24, 2003

How I feel exactly . . .

Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it,
and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth
seeking the successive autumns.
- George Eliot

Freeway Fun

A: Have you ever been sitting in the middle of traffic on the freeway feeling as though your car is going to spontaneously combust at any moment with you inside? You are going to think I'm a worry wart, but that was ME this morning. I started smelling gasoline through my air-conditioning vent. I checked my fuel gauge and noticed it read "empty" even though Kev had filled it up for me last night. (Not knowing ANYTHING about auto mechanics, I should be very careful in what I say next so I don't sound like a total idiot.) I figured my gas had probably leaked somewhere - who knows where - and my car was going to explode any second! The remainder of my drive was consumed with great tension as I feared for my life. The seconds ticked by as though they were hours. My fears were finally relieved, however, when I made it safely to my office parking lot. Oh well. How boring would life be if you don't have an imagination to break up the humdrum? ;)

Thursday, October 23, 2003

Choir from Heaven

A: Last Saturday night I had the delight of attending Kevin's chorale performance. It was called "Reconciliation" and was about peace in time of war. In spite of the politically correct theme, it was fantastic! And truthfully, I must admit that we all desire peace in time of war. Just, some of us see the "process" of obtaining peace differently. Anyway, the best piece of the evening was called Lux Aeterna. There was another Latin piece called something Donna something Pachem. And, there was a rendition of Oh God Our Help in Ages Past that was rather dissonant. It was combined with an electronic effect - basically a helicopter getting louder and louder. A girl sitting next to me became frightened and her dad had to take her out. But, overall, it was beautiful. The orchestra was awesome. The choir was outstanding. The funniest part was this little, wiry old woman singing tenor in the front row. She had a long gray pony tail and thick glasses. She was wearing a tux, instead of a dress, because she was in the guy's section. She seemed short and as thin as a rail. But, despite her small frame, she had PASSION. It was great to watch her facial expressions and body movements. She and the music were one.

Apartment Nazi

Okay, we have this apartment manager named "Pam." We refer to her as the "Apartment Nazi" because she is such a control freak! She acts like she knows every time you come and go. When we first moved in, we got back one night at 10:30 pm, after taking a little trip to San Francisco for the day. She told us the next morning, "You guys got in late last night." Oh brother! She has NO LIFE outside managing the apartment complex. Now, just so you know, I’m not completely complaining about this. I do acknowledge that there is a good side to this. For instance, if someone was trying to burglarize the place, she would probably know about it right away! So, I suppose that we do have some greater level of security because of Pam. Anyway, as I was getting out of the car yesterday, she yelled across the parking lot to me, "You’re getting a new neighbor!" (The apartment next to ours had recently become vacant.) "Oh yeah," I said, not really caring one way or the other. She then proudly exclaimed, "Your new neighbor is ME." At this point I froze in mid stride. "Oh, cool!," I said, to be polite. "Wonderful." (Don’t you love the social mores of our day?) Pam beamed with happiness. She then proceeded to tell me the reason she is moving next door to us. Apparently from that apartment she will have a extraordinary vantage point. From the sliding glass door of the bedroom and the windows of the living room, she will be able to see "everything" that goes on. She will be able to see practically all of the apartment complex. Isn’t that great? [sigh]

Life

A: This post is not about our lives. It's about Terri's life. What do you all think about the Terri Schiavo case in Florida? (She is "comatose" and the court orderdered her feeding tube removed, which her husband wanted, and her parents didn't.) I have been following this case closely. My biggest problem with the whole thing is that the courts are allowing Terri's husband to maintain her guardianship in spite of the fact that he has a clear, strikingly obvious conflict of interest. How can he possibly be looking out for Terri's best interests when he has a new honey and wants the money. (No, I'm not trying to make a cute rhyme.) How can the courts possibly deny Terri FOOD and WATER when no efforts have been made to put her through therapy to help her condition and several doctors say it's hopeful she can improve? This case is so troubling to me. It's not about refusing to sustain her artifically (she's not on life support). It's about giving her food and water, for heaven's sake! Those are the basic necessities of all - next to oxygen! It's against the law to refuse food and hydration to a farm animal. Why are we subjecting Terri to cruel and unusual punishment by denying this to a human being?! She will die a painful death that is prohibited for animals. Who is next? Shall we determine that downs syndrome babies should be left in room to die of dehydration and hunger because their parents (guardians) don't think they are fit to live? How far shall we take this line of reasoning that human life should be denied when there is a handicap? When do we determine life is not worth living? WHO determines that?

Oscar Orange, the Jack-O-Lantern

A: Last week . . . Kev surprised me and brought home a PUMPKIN, which he purchased from a patch in Placerville. We cleared the table one night and took a carving knife to him. He turned out surprisingly well. We named him "Oscar." He has three teeth and a goofy smile, not scary at all, which we thought appropriate for our Christian home. ;) We roasted the pumpkin seeds and had a snack afterwards. Then, we put a little tea candle inside Oscar's hollow belly and turned out the lights. It was a true Fall Moment. I love the festive times!

The sad part of the story: last night we had to perform a funeral for Oscar. (Just kidding, we really aren't THAT sentimental, we threw him in a trash can, actually . . . in case you care to know.) Poor fellow. He was all molded on the inside and his mouth had collapsed so that his teeth had fallen in. He actually looked like an old, wrinkled, toothless man. It was kinda funny, actually. (I have a picture to prove it.) I think we shall have to carve another pumpkin to replace him. There is now a gaping hole in our hearts since he is gone.

Brrrrrr

A: It's 54 degrees this morning in Sacramento. Of course, this afternoon it will be 80 degrees. That's how weird the weather is here. But, anyway, my point is that it was cold this morning as I walked down "K" street to my office. Ahead of me was a woman, also presumably walking to her office, wearing a skirt that came to her knees, with bare legs and open toed sandals. That's how crazy Californians are. They wear clothes like that all year round despite "low" temperatures. (I put low in quotes because I spent last winter in Indiana and nothing here is low compared to there!) When I lived in Long Beach, people wore shorts all year round. How fun is that? You have to get out your cute sweaters sometime!
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Anyhow, life here has been busy and full. Kevin started a new job working for the Zumbrun Law Firm, a firm that specializes in litigating property rights. He is enjoying it so far. I'm sure he would love to tell you about it personally but he actually WORKS for a living! ;-) I just talk politics all day and occasionally put myself to good use. So, you're stuck with me for now. :)
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Before Kev got this new job he took a CPS case to help out a family. It was a referral from his old boss at HSLDA. The judge scheduled trial for three weeks later. It has been a stressful time because he is trying to juggle that and also get in 35 billable hours every week for his new boss! Plus, when you start a new job, you are trying to adjust to new personalities in the office, find out where the bathrooms are and the sticky notes, etc. Poor Kev. But, knowing him, he's gonna do GREAT. :)

Wednesday, October 08, 2003

The Great Debate

Okay, Kevin and Amy are having a debate. Amy likes old houses and Kevin likes new houses. Amy likes the fact that old houses have so much personality and are so romantic! Kevin likes the fact that new houses don't require constant upkeep - and they smell nice. :) Kevin suggests that someday they buy a new house that LOOKS like an old house. Amy is still deciding if she will agree to this compromise. She might agree to this compromise if the new house can have a red front door and hydrangea bushes everywhere!

This is what happens to your life if you are a lawyer and you decide to marry another lawyer. Constant arguments all the time. ;-)

Last Night's Lowdown

A: Arnold won. That's all I'm going to say about that. The good news is that the broadway show was excellent. It was very funny. Lots of laughs. The BEST part was all the tap dancing. I just loved it! Tons and TONS of tapping. Fun, fun, fun! Makes me sad that I've taken tap lessons twice but never stuck with it. Oh well.

Tuesday, October 07, 2003

Horror Videos for Children Campaign

K: A few blogs ago, Amy mentioned that we rented a couple of movies: Sixth Sense and Muppet Treasure Island.

Well, a few days after returning the videos to their respective stores (at least the cases), Amy discovered that the Muppet movie was still sitting on our living room floor. She's sure, though, that the case was full when we returned it. I went into Blockbuster to return the actual cassette, but the employees couldn't find the supposedly empty case.

We can only now hope that the kid who rented the Muppets doesn't sue us for all the nightmares he'll have for years to come brought on by watching Sixth Sense instead.

Move Out Gray Davis!

A: Yesterday I attended a recall rally at the capitol. There were moving trucks lining the streets with big signs offering to help move out Gray Davis when he is recalled. It was GREAT. Horns were blaring. People were yelling. (Yes, I was yelling too!) I got interviewed by News 10 because the reporter was amused, I think.

And, today, as I write, votes are being cast. According to all predictions, Gray will need the trucks. This morning we got up and headed to the polls (well, actually, we got ready first and THEN went to the polls). We cast our votes in a fire station. I thought that was the coolest thing. Usually I get assigned to retarded places like schools and community centers. I've never voted in a FIRE STATION before. All the fire trucks were there - and the big yellow hoses were hanging in the rafters - and everything!

Tonight we're going to a broadway play called 42nd street. Someone gave us tickets - and we're only going to make them feel good!! J/K!!! ;-) No, we're really looking forward to a "date." We will probably join the recall parties after the play is over. They probably won't know the results until late anyway.

Tuxedo

Kevin recently purchased a tuxedo to be able to sing in the Sacramento Choral Society. He looks smashing in it! When he tried on the tux, we noticed that it came with a shirt but didn't come with a bowtie.

A: I guess we're gonna have to buy you one before your first performance.
K: Yeah, I guess . . .
A: (eyes widening) I think we should get you a RED bowtie!
K: (incredulous look) Um . . . NO. A black one is just fine.
A: But then you could be "SPEEEECIAAAAL"
K: I don't want to be special!




Cutie Kev

A: I found out more about Kev's pain tolerance threshhold this weekend. He was really cute trying to help me cook in the kitchen. The dish we were making required bacon. He offered to fry it for me. He took one step toward the fry pan and a piece of grease hit his arm. The next thing I knew, he ran to the bedroom and pulled out a long sleeve shirt to wear. He said he would also wear gloves but they were packed away.
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This weekend we rented a movie called "Sixth Sense." Normally we don't watch ANYTHING in the horror section but Amy had seen it before and thought it had a great ending so she convinced Kev to watch it. He was so disturbed by it when it ended at midnight that he turned on "Sleepless in Seattle" so he could watch something "lighter" before going to bed. Amy fell asleep at the beginning of it. She woke up at the end of the movie with Kevin next to her, tears streaming down his cheecks 'cuz the movie was so sweet. Isn't he adorable! :)
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P.S. He's going to KILL me for posting these things!!
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Note: We ALSO rented a movie last week. We rented "Muppets Treasure Island." We are probably the only people in the world who rent a kids movie one week and a horror movie the next!

Friday, October 03, 2003

Do I have a life?

A: This is probably a good question since this is my THIRD blog within a few minutes. I have a fabulous excuse for why I'm blogging so much but, since we all hate excuses, I won't post it.

So . . . Kev and I are new to the Sacramento area. We really don't have any friends here yet. Right? (Hey, maybe that's why I have time to blog!) Anyway, in order to help solve our friends problem and also because we thought it was otherwise a good idea, we found a young marrieds Bible study to attend. Last night was our third time to go. Some of the people in this group are hysterical. They keep us in laughing pretty much the whole time. Last night Kevin and I had a discussion about when humor is appropriate and when it's not. Maybe Kev should speak for himself but, I think it's perfectly fine to laugh at a Bible study. HOWEVER I would draw the line at making humorous remarks during prayer time for the purpose of getting people to laugh. There's one person at this study who does that pretty much every time he prays. It bothers me. It really does. It makes me wonder if he's praying to God or praying to the crowd.

Another issue we've had with this study is that some people there seem more interested in studying books on marriage rather than the Bible itself. But, hey, I'm not trying to totally knock this group. We have really enjoyed the fellowship and we have been learning things too. There are some great, really sincere people in the group.

Ramblings

A: I was interviewed by the press again today about some legislation I've worked on. This has been a semi-regular occurence since starting with Capitol Resource Institute. Every time I do it, though, I feel my voice getting shaky. Don't know why but I feel nervous about it. I don't want to sound stupid or something.

Accosted on the Street

A: Well, I took a walk in the Capitol gardens during my lunch hour and on the way back a strange thing occured. This large unkempt man walking toward me said, "Hey, can I ask you a question?" I replied, "No" and shook my head. (My mama taught me right - don't talk to strange people.) Then, as I walked away from him, he yelled out all sorts of names at me. Until this point in time I've never had the pleasure of being called a "white 'female dog'" and other things I won't repeat. Geesh.

Thursday, October 02, 2003

Pathetic Females

Amy: Okay, let me get on my soap box here for a minute. That whole bachelor show is such an extreme embarassment to women!! Do those female contestants realize they look like such idiots?! They fall all over this guy - who is not even cute - and when he tells them that they are still in the "competition" they cry and embrace him?? My question: What has feminism done for any of us?

In the Elevator with Arnold

Amy: I must say that interesting things happen to our friend Christine. She was at an event the other day and happend to get in an elevator with Arnold, The Terminator, himself. Arnold turned to Christine and this is what they said:

Arnold: "So, are you going to vote for me?"
Christine: "No."
Arnold: "Why not?"
Christine: "Because we believe different things on the moral issues, such as abortion."
Arnold: "I believe in a woman's right to choose."
Christine: "I believe in a baby's right to live."
Arnold: [Pause] "You are a tough girl."

Okay, I won't bore you with too much political yak, but I thought this dialogue was GREAT.

Kevin: I thought Arnold was going to turn to Christine and say, "I have the perfect part for you in Terminator 5." (Ha!)

Wednesday, October 01, 2003

Fall in . . . Sacramento?

Amy: I think I'll miss Virginia the most during the fall season. The leaves change here too . . . but it's just not near as splendid! It just won't be the same.

Crazy time to be alive . . .

Amy: Gosh . . . we've only been in California for about two months and things get crazier every day. This recall business is a mess. It's simply amazing that people are actually planning to vote for Arnold Schwarzenegger (did I spell it right?). I have read many of his quotes in the papers and online and I have yet to discover him saying anything that sounds intelligent. We live in such a mindless society - you have a better chance at being governor if you've been in a blockbuster film than if you've been involved in public service for twenty years and have clarity on the issues. (Go McClintock!) "Voting for the lesser of two evils is still voting for evil." I forget who said that, maybe Alan Keyes.

Kevin: I would rather have Cruz in office as a dem than Arnold as a Republican. It sends the wrong message to the GOP party - that we are willing to accept candidates who contradict the party platform on practically all the moral issues.

Amy: "Yeah, exactly. For real!" (I have intelligent quotes, just like Arnold.)