Month: November 2012

Proud in Battle

Posted on by kmarrs

First off, I am so very and publicly proud of some of the results this country accomplished last Tuesday.

We voted:

  • A disabled woman to the Senate
  • An openly gay woman to the Senate
  • Elizabeth Warren, who has a higher IQ than the rest of the Senate joined, to the Senate
  • By popular vote, 3 or 4 more states that allow gay marriage
  • A state that has marijuana usage legal, not matter what
  • More states that decriminalized or made it legal for medicinal purposes
  • And I don’t recall hearing abortion was voted illegal anywhere

We moved forward!

The man I voted for president, did not win.  I knew he wouldn’t.  Even without him standing a chance, I wanted people to take note. So many told me I wasted my vote by voting for Gary and I never agreed. But if he could maker others go “oh shit,” then all the better. I don’t think there would be a better way to force the Democrats and GOP to take notice then for a 3rd party to win a major deal breaking state like Ohio. Sometimes it isn’t about winning, it’s about making everyone else take notice. It’s also about picturing the look on the collective GOP face should Gary actually pull off a win. He didn’t win this, fine. But he lost with grace and with numbers better than the primary parties thought possible, even at just 1%. Now they will have to question what else is possible.

Sometimes voting strategy is less about the next 4 years and more about the next 400. A new era of having more than just 2 parties taken seriously. An era of plenty of options so people aren’t just going with the lesser of two evils. Sometimes the strategy is about making a statement so that an underdog, who shouldn’t be an underdog, can debate in the debates he met the requirements for. Why did both Obama and Romney work together to not let Gary debate? Isn’t it weird that this is the only thing those 2 have ever worked together on? And lame.

I had planned to vote for Gary since back when he first announced well over a year ago and was working towards the Republican ticket. I still think he could pull both parties together towards bipartisanship because he fits so equally between the two parties on the issues, so things could get done. Or they would team together against him as president, as they have during the election months. Might teach the Democrats and Republicans to work together. Common enemy.  Should he have won? He didn’t. But he did make people take notice and he brings hope that the next era of voting and leadership will bring true choice. That was my strategy. That is what I voted for.

Maybe I’m a dreamer. Maybe I’m a daydream believer. Maybe no third-party will ever have a chance. Maybe I’m naive in thinking it doesn’t have to be this way. Maybe I think it’s time for a revolution of sorts. Not on a battlefield. Dear God no. But a figurative revolution named for a serious cry out for change in the system. Laws can be amended. The constitution can be amended. Will this change happen in my lifetime? Probably not. But there is no reason to think it can’t ever happen. We’ve come a long way. There is no reason to think this nation is stunted in its growth and can’t ever come even and ever further. There is no reason to think the laws and habits that govern how we elect and select our leaders will never and can never be changed. Maybe not in a matter of a few years or a few elections, but unless the world really is ending this December, I do feel we have time even if my generation won’t live to see it. Doesn’t mean my generation can’t start the fight for it. (My generation is the 1%.  The 1% that voted for another, better option.)

It shouldn’t even be a fight. It should be a matter of adjusting to the times. But then I suppose with our leaders (still) bickering over what constitutes as rape, I shouldn’t be surprised at the lack of forward motion. With this election we could stay in place, go back 60 years, or start the process of moving forward. Yes I’m aware, the third option is wishful thinking, but it shouldn’t be.

And while I’m sad Gary didn’t win, or even get the 5% popular vote he was striving for, I will admit I’m greatly relieved it was Obama who did win.  My first choice?  No.  But a good choice.  A lessor of a few other evils, choice.

Now with everything said and done, I call for the nation to move forward with grace.  We are a nation almost 100% split down the middle.  If we don’t work together towards healing, compromise and bipartisanship, that figurative revolution I called for in congress and/or the courtroom may well turn into a literal revolution on the battle field where words become bullets and we all lose.  All of us.  Every.  Single.  One.

A Tale of Two Termites

Posted on by kmarrs

Two, two hundred, two thousand, two million, two billion.  All named Fred.  That’s how no one has been punched in the face.  I name them so I mind their existence a little less.

We’ve had a leak in that spot of the basement forever.  There’s also been a known pipe issue right there forever.  So, you know, is how it goes.

I’ve also been noticing a weird something(?) for a long time that I’ve understandably thought was part of the wall disintegrating.  It’s right there with the water leak and oh hey, everything thing else wall related is falling apart in that spot.

Then finally after way too long, I noticed little almost clear bugs and that something weird seemed to be a tunnel they were building.  Pat took a look, consulted Google, and declared them termites.  So.  Awesome, yes?

Yes! (No!  No!  No!)

So Pat called the apartment complex and told them flat-out with no uncertainty that we had termites.  And they sent their bug guy out.  He spent about 2 minutes in the basement, agreed they were termites and then told me husband that he doesn’t do termites, they’d have to call in the specialist.

Ok if you don’t do termites why the fuck are you here to begin with?  Oh how I wondered and angered.  Then I joked that the termite guy would spent 1.5 minutes (he’s the expert so he wouldn’t need the full 2) looking, agree they were termites, and then leave.

I loath being right.  Except when it’s convenient to be right.  This is the opposite of convenient.

I sleep in that room.  They are eating the floor above my head.  I’m going to wake some morning to find myself in bed with the dining room table.

Now, I could have written this post a month ago.  I would have, even, but I figured I’d hold off until I could announce that something had been done.

The only thing that’s been done is I’ve rearranged my whole basement.  Honestly they haven’t invested to the point of the furniture being in danger but why chance it?  Also, I do still sleep right there.  They are eating the walls, the floor and allowing flooding of my space.

And I can’t go all angry Karen on them because Pat warns I’ve only seen the workers which are pacifists.  Apparently there are warriors somewhere in my walls and they are less paci, and more fist.

Ginny Rose

Posted on by kmarrs

This is little Ginny Rose, whom is named for my Maternal Grandmother Virginia. Little Ginny is forever perched on my right shoulder.  Her and her books.

Years ago, my mom and sister got matching cherry blossoms. With Rachel and I having been born right outside DC, it was a way to tie my mom and sister together in a way the was meaningful to their beginnings as mother and daughter.

For awhile there, I too was maybe going to get a cherry blossom, but my sister respectfully requested that remain just her and my mom.  So my mom, ready for her second tattoo, opted to pick something new for just her and I.  With me having been old enough to remember her mother and having forged a close bond, we selected an owl which was something her mother collected and would forever tie the 3 generations even if her mother would never be inked or see ours.

I then suggested to take it a step farther and have a stack of books since we are/were all 3 known for our love of books.  Mom elected to keep hers to just the owl, and she did inverse the colors, but hers is equally adorable and forever perched on her left shoulder.

So is how am I celebrating turning 29 very very soon.  My first tattoo and a celebration of generations.

Things ‘A’ Rollin’

Posted on by kmarrs

I’ve spoken with Franklin University.  I have my very own enrollment coach helping to be sure things go smooth.  I phone interviewed with her last Thursday night.  Already they are better at communication than CSCC.  Within my conversation I learned that we would have to send my transcripts from CSCC (from here on out “C”) to Franklin (“F”).  No way around it.  Which left a lingering fear of my GPA at C.  I was told I would need to speak to the financial aid office to see what GPA requirements I needed to meet to have my aid.  So I prepared to take more classes at C while desiring to waste no more time or money on them.

Now let’s be clear, even with those dropped classes, my GPA at C isn’t THAT low.  It’s not what I’m capable of within my potential, but it’s not embarrassing all things considered.  It’s a 2.8.  Which according to C’s standards of excellence, is too damn low for me to get the aid the government handed to me.

So yesterday, finally having a chance to sit and make calls during business hours, I called F’s financial aid office to see what their Standards of Excellence requirements are.  They?  Require a 1.8 for aid.  AND they don’t even give a damn what my GPA with C is, they only care about what I get and maintain with them.

Guys?  I get my clean slate!

In related and OMG am I making the right decision news:  One of my biggest issues with CSCC was the lack of communication.  I was annoyed about losing my aid, fine, but their inability to communicate that I lost it, or even anything in general, was why I didn’t rush into fighting for it back.  (Or working for it back.  But I could have filed an appeal and would have won.)  The thing is, I’d call that office in times past and the phone would just ring and ring for hours.  I’d spend hours in the line there and watch them ignore the phone completely as it rung off the hook.  I’ve even seen them answer it but then hang it right back up without actually saying a word or seeing if anyone was there.  They fail in communication skills.

Yesterday I called Franklin’s aid office and someone picked up on the 3rd ring.  She herself couldn’t answer my question so she transferred me, to someone who picked up in under a minute of me being on hold.  The whole process was over and done in under 10 minutes.

And then I called my enrollment coach back to let her know where I’m in, int he process and the good news.  I had to leave a message but she called me back.  Pretty sure this is EPIC in the communications department.