Disclaimer: The thoughts and feelings expressed in this post are solely the author's and do not represent the official position of any government agency.
The whole family slept all the way until 7:40 this morning. Wow, we needed it. Did I mention yesterday that The Boy didn't have a nap? Well, he didn't. So: manic boy and zombified parents by the end of the day. Glad -- SO glad -- we all slept soundly.
The Boy didn't want to go to school this morning. He told me he wanted to go to another pumpkin patch instead. Awwww.
So, we took the guy to school, had breakfast, and we did, in fact, scout out another pumpkin patch. I figure we can hit a different one every weekend between now and Halloween.
So, we took the guy to school, had breakfast, and we did, in fact, scout out another pumpkin patch. I figure we can hit a different one every weekend between now and Halloween.
We took my car for an oil change.
I did 8 of my 15 minutes of BB time around 11 a.m. (And the other around 5 p.m.) The return of the daily BB check has meant the return of my anxiety about the shutdown. I'm nervous again, for no good reason, and with no good outlet.
But perhaps I'm also nervous again because I've been reading the news again, after the weekend break. I've seen in the news and in my Facebook feed people becoming frustrated with the shutdown, upset that some government services are not available, services that maybe they didn't even necessarily associate with the government until they were gone. I occasionally find the frustration ironic because it sometimes comes from the very people who generally complain about the government being too big.
And there's always a debate in this country about the size of the government. But the fact is, friends, that, while we can debate about the fringes, we do all need a functioning federal government. It keeps our food safe; it helps us find our kids if they're kidnapped; it tracks disease outbreaks; it figures out why planes crashes happened; it does important medical research; it supports our farmers; it cleans up toxic waste sites; it finds and prosecutes murders; it pursues people like Bernie Madoff who steal innocent people's money through fraudulent investment schemes; it cares for our military veterans; it tracks down terrorists before they can hurt us. All these things it cannot do (or it cannot do as well) during this government shutdown. I am concerned that we are one pandemic, one hurricane, one terrorist attack away from serious calamity. Government of the people, by the people, and for the people cannot be for the people if it is not funded.
I did 8 of my 15 minutes of BB time around 11 a.m. (And the other around 5 p.m.) The return of the daily BB check has meant the return of my anxiety about the shutdown. I'm nervous again, for no good reason, and with no good outlet.
But perhaps I'm also nervous again because I've been reading the news again, after the weekend break. I've seen in the news and in my Facebook feed people becoming frustrated with the shutdown, upset that some government services are not available, services that maybe they didn't even necessarily associate with the government until they were gone. I occasionally find the frustration ironic because it sometimes comes from the very people who generally complain about the government being too big.
And there's always a debate in this country about the size of the government. But the fact is, friends, that, while we can debate about the fringes, we do all need a functioning federal government. It keeps our food safe; it helps us find our kids if they're kidnapped; it tracks disease outbreaks; it figures out why planes crashes happened; it does important medical research; it supports our farmers; it cleans up toxic waste sites; it finds and prosecutes murders; it pursues people like Bernie Madoff who steal innocent people's money through fraudulent investment schemes; it cares for our military veterans; it tracks down terrorists before they can hurt us. All these things it cannot do (or it cannot do as well) during this government shutdown. I am concerned that we are one pandemic, one hurricane, one terrorist attack away from serious calamity. Government of the people, by the people, and for the people cannot be for the people if it is not funded.
Anyway, off my soapbox . . . .
I mentioned the Khan Academy a few days ago. Since then, I've been doing math drills on The Khan Academy website to brush up my math skills, when I have a few minutes to spare. It's a good way to pass the time. And it's fun! (No, really, it is!)
So I laid on the sofa with my iPad and did some math this afternoon. The hardest part of remembering how to do geometry is remembering what all the hieroglyphics that go with it mean. But somehow, magically, I remembered (in connection with some not-geometry mathematics drills I was doing) that this -- |x| -- means the absolute value of x. Strange thing, memory.
So, the rest of the day, what did I do: went running. I started week 6, day 1 of the ZenLabs C25K program, but ended up quitting mid-way through, as I have the other 50,000 times I've tried this program. My opinion remains the same: they ramp up the distance too quickly starting at week 6 (really, week 5.5). I think they do this because they're trying to squeeze the program into 10 weeks. They should lower everyone's expectations, stretch it out over more weeks, and have a slower progression to longer intervals. People would have more success, I think. It's called couch to 5K, not moderately fit to 5K. Anyway, so I'll drop back and do week 5 over again, slow myself down.
So, the rest of the day, what did I do: went running. I started week 6, day 1 of the ZenLabs C25K program, but ended up quitting mid-way through, as I have the other 50,000 times I've tried this program. My opinion remains the same: they ramp up the distance too quickly starting at week 6 (really, week 5.5). I think they do this because they're trying to squeeze the program into 10 weeks. They should lower everyone's expectations, stretch it out over more weeks, and have a slower progression to longer intervals. People would have more success, I think. It's called couch to 5K, not moderately fit to 5K. Anyway, so I'll drop back and do week 5 over again, slow myself down.
Also, some guy's unleashed boxer ran at me and think I twisted my knee trying to get away from it, so I may not be running at all tomorrow anyway.
Practiced guitar.
Did some sewing.
Picked The Boy up from school.
Had dinner.
I checked the news to see if I need to dress for work in the morning. Looks like I don't.
And, as I suspected, the back pay bill has been slowed in the Senate, leaving federal workers with uncertainty. There are some of us who will be okay without paychecks for a few weeks. There are others of us who work paycheck to paycheck. It's unfortunate that they are/we are being used as political ping pongs. But it's been happening for three years -- we've not seen a COLA in three years on account of politics. Why would now be any different?
(And I will note that this did not happen during the prior administration. I'm not pointing fingers, just noting that federal workers did get COLAs, were not furloughed, and the government did not shut down during the last President's tenure and under a different make up of the Congress. Apply what analysis you will to that information.)
Night-night, friends and neighbors.
(And I will note that this did not happen during the prior administration. I'm not pointing fingers, just noting that federal workers did get COLAs, were not furloughed, and the government did not shut down during the last President's tenure and under a different make up of the Congress. Apply what analysis you will to that information.)
Night-night, friends and neighbors.
