Valentines Day, Cards and Some Cruelty

V-day was pretty typical for J, lots of candy swapped with girlfriends. I did manage to talk her out of sending a fake valentine to this one boy...as a joke.

I explained to her that everyone would laughing except this kid, and after some thought she decided to call it off.

Meanwhile, her friends were sending V-day texts back and forth like this:

Cost of limo: $100
Cost of dinner and drinks $200
Cost of hotel room: $250
Look on his face when you tell him you're having your period: Priceless.

I don't even want to ask.

In Defense of Hilary, by a Man

I don't think it's tripped J. radar yet about the whole blue dress, Monica thing with Hilary. I really don't think she cares.

But here is a nice essay, by a man I'm ashamed to say, about Hilary's decision to stick by Bill.

Build a Bear, You've Got to be Kidding Me

That, without preamble, is what my daughter said to me when she called me at work yesterday.

I'd forgotten that at the prodding of my PTA pres, I'd paid for and signed J. up for a Build-a-Bear like stuffed animal making event at her school. She was the only 8th grader there, along with the PTA pres' son. She was not happy with me.

I think in response, she created a white tiger dressed in, I guess, a skirt and fringed bikini top. But she insists it's a guy tiger, and a transsexual one at that. Okay, payback. No more Build-a-Bear for you.

Mom, those people next to us are mean

This is what J. whispered in my ear as we attended our caucus meeting today at Kent Elementary.

The parking lot was packed. We ended up in the old baseball field in back. The gym was filed with at least 600 people jammed around tables according to the precinct they belonged to. We finally found ours, and the 18 of us (most from one street over from where we live), tried to figure out what next.

It was obvious that Obama was going to carry this. Of the 18, only 4 were for Hilary and one man remained firmly undecided.

I ended up speaking for Hilary, and yes ended up as a delegate for the next step up on March 11. While we figured out who had to declare what and use a table to figure out how many delegates Obama vs. Hilary had, J. went browsing around the tables, to see how the rest were doing.

That's when she came back with the news we were a pretty mellow group. (Well, after all this is over, we still attend parties together, watch each other's house, return a dog that has gotten out of a fence.)

Then there was the group right behind us. Apparently the Obamaites wanted the Clintonites gone, and pretty much ordered them out of the building. Okay. Really wouldn't want to be at the next night out against crime street party with this group.

This election is even catching my daughter's interest

Surprisingly.

We were on our way to school this am, when the radio barked out that Hilary (I guess Bill took a pass) was arriving in Seattle at 8 pm tonight.

"Oh, I wish we could go to that," she said, while texting a friend she's going to see in 5 minutes at school.

Logistics say this isn't going to happen unless I left work, like now. First, it takes 45 minutes to get to Auburn, then would prob. take another 45 min. to an hour to get into Seattle. Never mind finding parking in the maw of cars that's guaranteed to be around the piers tonight. So sorry, Hilary, we're likely to vote for you, but no, we're not willing to sit in traffic for you.

J. then noted that Obama was arriving tomorrow.

About 2/3 of our class (meaning her home room class of 35 kids) are voting for him, she informed me.

And the other third?

Hilary, she said dismissively. And yes, she's part of that third.

"Oh, and Sean said he was voting for Huckabee (he's still in the race?)," J. said. "We all booed him."

I'm going to drive fast when I'm old...

This is what J. said to me as we followed someone down our hill today, at say, 15 mph.

Turned out to be a senior citizen, tho J. thinks anyone over 25 is old, in her book.

I can actually see her in a red sports car, hair flying in the wind at 50, with a Rottie (her fav. breed) filling in the seat next to her.

She made the cut!

But as she called me, her voice began to break, and she started to cry.

Okay, clue me in here, I thought this was good news (getting on the team, that is.). Did your BF make it (thinking that was maybe the reason for the tears.) Yes, and she did and no it wasn't.

Apparently, it was just the stress of waiting (she told me casually last night that anyone that didn't get on the team was going to get to be a manager, and she was fine with that. I really didn't believe her.)

And after these tears, I don't think she would have been fine with that.