So every year around the Wingspan Dinner, I have some bad car karma.

Last year, the day before the Dinner, I was rear-ended on Broadway as I was running last minute errands.

Three years ago, I had Kent Burbank handing me fistfuls of cash to take a cab from the TCC to the Jack Furrier's after I had to take my car in for emergency new tires when I found the morning of the dinner that I could see the wire inside my tires.

So it was no big shock to me this year when I got home last night to find I had a flat tire.

Kia Roadside Assistance is on the way and the dealer can fit me in this morning, but at least Miriam will be relieved to know that it's not her specifically.

Labels: Kia, personal, Wingspan

As I really started getting down into the nitty-gritty of planning this NYC trip, I started having some anxiety around money, which I think is understandable given that my employment after the end of this calendar year is not certain.

So rather than giving in to the anxiety altogether, I started loosening my criteria for this trip to find cheaper airfare and hotel combinations. Right now, I'm looking at flying JetBlue on December 19 (a red eye arriving December 20) and staying at the W Hotel Times Square until December 25. I really love flying on Christmas Day because it's the only day of the year when there is actually elbow room on the planes. That's right, goyim, give me that one day where I don't have to deal with all of you in travel hell! Ha!

I think five nights is plenty. Now I just need to find someone who will actually still be in Tucson to take care of Leif while I'm gone...

Labels: birthday, Leif, New York

Instead of voting on something meaningful that could actually end this disastrous and unsubstantiated war in Iraq, the Senate today passed a resolution condemning that clever "Patreas or Betray Us?" ad that ran last week in the New York Times.

That's right, our Senators got their knickers in a twist over an ad. In a newspaper. So twisted in fact that they felt the need to make a formal statement against that ad. That ran in a newspaper.

Of course, they did spend some time yesterday voting on a proposal by Senator Jim Webb of Virginia that would have given the troops as much time at home as they have to be deployed in the war zone. Historically, troops would get twice as much time off as they are required to be in theatre.

But the mental and physical health of our troops isn't as important as making sure that an advertisement is condemned. An advertisement that ran in a newspaper. You see, even though the Webb amendment received a majority of votes in the Senate, a procedural maneuver required it to receive a "supermajority" of 60 votes, which it did not get.

So rather than push another tactic today to try and overcome this Republican obstructionism, the Senate instead decided that its time would be better spent whining about an ad. In a newspaper.

MoveOn.org, which ran the original ad, is not taking this lying down. You can stand with MoveOn, and I encourage my faithful readers (both of you) to do so:

The U.S. Senate just told us to sit down and be quiet. They passed a resolution condemning MoveOn.org and it has one purpose: To intimidate all of us who care about ending this war. To send a message that anyone who speaks unpleasant truths about this war will pay. To make everyone--especially politicians--think twice before they accuse the administration of lying.

We can't let that happen. I just signed a statement telling Congress that they won't intimidate me, and I'm going to keep speaking out until they force an exit strategy out of this awful war. Can you join me?

Click here.

Thanks!

I wasn't expecting to be this pissed off over such a disproportionate response to an ad. In a newspaper. But here we are.

Labels: Iraq, movement-building, MoveOn, Senate

Mike Johanns Only One Showing Up to Cabinet Meetings Now



(For those who need this joke explained: Johanns is the former Governor of Nebraska who resigned that post when he was appointed Secretary of Agriculture at the start of George W. Bush's second term; he announced today that he is resigning as Ag Sec to run for the Nebraska Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Chuck Hagel when he retires at the end of this term. The Onion posted this photo and headline prior to Johanns' announcement, making the satire that much funnier.)

Labels: humor, Republicans

I attended Compass Health Care's annual Dynamic Duo Dinner last night as the guest (read: beard) of my friend Hillary, who was nominated with her colleague Susan as a Dynamic Duo for their work on the Unidas program at the Women's Foundation of Southern Arizona.

The event itself was a little hokey and poorly run, but the highlight of the evening was when Hillz and Susan won for Impacting Children and Youth! Way to go you too! Woo hoo! Nice work! Atta girls! And so forth.

Really, very proud of my not-twin.

Labels: Hillary

I don't really have enough on any single topic to justify posting, so here are a few droppings on an assortment of things. Now with linky-goodness in almost every bite!

I'm edging closer to making reservations for my birthday trip to NYC, I just want to make sure I can afford it. You only turn thirty once, right? Unless you're my mother, in which case you just keep turning 29 year after year.

Speaking of Phyllis: her latest quip that made me uneasy, from a couple of weeks ago. When they were back east, they decided that instead of getting buried in caskets when they die, they will be cremated (to save us kids the money and trouble, of course). As mom put it, they're going to get "crispy-fried". She kept repeating "crispy-fried crispy-fried crispy-fried" with almost a southern twinge, like she was trying to channel the Colonel.

It will be public knowledge soon enough, so I think it's safe to leak it on the ole blog first: I've been named Outstanding Advocate of the Year by the Men's Anti-Violence Partnership of Southern Arizona. I'll receive my award along with five other honorees at the MAP Gala on November 18 at the Westin La Paloma. I'm deeply honored to be among such an amazing group.

Yes, Wingspan's Executive Director resigned after less than a month on the job. No, it's not the end of the world. Wingspan was around before Kent Burbank and Joseph Bodenmiller, and it will be around after them. The strength of the organization lies not in its figurehead, but in the community that has built and sustained it over the last 20 years. The sky is not falling. This too will pass. Chill.

Speaking of Wingspan, the Annual Benefit Dinner is September 29. Have you bought your ticket yet? I hear they've sold out.

I really love being a consultant. No, really. If I can figure out how to do this and continue making a good living, I'm totally doing it. Health insurance be damned!

Patreus or Betray Us? The Republicans are just grumpy because MoveOn came up with a pithy rhyme and Republicans hate whimsy as much as Germans love David Hasselhoff.

I bought my Avenue Q ticket! Yay! And I bought it as part of the LGBT&S Alliance Fund benefit, so it's going to a good cause. The internet is really really great...

I have a new favorite TV show. Mad Men on AMC. I love anything mid-century Americana, but this has an edge of realism that I particularly admire. Television Without Pity has it on their recap roster.

I also recommend Moliere, which is playing at the Loft. In case you don't know, Moliere is often referred to as the French Shakespeare. Which I'm sure the French love.

And finally, my yoga practice was thrown off by being out of town last weekend and by meetings in the evenings throughout this week. In the last 7 days, I only made it to yoga class twice. Saturday's 3-hour yoga practice has been canceled due to a major event at the studio. I hope not all of the classes are canceled, or I may be one very grumpy yogi when Monday rolls back around.

Labels: birthday, career, jobs, MAP, mom, musicals, New York, personal, Republicans, television, theatre, Wingspan, yoga

Today is important for two reasons.

First, take some time today to remember that awful day six years ago when more than 3,000 people had their lives senselessly stolen from them. Mourn them and the hundreds of thousands of people around the world who have had their lives stolen in the names of those who perished on 9/11.

Then, if you live in Arizona, go vote in the primary. There is no greater act of civic involvement, and no better way to honor the memory of the victims of September 11th, than going to your polling station and casting a ballot.

Labels: 2007 City Elections, New York, September 11th, vote

So when I was laid off a little more than a month ago, I talked openly about wanting to take a vacation, but that vacation was contingent on where I was financially once my severance package had run its course and whether or not I had found new gainful employment by then.

As luck would have it, my severance has run its course AND I have a job that, while not permanent, is certainly gainful. This has left me in a fairly comfortable financial position for the time being, which was my hope.

My original plan, if the stars were to align as they have, was to take my vacation sometime in September. But between my CPL fellowship starting this weekend, the new interim position and the Wingspan Dinner on September 29, an autumn vacation just doesn't seem quite possible, at least not so early in the season.

Then it occurred to me tonight that my favorite time of year to travel cross-country is around my birthday. This birthday in particular will be especially noteworthy.

I turn 30 on December 24^th.

I think I should take my vacation to New York to celebrate the start of my third decade. I may not get to spend my actual birthday back east (depending on airfare), but I could definitely make a go of it pretty close to the actual day.

I'm not holding my breath on the surprise party I've always wanted (especially now that Miriam, the only person to ever try, has moved away), so I might as well celebrate myself in a big way.

I've had what can fairly be called a challenging year, but thanks to a solid yoga practice, a supportive community and the love of family and friends alike, I'm coming through it in pretty damn good shape. I deserve to celebrate myself in a big way!

It's so perfect, so obvious, I can't believe I didn't think of it sooner.

Labels: personal