The fact that Michelle Bachman won the straw poll in Iowa just confirms what a friend of Ed’s (from Iowa) said, that the letters stand for “Idiots Out Wandering About". In any case, the history of those who succeed in that poll and later on in the caucus, is that winning there doesn’t necessarily mean you go on to get the prize.

Whosits Perry from Texas is giving his presidential run a big push and the media is covering him up the wazoo and the more I listen to him, the more I want to vomit. He is taking credit for jobs in Texas that really came from the oil industry and had nothing to do with his governorship. Meanwhile, he has removed funds from the educational system and Texas has the lowest high school graduation rate in the country. But he says prayer will solve all problems. I don’t know if he really thinks that, in which case he is certifiable, or it’s just his campaign slogan because it appeals to so many red state citizens. Yeah, we need another Texas governor – even in Texas, when they compare him to W. Bush, they refer to Bush as “the smart one.”

I got a call from one of the Democratic fund raisers and contributed $25 and that has to be it – my mail is inundated with solicitations from at least 5 different arms of the Dem effort and I can’t contribute to all of them. This one seemed good because my contribution will be matched.

Other stuff …
Recently, my walk was stalled by an imminent storm so I started trimming back the bougainvillea bush because it was hanging over the walkway and the branches were hitting me as I passed. I meant to do only a little but wound up doing the whole bush and it was its own workout. I also had to use a 6 ft. ladder for the high parts and still the shears don’t reach enough and I could fall into the bush. (Living dangerously.)

I ran into Cemetery Gary. He stopped his Chevy pick-up to say hi and said the bush needed trimming again and I said I had done it. And he said I shouldn’t have to and I said we are saving money and he said he’d do it for nothing. I wouldn’t ask him, but it was sweet of him to offer. What I really want from him is to remove all the really old bushes in our entry way because they are not attractive any more, shed constantly, and interfere with life. For this he has to dig. He said not a problem. Now to get Ed to go along. Ed loves all our plants, even the grungy ones.

And yesterday I got into the pool for maybe the second time this season. I have been avoiding it. I decided I had to swim because it’s a different set of muscles. So I did. It takes me 8 strokes to go one length of the pool. I do a circuit 6 times (12 lengths). I rest in between. And I do some ballet jumps -- nothing like jumping with buoyance. It wore me out. Today I feel as if I have been run over by a truck. I’ll do it again tomorrow. I think.

Ed has been concentrating on the grounds with some exceptions. He won’t trim an ixora hedge we have and it looks messy. But he keeps mowing and edging, and repairing the seawall and painting those spots, and picking up dog poo from our neighbors’ dogs who are not walked. The dogs are good kids -- it's the owners Ed wants to strangle.

Sometimes when I go out in the early morning to get the paper from the driveway, Gus and Bella and Maggie from across the way, bark furiously and run up to me and a phobe would think he is about to be attacked, but when they reach me they wag their bodies furiously and give me their breathy doggie smiles and I give them hugs and scratch their ears. It’s all in the attitude.

I just found out I can video tape with my new digital camera. That’s next, with help from my gtf, Nadine, the techie genius. Maybe I can post something.

Did I mention that my tailor pal, Susan, E mailed a tape of her daughter singing in a school play to the daughter’s new teacher in Wisconsin? Elizabeth was despondent because she had arrived so late, no spots were open in the choir. Susan promised the teacher free alterations if he would just look at the tape. So he E mailed back that he would be happy to find a spot for Elizabeth. Now that’s serendipity. I saw the tape. Susan asked me was it Elizabeth’s talent or her blatant bribe. I said, definitely Elizabeth is special and I meant it.

I went by Susan’s old shop that has been renamed Pinky’s with a pink theme, in honor of breast cancer survivors – she is one and they will sell a lot of pink things. I ventured so far as to suggest they should not confine themselves if they wanted to appeal to a lot of customers. Her name is Carmela and she hired a seamstress to work one part of the shop. I took her a top to have the straps shortened. Yes, it’s mindless stuff for someone who knows what to do and has the patience. Sometimes I will reattach a button for Ed but only when he threatens to take it to a cleaners to have it done. I really hate to sew.

The other thing they are doing at that shop is selling chatchkas – Hallmark rejects and what looks like stuff they picked up at various garage sales. They had a little cloth mouse with a very long tail that was labeled a bookmark. Ed happens to like mouse stuff (long story) and I almost bought it for him, but it was $20. Fuggedaboutit. I predict that side of the business will go nowhere but hope the seamstress will stay on.

xx, Teal