The Nightmare Before Christmas - This is halloween

It's not too late!

 If you're an American citizen and registered to vote, get your ass to the polls and VOTE! Too much is on the line right now for anyone to not VOTE! Far too many people have given their lives for any of us to abstain from voting. If you have a mail-in or absentee ballot, take it to the secure ballot drop off box or your local polling place. If you want to vote in person, find out where it's happening in your locale and go and VOTE.

This election is about the future of our democratic republic. It is about the quality of our lives now and in the future. It is about what we will leave for our children. 

VOTE

VOTE

VOTE

Happy Birthday, super nana

Today's her day, so please join us, and Coldplay, in wishing her a super-duper happiest day!

I'm back AND with a NEW MacBook super light rose gold computer!!

 First let's get one thing clear: I DID NOT SHOOT THE SCREEN! That was the MITM's attempt at humor! To be really clear, Mr Matrix found out that there was a little tape inside that was loose and that's why it wouldn't start! so, in a way I didn't really kill it, my Mac was taking a break from me! (I'm not sure if that's better than my killing it. I mean, I was dumped by a MACHINE, people!) 

I'm not sure where we, or rather, I left off, but I cast my ballot today! Here in California everyone was sent their ballot and you could either fill it out and mail it in, drop it in an Official Ballot Dropbox or vote in person starting October 24 through November 3. We all opted for the drop off option today. I hope all eligible Americans vote in this election and every election because history demands it and our future depends on it!

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I've been thinking about all the posts I was going to write and how much I wanted to share, but honestly, right now, my mind is on "elder lockdown" and I can't remember any of it! I guess that's a hint.

I'm going to catch up on blog reading, so I'll see y'all in your comment sections! xoxox

She's Gone and Done it Again

 

To all the readers of Savannah Marsh Mama's blog, this is to inform you that once again she's killed a MacBook.  She has asked me to let you know that it was not drink related this time.  That seems to be important, but nevertheless, the results are the same.

Look for her to be up and running again in the very near future.  

MITM

A new week brings "what fresh hell" (with apologies to Ms. Parker)

Today is a day that makes me wonder what is happening here. There is an alternate reality that seems to be existing in tandem with the one I'm in. 

We are hopeful.

We are prepared for whatever comes.

But, I haven't been this worried about the future as I am right now.

Tell me something good, darlings. 

I am in need.

A couple of things are on my mind today

 First, who the heck is the scammer who's been commenting on so many blogs, mine included, about hacking ATMs?  Talk about a sorry SOB.

Secondly, I'm watching the Presidential Debate tonight just because I want to see Joe sucker punch Trumpito, metaphorically of course! I'm hoping that Biden doesn't react to any of the grifter-in-charge tricks and just states his plan for getting us out of the pit we're in now. Chris Wallace has already stated that he's not going to fact check anything said during the debate and I'm guessing he isn't going to insist that Donny stay behind his own podium and not try to roam the stage as he did during the debate with Clinton. Anyway, The Kid and I are going to watch and use our MACs to monitor real-time fact-checking on different sites. We're team BidenHarris around here and we all have our plan for voting in place. I hope that all registered voters do the same because we can't sit this one out. Vote as if your life depends on it because it does!

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I'm back with Captain Chaos, Stretch, The Kid, and BigBoyChaos, while the MITM is with super nana, Mr Matrix and BigGirlMatrix. The Cap't is going back to work soon and Stretch is still working from home while BBC and The Kid are both distance learning. At the Matrix house, they're both working from home and BGM is distance learning. So, the MITM and I are picking up the slack where and when needed. The good thing is that both households are in our pandemic bubble, so there's no quarantine issue. We've been under elder lockdown, so periodic change of scenery is good for everyone, especially the children! 

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It's almost time for the debate. As much as I hate listening to Trumpito, I really want to see him fail tonight. The reality of this event is that sides have been chosen and minds have been made up, so this is theater that we all have a ticket for tonight.

Today is Saturday and here's my contribution to the weekend!

 Yesterday I received a DM (direct message) on Facebook from a good friend in New Zealand. She asked if I was on Twitter because she was leaving that other social media site, as it was far too toxic and bottomline too corrupt for her. I gave her my Twitter handle (@savmarshmama) and now we're connected there.

Her comment got me thinking about my own love/hate relationship with that other social media site and what I should do. Lately, I've been just a conduit for political information based on my own support for the Biden/Harris ticket and all things supporting the Democratic Party. I've also succumbed to the whole "Doom-scrolling" scenario, so that has certainly elevated my blood pressure and surely made me angrier than I should be. My friend used to live in Georgia, so she understands the political process here and is deeply saddened by how we've devolved as a Nation. I share that opinion, but I'm guessing that doesn't surprise any of you! As I read somewhere that the only reason to stay is to share how one feels to avoid becoming that which we despise or to be even clearer, Trumpito and his venal cabal of grifters!

I am staying away from to some extent, but using the platform does give me a way to stay connected to many of you who've stopped blogging but post on FB. I did sign up to "Liker" but not as many folks have made that leap yet, so I'm not following anyone there yet. If you make that leap, let me know, please. 

When the Biden/Harris ticket is successful in November, I'm guessing the armchair warriors supporting Trumpito will use FB as a platform for their seditious rhetoric and posturing since there seems to be no serious attempt to stop them, as far as I can see. Miss Daisy (the MITM's mama) used to call people like them lowlife, mouthbreathing scum. I'm prone to agree with her assessment. 

To be clear and not to be accused of denigrating anyone, I'm reminding all y'all of my favorite Southern saying, only the hit dog howls. I'll just leave it at that.

Enjoy your weekend, darlings, and remember to wear your mask, wash your hands frequently, and practice physical distancing! 

quiet, please

 That's it.

That's all I want.

September 11, 2020

Big Girl Matrix asked what the Twin Towers were because her teacher talked about it today.  She's in 3rd Grade and they are doing remote learning via online teaching. super nana, the MITM, and I related our experiences from that day after she saw pictures of the towers before the attack.  

Some things never leave you is even truer as the years pass. 

Happy Birthday, Mr Matrix

 Today is Mr Matrix's birthday! He's somewhere between 45 and 48. He's not sure, or at least he wasn't this morning. The pandemic has put a damper on festivities, but there was an ice cream cake his request, pancakes for breakfast, also at his request, and tonight will be shrimp and grits! No pictures yet.

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It's hotter than I can ever remember in Lalaland, but what do I know? I spent YEARS in the south where high temps were expected in the summer and everyone LOVED their air conditioners. Fortunately, super nana and Mr Matrix have one, so staying inside is pleasant. There are huge fires blazing in California and a couple are close enough to have prompted air quality alerts, so that's just another reason to stay inside.

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Sadly, even with COVID-19 still plaguing Southern California, too many idiots are massing at local beaches, unmasked, and not practicing social distancing. To those fools I say, 

GO THE FUCK HOME AND STAY THERE! 

We will never get past this if folks don't start thinking about others and less about themselves and their own inconvenience! If everyone just followed the CDC guidelines, we just might get past this horrible pandemic!

Sometimes, people just piss me off!

BUT, not all y'all! I love you! xoxo

62 days

I don't know about you, but I'm becoming more and more frightened that Trumpito is going to try and stay in the White House and continue to totally flaunt the Constitution. Where is the Senate? The House? Surely, not all Republican members are beholden to the grifter-in-charge? 

I can't anymore. Even when I try to be optimistic it doesn't work. All I see and read is depressing. I will vote and thankfully, here in California we have mail-in ballots, so I can maintain my elder lockdown status. It is good to see that a number of businesses are giving their employees the day or time off to vote without loss of pay. So, there are bright spots, I just hope there are enough to save our country!

Like the lost sheep, she returns to the fold

 I've been away from this place for too long! At this point in my life, I'm barely making it through the day after reading the news/Facebook comments/twitter/Instagram, much less trying to organize my thoughts to share here. Perhaps, that's a good thing because I think I'm far too angry these days. Or I'm crying because I see a future without hope for my family and friends.

I am at a loss trying to understand what's going on here in my country, much less the world! We have science PROVING that we're in the midst of a pandemic. We have science PROVING that climate change is a real phenomenon. We have PROVEN evidence that Black people are being killed for no other reason than the color of their skin. And yet, what we see is being denied. What we can hear from the liar-in-chief's mouth is being denied. And we are asked, no told, that all of that is "FAKE NEWS!" American institutions are being destroyed slowly, but surely and it seems all we can do is demonstrate, petition, and sadly, instead of knowing, we can only hope that our vote on November 3rd will be counted and rid us of this troublesome man!

WTF, right? As the MITM keeps reminding me, he's the cynic and I'm the optimist! 

It's getting more and more difficult every day to be that person.

Follow-up on BGM's birthday party or It's Sunday not in Savannah

 The party was exceptional.

Isn't that the truth during these times? We're all trying to find a way to bring some sort of normalcy to special occasions without putting anyone in jeopardy. So, there was a quick driveby by some friends and family that surprised BGM (and also her parents who didn't expect as many to be part of it) with horn honking, balloons, signs, and birthday gifts! Social distancing and masks were worn and all presents carefully wiped down as an accepted procedure. Love and friendship in the time of COVID-19.

With every sweet moment, there's a story that just makes me cry. Stretch told us, as we sat outside, that Big Boy Chaos had cried the other night because "he hated COVID because he couldn't see his BGM!" The two cousins are 6 months apart in age and are best friends. This morning at breakfast, BGM asked when she'd see BBC again because she missed him already. We're our own pod, but it has been difficult to get together. Children are resilient, but this isolation is difficult for all of them in ways we'll probably not understand for quite a while.

The MITM and I will be back at the Captain's house the week after BGM starts her online/remote learning. As it stands now if super nana and Mr Matrix need help, one of us will stay here to supervise BGM. Big Boy Chaos starts remote schooling at the end of August. We'll see how this all progresses.

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Here's the birthday girl!

Now she's 8!

It's AUGUST!! Holy Moley!

You may have noticed or not, which is OK, but anyway, I've been absent from Blogville since my last post because my computer decided that I was a bitch and it didn't want to work anymore. Today it decided that it was tired of doing nothing and here we are! This pandemic is affecting everyone and everything it seems. 

We're still with super nana & Mr Matrix and of course, Big Girl Matrix! Her birthday is this weekend (she's going to be 8), but with social distancing still necessary out here (and around the world) there will be no friends and family party. Even the plans that had been made in anticipation of the date have been changed to stay in line with the Governor's directives. This is a birthday no one will forget, that's for sure!

That's it for today, sweetpeas! My mind has been blown away by (at this point, you can fill in the blank because whatever you think is probably right)!

xoxoxo

How the hell is it already Thursday?

Here's the deal, as you already know the MITM and I are currently on the other side of the hills out here in Lalaland. BGM has a summer schedule that we are closely adhering to because super nana used to be a teacher and prefers that BGM spends some time learning and not just watching tv! This is fine with me, but at my age teaching or rather providing guidance on 2nd-grade math skills is beyond my ability. I mean, listen, sweetpeas, all the terminology is different! We aren't borrowing or carrying anymore. We are re-grouping and other terms I've already forgotten! BGM senses I don't know WTF I'm doing, so she prefers that the MITM help her. I'm good with that! I get the fun part of story writing, spelling, word recognition, you know all the stuff I know. *Jesus wept*

We're also doing a countdown to BGM's birthday! Yep, she's going to be 8! I'll remind you. This year having a party is out, so friends and family are going to do a drive-by birthday celebration which seems to have taken the place of kids parties thanks to the pandemic. Presents are arriving in the mail, but won't be delivered to the birthday girl until that day. It's pretty hard not to over-indulge a bit because things are so off-center for children these days! So, that's what's happening here. We were hoping that her cousin, BBC could be here, but at this point who knows if we'll be back under mandatory stay-at-home orders by August. All I am absolutely sure of is that the cake will be delicious and is exactly what she wanted!

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Damn, I am rambling now. I think I have "shelter-in-place" brain and once I start writing or talking to people on the phone, I can't stop. It's the whole "OMG, it's someone other than the people I live with" thing. Or as Mr Matrix says the old pensioner talking to anyone who'll listen thing. I really would like to just run my own errands or just take a drive, but that ain't happening. I'll stop complaining now.

Take it easy, sweetpeas, seems we have a long way to slide before this is over.

So, wear your mask, wash your hands frequently, and for the love of all that's good, practice physical distancing when you're outside!

Friday music from a friend

Expectation: I'm going forward hopeful today.

Reality: The day will probably change my purpose dramatically

July the 5th because things have be crazeeee around here since June 15th

Oh yeah and I'm NOT EVEN talking about the USof A and all of the insanity that's going on here (Thanks to Trumpito and his minions)! We and The Krewe have expanded our bubble and now the MITM and I are in Burbank with super nana, Mr Matrix, and BGM (also including, Moxie and Tommy Lasorda,  aka the dogs) for a while since both of them are working from home! Mr Matrix has a big project that his taking more of his day than before, so we're here to help out and also spend more time with BGM!

super nana is maintaining her usual day that starts earlier because her boss is in another timezone but can end a little earlier than most, most of the time anyway.

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It's also a very big day for Stretch* because it's her  

*REDACTED* birthday!

We called and sang to her this morning and posted greetings on all the shared social media sites. In the past celebrations would have been yet another opportunity for a big family gathering, but 2020 has changed everyone's plans. BUT, we're just adding up all the missed parties and will have one or 20 huge parties when this is all over! That's my plan anyway! 

So, leave her a greeting if y'all are so inclined because she will see them!

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We're good here and for that I am grateful. The MITM and I are still on elder lockdown, but we've traded locations for a while, so it is sort of a vacation. I mean, I had to pack a bag and travel with a destination in mind, so that qualifies as a trip in my mind!

So, there y'all go, so stay safe, wear your mask, practice physical distancing, and wash your damn hands!

I leave all y'all! xoxox

*Stretch, for those of you who might not know, is wife to Captain Chaos, mother to The Kid and Big Boy Chaos (BBC), sister-in-law to The Doc and The Dancing Lady, super nana and Mr Matrix, and auntie to Big Girl Matrix (BGM), and lovely daughter-in-law to me and the MITM!

Just a thought

Today I read that our pal, 63Mago*, has been blogging for 10 years! Congratulations to him that's for sure! Blogging is so much more fun than that other social media site! Huzzah for him and everyone else who's still blogging!

E@L** is also back blogging. At least, he did today. Drop by and encourage him, if you're so inclined!

Ok, that's pretty much it for me today. I started this to talk about how I started blogging in Nov. of 2006. Go figure, right?

Anyway, stay safe, wear a mask when you're outside, and wash your hands often!***

* check him out on my sidebar

**Expat At Large also on my sidebar

***I've forgotten how to do hyperlinks!

What a Week!

There isn't much to add to the news we've all read and seen about this past week! I am glad we have a chance to not only reconsider the past, but a very real opportunity to change our collective future.

I can only hope that every person who stood or walked in protest will remember to vote in November. 

VOTE as if your life depended on it because it DOES!