The morning after

I am tired and wrung out.  I have slept little and wept often.  I have never felt like this after an election.

I am scared.

I am scared that will family will lose our health insurance.  We currently have all of our eggs in one basket, financially speaking.  One illness, one accident will ruin us.  We have a litany of preexisting conditions and are quite accident prone.

I am scared for all my friends with skin browner than mine.  They are Americans, but this election gave others carte blanche to treat them as otherwise.

I am scared for the journalists who actually did their jobs.  Threats have been made to shut down their rights as journalists.

I am scared for the comedians who are just doing their jobs.  Humor and satire shouldn't be something you have to censor.

I am scared for every woman.  Women are threatened every day for just existing online and having an opinion.  The new leader of our country just opened the floodgates.  It's already difficult without all of this.  And now, reproductive rights have been promised to be stripped away.

I am scared for the LGBT community.  We thought love won not long ago.  Looks like it has to be secret once again.

I am scared for the economy.  The last time Republicans controlled the Presidency, House, and Senate was 1928.

I am scared.  Persuasion won out over argument.  Side show illusion replaced critical and rational thought.  I try to teach my children to be good people and take an interest in the world around them.  They just watched an ill-informed bully win the highest seat in the land.

I am going to hide under my blanket now.

Track Musings

I walk the Family Track at the YMCA while Drake attends his Parkour class.  I can't sit on metal bleachers for an hour anymore; age has forced me to stop that silly activity.  So, I walk.  I watch Drake some as he attempts shoulder rolls and bear crawls.  I listen to music or podcasts.  Mostly, my mind wanders.  Here is today's list of musings.

How many of these kids running past me can I trip and get away with it?

It's not a race, lady with her speed walking on.  We're just going in circles, and I happen to be in the slow lane.  Pass me, damn it!

Why is Drake shaking his butt at me?

If I'm not wearing a Fitbit, does this exercise count?

When a songwriter gives his/her song a title that has nothing to do with the lyrics is it to be artistic or pretentious?

Yes, lady, I can type and walk simultaneously.  Pass, please.

Why are there plugs so close to the ceiling along the walking track?  What kind of actitivtes do they do here to warrant that many power sources no one can reach?

Drake is totally cheating on the exercises!  Dude!

It's June?!?

Fucking pass me already!

It's only 7:20?!?

When did all the parents become hipsters?

A fishy tale

For Drake's 9th birthday, we bought him a fish, the first pet to be welcomed into this household.  We took him to PetCo, and he picked out a lovely betta.  Drake nixed my name suggestion of Sir Glubby McSwimsalot, and went with Bluefin.  The boy has been very diligent in the care of his fish.  He is showing maturity and responsibility, which is delightful.

Blissfully unaware of what his name could have been

And now, the pet ownership flood gates have been opened.  Flynn has decided for his next birthday, he is getting a fish.  This fish won't be living inside the house.  He is going to build a pond in our backyard for said fish.  He reading books and drawing up plans for this habitat.  I have no idea where he is going to place the pond.  

Competition

Today* is Drake's first real foray into the world of competition. For the record, I do not consider playing sports at the Y actual competition.  Thus summer was the first time anyone officially kept score.  He has his first First LEGO League robotics match today. I am very excited for him.  He has worked so hard and has grown so much the past few months.  As a self-proclaimed trophy whore, I hope his team walks away with something. Because, how freaking exciting would that be: a rookie team of all 3rd graders taking home hardware against veteran teams.  Realistically, this is probably not going to happen.  And, you know what, he doesn't seem to care.  That is the greatest thing to hear.  This team knows the odds are not in their favor, but they know they have learned so much, accomplished something as a team, and, I'm not just saying this because he's my kid, they produced a better product than many of the other teams out there.

I'm proud of you, kiddo.  Break a leg and have a blast!

*December 13, 2015.  Don't know why it wasn't uploaded sooner.

UPDATE: The team did bring home some hardware: the Judges' Award.  They weren't the best team, but they held their own against 8th graders and veteran teams.