Thanks, a public service announcement, and a meme

First, thank all of you so much for your kind birthday wishes for S. We had a wonderful weekend with lots of grilled meat and beer until yesterday, when S. woke up with a flu/cold/upper respiratory kind of thing. Unlike the stereotype of the sick male, S., instead of complaining insufferably, becomes very martyr-like when under the proverbial weather.  “Do you want me to buy some kleenex?” I asked yesterday. “No, no, my nose is not running,” he said.  An hour later he could be found blowing his nose into a paper towel. “Do you want me to get you some medicine,” I asked? “No, I’ll just choose from our multiple expired boxes in the bathroom.” I’ve recently decided I hope my genes dominate his genes in the baby-making game because I don’t think I could handle my children being all trooper-esque and determined to out chore one another – I’d much prefer the kind who let me make them beds on the couches and bring scrambled eggs.  Here’s hoping.

Now, for my PSA – this is mainly for Michiganders.  House Bill 4323 is currently with a Senate committee, and according to my dad, we all need to be calling our state representatives and saying how much we do NOT want this bill to be passed.   Here is a brief description of the bill:

The bill allows county boards and local municipalities to adopt ordinances permitting off-road vehicle use on the shoulder of local roads. Supporters say it will help tourism by allowing quads and dirt bikes to ride off the state’s 3,100 miles of designated trails and into towns for gas and supplies.

My dad is extremely worked up about this bill and its potential to wreck havoc on our county roads.  Beyond polluting our air further and tearing up our trails, this is yet another way to destroy what’s left of the quiet, the serenity, of northern Michigan.  Ignoring all other ATV (ORV) issues, the noise frightens animals and encourages them to flee their habitat. 

According to my dad: CALL YOUR STATE REPRESENTATIVE NOW AND SAY YOU DO NOT SUPPORT THIS BILL.

According to me: I will post further on this next month…I have to do some research. I will say I find ATV’s incredibly offensive pieces of equipment, the kind of vehicle designed for people with no real appreciation for the outdoors. They tear up trails and people, at least in the county of our cabin, drive them half-drunk all night long, so that the sounds of these machines overwhelms bird calls and frorgs. However, I need to research more because I’m not fully sure a state as broke as our own should turn down anything that could bring tourism dollars to it, and my dad, whom I love, is comfortably retired and does not need to worry about running a small business up there. So within the next month I hope to put together a fair and balanced approach to this subject, as well as a controlled rant about the oil and natural gas drillings occuring in northern Michigan.

And now, for the eight things meme! I’ve been tagged by the literary kitten to complete the eight things meme – the rules include stating eight random things about yourself and then tagging (I believe eight) other people to complete the same meme. Since virtually every blog on my blogroll has this post up RIGHT NOW, I’m not tagging any one else but feel free to tag yourself if you haven’t done this yet.

1. hmm. I’m starting this meme and it seems y’all probably know everything about me, actually – I mean, you do know I’m allergic to soy, right? And not just tofu and veggie burgers but the soy in salad dressings and chocolate and Crisco and frozen meals, and this allergy makes me quite sick and prone to headaches and induces this horrible rash …

2. that I am seeing the dermatologist about in 20 minutes, actually, because no matter what I do I can’t get rid of it. And I’m terribly nervous about this dermatogist appointment because

3. I’m also having her do a full mole patrol. It’s skin cancer awareness month and I have more moles than I ever used to and at 30 it’s time to have them examined. I am inordinately nervous because

4. I have a few hypochondriac tendencies and an affinity for webmd. Recently I had an earache and webmd helpfully informed me it could be meningitus, so for most of the week last week I walked around assessing whether or not my neck felt stiff, and whenever it did…

5. I freaked the fuck out. But I’m still here, so I guess no meningitus for me. Hooray! Little victories.  Despite all of my hypochondriac tendencies, I still once in a while sneak a cigarette even though I quit quite some time ago. There’s just something about smoking that I miss, which makes no sense…

6. Because whenever I DO have a cigarette I pray to God immedietely for forgiveness.

7. This isn’t about me – it’s actually a random fact about God, but he’s really tired of listening to me ask for forgiveness about smoking, when I harbor resentment in my heart towards…

8. all sorts of people, for different reasons. But I don’t ask forgiveness for said resentment because, you know, I am right and they are wrong.

Coming Wednesday – a book review on Kem Nunn’s Tijuana Straights, a quick thought or or two on Surprised by Joy, and some arms in the air lamenting that I’m still reading Anna Karenina.

*Bonus fact about me – since I said the above post would come Wednesday it will probably be two weeks. But you knew that already, yes?