This Just In: Unwashed Masses Actually Wash

Footage at eleven.

Well, today I went to the Congressional Advocate Training. I gotta say, it made me feel good. There was a diverse group- retirees, college kids, a young married couple with their well behaved children, and anyone and everyone else you can think of. It was just what I hoped; people from every background and demographic wanting change badly enough to go and work for it.

I realize that we may never get to meet with our Representative. I doubt he will vote yes on the Recovery Package, and I may never get to tell him what sort of Royal Douche I think he is. But that's okay. Just trying is exciting!

So, we talked about his record, the Very Narrow Victory he eeked out over his opponent, and how he most likely is running scared from the new shape his constituency is taking. Good Ole Boys are going by way of the polar bear here, and I think that's great. He is a Good Ole Boy, so sooner rather than later, this Rep is going to have to face the people he serves. We talked about how we can appeal to him, and relate it to all politicians' favorite flavor: What will ensure support in an election year. And we talked about personal stories, and what led us there in the first place.
That was hard.

The meeting was held at the pool in his neighborhood. His neighborhood was very cute, and new, and affluent, and color coordinated. But it wasn't a Vinyl Village. It looked like a place where you could let your kids play in the street and if you forgot to lock your door before going to the grocery store your TV would still be there when you got home. It seemed like at the pool there was at least one Ice Cream Social per year, because the neighbors wanted to know eachother.

So.

Our leader is a young personal injury attorney who opened his own practice last year. This year, he's losing his home and renting from the next door neighbors. He's just basically running out the clock and using the time to pack up before they come take the house away. He just wanted his own practice.

I can't imagine.

So yeah, I feel good about deciding to do all this. I hope some good comes from it. The goal is to have this package pushed through quickly enough that it's on Obama's desk soon after he takes office. I don't know how realistic it is. But, even if we miss the mark on that, it's still important to get everyone together and working toward fixing things.

There was only one person I wanted to choke. I only wanted to choke her for a minute, so if you know me and how well I tend to deal with strangers, then that's really a fantastic outcome.

And there was peppermint bark. I just love that stuff.

and while I'm here, let's talk about my morning at the shelter yesterday!

It was splendid. I loved it, even though my knees are still angry with me. I didn't have to clean anything really. I walked dogs ALL MORNING LONG. I took Schroeder first, of course. He's so sweet. After that he was outside in his morning Play Group (I squealed when I saw they pay that much attention to socializing), he'd smile and wag his tail and run up to the fence. Later on I sat in his enclosure with him and petted him for a while, and chatted with him. When I left my hands were covered in the dirt from the yards, just like Maya was. I thought of that right away and my heart aches for him. I wish I could take him home with me.

I also participated in doggie therapy and helped work with Travis, a very sweet dog who has barrier agression. He's got a scar on his neck from an imbedded collar. He's spent his whole life wanting stuff that's out of his reach, and has a chip on his little doggie shoulder because of it. He'll be a good dog someday. It makes me so sad that someone was able to hurt an animal like that, and make it so that he's such a mess. I also took Thurston for a walk. He's got some issues, but he let me walk him and scratch behind his ears. Everyone marvelled at that, and I really felt good. I seem to have the opposite effect on animals that I have on children. That's fine because the reverse is true, and I like animals a hell of a lot better than children anyway. So there! Oh, and you better believe that with there being about 30 puppies there right now, when no one was looking I would grap a handful of them and squeeze them. Their little pot bellies are my weakness. There was a little guy named Dickie that I wanted to grab and run with. We could have gone and changed our names and no one would have known that I stole him because I could not resist his pudgy little gut. But I didn't.

What I did do was some more subversive snuggling. Hairy Gary is still there. He came down from his perch and let me squeeze him for a while before getting bored with me the way cats do. I just love that little guy. I hate how when I see a face i know, I feel so Happy-Sad. All in one flash it's "Oh HI Hairy Gary!/ Sorry you still don't have a home, kitty." It's tough. But luckily I can come home to my own ungrateful turd of a cat and remember that I don't like cleaning his poop box and he sleeps on my head if I let him.

Sigh. Crazy Cat Lady, party of One.