In case you haven’t noticed, I like to read blogs. All kinds of blogs (don’t be fooled by the short list on the left - that was set up when we first started the blog and hasn’t been updated). I read mom blogs, HR blogs, tech blogs, blogs by people living in NYC, blogs by people living in the middle of nowhere, blogs by people my age, much older and younger (although I’m pretty sure none of them are MUCH younger than I am). And up until recently I’ve always either bookmarked each one or linked through from someone else’s blog to theirs. That is how I’ve found some really great blogs. I figure if I like their writing, I’ll probably like the writing of people they like. I only know a couple of the people whose blogs I read personally. But many of the others I feel like I know. Most of them are much better about updating than Ryan and I are.

Last week sometime (I think it was last week…), Ryan was setting up Google Reader for himself. Of course his is full of Slashdot and CNN and stuff. News feeds, mostly. And I was telling him that I haven’t used Google Reader yet, and was kind of scared to. I had heard horror stories about people with 200 unread messages, and it would totally stress me out to have something like that, I thought. But the next day, I succumbed. I went through and added almost all of the blogs I read regularly to my Google Reader. And at first it was really overwhelming. There were well over 200 entries. But I had read most of them, so it wasn’t too bad. But now, there are like 20-30 new entries every day. A lot of them I can skim through, and I do like having them all in one place, but God forbid I ever have to go without internet for a few days….it will not be good. On the other hand, I don’t have to worry about forgetting which blogs I’ve checked, which I haven’t, and which one was linked from where. As Monty Python says, “Always look on the bright side of life.” Or something like that.

Do you all read a lot of blogs (Adrienne, I know your answer to that one!)? Do you use Google Reader or some other method of tracking them all? Or do you bookmark/link from others/remember the sites?

EDIT: Just after I posted this, Lifehacker (one the blogs I read) came out with an entry about how Monty Python is sick of rip offs and stuff on youtube, so they created their own youtube channel. I have updated the link to direct to that video, which is apparently higher quality, and is Monty Python approved. Thank goodness for Google Reader, huh?

Ryan is helping his friend Nic set up a Dungeons & Dragons character (I don’t play, but Ryan does with a few friends from work sometimes). I was surfing the web, and wasn’t really paying attention to what they said. I overheard something about a portable ram, and they were laughing about it. A while later, this conversation took place:

Nic: What equipment should I get?

Me: What if you had a portable goat? Does that count as equipment?

(Ryan and Nic look at me like I’m a psycho)

Me: What?!

Ryan: Um…that was a portable ram. A BATTERING ram.

(All of us burst out laughing, and I laugh so hard I’m crying)

Obviously I have no idea about how this game works. I thought it was odd that they could carry around an animal, but who knows with these things…

I take comfort in knowing that as much of a dork they think I am for not knowing about the battering ram, they are bigger dorks for playing D & D.

I’ve been in kind of a weird funk lately. I’m not sad or anything…I just have no motivation to do anything productive, and I can’t seem to get caught up at work (even though I have been working at it). When I get home I don’t want to do anything but sit and watch tv or talk to Ryan. I don’t know what my deal is.

How do people stay motivated? Is there some sort of trick that everyone else knows about that I don’t?

ps. Why does it seem like when one person I know is going through a hard time, there are at least 3 others I find out are also going through something rough? Why can’t we all be happy all the time? (OK, I know the answer to that one…but it still sucks).

Ryan and I are getting company this weekend. Well, really Ryan is getting company - I don’t think his high school friends are coming up to hang out with me. It should be fun, and I think we are going out on Friday night…but it means I have to help Ryan clean the apartment. Which, as mentioned above, is not on my list of top 10 fun things to do lately. Once I get going on it I’m sure it’ll be fine, but it’s taking that first step and doing the dishes or sweeping and mopping the floor that is the problem. I need a little house-cleaning fairy to come and do it for me. And make the bed, and better organize things so we actually have room for all of our stuff (especially Ryan’s computer stuff - for such small machines, the stuff takes up a LOT of room).

Well, I’ll be done rambling for today. Please fill me in on what you lack motivation to do. It will make me feel better!

I want to put a thank you out there to all the veterans that have served and are serving our country. Thank you for fighting for us, for putting your lives on the line. Ryan and I are only two of the many that appreciate all you do and have done for the United States. And we send special thanks to our family members that have served and are serving. Thank you!

ps. The reason I haven’t posted pictures from Halloween may or may not have something to do with Ryan and fixing the server that hosts the site and other technical information I don’t really get that amounts to “you can’t put pictures up for now.” So you should all send him harassing emails that he should fix that. ASAP.

I have to get going to work, but I am so happy with the election results. And it’s so heartening to see how many people in the US and around the world are so happy about this. Like everyone else, I think John McCain did a fabulous job in his concession speach - it was graceful, humble and eloquent. Obama’s speech held the entire room quiet (we had 5 friends over). It was so awesome to know that this is a moment in time that we will tell our kids about…a GOOD thing that happened that I will always remember where I was when it was made official. I don’t think I’ve ever had a good thing that I knew would be like that. It’s always been bad things…9/11, the end of the OJ trial. I don’t specifically remember the Challenger explosion (I have the worst memory ever, aparently), but that would have been a bad one too. But this is a great thing. And I am so excited for the future of our country. I know it will be a long road, and I know that President Obama won’t be able to make all the changes he wants, or perform any miracles. But it feels good to have a general feeling of hope.

I wanted to document this day in our online journal. Ryan and I woke up early and walked to our polling place (only 2 blocks from the house) this morning to vote. I don’t know how he voted on anything other than the Presidential ballot (we are both Barack Obama supporters, and proud of it, if you couldn’t tell). The line was out the door as soon as it opened up, but it was moving pretty quickly. People stood in line quietly, visiting with each other or just waiting patiently for their turn. It seemed like there were a lot more people in the 2nd half of the alphabet - our line was long, and the A-K lines were almost empty most of the time. Odd.

Now that we’ve done what we can, it’s kind of weird to sit here waiting for the day to end and the results to come in. There’s nothing else to be done. This is it…what we’ve been waiting for. And I’m so excited to be a part of it. Now I just hope it turns out the way I want it to. We are having some friends over tonight to hang out and watch the results. I’m thinking it’s going to be a happy get together. We are making buffalo chicken dip. It’s all a little surreal right now. I’ll say one thing - if Obama/Biden win, I will be elated not only because I agree with most of what they stand for, but also because I (hopefully) will not have to hear from Sarah Palin again until at least 2012. As I told a friend this morning, maybe she can find a respectable newspaper or magazine to read by then.

What are your election day stories? Were the lines long? Are you voting later on today? Fill us in.

Halloween was awesome, visiting friends and Ryan’s family was great. Pictures will come soon. But just in case I don’t get back here, I want to remind everyone to VOTE tomorrow. Whoever you are supporting, make sure you get educated on the choices you have and make your voice heard!

I’ll be going before work tomorrow to try to avoid the super-huge lines I’m sure will be there after work. Plus, our polling place is only 2 blocks away. I can walk! Let’s all do our part to make sure that we have a say tomorrow. And if you can help someone else have their say by maybe giving them a ride to the polls, or watching their kids while they go vote you should do that too (although it would be a pretty cool experience for older children to see their parents vote).

I don’t know how widespread this will be - especially after a law was passed restricting it after the 2004 election, but if you see something going on at the polls that doesn’t seem right - people being intimidated, lied to, whatever, you can call 1-866-OUR-VOTE to report it and get advice. But I heard on MPR this morning that after the 2004 election, Minnesota passed some rules about challenging - mostly, you can’t bring in people from out of state to challenge a person’s right to vote, and the challenger has to have “personal knowledge” that the person they are challenging isn’t elligible. So hopefully it won’t be a big issue here. But for those of you in other states - be on the lookout. No one should feel intimidated into not voting if they are elligible.

I love Halloween. The chance to dress up, hang out with friends, and eat lots of candy. Not that we ever need an excuse for eating candy, but…

Ryan and I are heading down toward the cities this weekend. We are getting together with some of my high school friends tonight, and going to an annual costume party in Rochester on Saturday. The theme of the party this year is Sci-Fi/Fantasy. I am going as Kaylee from Firefly, and Ryan is going as Chief Tyrol from Battlestar Galactica (the new one, not the older one). I’ll take pictures of our and other costumes - there are sure to be some great ones. Hopefully this time they’ll make it off the camera and onto the blog. It would appear that I have difficulty on that follow-through.

Have a great weekend, everyone - whether you are celebrating Halloween or not!

First of all, I want to apologize to the commenters whose comments have been sitting in the “waiting for approval” box on our blog. It’s supposed to forward the reminder emails to me, but it didn’t. And as you can tell, I haven’t written in a while. So I’m really sorry! I love you! Come back sometime!

On to more serious matters.

I don’t really know how to write this entry. Mostly because it is such a deeply personal issue for so many people, but also because there are some people in my life that I’m afraid that I will offend. But I still feel like I need to say this, because it is important to me.

I’m not “pro-choice” per se. But I think that identity was developed using what the conservative right has defined being pro-choice as. Believing that it meant you were for abortion, without reservation. And I am not. I’ve identified myself as “pro-life” since I can remember, although I try to always make the distinction that I’m not “pro-life” like some people are, who are really anti-abortion but don’t appear to care about all the other ways life is abused in our nation and in our world. The wider pro-life view is a big part of why I will be voting for Obama this year. But that is my choice, and I know other people need to make their choices based on their personal research and priorities.

Where am I going with this?? I don’t really know, other than my point was to direct you all to a few entries that I think anyone who thinks the abortion issue is black and white should read. These are real stories by real women. And I have to agree with one of them in particular, who said in reference to McCain’s air quotes when talking about the health of the mother and late term abortions, ”I don’t see any way a thinking person can look at those air quotes and see anything but pandering, contempt, and a dangerous willful ignorance.” (For those who didn’t watch: he put air quotes around “health” and said that the pro-abortion ((sidenote - is ANYONE really pro-abortion???)) movement has stretched the term “health” so that women could get abortions basically whenever they wanted.)

Before you comment, please read the entries. And if you still think the issue is black and white, well then I guess we’ll just have to disagree. And that’s fine. I just wanted you to think about it.

A Little Bit Pregnant

Uppercase Woman - On National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Rememberance Day and her personal story
Uppercase Woman - On John McCain

Flotsam

Thank you for your time. And if you have nothing productive to say, save it and say a prayer for my soul instead.

Swistle wrote an entry this weekend that I thought was totally worth sharing, about how when we are feeling bad about our living room furniture, or our appliances, or about having to take the time to go grocery shopping (ok, she didn’t list that, but I hate it so I’m listing it), we should think about other people in the world, or our great grandparents or whoever, who would really appreciate everything that we have, including the ability to run to the grocery store whenever we want to and buy foods that are already mostly prepared, if we want them. Not comparing in a “things could always be worse” way, but just in a reality-check type of way. And since I’ve been feeling complainy lately, I figured I would admit to it and pass this awesome entry on. So go on over to her site and read there. In fact, I would start with that entry and then keep reading through the archives. She’s pretty awesome.