GOP Primary Time In S.C.

So it looks like the win, though votes are still be tallied, goes to Newt Gingrich in today's S.C. primary.

While I can say that I did not vote for Gingrich, I won't say who I did cast a vote for, as a nod to my parents.

"What? Why?" You might be asking.

Well ... here's why.

When I was a girl growing up in my parents home, I would ask things like, "Who did you vote for, Daddy?" and my Daddy would say, "That's private."

As a (very, very nosy) little girl, I did not understand this response. But today, in the world of facebook, twitter and other methods of instant gratification - I do.

I enjoy talking politics - mostly. I enjoy offering my opinion. I enjoy fact-checking. (I prefer factcheck.org, if you're interested).  

But I don't enjoy the pure anger and hatred that politics bring out in (some) people when you disagree with them, or offer a differing point of view from theirs (mine).

So I won't be saying who I voted for, but I will say that I voted for him (No, I did not vote Michelle Bachman, despite her name - along with John Huntsman, Rick Perry and Hermain Cain - remaining on the ballot) knowing that he most likely would not win. But I voted knowing that on major issues, I agree with the person that I voted for and on some issues, I could live with his stand.

So, there. It's no BBQ post, but that's politics in South Carolina.

Let's hope it's not a reflection of the National party's stand.

(Ooops - sorry - that was a bit opinionated after all).

Ok ... I was going to stop there, but let me say this - just in case someone out there reads this and cares.

What we (I) need in a politician is this: 

Someone who is honest.

Someone who doesn't pretend to be perfect. You've screwed up? Big deal. So have I. As my 9th grade Geography teacher would have said: Fido. Forget it and drive on. Just tell me - honestly - that you're going to try to do better.

Don't tell me you're going to do something you're not. For example, if you're Mitt Romney, don't tell me that you're going to repeal ObamaCare - you're not. It's modeled on YOUR healthcare program in Massachusetts. Say you support public health care options and remind us that you've helped set up a program that (seems to, at least) work. Tell me you know how to tweak the healthcare bill to make it better for Americans who want healthcare and can't afford it at its current cost.

Is there someone out there who wants to run for office who DID NOT get his (or her) first job because of connections? Family, Fraternity/Sorority? I'm all for  networking, but c'mon - I know that there are qualified people out there who did not get their first jobs because Mom or Dad made a call, or because they were in a Frat with so-and-so's brother. Some people have become successful through hard work, through trial and error, by making mistakes and learning from them - where are you?? Three words: Run For Office. (Note: I also admit that some people have done well - in the public and/or private sector with the benefit of their "connections" - I'm just ready for a something different!)

I have several friends who have run for local office, several who have been elected. These (for the most part - haha) are great people who love their families and their community and want to make decisions that will help set the stage for their children to have opportunities and to see their communities thrive - there must be people like them out there who want to make a run for a national office - c'mon, don't be afraid!

 Ok. That's my soapbox. I'm getting down now.

Oh! Last thing: To those of you who have voted - either today or previous weeks - thank you.

Seriously, even if you voted for the wrong guy (or girl), you did your job.

Here's What You Get ...

I love barbeque.
Seriously.
At Thanksgiving with my Dad's family, we always had Prosser's BBQ which my aunt picked up in Hemingway.
When we go to the beach, my first stop after unloading the car, is Prosser's BBQ in Murrell's Inlet.
I also enjoy politics. Somewhat.
So it was with great enjoyment that I read this article today which merged the two.
Personally, I'm a girl who loves the vinegar and salt bbq of the low-country, but I also like the mustard-based bbq of the midlands. And in the Upstate, I love Bull Hawg's.
So, now you have my recommendations and maybe I've piqued your curiosity about my politics. I will be voting in the S.C. GOP Primary, but I've not decided yet for whom ... is the bbq map any kind of indicator? Hmmmm ...

Tuesday, Tuesday, Tuesday!

Today has been sweet.

• I had a quiz that I was totally prepared to take, despite its being of the 'pop' quiz variety.
• I got my newly-turned-four-year-old enrolled in preschool for the remainder of the year. 
• I got to have lunch with my husband. 
• My eight-year old brought home another stunning report card - beautiful A's in academics and S's (for satisfactory) art, music, P.E., computer & library. The best part? He's as excited as we are and loves challenging himself. 
• I went to film class and got to watch a great movie that I would've never chosen to watch on my own - the 1941 Best Picture Award went to How Green Was My Valley, set in a South Wales coal-mining town and narrated by the youngest of six siblings, Huw Morgan. Yes, you should look it up. Yes, you should watch. Yes, it's in black & white - get over it.
• I came home to my sweet girl who wanted nothing more than to snuggle - with me.
• I got to watch The New Girl and Parenthood. 

You know, it's pretty easy to get caught up in the - to put it bluntly - crap of when our lives aren't going exactly right, or exactly the way we've planned. I am so guilty of that.
I am ashamed to say that sometimes I put my children off until bed time.
Sometimes (okay, most of the time) I don't take the time to 1) watch and 2) appreciate a film that has stood the test of time.
Many times (more so in the past), I have taken school for granted and not put in nearly the effort that was necessary for me to do well.
Today was one of those days where things just seemed illuminated for me.
I'm thankful to be in school.
I'm thankful for well-done movies.
I'm tremendously thankful for my beautiful, sweet, smart, funny, certainly-not-perfect-but-who-cares-'cause-they're-mine children.
I'm awfully thankful to be married to my best friend and even more thankful that we still enjoy having lunch together and talking about the details of our life.
Tuesday - you have been a good day.

The Home Stretch

Are any of you runners?
I used to be.
In high school, (I may have mentioned this before) I ran the 800 meter and the 1600 meter for our high school track team for one season.
I was not an especially fast runner (which is fine for both of these events) and while I am not now nor was I then "built" for running, I was in great shape and better-than-average endurance.
I actually only ran track so that conditioning for volleyball and basketball would not be so, well, hellish. But it turned out that track was fun.
I had a couple of friends who ran track and were really good, and I made more friends that season of running.
Our coach was not a lot of fun and his shorts were inappropriately short, but he was fair and a good trainer for us.
Over the course of the season, I got some help from new coaches - working on my stride and changing things I naturally did to improve my times in both events.
And so, while I hated the actual act of running, I loved being on the track team.
And I loved gaining an understanding of the language of running.

Home stretch. 

It's a phrase that is used fairly often, so it's probably one you are somewhat familiar with, even if you don't know exactly what it means. But the home stretch is this:

For example, let's pretend you are running the 1600 meters (also known as the one mile event).
On a standard running track, one mile is four laps. The finish line is usually on one of the long, straight sides rather than in the curve. So when a runner speaks of the home stretch, he or she is talking about the very end of that last lap - as you come around the last curve, you reach down deep and get that last little bit of *umf* and for those last few meters, you kick it up a notch as you stretch toward the finish line. You're in the home stretch.

So that's where I find myself today - in the home stretch.
My final semester of my under graduate career began this week.

Back in August of 1998, starting my under graduate career and expecting to finish in that four year window was something that seemed like a no-brainer. Something that I had expected to do ever since that 2nd grade field trip to Clemson University.
But life happens and things change. And while I was very, very close to completing my undergraduate degree when I left school in May of 2003, I did not.
And it took eight years for me to find a way back to school.
It was not easy.

• Back in August when I walked in to my first college class in eight years, I was (by far) one of the oldest students in my Statistics class (BTW - made a C!! Yay!). 
• Back in August when I walked in to my first college class in eight years, I had not had Algebra I & II since 10th grade. My "college math" class does not even count.
• Back in August when I walked in to my first college class in eight years, I did so knowing that when I got home my children and husband would want to hear how it was. 
• Back in August when I walked in to my first college class in eight years, I did so knowing that I have people counting on me - not to make Dean's List (which is awesome) but to finish what I started. 

And now here I am.
In the Home Stretch.
Kicking it in to high gear to finish well and strong what I started 14 years ago.
*phew*
One week down, 15 weeks to go.

One Tree Hill

Um, yes - I'm that girl. I'm that 30-something girl who is married with children and still can't get enough of the CW.

I loved Buffy the Vampire Slayer. 
I loved Angel. (Okay - to be fair, I mostly loved David Boreanaz)
I loved Charmed.
I loved The Gilmore Girls.
I loved 7th Heaven.

I have been so, so disappointed that One Tree Hill ended. Everyone (network people) said that it did have a conclusion, but I did not think so.
So during the Christmas holidays, I was so thrilled when I saw commercials announcing the return of One Tree Hill for a REAL, final season.
So ... Tonigh at 8 p.m. EST, I watched the first episode of the new, final season.

Spoiler below!

Brooke (Sophia Bush) & Julian (Austin Nichols) have twin boys - Davis & Jude;
Clay (Robert Buckley) & Quinn (Shantel Van Santen) are dealing with Clay's sleep-walking and ending up in random places;
Chris Keller (Tyler Hilton) is back;
Someone is (I think) stalking Haley (Bethany Joy Galeotti);

So the opening one minute or so is a series of scenes from the season to come: 

Looks like Lucas (Chad Michael Murray) is back (getting the crap kicked out of him);
Haley identifying a body (is it Nathan?);
Dan (Paul Johansson) & Chris teamed up with guns?;
Chase (Stephen Colletti) with blood on his face being put into the back of a police cruiser ...

Um, I think it's safe to say that I'm a very, very excited about the upcoming episodes.

Yay!

We Bought a Zoo

No, not us. But I did just finish We Bought a Zoo by Benjamin Mee as my first book of 2012.
We Bought a Zoo is (former?) journalist Ben Mee's memoir about his family's 2006 purchase of what was formerly the Dartmoor Wildlife Park in Devon County, England.
The book was a quick read, detailing the family's decision to pursue the purchase of the park that has since been reopened and is now called the Dartmoor Zoological Park. The book also briefly touches on the illness and death of Ben's wife, Katherine, from glioblastoma (an aggressive form of brain cancer).
There were some very humorous parts and some very sad parts, but the emotion of the book is not so overwhelming that a reader is left feeling drained by its conclusion.
While the movie of the same name is only loosely based on the actual story, I am still interested in the film, which I believe is well done (hello - directed by Cameron Crow and starring Matt Damon) and interesting. And, being that I am a life-long animal lover, I'm now more interested in this family-run zoological park who has as one of its primary goals conservation and breeding of high-risk animals, I'm even more glad that I picked this book up.
Next up is a book I started several weeks ago and had to put down while in the midst of the semester - The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot.  I promise to let you know what I think.