So here's the short of it, 
Liga is home!

And here's the long.

Liga has touched down in Chattanooga!  She looks fine, but exhausted.  Her Dad picked her up at the airport and they came here about the time I got home.  Then we took her home and stopped in at Nikki's for dinner on the way.  She was happy to have an American hamburger! Although she did say that the Israeli vegetables were the best she ever had! We are so glad that she had the opportunity to go on a Birthright trip.  And we're so glad she's back home safe and sound.

Here's a shout out to Keith and Ellen and kids for coming to her rescue last night when her cancelled flight stranded her in New York.  It sure was nice that she had folks who love her to see her through that bump in the road!

She's interested in going back -  imagine that.

So here's the short of it, 
Liga's part of the way home. 


And here's the long.

We got a text last night about 11:00 - the group was at the airport Early morning they would be leaving for the US of A.  Then at a little after 10:00 this morning, I got a call saying that her flight from New York to Charlotte had been cancelled. I never got an explanation - I think that maybe the storm coming through tonight was the problem - on top of the damage from Sandy earlier on.  I was on my way into a meeting and didn't have time to do anything - so I called Alan and he got to work on it right away.

By the time my meeting was over he had been able to book another flight -- but not until tomorrow!  It would be another few hours before she would land and find out.  In the meantime, there was not a hotel to be had near JFK.  So he got in touch with nephew and family Keith & Ellen (and Katie and Jack) -- of course they invited Liga to stay with them.

When she landed at a little after 3:00 she knew before she got off the plane that her flight was cancelled.  Her phone would text but she didn't have enough signal to support a voice call.  She was so tired.  Exhausted, she said, and was just frazzled about not getting home tonight.  Her Dad talked her through it all though, and she took a cab to Brooklyn and is safe and sound with the Pearlmans tonight.  Thank goodness for family to take her in! Her last post said that she was so exhausted she was almost delusional!

Tomorrow she'll have her last legs of the journey and will be back home by early evening.  I know she'll be eager to be home in her own bed and her own apartment.  And maybe she'll be a little more rested.

We are so eager to see her.  and hoping that this little blip in the end of her trip will end up just being one of those funny stories as time goes along.

So here's the short of it, 
Election night coverage!

And here's the long.

I don't need to get sucked into watching the election results into the wee hours of the morning.  But I am SO interested in the outcome.  I don't think it's any secret to my family and friends that I am "all in" supporting Obama/Biden for another term.  So yes, I have CNN on, and I'm also following the outcome on the blog I've been reading for about the last month. It's the New York Times FiveThirtyEight blog Nate Silver has been doing this blog based solely on statistical data rather than the passionate party based predictions that we see on so much of the media which seems only intent on entertaining us -- or at least telling us what we want to hear.  (We all choose to watch the stations that tell us what we want to hear!)
I am, at this point in the evening, deeply disturbed about the reports that there are places where our democratic processes seem to be in peril.  There are reports that people in Florida have had to wait in line for 6 hours.  That there are electronic voting machines which are not correctly recording votes in some places. And a friend of mine who knows, in fact, that there have been past instances of incompetent people being registered to vote - and I suppose had ballots turned in "on their behalf".  I am dreadfully sorry for all of the fraud that is perpetrated in our country to "win".

There are two things that I think are incredibly important.  The first is to educate people and help them to understand the importance of participating in the process.  The second is to make the process transparent, fair, and easy for people to participate.  As Wolf Blitzer just said on CNN - in this day and age in the United States of America it ought not to be an act of heroism to cast a vote.

Whoever wins this election - whether we know by tomorrow morning or if it is settled in the courts again.  I will honor our process.

Good night all.

So here's the short of it, 
Election Day

And here's the long.

I've already voted.  But tomorrow is still heavy on my heart and mind as I know it is for many.

My fervent hope is that once the election is over our country can come together and heal some of the wounds and divisiveness that has taken root.

Facebook has certainly contributed to that divisiveness.  I know that I have fundamentally different political beliefs from many of my friends and family.  The way we deal with that on a day to day basis is to find the things we have in common and talk about and share those things.   Facebook allows us to express our opinions in the most passionate of ways without thinking about the folks who have opened their news feed to us - in other words invited us into their living rooms.  I'll have to say that in the early part of the campaign season, I was more guilty than most of posting my opinions often and in most passionate ways.  Roberta Echols, my colleague, friend, and FaceBook friend made a post that helped me see the error of my ways -- so I tried to keep my "Facebook Mouth" shut in mixed company (politically mixed that is).  I pride myself on having friends and family of many persuasions - and I like that.  I know and admire people of differing religions, races, sexuality, and political opinions.  I know and admire people who are professionals, laborers, and stay at home workers.  I know dog lovers and cat lovers, and I have a couple of friends who have pot bellied pigs - and I know people who don't want an animal anywhere near their home.

Tomorrow, we'll have a new president - I hope.  I hope we don't get thrown into a months long debate over who really won.   I don't know who it will be.  I'll pray for whoever it is.  And I'll keep working for those things I believe in no matter who it is.

So here's the short of it, 
We are now on standard time, normal time, or winter time...

And here's the long.

Dear Time Change.  Why do we do this madness two times every year.  I do not like your darkness coming so early.  I thought I would enjoy your "extra" hour of sleep, but for some reason sleep eluded me last night.  Oh I'm sure that I slept, but it felt like I stayed on that edge between sleep and wakefulness all night long!  And somewhere in that tossing and turning was that hour when time folded upon itself and repeated.  Wonder what that really does to us to repeat an hour.  I would imagine that it might be more significant than we believe.

In just a little bit, I'll be taking a melatonin so that maybe I'll bet a little help with the sleeping tonight.  I've got a pretty heavy day tomorrow so good sleep would be helpful!

Tomorrow morning it'll be dark when I get started.  That's no fun - but good strong coffee, a nice shower, and a bowl of oats with Sophie will get a girl started on any day!

So here's the short of it, 
Liga turned 25 today. 

And here's the long.

Twenty-five years ago today, Liga was born in Latvia.  At the time it was a part of the old Soviet Union, but there were already rumblings of independence the spring before she was born.

Now all these years later, she's in Jerusalem with a whole bunch of other young adults her age on an exploration.  What she's exploring? - I suppose that's different for each young adult on the trip.  Perhaps it's her faith, maybe her own independence, maybe it's the country itself - maybe in the end it will be about something none of us can at this time even imagine.

I think it's highly appropriate to turn the quarter century mark half way around the world in an adventurous way.  I hope it's everything she could wish for.

Happy Birthday, dear daughter!  

Happy Birthday to you.

So here's the short of it, 
Friday night!  Love me a Friday night. 

And here's the long.

I'm sitting in my chair with the heating pad on my back and my pup snoozing at my feet.  It's been a long week, and I'm pretty tired.  But I'm gonna have some rest going on this weekend and it's time to change the clocks!  I'm gonna be falling back and getting a few more minutes of sleep!

Myra and Milko are home from their Italy trip.  Their return was postposed because of the problems Hurricane Sandy caused with air travel in the NorthEast.  Thank goodness they are home and their house seems not to be damaged.

Cousin Mia's former in-laws, who live in New York, are coming to Chattanooga for at least a week.  They have no electricity and are unable to stay in their home.  Her former husband is no better off and unable to be of any help.  It's great that they are able to come here.  Here's hoping that their time here in Chattanooga will allow them to have some distance from the horrific state of things in New York.  And they'll get a chance to visit with their grandson while he's in his normal school routine!