Two titles: Happy Birthday to Kim S! and My Opinion, and I Do Have One.

You can't do ANYTHING anymore. This article on KATU.com pretty much covers it. I swear to God we are the most paranoid society on the planet. Give me a huge break. I have come to the conclusion that the media's only purpose is to instill fear and paranoia, and to persuade the sheep of this country that EVERYTHING IS BAD FOR YOU. I would hate to be a kid growing up in this country right now.

Does anyone even remember there is a war going on? And no, it's not between the rightful US citizens and the immigrants (I am not even going to say ILLEGAL immigrants because the hillbillies in this country don't know the difference and frankly probably don't REALIZE there is a difference). Reporting ad nauseum this issue only inspires prejudice, racism and stereotyping. I am sick to death of this. I am sick to death of talking to people about it, and trust me, EVERYONE brings it up to me. Why the hell do you care what my opinion of it is? You clearly have your own (it was given to you by the media, you sheep) and don't want to hear anything I might have to say about it. You are simply baiting me so that you can recite what you have studied so diligently on Fox News or any of the other "trusted" news sources. Whatever. I would be mildly interested in what you have to say only if I hadn't heard it a hundred times by people who are just the same as you. Get an original thought, or better yet, a SOLUTION, and maybe I will listen. Until then, just because I lived in Mexico and prefer Mexicanos over white guys, shut the hell up. You are entitled to your opinion, as am I, and everyone else in this country, but you don't see me shoving my opinion down your throat like you do to me.

Okay! Got that off my chest!

Not much really going on, Happy Birthday to Kim, the one person* who came down and visited me in my true environment while I was on my little sabbatical! She got to live with the cucarachas (well, one, and it was little, and dead, but it WAS in her bed before we put the sheets on it), the heat and humidity, the taxistas, and my day-to-day. I think she enjoyed it. I know I did.

Tonight I am going to meet some folks for Sol's birthday at Mazatlan downtown (uptown?). So that gets me out. I rented "North Country" last night - it was okay. I am cleaning now but putting off the vacuuming part because I just don't want to right now. After that I will run some errands provided I can get my hair into some sort of going-out shape. I'll tan, run to Target, maybe the Square, that kind of thing. And then I will chill a little bit and get ready to go out. Now you know. It's almost like you will be with me the whole way.

I leave for Cancun in 9 days (if you use my theory of not counting today and not counting the day you leave, which in this case makes sense since I leave at like 12:30am on that actual day so technically I am already there). I am looking forward to it, but not in the same way I always did before going on vacations in the past. Now it just feels like I am going home to visit. Which frankly is WAY better. The normalcy and sanity of my friends there is hugely different than here. Not better (Jeri, Becky, Rebecca, et al, relax, you guys are great), but just different. Somehow calmer. I don't know, maybe I'll figure out a way to describe it without offending anyone.

Anyway, I should just get moving while I have the energy.
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* I am not mentioning this in an effort to make anyone who did NOT come visit me feel badly. I am just saying that she was the only one. It's tough taking a vacation in our busy lives when vacationing isn't one of your priorities, that's all. It's a priority for Kim, and for me, and that's all it is. I am not in the least bit bummed that I didn't have many visitors while I was there. I like my space, and I am not that great at entertaining.