I say yes, you say no, OR People are Strange

Oh Athena, I do have empathy over your hideous weather.  And my empathy comes from familiarity rather than abstract awareness.   I grew up in DC (mostly without air conditioning) and went to college there.  Growing up, I had no idea that summer was supposed to be a pleasant happy time--that was some silly story in books.   After college, I went and did the summer in Europe thing and then went straight to grad school in another part of the country.  So basically I missed two summers.  When I finally came back, I still remember stepping off the plane and thinking ala scarlet o'hara  As god is my witness, I will never live in this miserable swamp again!!!!

And I haven't.

It is only in the 70s here and today--at least for now is overcast---but I will take 70s and a sweater (even in the depths of summer) over DC summer AnyDay.

My rant for the day is related to public transport.  With all the budget cuts they are threatening to cut our metro and buses serive by 20%.  The alternative is to charge everyone ---riders and non-riders--a one time $20 on their property taxes or what have you.  I am floored by the number of people who don't take the bus and are indignant at the idea that they might pay the $20.  Don't they get that all those people on the buses will have to get to work and school somehow and that means CARS?????  My train this morning was standing room only....thats one train...imagine that train is missing.  Now there are 100+ more cars between where people are living and downtown.   My morning bus (highly like to be cut as service on that route has already been  cut by 25%) has 100 people on it.  100 more cars on the road from that bus.........

grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

3monstmama-I live in the same area as you do, and I am very discouraged by the prevalent attitude here of I have mine, don't ask me to help you. I am so tired of Tim Eyeman and his initiatives. Everyone wants services but no one wants to help pay for them. 

Mary 

I often wonder how many people that are hit with disasters here in the US that immediately start clamoring for federal help are the same ones who claim to believe in smaller government and that we should cut people off of medicare and medicaid. It's funny how important that help becomes when it applies to you.

Mary 

I often wonder how many people that are hit with disasters here in the US that immediately start clamoring for federal help are the same ones who claim to believe in smaller government and that we should cut people off of medicare and medicaid

I will take a stab at that...99 percent?

Pip .. the concert sounds like so much fun!!  I'm not that into country music, but I love all the players at the concert!

3monster ... My town is so small, we don't have any public transportation at all.  It takes 20 minutes to get anywhere and the closest city is an hour north of me.

Bren

3monst  -  LOVED your "scarlett o'hara" imitation!  I remember each of the almost 20 summers in DC, and laughing at our shared misery - it was BUILT ON A SWAMP!  I know it was a compromise, Philly, or NYC not possible - but jeez, a SWAMP.  One if my worst rants, was the days when I'd get off the metro at "my" stop, DuPont Circle, emerge into the 1,000 degrees, and 999% humidty to NO escalators - pant, pant, pant.  Not exercise, torture.

Exept for bc, and a few other "oh, bother" things, I'm thankful to be in the tiniest cabin you can imagine, but still with 15 windows,2 doors, and it's so small the breeze goes right thru the place.  Probably won't be able to live in the 'boonies" as I get older, but sure grateful for it now. Wish I could share these cool breezes with all of you.  Stay safe, no tornadoes, and cool.

"The temp is suppose to be close to 40 that day."

I love those Celcius temperatures!   BTW, did I mention that I have a UTI?  Fought it all weekend, but finally surrendered and went to the walk-in clinic yesterday.  First of 5 days of cipro today, and of course I'm feeling downright boggy. 

No, I didn't think I'd mentioned it; but I do want to make everybody else feel okay about whining.

otter

3 monst, I think you're going to have the greatest kids ( you already do, of course, but from your last line about what you want to teach them

I guess everybody knows the famous Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm's quote: "Service is the rent we pay for the privilege of living on this earth."

I think it's time for somebody to come up with the perfect words for a variation on that theme: "Taxes are the rent we pay for citizenship and ( this part is a direct quote, anybody remember where they heard it) " a world that works for everyone."

YEAH HL

THANK YOU.....I was sure there must be something out there ;-)))  

eta:  why don't more politicians use that quote???

HAHAHAHA!  Because "tax" has been made into a dirty word, along with "government spending."  FWIW, I have always wondered where those who are against "government spending" actually think the money goes?  Do they think it evaporates into thin air?  Don't they wonder how the roads get there ... maybe they think the highway workers extrude them like bees extrude wax?  And who pays for the trucks of the highway workers?  And the tools?  And the salaries -- oh, but of course, they're overpaid and should work for free.  And where does the rebar and the cement come from?  Who makes those, along with the trucks and the tools and the clothing the highway workers wear?  Doesn't someone get paid to make all of those, and then don't they buy things with the money they make?  And the water treatment plants ... who builds them?  And where does the concrete and the equipment inside them come from?  And who made them?  And don't they use the money they make to buy things?  .... and so on ....

Just wondering.

L

And even if you could force them, it would probably be impossible to make them understand it.

Ok, did someone say Ranier...................................brings back memories to when I lived in Yakima...............I have pictures of my husband and I when we lived there.............he was in the Army, stationed at the Yakima Firing Center........................oh those were the happy days...........newly married, and not a care in the world............young and healthy 21 years old, and thought we would live forever.................who knew he would die at 57, and I wouldl end up the lonely widow.................thank God we had 6 children..........

Sorry just going back.................Ranier...............my favorite spot..........many times I went there and also to White Pass................Snoqualmie (not sure of the spelling), but you are so lucky to be in the Pacific Northwest..............beautiful country............lucky you............

3monstmama.........................magnificent is the only way to describe it....................Iloved the PNW...............We would go up to the mountains all the time, and just sit on a rock, and look from White Pass to Mt. Ranier......................I still get the "blues" when I hear or see anything about Washington State........................Those were some of the happiest times of my life...................my husband always said "one day we are going to go back".............just the way we did before....................we drove "cross country"..........................we never got to do that, he died way to soon.

I can't even see a carton in the grocery store that says Washington State Apples, or now they say Ranier Cherries, or Bing Cherries from Yakima, Washington, without getting upset.............................guess I'm goofy................but it makes me sad, but happy that I got to see and live in su[ch a beautiful place..................your fortunate to have so much beauty around you, and just a car drive away.......................If you do go ...............blow a kiss to all the beauty for me................................hugs.

It's about 55 degrees here. 

Wearing a sweatshirt and long pants. Bleh.

Mary