Welcome to The Grapes of Wrath: 2008 Edition

Today is officially the first day of fall, which makes me very happy. This past week it has been downright chilly in the morning, so much so that I need to bring a sweatshirt with me on my morning pre-sunrise walk to the gym. The girls need to wear socks when we go out and usually long sleeves. And, best of all, no more air conditioning. That should help keep our electric bill down. Our electric bill is about $100 more a month than last year. Pathetic.

We spoke with our justice of the peace last night to go over details. We need to decide what to be pronounced: Should she say I now pronounce now legally married? Or wife and wife? Or woman and wife? Or partners for life? Nicole leans toward legally married, which seems very much her: Straight and to the point. I lean toward none of the options, of course, because they all sound so imposter-like, when you have spent 36 years hearing “husband and wife” and, more hideously, “man and wife.” So we need to work out some of these little details, but the bigger decisions, like date (October 24th) and place (gazebo at Look Park) are done. I’d also like to hire a photographer to take a few pictures, so if anyone in that area knows of any photographers (professional or otherwise: I’m fine with a hobbyist with a good camera and a good eye, too) please let me know.

I am beginning to reach political saturation and a starting to think who cares who wins this election. I can’t shake the feeling that regardless of who is in the oval office, nothing will change and I will still get the short end of the stick. Both candidates talk about tax breaks, but both also agree that those who make above a certain amount (us) will have to pay more taxes (great). So no matter who is in the office, we will pay more. Neither candidate make any promises to more equality for me and my family, but both make very vague promises to not take away more rights.

There was an article this Sunday about how almost 100 percent of LIRR retirees receive copious disability benefits (whether they are disabled or not). I hear stories all the time about able-bodied people who ate collecting disability. There is a report today about how NYC pays 74 million a year for teachers who don’t have to work. This 700 billion dollar bailout plan? Are you kidding me? And how about that tidbit that former Goldman CEO and now secretary of the Treasury Henry Paulson, who has 800 million dollars in Goldman stock. Don’t you think he has a very personal interest in keeping these banks afloat?? 800 MILLION. Think he is objective? Hmmm, what a coincidence, as the Church lady used to say. And McCain was the chairman of the Senate banking Committee, the very same committee that apparently approved a lot of the actions that got us into the mess we are in today.

Everything and everyone seems corrupt. I know this isn’t the most mature attitude, but today I just feel like it is all bullshit and everyone sucks. Every day huge news bombs are dropped on us; each one deserving of its own Time Magazine Special issue.

I feel like one needs an MBA to understand what is going on. So allow me to direct you to Nicole’s Brand New, Hot Off the Presses blog. Alas, she has no cute pictures, but she does have an MBA and a very down-to-earth way of explaining the mess we are in.

Pictured above, our visit to the community garden over the weekend, which you won’t see on Nicole’s blog. Not liek I am competitive or anything.