What’s new? I’ve blogged about WordPress, the iPad, and pizza lately.  I don’t know about you, but those are all topics I enjoy, but what else has been going on in my day-to-day world?

I’m concerned about the on-going political battle in the United States.  I’m not in favor of public sector unions.  By and large, I’m not in favor of unions; however, I do understand their value in the development of humane working conditions and wages for most people in this country  — I’m not sure itinerant farm workers have been well-served by them, but I could be wrong.  There is a time and a place for them.

If being a community organizer means things happen like the mess at the Wisconsin State Capitol for the last three + weeks, I am not in favor of community organizers.  Rush summed it up pretty well today.  But here’s the quote of interest (with some pieces removed for a hint of brevity):

… Now, all during a 2007-2008 we heard about Barack Obama as a community organizer.  A lot of people didn’t know what that meant. “What’s a community organizer?”  … What is community organizing, and what are people in the community doing standing around waiting for somebody to show up and organize ’em?  What exactly is it?

…

It’s $7.5 million in damage to the state capitol.  It’s vandalism.  It is pollution.  It’s litter.  It is spittle-flecked spaces storming their way into the building with open windows.  It is an attempt to shut down the normal, democratic flow of government operations.  You just saw community organizing.  You just watched it.  In fact, the website that put all this together is appropriately named: Organizing for America.  I can’t tell you the number of people, over the course of years, asking, “What is a community organizer?”  At the Republican convention, Rudy made fun of it. He talked about the Obama being community organizer and started laughing, “Community organizer? Ha-ha-ha! What’s a community organizer?”

It’s intimidation, it’s bullying, it is shaking down other people for money.  Community organizers are bullies, making Obama a bully!  They shake down businesses.  Jesse Jackson’s a community organizer.  It’s not a bunch of poor people standing around an oil drum with a burning fire in five-degree weather in Chicago in the middle of February and some guy who cares about their welfare comes out organizes ’em and tells ’em where to go to pick up a Sterno log to stay warm.  It is intimidation.  It is bullying.  It is what you saw going on in Wisconsin.  That’s what it is. If you’ve ever wondered what community organizing is, that’s it, and there’s more of it on tap as these defeats continue to set up for the Democrats.

Enough about things I cannot begin to hope to have any control over.  What about my life?

Two weeks ago, I renewed my membership to Weight Watchers Online.  I am finally ready to embrace and do what I need to do to lose weight.  I started with 26 bags of flour to lose.  As of this morning, I have 25 bags of flour to lose, and I’m comfortable with how things are going.  Weight Watchers is the physical system and Pam Young’s The Mouth Trap provides the tools to deal with the emotional aspects of losing weight.

My big problem in the past has been resentment for the process and feeling deprived.  I’m mentally ready this time, and it’s my idea, but I believe a key is preventing myself from feeling deprived.  Two weeks in, I’m committed to finding ways to indulge in things that are important to me while maintaining a sensible balance.  So far, I believe I’ve succeeded with that.  ‘Nuff said for now.

Work at the houses and outbuildings continues.  Hubby moved his huge bookshelf that turned out to be too big to get upstairs over to the shop.  I needed to put one more coat of paint on each of the shelves before we could use it, so, while hubby was in San Antonio this week, I spent a few minutes each day getting the shelves painted.  They’re done.

At the same time, we decided to do two indoor yard sales this year.  The first will be on the first weekend in April, and the second will be the first weekend in August.  I’m setting up for them now.  We have a number of bulky items of indeterminate functionality at the shop.  We’ve decided to pool them in a “U Haul It, It’s Yours” area just to clear the bulk.  We know people want that kind of stuff, and it’s worth it to us to have them haul it off if they want it.

I’m repricing items as I pull them out of the boxes.  Some of them are going to marked to ridiculously low prices, because I just want them gone.  I’m putting them in an area near the “U Haul It” section.

I bought a recumbent exercise bike last year and set it up over at the shop.  I think I rode it twice last year.  I started this year with a goal to ride it once a week.  I’m up to a goal of riding it twice a week now, and I’m finding myself wanting to ride it more than that (so I do).  For the price, I can’t recommend it highly enough.  It’s a small thing, but nothing else in that price range comes with a Polar heart rate strap.  They all rely on handgrips to measure heart rate.  This one will allow that, too, but I like to wear the strap for a constant reading.

I have half the tree trimming shredding completed.  The lawn mower engine service is complete as well as greasing the front axle.  I still need to change the belt and blades, but it will work as is.  I’m digging dandelions and preparing to do the first mowing of the season.  I have a lot of yard work hovering.  I need to get started on it before it gets too overwhelming.

The kittens are growing.  They’ll be six months old on the 27th.  They’re celebrating by getting spayed and neutered on the 24th.  They are into everything, and I’m trying to make sure they know not to get on the table, counters, of the mid-level of the windows.  I’m not naive enough to think they won’t do it when I’m not around, but I don’t want them to do it when I am.

Natasha is playing with the kittens more.  This is good.  But then I catch her on the kitchen table with the kittens, and we have to have a discussion about how unhelpful this is and what a poor example she’s setting.

Hubby’s getting new tires for the Navigator today.  It came with Pirellis, and that’s what he’s getting put on it again.  Did you know they are rated for 135 mph?  I just can’t imagine driving the Navigator at 135 mph.  But it’s good the know the tires are rated for it.  The down side is they don’t get as much life on them — 35,000 miles on the Navigator.  I got 40k out of the tires on my truck before I had to replace them.  But I don’t think they’re rated for 135 mph.

Our older granddaughter turned 17 on Wednesday.  Yesterday she got her driver license.  Her sister turns 14 next Saturday.  Their parents celebrate their 24th wedding anniversary this month.

I’ve read eleven books so far this year.  My goal is always fifty books in a year.  I haven’t met that goal yet, but I’m coming closer every year.

Yes, I have been plugging away at “How To Revise You Novel” and Polar Bear on the Loose.  I’m still on Lesson 7, which has been a very interesting lesson.

I guess that’s more than enough about me for now.  What have you been working on lately?