Endorsed by George

Though I (David) was a bit on the young side when it came to recognizing the quality of George Latimer’s work as Mayor of St. Paul, I do feel that I can safely say that he was a thousand times better than that gapped tooth money grubber (Norm Coleman) was. Now even though that is not saying much (1000 x 0 is still 0), I still have a bit of respect for ol’ George. Which is why his recent endorsement of Chris Coleman (no relation, thank you Jeebus) had confused me to the point where I almost reexamined my preferred choice for mayor. Fortunately, my fellow citizens at http://www.e-democracy.org/stpaul/ were quick to pick apart Latimer’s words of praise. So Rafael Ortega is still the first choice on my ballot. Or, seeing as how we are still a few centuries away from instant runoff voting, the only choice on my ballot.

The bad news is that I still don’t feel like I’m backing the right candidate. People have volumes of bad things to say about Randy Kelly, and a book or two of bad this to say about Chris Coleman (excuse me if I interpret being endorsed by Bill Finney – the man who pulled me over for tailgating him – as a bad thing), but there isn’t very much, good or bad, that I can find on Ortega. I fear that he may just be the default candidate.

The good news is that mixed in with the small snippets of appraisals of Ortega’s work, I have seen multiple sources that praise his dedication to citizenship, and I can think of no greater value for a local politician to have. So, with it being apparent to me that these sources were going beyond the campaign rhetoric, I think I can rest assured that I am at least voting for this value. Even if all else is a failure, I trust that this value can be enough.

Nevertheless, if my fellow citizens can get over the whole partisan aspect of this election (and all elections for that matter), it would be nice to see how the actual, spin-free histories of these candidates compare to one another. Perhaps I can look forward to that some day, along with instant runoff voting.

The gig

SHSK's next gig information, thanks to fans at www.mnska.com the address might be a bit hard to read, so for clarity’s sake, it is: 4947 West Broadway, Crystal Minnesota at the Knights of Columbus. All age show, but drinks are served at the bar upstairs.

Urban wildlife

turkey
Originally uploaded by handds.

Every once and a while it is nice to stop for a few minutes and enjoy the wildlife that dwells in the neighborhood.

Things have been moving at a fast pace as of late. I (David) got behind on my BPA data entry over the vacation. My decision to do the job as volunteer instead of a contractor (so as to not have to deal with tax forms) added a procrastinating twist to the process. I also began practicing the piano while doubling up on the paid position, so now my work days are beginning to look as cram packed as a normal person's.

With Mr. Brier's (dad's) residual energy not yet faded and with the early spring's demand for yard work, I've also been putting in a few minutes of work here and there around the house. The cripple (Heather) has also been burning the candle at both ends. Last week, this week, and next week she barely has enough free time to brush her teeth, much less do anything more deserving for herself. There is a chance that this could be true for the following week too, but that is too far off in the future to comprehend at the moment. Last Saturday I went on another night ride while Heather was at work. Incongruously, Heather's short span of free time for the weekend (NASCAR watching) was periodically perforated with family needs. Between Mom's gimp arm and Sis' autobiographical documentary, Heather was called away from the race on multiple occasions. I'm developing a suspicion that the doctor's new prescription for Heather of 8 hours of sleep per day may do miracles for Heather's health, but the rest of the world will likely have to take on the burden of ailments that we had previously been protected from due to her self sacrifice.

Monday evening was my first band rehearsal (not to be confused with band practice, something I've been guilty of until recently). Things seemed to go well. It is amazing what a little extra practicing on the side can do for one's confidence. Word from the band is that our next gig is now set in stone. We can be seen on May 14th at a "Knights of Columbus" in Crystal, MN. Details and addresses are not known yet but they should be available here or on the SHSK site (linked --> ) soon. One can also look forward to purchasing our Ultra Deluxe Three Song Promo Disk at the show.

Vacation

11pie
Originally uploaded by handds.

So we've been silent for a while. We had decided it was time for a vacation. No regular jobs, no part time jobs, no band practice, no blogs, just a whole lot of house work and family.

Heather's dad came to town. Repairs began immediately. There was the garbage disposal, the cabinet, automotive work, and a hand railing, just to name a few tasks worked on. Heather managed to get in some garden work as well as make a delicious Key Lime pie (mmmmmmmm! pie). David spent some time visiting with family, including the soon to be in-law. And just to make this post seem as confusing as it is for its author to write at 5:00 in the morning after a week's vacation, Heather, David, and David (dad) spent some time visiting with David's other in-law sibling.

But alas, the vacation came to an end, and since this blog entry has the potential to be quite long, I think it may be best to simply leave things at that.