scattered thoughts

Live from Labour Day Monday....

We did the inventory at the store today, but thanks to excellent planning and some pre-counting, plus a couple of sisters/boyfriends/new guy, we were done in record time, and so far, the numbers look to be quite good and we aren't finding huge surprises.

We have also now hired the staff we need, and while it's a jumbled up schedule until we all learn it, Mortimer's Dad and I will no longer need to be in 3 places at once and it looks like there will only be one night a week that we can't do family dinner. Hopefully, we can make that the day my parents take the girls and their life will remain essentially the same.

As things at work are calming down, we took a look at the school schedule. In September and October there are so many Jewish Holidays, plus Thanksgiving and early dismissals for parent teacher conferences that the kids have almost as many days off as they have school! If we allow them to miss 2 extra days (it's kindergarten, I think she'll survive!) we can take the Canadian Thanksgiving/Sukkot break and get the heck out of dodge. Since our house should be under renovation at that time, it would indeed be a fantastic time to go away... Great idea, right? Well every thing is booked up! Freaking middle of October, there are NO ROOMS at Disney (well, the wilderness lodge...  I am not a cabin person), not a single room at any of the Club Meds, we even tried a real schmancy resort with several beaches, 2 of which are reserved for families with kids (which is a nice way of saying they don't allow kids on the other 5!) and they also had no rooms. Well, they had a private residence on the beach for 8 Grand, but no thanks!

What the hell is up with that? Who knew mid-October was prime vacation season? I thought everyone was in school. Who are all these people on vacation???? We found one cruise with a cabin still available: no windows, tiny beds... yuck! And a 4 day Disney cruise, which is a real possibility.

Finally, Sarah Palin..... I have to say something... I can't help myself! It's not my elections, it's not my country. Frankly, the whole system down there is beyond me. how long are these freaking elections? Our Prime Minister just announced we are going to the polls in the fall, we'll be done before you guys get started! 2 months, top! But yeah, Sarah Palin.... Is it her baby? Is it her daughters? My husband thinks I'm nuts to even entertain the idea that maybe she covered up her daughter's pregnancy, he said there is no way that would have gotten past the vetting... Well lo and behold, the dear 17 y.o. is in fact preganant RIGHT NOW! Yeah for teaching abstinence and pro-life! That really works! (dont' get me started. I do not think 17y.o. should be having kids. I get that it happens, but in my mind, it's too young, plain and simple). The point it, that got past the vetting..... A choice for running mate should have experience. If you ask me, this woman is a prime example of someone who is a fantastic bullshitter: she talked her way from mayor of a small town to Governor and now to running mate.... I once talked my way into a very high level position with very little PR experience under my belt. And the whole time I was thinking: Isn't someone going to realise I'm not qualified? Isn't someone going to stop me? not only did they not stop me, they kept promoting me! So she just got promoted, but really, somene should have stopped her.

<end soapbox>

Comments

[Lisa]

Ohhhh Do the Disney Cruise! I am getting married on a Disney Cruise the first week of November! It is a wonderful vacation!

[mijk]

ANd if your 17 year old end up pregnant. She should have both of her parents around. As does her special need kid (And I woudl have said this if she was the dad too). Thanks for posting aobut her! I so wanted to say this but I just couldn't because well ity isn't my country and my election but here I am allowed.

I hope you find your vacation. We just heard that my parents found the last available bungalows for our fall hollyday in Lanzarote so October is busy in europe too!

[lizard]

well, it is my country, and I totally agree with you. Apparently "conservatism" isn't what it once was. It is no shame to have a 17 year old who is pregnant as long as she plans to marry the boy-- and of course it never has been shameful to be the parents of the boy who gets the 17 year old pregnant, because boys will be boys. I should not even start here, because I will soon hijack your blog comments with my insane shrieking about how much this pisses me off.

(deep breaths, deeeeeeep breaths)

how about the attitude that all women are alike, and if we want a woman in the white house (as if VP counts) any woman should be fine? Um, no. not so too very much.

I often think about Canadian and European elections wistfully.... 2 months, done.... sigh..... trust me, many of us would love such a thing.

[Johnny]

Don't you know our rules.

Before the crap hits the fan, it's "tsk, tsk, tsk on THOSE people"

After the crap hits the, it's "this is a private family matter"

They didn't hound Cheney (the ultimate Darth Vader), this too shall pass.

[Amyesq]

I KNOW! It is just crazy! The first thing I thought (after "Wow, please don't get married at 17") was how someone is seriously fired.

[Julie]

I'll say this much. If I were the parent (mother or father) of a pregnant 17 year old and was a public figure, particularly one with Ms. Palin's beliefs, there is no way I would have accepted the position offered, knowing that it would be throwing my 17 year old under a bus. She had to know this would be front page news and the lead story on every TV network, particularly because this is a hot issue in this campaign. Her kid doesn't deserve that. She's not a public figure and her life shouldn't be fodder for the media. I would have put my family first and declined the offer. But that's just me. Let me add that I wouldn't be surprised to hear in the next few weeks that Ms. Palin has decided that it isn't the right time for her to take on this VP offer and she's stepping down and will forever more be known as a Trivial Pursuit question a la Thomas Eagleton, the Democratic nominee in 1972 - well, until some negative information came to light and he stepped down! I doubt her party is very happy with her at this very moment! I just hope her daughter will be okay through this media storm! It'll be interesting to see how this unfolds.

[kim]

October is a big month for Fall Break for schools around here. It is a little cooler than summer time. We went a couple years back in Oct. but it was so crowded. We much prefer end of January. Cooler and less crowded.
I hear the Wilderness lodge is pretty nice though... Maybe go for it.

[Carol Anne]

All the Minnesotans are in Florida in mid-October. The big Teachers' Convention hits then, and the kids are out of school for two days (plus the weekend). It's fall family vacation time -- for those who can take vacation.

[kris]

tons of europeans at disney also in october. with the price of airfare i can't see us going this year.

[Elaine]

What? I missed the pregnant daughter. Whoo wee!!
Hey, if you want to come to the other side of the world I'm sure there are rooms in Bali and you can stay with us on Java...Just saying!

[Janis C]

"The point it, that got past the vetting..... "

Nope it didn't get pass the vetting. McCain knew about it.

They broke the story over the three day weekend, during the hurricane.

Obama strongly responded to the allegations that his campaign fueled the rumors.

And as usual did a great job, pointing out his mother was 18 when she gave birth to him and added, families and children are OFF limits in this campaign.

It is gone from the front headlines.

We love Obama here in the West Coast!

[Sister Carrie]

I agree with Julie. Sarah Palin is the new Thomas Eagleton. And I can't wait for this election to be over.

[Elise]

This is the third American election I'll have lived through without being able to vote and they are as nutty from the inside as it looks from the outside. And the pregnant teenager marrying her baby daddy thing makes me crazy. What kind of message is it to say don't have sex until you are mature enough to make the committment of marriage but then the moment you get pregnant you are supposed to jump right into that committment that your own actions have demonstrated you are not mature enough to make? It boggles my mind and yet the conservatives are eating it up. I'm volunteering for Obama, it's the only thing I can think of doing.

[michele]

Our schools usually get an extra week off in October and in Jan.
Then we have a very short summer 9 weeks or so.
We also have a hard time booking unless we plan WAY ahead.

[alexis]

The Sarah Palin thing is insanity. The part where Obama was accused of sexism for questioning her 'experience'? Even more insane. But same here, not my country, not my election and so, not my business.

Echoing Elaine about the other side of the world. There are plenty of rooms in Chiangmai too. =) I hope you find a place to get away to.

[Meg]

Putting aside Sarah Palin (I totally agree with you, by the way), and getting back to vacations, the Wilderness Lodge (as long as they don't mean the Fort Wilderness campground) is actually a lovely hotel with decent rooms, a nice pool, and a fast water shuttle to the Magic Kingdom. I've stayed there when the monorail hotels were sold out and I ended up being perfectly satisfied with it. It's no worse than the Polynesian or the Contemporary and the boat ride to the Magic Kingdom is pleasant.

[Meg]

Putting aside Sarah Palin (I totally agree with you, by the way), and getting back to vacations, the Wilderness Lodge (as long as they don't mean the Fort Wilderness campground) is actually a lovely hotel with decent rooms, a nice pool, and a fast water shuttle to the Magic Kingdom. I've stayed there when the monorail hotels were sold out and I ended up being perfectly satisfied with it. It's no worse than the Polynesian or the Contemporary and the boat ride to the Magic Kingdom is pleasant.

[Anna]

There is plenty of room in Europe, all kids are in school, EuroDisney in Paris should be free...HEY...PARIS AND DISNEY in one shot!

come on over!

btw I still live in Italy, school starts on Monday,haven't finished unpacking boxes since we moved in late July, A's clothes are all over the place, his room looks like a tornado hit it, and I am beyond tired....

but you're welcome to visit this messy row house in a smalltown hicksville outside of Turin if you wish. There is an agriturismo not far from where I live and Turin has a MUSEUM of CINEMA cool for kids, an Egyptian Museum with REAL MUMMIES, a very poor Museum of Natural Sciences and of course, being the home of FIAT, a Car Museum....what more can you ask...castles, forts, fancy noble houses, palaces left over from the Savoy Reign.

ciao
need to put in 2 loads of laundry
cheers
Anna