The Eyes of Texas...

...need to take a long, hard look at what the Republican Party is promoting.

Every election, political parties meet at every level to decide on what their platform will be.  A platform is a handy, basic set of statements that tell what the values of the party are, and helps non-party members decide which one is the best fit for them.  Everyone knows about the national conventions, which are like Mardi Gras for political junkies.  The real meat of a party, though, is at the state level.  these are the politicians and other folks who most directly impact your life; these are the ones who make laws that affect 90% of your everyday life. These politicians get their orders from the state party platform.  To be able to run for office and get ANY kind of support from the party, they have to "kiss the ring" and toe the line on the platform. 

So, if you want to see what Republicans want to accomplish in, say, Texas, just take a peek at the new platform they passed at the state convention a few days ago.  Some highlights:

1. Family and Defense of Marriage ― We support the definition of marriage as a God-ordained, legal and moral commitment only between a natural man and a natural woman, which is the foundational unit of a healthy society, and we oppose the assault on marriage by judicial activists. We call on the President and Congress to take immediate action to defend the sanctity of marriage. We are resolute that Congress exercise authority under the United States Constitution, and pass legislation withholding jurisdiction from the Federal Courts in cases involving family law, especially any changes in the definition of marriage. We further call on Congress to pass and the state legislatures to ratify a marriage amendment declaring that marriage in the United States shall consist of and be recognized only as the union of a natural man and a natural woman. Neither the United States nor any state shall recognize or grant to any unmarried person the legal rights or status of a spouse. We oppose the recognition of and granting of benefits to people who represent themselves as domestic partners without being legally married.

2. Homosexuality

― We affirm that the practice of homosexuality tears at the fabric of society and contributes to the breakdown of the family unit. Homosexual behavior is contrary to the fundamental, unchanging truths that have been ordained by God, recognized by our country’s founders, and shared by the majority of Texans.

Homosexuality must not be presented as an acceptable "alternative" lifestyle, in public policy, nor should "family" be redefined to include homosexual "couples." We believe there should be no granting of special legal entitlements or creation of special status for homosexual behavior, regardless of state of origin. Additionally, we oppose any criminal or civil penalties against those who oppose homosexuality out of faith, conviction or belief in traditional values.

3. Enforcement of the Defense of Marriage Act ― We support the enforcement of the State and Federal Defense of Marriage Act by state and federal officials respectively, and oppose creation, recognition and benefits for partnerships outside of marriage that are being provided by some political subdivisions.


And it isn't just gay people, either!  Straights aren't safe from their clutches.  Whether you enjoy a good Playboy now and then, or just need to divorce that sumbitch who beats you every night after he comes home drunk, they know what's best for you and by God you will live the way THEY want you to! 

But don't take my word for it.  Go read it for yourself on their website: http://www.tfn.org/site/DocServer/2012-Platform-Final.pdf?docID=3201

Thanks to Andy Towle at Towleroad for helping highlight this (http://www.towleroad.com/2012/06/the-republican-party-of-texas-really-hates-gay-people.html.)  Remember, all that's necesary for these sick people to keep winning is for good people to sit back and do nothing!

I Never...

thought I would get this far behind in writing!  Sheesh this sucks.  I have to stop being lazy.  Yeah, I suck at blogging, but how can I get better if I am not doing it? 

In other news, I think I will stop putting anything on Facebook other than the most mundane of personal informations, such as, "Griffy took a shit today," or "This is great weather we're having!"  Don't want to offend anyone, right?

...oh, hell, who am I kidding?! ME, not offend anyone?  Please!  I am Kandi's son, after all!

An interesting weekend...

So people in Connecticut are starting to get power back after last week's snow storm.  The weather has been nice-cool days and frosty nights in the 20s and 30s.  Stephen and I have gotten used to the cold, for the most part.  We have adapted to wearing sweatpants and socks and using a space heater at night, so that we can keep the heat on 62 degrees and not run up the gas bill.  Griffy, poor thing, is still adjusting.  He wears a sweater all day and sleeps with a heating pad in his bed at night (thanks for the idea, Mona!)  But we bought him a new blanket for his bed and that is helping.

We have been fortunate enough to at least have Sundays off together. Today we took advantage of the great weather and went hiking at Sleeping Giant State Park. It was a lot of fun, but next time I am taking a backpack and water!! I was so thirsty by the time we got to the top I wanted to lick the rocks that still had snow on them...I posted pics on Facebook for everyone to enjoy. 

Daylight savings time also ended today, and it was jarring for me.  Stephen could not believe that it was getting dark at 4:30!  It felt like 8:00 when we had dinner, but it was only 5:45.  I have been ready for bed since then, so off we go!  Good night moon!!

You Never Forget Your First Time...

...or your first in a long time.  Yesterday was a day of wonder and excitement around the Light house, because we had an unprecedented October snowstorm come through Connecticut!  It started snowing here in Branford yesterday about 12:15pm, while Stephen was getting dressed for work.  He was watching the rain come down and all of a sudden he said, "Hey, the rain is fat now, and white...OH MY GOD IT'S SNOWING!!!!!!!" He threw his clothes on, raced outside, and started dancing in it!  It was a wet snow, and really huge flakes flew everywhere.  For the rest of the day, he was like a kid in the candy store-all he could do was throw snowballs and talk about how cool it was.  It was his first snow, so you can imagine how he felt.

Altogether, we ended up with about 6 inches here. Other parts of the state, like the Litchfield Hills, got 17 inches or more.   Most of it has melted already, but the magic remains!  I am so happy that God helped me give Stephen this little gift that brought so much joy to him.  I also missed the snow-it was my first one since I left New Jersey for Texas in 2000.  I have posted pics on Facebook for everyone to enjoy. And now, I'm off to enjoy a cup of hot cocoa!!

Long Day...

Finally home from work.  We didn't leave until 1am because the carpet cleaning guys were there, and I can't leave them in the restaurant alone.  It's cold here, in the low 40s and damp, but I was shocked at how many people will eat ice cream in this weather.  I guess they are more used to the weather than I am.

Supposedly we will have our first taste of winter tomorrow!  Our friends say it will be just a cold rain, others say 3-5 inches of snow.  So I made a rice bag for my knee to help with the stiffness I've been having.  Had some adventures earlier this week but I will post about those later.  Going to bed now-Stephen and Griffy have already beat me to it!  Good night moon!

Tuesday Should Be Called "Weirdsday"

Hi Gang!  Life is going well so far.  We are slowly getting used to the colder weather.  Stephen said I am adapting faster than him.  I guess when you live up North from the ages of 2 to 10, your body develops a memory of how to deal with it. We have some of our winter wardrobe ready; we need to buy some boots and thicker socks, but then we should be all set!

Work is interesting, to say the least. The town I work in is smaller than Branford and has three distinct classes of people: elite old money who are grouches; regular folks; and then the people who only come out on Tuesday.  Every town has them, but for some reason our restaurant gets them in droves on that day of the week.  It's like I work in a Stephen King novel!  We had a guy bring us his old grease from home, saying that the old managers used to dump it for him; then a lady got confused when we asked how she wanted the chicken for her chicken salad (fried or grilled, ma'am?); and to top it all off, one of my waitresses was asked, "When are you graduating from high school?" by an older lady. (The waitress is 31.) 

Stephen has about 2 more weeks of training left before he is done and goes to his new store.  Fortunately, it's in Milford, which is only 20 minutes west of here.  I have discovered that it is easier, and cheaper, for me to take the bus to work instead of the train.  I have to walk over a mile to the train station, and it costs $4.50 to ride; the bus stops at the foot of our hill and only costs $1.25, so it's a no-brainer!  Griffy is doing OK.  He is not taking to the cold and we have to buy him a thicker sweater!  If things go as planned, then in 2-3 weeks he will be going to the vet and getting his yearly shots, microchipping, and having 8 teeth removed.  Then he will feel better and his bad breath will be gone.

It sucks not having any of our stuff up here.  I hate paying storage each month, and I really miss having our family pictures.  But it's like Stephen said: it shows you just how little you really need to survive.  Next week we will have been up here for 6 months.  I'm not going to lie-I miss our family and friends terribly.  It's lonely when you don't know very many people and EVERYTHING is new.  Even in San Antonio, at least some things were in both cities so we had some familiarity.  But that's also the fun part of this adventure.  Trying new things.  Making new friends.  Meeting people like a 60-year-old Serbian who ACTUALLY knows what the hell a kolache is, and then makes you a whole pan of them with Italian plums she grew in her back yard.  And seeing Stephen's face when he sees the leaves changing colors or puts on a new pair of gloves makes me happy, and glad we are on this adventure together. Yes, money could be better-couldn't it always?  But I would rather have to take the bus here in Connecticut, and be free to live my life without fear or having someone's religion shoved down my throat, than to drive a Mercedes back in Texas and be shit on.  Like Emiliano Zapata said: It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees.

Catching Up Is Hard to Do!

Wow-2 months since my last post.  I'm so lazy!  Well, that's what happens when you're busy working 50 or 60 hours every week.  So, let's see-what's new lately around the Light House?

1. We had a hurricane back in August! It was the first one here in 26 years.  It wasn't that bad, by Texas standards-but it TORE things up around here.  It took us 5 days to get power back, and my restaurant was closed for 6 days because we had no electricity there in Clinton.
2. Stephen started his new job last month.  So far he loves it...he is supposed to be finished with his training in mid-November and then go to his new store.
3. It has gotten significantly cooler here....the leaves are changing colors and the days are much shorter and darker than they were just one month ago.
4. Since winter is coming, we have been getting ready.  We bought our first winter tires, and today we got Stephen his first pair of gloves.  I really like his new coat too!

Off to bed now-work in the morning.  Good night world!