So, It's Still Boehner. Yay.

Let's hope he can learn what to do with it.

*sigh*

There Just Might Be Some Hope Left After All

After yesterday's slaughter in Paris I think we've all been a little numb. We sit here, jaws agape, mind reeling, feeling impotent and violated by the deaths and injuries rendered, yet again, in the name of the Religion of Peace. Unspeakable evil. Today, the City of Lights and the world watched as the Eiffel Tower went dark in honor of the slaughtered.

Pretty moving.  But, wouldn't it have been just a teensy bit wise to arm the Paris gendarmes with something other than bicycles? Ah well. Judge not lest . . .

Anyway. The news today isn't all doom and gloom. No, indeed!  There is very good news on the horizon:  Barbara Boxer will be leaving the Senate after this term!  That tacky, nasty, condescending hypocrite will be slithering out of the Beltway to "go home."  After watching a hysterical video over at Lagniappe's Lair, I recalled a letter I wrote to the Senator a few years back after she stepped in the big middle of a fat faux pas, to-wit:

Senator Barbara Boxer
112 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510

re: Your boorish behavior

Senator:

How high is that horse you're perched upon? What were you thinking when you, with a put-upon and exasperated tone of voice, challenged Brigadier General Michael Walsh's use of the respectful salutation, "ma'am," when addressing you? You stated that you "worked very hard" to acquire the title, "Senator," and preferred that you be addressed by that title. Well, la-ti-dah.

It's clear that you were not reared in a home that practiced and taught common courtesy, much less protocol. Perhaps you should study the State Department's protocol order of preference list, or that of the U.S. Army. In doing so, you would learn that, as a Senator, you outrank the good General in civilian affairs. He was giving honor and respect to you by referring to you as "ma'am," just as he would to a military member who outranked him.

General Walsh was doing your bidding, testifying to provide you with information about Gulf Coast restoration efforts. He was there at the invitation of your committee, so he was, in essence, your guest. Is this how you treat your guests? If so, I'm grateful that I'm merely a member of the great unwashed who will never merit an invitation to see you in action as a hostess; my husband is a retired Army officer, and I might be tempted by training and genteel southern tradition to refer to you as "ma'am." I wouldn't want to offend.

Your behavior, Senator Boxer, is that of the worst kind of feminist. Your behavior is the kind that causes the good ol' boys to smile and shake hands to your face, then laugh and refer to you by derogatory names in the men's room. Your kind of feminism makes it all the more difficult for young women to break into a "man's profession." I should know -- I watched your kind make it all the more difficult for me to gain the respect of my fellow attorneys a generation ago. I thought we, as a society, had grown beyond petty sniping between the sexes.

Or, instead of sexism, is it the military that is the subject of your disdain? Either way, take a breath and think before engaging your mouth.

Sincerely,

I got no reply, but I did get a blog post out of it!  So, when I saw this video, I chuckled all the harder:


Priceless. I can't wait to see her in the rear view.

More Good News From Your Governments

So now it seems that, to protect their citizens from their own folly, many cities are banning -- wait for it -- SLEDDING!!!

As a lawyer, I can appreciate the potential liability issues, but as an American citizen and adult human being, I detest being treated like a child. There, there, little lady. Don't tax your pretty little head -- let us do the thinking for you. After all, we know best.

Just consider the near-impossibility of enforcing such an overreaching law. It would do no good to ban the sale of actual sleds -- kids are creative and can turn most anything into a makeshift snow glider.We used to use trash can lids when I was a kid. And somebody's always got cardboard.

And, what's the penalty for engaging in said banned activity? Throw gleeful schoolkids in the hoosegow?

Sheesh. No one overthought this nifty little idea, huh.

Farewell, Rosebud and American Flyer.

We're doomed.

At Loose Ends Here

I'm kind of in a funk. Just kind of antsy for some unknown reason.

And I'm seriously sick and tired of governments getting more and more involved with the minutiae of daily living. Take Dallas, for example.

On New Year's Day, a new ordinance took effect in Dallas that imposes a new "environmental fee" on paper and plastic bags used to transport purchases made at retail stores.  Five cents per bag! The "fee" purports to be a means to reduce litter and the customer is permitted to bring his own reusable bags or purchase them from the merchant. AP reports, "The Dallas rules have sparked some confusion. But officials say the idea is to encourage shoppers to bring their own, reusable bags — thus avoiding the new fees."

I'm sorry, but this sounds like a "nudge" to "encourage" sanctioned behavior and a revenue generator all rolled into one handy-dandy rule. A tax by any other name . . . .

So, I think I'll go along with Calvin in the upcoming year:

Gee, I miss Calvin and Hobbes.

And, I need a hug.

No Longer Exiled in Portales

There's a hole in the internet.

It's the spot once occupied by Norman "Buck" Pennington, who self-identified as "a twice-retired guy (USAF and IT industry) who lives in a motor home, semi-permanently docked in Portales, NM."  I mean, don't you just intuit that a huge spot would be occupied by a guy who's twice-retired, and lived in "interesting" accommodations?

Back in 2011, when I nominated Buck for the "Stylish Blogger Award," (an honor which he politely declined), I described his blog as "Buck's ruminations on most anything that crosses his mind.  And beer.  And cigars.  And music." But there was much more to that blog, and to Buck, than just those few throw-away words.  Much more. I mean, that list doesn't even mention planes, or Buck being a "sensitive seventies kind of guy" (on occasion -- ;-) ), or HOCKEY, for crying out loud!

I first started following Exile in Portales when I ran across one or another of Buck's comments on some blog (probably conservative or satirical. Or both.) back in 2009 when I first started exploring the Blogosphere. It wasn't long thereafter that I began to think of Buck as an actual flesh-and-blood friend. We emailed, we were both Grammar Nazis, we sent each other jokes that shouldn't have been put out there in the Blogosphere to serve as ammunition against us or our families at some point in the future, we commiserated, and gave advice to one another. He schooled me in the phrase, "get off my lawn!" Shoot, he and Andy even taught me how to make the Internet do italics and bold!

I got to know his family -- he adored his family -- and shared his pride in their accomplishments. He got to know my family. He put up with all my posts about our dogs. He rarely failed to post a comment on my posts whether they were about politics or weather or birdfeeders. I could always count on a visit from my friend, Buck.

But, he fell through that hole in the internet late last month, and now he's off on a new adventure in What Follows Next. He's truly no longer bound by physical limitations, or Exiled anywhere in this plane of existence.

I can expect no more visits from my friend, Buck.

But, I can visit his place from time to time and maybe read his Blog from its beginnings. And I can look for updates from his sons on how they plan to carry out Buck's last wishes: to be cremated and scattered at a bunch of fun places.  Well played, sir. Well-played.

I'll miss you, buddy. Enjoy Happy Hour, wherever you are. *clinking of glasses (preferably Waterford)*

Merry December 2014, and Happy 2015!

I love this time of year -- especially when things are going well and our loved ones are healthy and happy. And, praise be, that is the case again this year. No heart surgery for Pepper this year; no gut surgery for me! Plus, we have our Miracle Mysti who is back to her old sassy self:

And we still have one of the Litter -- now known as Bouie Junior by his new family -- among the living.  He has developed a habit of digging in the backyard, and had the misfortune of disturbing a sleepy Copperhead while engaging in that craft. This is what he looked like on December 23rd:

Doesn't that just break your heart?!?!  Fortunately, his new family knew him well enough to know he was in trouble and got him to the Emergency Vet (cha-ching!!) in the middle of the night where he received the lifesaving medical attention he needed. Here he was yesterday:

Much better! His eyesight doesn't appear to be impaired either, so he's the most recent Christmas Canine Miracle. I can't decide whether he favors Mysti more, or Bouie, but he's a handsome lad indeed.

Yes, the tree still stays up until Epiphany -- January 6, so I am still permitted to send out wishes for a Merry Christmas!  January 6th also happens to be the kick-off of the Carnival Season, so Moogie's Manor needn't go without excessive decor for even a moment! This was on Christmas Eve before the grands arrived and pandemonium ensued. Daughters thought that building gingerbread houses might be a good way to entertain the young ones (read "distract" them!) until time to demolish the wrapping paper:

I think they did pretty well! (And the distraction worked! For awhile.)

Although he was one of our best gifts of all times, Bouie was pretty wiped out on Christmas Day:

A week before the Christmas revelry, we celebrated Pepper's birthday at the Manor with a Family Dessert (spelled, "Moogie didn't have to prepare and clean up after an entire meal.") How cool, and yummy, is an Apple-Pie-Baked-Into-A-Chocolate Birthday Cake?!?! (I did bake the cake!  Recipe available on The Food Network.)

Dang that was tasty!

Included in the season's gatherings were the three yellow sisters from the litter. That's our Yap on the left, little Chelsea in the middle, and Persi (short for Persephone) on the right:

Here are a few more dog pics because, these days, I smile every time I look at our pups (as long as one of them isn't shredding something or tracking in muddy prints). And, I still marvel at Mysti's and Bouie's stamina and ability to heal from the most dire of mishaps. (P.S. -- Yap now has veterinary insurance!):

Daddy and Daughter

Mama and Daughter

 Playtime!

Can you believe how she's grown? Nearly 5 months.

These make our family complete.

So, we're still enjoying Christmas decor:

We're enjoying the decor, except for one item. Pepper received a gift that now graces the windowsill of the Water Closet in our bathroom. That's the perfect place to display it because seeing that smug, Imperial face leering down at you just scares the s**t out of you.

Who needs laxatives?!?!

Sorry. Couldn't resist.

Happy New Year!!

Where Did the Fall Go?!?!

A brief update before I hit the hay. I've spent the last month plus battling gut issues with fever and no small amount of -- um -- discomfort. I finally gave in and went to the doc, who put me on rest and two industrial strength antibiotics. The corner has been turned, and I have successfully avoided the hospital, so things are looking up.

All the resident canines are blissfully healthy and happy! Mysti's staples came out without incident. I promise you, if there was one, there were 60! It's a good thing she didn't have to go through a metal detector. She's gained her weight back and is back to swimming and romping. She does tire easily still, but wouldn't you if you'd undergone three major abdominal surgeries in less than a month?

The puppy, Yap, is HUGE! She's only 4 months, but she's almost as big as Mysti! Bouie just watches the two of them and does the canine equivalent of shaking his head. Sometimes he gets in the romping mix, but they outnumber him pretty quickly. Quite an interesting family dynamic we've developed around here. I'll post pictures soon, once the dust settles around Moogie's, Manor for a bit and I can get unfettered access to the laptop for a bit. In the meantime, I'll leave you with this thought:

Elizabeth Warren's effete self-righteousness is enough to make one hurl one's lunch

Yep. I've been keeping up with the latest reindeer games to come out of DC, even though it probably gave me a setback in the gut-healing department.

Sweet dreams!