Joe the Plumber and other news

Okay. I have to say this poor man inadvertently became the forefront of the most historical election in history. On one hand, it was hysterical, on the other, annoying. I think Joe said it best..."Get back to the issues!" The poor man's street was littered with news vans and trailers... A superstar overnight because of one handshake...and he's not even voting for Obama! (Good man, that Joe).

I have to say McCain kicked his butt in the debate on Wednesday. It was fantastic. I also have to say that Obama's association with Bill Ayers is downright frightening! In my opinion, he totally failed to explain the relationship. Then you add the TWENTY YEAR relationship with the crazy Chicago pastor, the mob dude...and we want this guy running the most powerful country in the world??? With a whole 143 days of experience?? No thanks!! Seems that he has a bit of a judgement issue. McCain isn't perfect, for sure, but at least we don't have to worry about his association with terrorists, foreign or domestic!

My biggest admiration of McCain comes from the fact that for FIVE AND A HALF YEARS, he was TORTURED. Daily. Almost every bone in his body was broken. Yet he endured, and didn't say ONE word to the enemy. He didn't leave when he COULD have because he wouldn't leave his men behind. As he was being dragged, beaten and bloodied, back to his cell, he would wink and smile at Bob, the guy next to him. Now THAT'S love of country. THAT'S honor. The man can't turn his neck all the way. He can't lift his arms more than halfway up. He can't type, or use a regular pen. He's probably in pain to this day. And all because he fought for his country. He IS a hero.

Another thing that speaks volumes to me is that during the time when Congress was trying to put something together to help this country bail out of it's financial nightmare, he was willing to abandon his campaign for the good of the people. Obama wouldn't even postpone the debate in the face of immediate crisis. Like I said, McCain's certainly not perfect (I'm a wee bit concerned about the whole health care thing...) but we know where his priorities lie.

On the home front: I feel like crap. Have you ever felt like an elephant parked on your head, neck and chest, only to get up after a while and use his trunk to razor blade your lungs? No? Well, I can tell you it's not a lot of fun. If I don't breathe too deep, touch the trach, move my neck, cough, laugh, or talk too loud, I'm just fine. : \

I did get a flu shot for the first time this past Wednesday, but I don't think it's a reaction to that, because I don't have a fever...I had a few sniffles on Wednesday but I thought it was allergies.

I got some beautiful flowers yesterday from our good friends Kim and Jason...it was two weeks yesterday that my dear Linda died. It's still such a shock, as crazy as that sounds. It's like, I can't REALLY believe I'll never see her again! (This side of heaven, that it is.) At least 3 or 4 times a day, I'm like, Oh, I have to call Linda and tell her...or Oh, Linda would LOVE that...or, Oh my GOSH I can't believe such and such happened on this show we used to watch together. It's like you lose a hand... You can acknowledge the loss, but then you still have to learn how to live without that part of you. And that takes time. Some folks think that because she was fighting cancer for 11 months I should have been more prepared. But the human spirit is an ineffaceable thing: Hope lingers. The fight just doesn't go out of you until the bitter end.

I do know that she is perfect now, in heaven, dancing and singing and just loving being face to face with her Creator. I envy her that. But I mourn for myself. I mourn for her family. This planet is just a little less beautiful because her spirit has left it.