AMBER REPOST

This is a repost of Amber, the porch kitty. She was not only on the porch waiting this morning, she was right by the door. She retreats to the second step while we put out the food. I think she's figured out just how fast we can get down the steps, which isn't very fast to be honest. She's actually meowing loud enough to be heard now. I'm glad we got her moved over here, the house next door has sold and they're doing quite a bit of refurbishing of the backyard that would probably scare the bejezus out of her if she was still hanging out. Our yard is far more interesting. Plenty of places to hang out or play hide and seek. she also looks a lot more relaxed now than she did to start with.

AMBER

That's what mom calls the porch kitty. She's usually waiting on the porch about six am. Right now she retreats down one step, just out of reach and waits until you're on the other side of the door to come up. She's taken to shuttling between our house and the house across the street that also has a former street cat hanging out. The center of the yard has several day lilies, a lilac and a barberry. Perfect it seems for hanging out; I see a little orange flash every once in awhile; usually in the afternoon when it's about time for a snack. She meows; I think. I mean I see her mouth move but her meow is smaller than she is.

POLLS OR BE GLAD THAT AMERICA ISN'T RUN LIKE A BUSINESS

Now we know why members of congress held their noses and passed the legislation to raise the debt ceiling. It’s August and the members needed to take off for their customary August recess. There was a time when it took a lot longer to get home to shake hands with the voters. No TV, no cell phones, no twitter, no facebook, no jets that can get you from one coast to the other in hours instead of days. And no air conditioning. I’ve read that DC was considered a hard ship post for most European diplomats back in the days before central air. It’s hot, it’s humid. I think they had to drain a swamp to build the city. The country is still on the ropes and one branch of the elected hired help pretty much takes the month off.

Polls released last night and early this morning have a damning message for that branch of the elected hired help. The voters are not happy campers. I’m not sure this bunch is any worse than the reps that came before them. After all, nobody’s gone after their opponents with a walking stick since a member of the South Carolina delegation beat Charles Sumner senseless with his walking stick, in chambers, before the Civil War.

How could the members of congress make us a little happier? Well they could skip that August recess for starters. We’ve got jets now. You can go home on Thursday, shake hands with the voters and still be back to work on Monday. Plus you have cell phones, high speed internet and air conditioning. Cut back on the other time off that seems to coincide with major holidays. Take the same time off that most working Americans receive. Which isn’t very much.

It wouldn’t hurt to announce that the only pledge an elected official needs to make is made when the oath of office is taken. And it would also help to remember that just because you won it doesn’t give you the right to ignore the opinions of the voters who supported the other candidate. Especially in a three or four way race. Yeah, you got biggest total, but the combined totals of the other candidates is larger than yours, so a little humility would go a long way. Oh, and thank your lucky stars that we don’t run the country like a private business because right now your performance reviews would be bloody dismal.

Cross posted in Women On