Four down, 46 to go

Vermont has become the fourth state in the nation to legalize same-sex marriage - and the second state within the last few weeks to do so.

As I was listening to NPR on my drive home to work and smiling about that news (right after I called in to make my pledge to KUT...I know, I'm a walking liberal stereotype) I began wondering if our collective social and political pendulum is beginning to swing slightly away from the right.

It wasn't just Vermont's action that makes me think our nation is warming to the left. I spoke with a real estate professional today who in the course of an interview managed to insinuate that graphic designers aren't real men and assure me that he's a capitalist through and through. But he also gave vocal support to the Obama administration's push for greater energy efficiency and green technology. I have a feeling that's a sentiment I wouldn't have heard two years ago.

Of course there's always a chance the Texas Legislature could go and approve something like chastity belts tomorrow and prove me completely wrong.

That's My @#$% President!

WARNING: AUDIO CLIPS NSFW

The Boston Phoenix ran a witty blog entry recently combining excerpts from the audiobook version of Barack Obama's autobiography "Dreams From My Father" with a hypothetical showdown between the new president and Republicans opposing his stimulus bill.

You can read the blog here.

In the book, Obama "introduces us to his high school friend, 'Ray,' who, like him, is bi-racial. Who, also like him, is casting about to find his place in the world. But, who, unlike him, has a potty mouth that would make a sailor blush," says the Phoenix blog.

The blog then isolated some of the book's filthier audio clips, which I now bring to you here, here and my personal favorite here.

I defy you, readers, to listen to that last one and not almost pee in your pants laughing. I think the thing that makes that last clip so funny is that Obama isn't reading it in his "acting" voice, he's reading it in his "frank talk with the American people" voice.

8th Grade Forum

My sister Eloise has an 8th grade project coming up called "forum." When I was in the 8th grade, we had something similar, but since it was before the advent of Powerpoint, it was simply called the "8th grade speech."

The concept sounds similar though, and equally terrifying for someone who has a shy streak: develop a presentation around a topic of your choice and present it to the entire middle school at an assembly.

Eloise chose Austin as her forum topic, so Greg and I set off this afternoon with our friend Jen to take as many photos of Austin-centric buildings, locations and culture as we could.



Along the way we bumped into UT journalism professor Gene Byrd, who is notorious for walking and not driving through and around Austin. It's not uncommon to see him around downtown Austin as he makes his way to and from UT. Professor Byrd happened into us in front of the Scottish Rite theater, which he told us is one of Austin's oldest buildings.

We made sure to take photos of some of Austin's iconic historic buildings as well as new construction, walking from the capitol to the southern end of the UT campus and back down to 6th Street. We also grabbed some Barton Springs, South Congress and a moonlight tower. And of course, we posed with proper gravitas at Austin's most important buildings.

Tough to Stomach

I have a newfound respect for parenthood.

About a week ago my friend Jen mentioned that her 1-year old son Cyrus had a bad stomach bug. "Poor kid," I thought, but then didn't think much more about it until the wee hours of Monday morning, when it hit our household.

I'm not sure where we got it - I don't care where we got it, as long as it goes away - I just know that I have never, at least in my adult memory, been this sick. Greg and I got hit with symptoms within hours of each other, and spent much of Monday shuffling between bathrooms, giving each other knowing nods as we passed in the hallway. I think we're staring to pull out of it now, although I still can't face the prospect of eating.

I was in so much pain that I couldn't even read Harry Potter, my go-to sick day reading or watch "The Sound of Music," my go-to sick day movie. Parenting a sick child through this must have been a special version of hell.

The Winter of My Discontent

I was so excited about a new president taking office this week that I hardly slept the night before Tuesday's swearing-in, and I even had dreams about arugula salad being served at an inaugural ball (although I suspect that was because I'd actually had an arugula salad Monday night, thanks to friends Joon Yee and Kate.)

It was momentous to watch the inauguration; the fact that I watched it on a tiny wall-mounted TV under fluorescent lights in an office didn't lessen the occasion. I know I wasn't the only one in my newsroom with teary eyes.

But by the end of the day it was obvious there was something else causing me to tear up. For maybe the first time since I've moved to Texas almost seven years ago, I finally got a taste of what Austinites call "cedar fever."

I don't think I even experienced the tip of the iceberg compared to what other people I know go through every winter, but my sore throat and scratchy eyes, ears and nose were enough to make me wonder: considering Texas was settled before the advent of air conditioning and allergy medications, how is it that the state got established at all?

Christmas 2008

Here are some photos I found on our computer from this Christmas:





The top photo is Greg, me and his parents on Christmas Eve. Greg's aunt, uncle and cousins came over, and I enjoyed hearing time-honored Beets family stories.

This last photo is me at Greg's parents' house on Christmas morning wearing my Red Sox santa hat and these amazing glasses (best stocking gift EVER!) that make the lights on the Christmas tree into starburst shapes. Greg got a similar pair that make all the lights into snowman shapes.

I had a fantastic time in Houston over Christmas; we got lots of hanging out time in with family at a relaxed pace, ate delicious food and got to see many friends. And seriously, those glasses really blew my mind.

Kate is:

Hi, I'm Kate and I'm a Facebook addict.

I realized this today on my drive home from work when I caught myself thinking in Facebook-phrased quips.

E.G.:
"Kate is glad the day is over."

"Kate hopes she doesn't get the flu that seems to be going around."

"Kate is enjoying the contrast of the bare winter branches against the beautiful sunset."

If any of my blog readers care to comment further on this observation, write on my Wall. I'll be there.