Law?

I picked this up from BBC news. This stuff makes me so mad I could become a real active activist. Any ideas how we can join the fight effectively? I really like the last paragraph quoted here; as long as we have an Executive Branch of government that is forceful enough to instruct the Judiciary, we really have nothing to fear. Who pays this guy? Obviously it's not the people; they are only paying the bills. Read what BBC says.

The 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 2 to 1 that the Defense of Marriage Act (Doma) is unconstitutional.

The act denies legally married gay couples federal benefits including the ability to file joint tax returns.

A Boston court unanimously ruled against Doma in May. The Supreme Court is expected to consider it next year.

Only it can issue final rulings on whether laws passed by the US Congress are constitutional or not.

In 2011, President Barack Obama instructed the Department of Justice not to defend the law, and earlier this year he announced that he supported the right of gays to marry.

So back to the kayak...

Did laundry today and hung it out on the line! That was after a weekend breakfast, consisting of two eggs sunny side up, two slices of ham, a fist full of turkey breast, and a tomato, this one though got forgotten before it reached the pan:-). That was followed by half a slice of toasted Naan with apelsiini moosi and all that was chased by two cups of coffee. 't was a good start. For entertainment I read Sherlock Holmes' Adventures.

I then thought I do some minor but necessary repairs to the kayak and load it up and drive over to the coast. The repairs got interrupted by a visit from a member of the volunteer fire department doing their annual fund drive. Since we had missed them these last few years and gotten their tell-tale 'don't help those guys' stickers on our mail box, it took a little longer that it should have just to write a check. At least I think the guy can go back to the garage and tell them that he thinks the guy in the Riverbend behind all those bushes so you can't see the house until you get up the drive way - oh yeah, I've seen that place. Always wondered who's liv'n there. - is at least partially human.

So back to the kayak I went and there comes Randy. That was a nice surprise. He built a bigger car port and bought a new(used four door) truck and sold his old (two door) truck and his wife's Miata and real estate is looking up, but just a little. He converted his gas log fire place, which really used to be a real fire place, back to a real one and bought himself a cord of split wood, all for the ambiance. his mother-in-law who lives next door keeps asking him "has the Pope been elected yet?" referring to the fact that she has not seen smoke come out of his chimney yet. It's too hot, still, to even make a fire just for ambiance. If he had known about the pile we got sitting there, he would have been interested in some of it. But now - he's got enough. He wants me to come to his church. Says 'I'll even sit with you. How sweet!

So back to the kayak I went and got to the point where the sail was up and catching wind and there comes Bernice who wanted to know what I was doing. He himself was working on his grandson's dogs run and I guess he got tired of it after a while. My wash was fluttering in the breeze and I was not around so - gotta see what's going on. We chatted and he is a pure hi way man and the thought of going down to the high seas make him shudder. We chatted about the lave of water and other such incisive themes and a gust of wind came and blew the kayak with the sail over. May that have been the one time any sail boat must have been blown over!

All in all, it was a wonderful day. By the time I had the kayak down-rigged it was way after four and I was getting hungry so I came in and found out that you (Kaa) are at work till nine and there was no chance for me at all to just send a text and come and stick my feet under the table after a few beverages with Steve ;-) And not only was it way too late to surprise you, Iivo, because the drive to you is so much longer and, besides that, you are busy walking the old cobble stones of Williamsburg tonight. I hope you're having a wonderfully restorative break from the old routines!

I just ate my last portion of shrimp jambalaya and tomorrow I will cook the wild rice with the well aged pork from last weekend and I will have another four or six portions I the fridge for the dinners to come.

I think the bank business is fixed, but the phone business is still pending. Once that is behind me, I'll cast off the lines and head 'back down to the sea again'.

Love to all of you, Isa

I'll be home by Christmas

Thursday, October 4, 2012, at 4:42  PM

Looking at the weather up and down the coast, and making a tour of the pantry and the refrigerators and freezers, I decided not to push for an exodus this weekend. Next week, perhaps. There is enough to keep me happy and save some of this good edible stuff from spoiling. I had Chip here for a chat this morning while the rain drops went dancing on the sky lights, and I told him to come looking at what's here after I'm gone, but this scheme has never worked in the past, so I don't expect he'll come raiding the pantry. He did bring a bunch of jars from their own recent canning spree. Those, I'll take home. Tomato sauce, canned carrots, and pickles, and beans, etc.

Iivo had suggested to get some dry ice to protect the frozen stuff. There is a ribeye, and two salmon filets, and stuffed peppers and all kinds of veggies and potatoes etc. But I found no source for dry ice closer than 180 miles from here (north of Burlington, VT) and the cost of gas to there and back would far outweigh the value of the food I could save. Not to talk about the time. 360 miles round trip - why, that's good enough for a two-day jaunt. And not to talk about the ribeye which, after I saw it keeps beckoning to me. I'll habit in the pan this weekend and serve it with Rösti and mixed veggies and a baby spinach salad. And I'll have a 'Rex' Merlot with it.

The idea of regular ice is not a bad one, Iivo. I also have two electric travel coolers. They supposedly get the inside of the cooler 40 to 45 degrees below ambient, so if I get the A/C to help, those coolers can be freezers ;-) But I made up my mind I'm going to brave the inhospitable north until next week, so I get more time for 'getting ready'. I have not done much inside the house during these past months and panic strikes now that we have rainy days and I'm kept inside and the chores stare into my face.

I also found out that Monday will be Columbus Day and expect that some people will have a holiday and come up here to peep at the leaves, or  "what's left of them", as Chip said. It's still pretty, though, in some places. And then, NOAA posted a weather warning for Minnesota: early winter storm, with possible accumulation of 6 to 7 inches of snow. This weather is expected to stretch into VT, and we might get some rain/snow mixed up here. I want to see that. It won't last, so there is no danger in it for the locals with a warm home and a full pantry. But I want to be able to brag about it with the locals: I was there before the first snow flake fell . . . Remember that tune?

I'll be home by Christmas . . . Toodelitoo - too.

My love to you all, Isa
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Thursday, October 4, 2012, at 5:26  PM

Remember, you can always come to ManaMaja if you want to see truly beautiful autumn leaves as they drift by my window and flop on the heads of turkeys and such.

Indeed, Kristjan and a buddy are flying up from Florida tomorrow and will fly back Monday AM.  All part of his commercial license stuff.     Riina