Your Little Jennifer, The Political Activist?

Hi everyone. Should I begin with my customary apology for not posting in several days, or just shut the hell up and get to the good stuff? I opt for the latter.

This week's been a whirlwind. We were off Monday in celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King's Birthday, which was nice. Erin went on to daycare and I had the day to myself. (Yes, I know...I should have been true to my loyal fans and posted here, but dammit, I just didn't want to! Doesn't mean I don't love you guys! Really!). Monday was cold (VERY cold, actually) and overcast and atmospherically yucky. I didn't really feel quite like myself, either (this cold has really kicked my ass), so I just didn't have the OOMPH that I'd hoped for. Still, I spent the day engaging in one of my SelfishGuiltyPleasures(tm)...reading and vegging out at Borders. LOVE that place. (I love Barnes and Noble too, don't get me wrong. Borders is just closer to home and, quite honestly, I didn't have the energy to drive all the way in to Overland Park!) Just a nice, quiet, me-me-me kind of day. I need those more often. My supervisor was out of the office Tuesday and Wednesday, making me the "acting" boss. Not that that's any sort of big feat or anything, at least it wasn't this time. However, I do tend to notice that our "all-hell-breaks-loose" periods allllways seem to come RIGHT when she's on leave/TDY (temporary duty out of state) and I'm in charge. No such thing happened this week, thank God. What DID happen was that I felt, for the first time, truly exhausted and disgusted by red tape and bureaucracy that so pepper Government work. The details, I'll spare you. I'll simply say that, yet AGAIN, ignorance prevails over customer-focused, simple, workable products. There simply aren't the words to describe the frustration that accompanies working against the grain. One of the reasons I so, so wanted to come and work here was that the mentality and energy here focused so exclusively on free thought...thought that embraced innovation and improvements and, gasp, customer satisfaction. When you are a self-contained, self-managed entity, that sort of energy makes the world a fantabulous place. When the folks in charge don't share your passion, well, your energies systematically seem to find themselves headed right toward the toilet. A dear colleague talked me through how unhappy and un-energized this all made me, and I'll always love her for that. I absolutely love my field...love my local customers, love my boss and colleagues, love the agency (dare I say it?)...and, in all honesty, it's very hard for me to see myself ever working anywhere else. But good Lord almighty, sometimes I just have my days. And this week, I had one of those days. Made for a crummy mid-week. Today's Thursday, and I'm hoping for (1) a nice, quiet evening at home where (2) lots of folks will call and RSVP for my poorly-doomed Longaberger party this weekend and (3) "ER" will be good and (4) I can get some much-needed REST. Jen's a tired girl. And a HUNGRY girl! I need one of those in-home caterers. You know...the ones who make criminally delicious foods and deliver them to your home in easily-disposed-of containers (you know, to minimize the cleanup!) Right...keep dreaming, Jen!

So today's Inauguration Day. I'm happy that Mr. Bush is back. Can you IMAGINE what would have become of our country if liberal rule was given a four-year destruction pass? Christ, the thought of it just scares me senseless. This country needs to rise up and "take back" what is duly ours. I'm getting exceptionally tired of the seemingly growing "the-world-is-about-me" cancer plaguing this country. At this time in our country's existence, a four-year liberal government would spell the spiritual and moral end of our nation. Period. Let me say this in the clearest, most open way I can. Come to America. Live here. Be who you are. Practice your faith (or don't...whatever). Get an education. Live free of oppression and violence and be free. Share who you are with us so that we can learn and be made more educated and enlightened by your experiences and culture. Enjoy the blessings of health and freedom that we've been so fortunate to call our own. But good Christ, do NOT expect who we are and what we believe to change for you. Personally, I don't give a rat's ass WHAT you believe religiously. What I DO care about is when you dare, in a country that's welcomed and embraced and secured you, to be "offended" when we display the traits and medallions of the faith upon which we were founded. Dumbing it down for those who apparently so require it, if this "offense" so "violates" you, then go the hell back to wherever you came from. It's really that simple. Given the choice, I'd bet the world that this "vulgarity" you complain of pales in comparison to the indignities you are forced to suffer and endure wherever you came from. The only thing that angers me more than this is the Americans...those who were born here and who have lived here in freedom and plenty...to expect that the principles and morals this country was founded (and has relied) upon simply be changed because they don't subscribe to them. THEN LEAVE. I empower and challenge you to find any other country in the world where you will enjoy the liberties and plenty that this country offers you...and, too, allows you to selfishly desecrate and diminish anything that you disbelieve. Good luck. (If you find it, please let those who share your views know so that they, too, may leave). This country has afforded you the freedom to speak. To think. To worship (or not). To believe (or not). To pursue education and health and vigor and dreams and joy. Just remember how and where you GOT those joys and blessings. This cancer of "me-me-me" (to the selfish detriment of everyone else) just pisses me off in ways that I cannot convey in words. I would never DREAM of living in, for instance, Israel and expecting them to embrace my Catholicism and to abandon their Jewish celebrations and ideals. I just don't selfishly believe that the world caters to me, and that, everyone else be damned, what I thinkandfeelandwant supersedes established culture and morality. This cancer, my friends, is spreading all around us...and that's with a strong moral government and presence in our country. Just IMAGINE how much worse our country (and world) would be in four years had Mr. Bush not won. I shudder to even think about it.

(Here come the slew of "Jen-I-had-no-idea-you-were-such-a-bigot/bitch" EMAIL messages...I can hear my inbox filling up as we speak...)

I certainly didn't intend for this post to be so emotionally-charged! I honestly meant to sit down and catch you fine folks up on what's been going on in my world! Sorry. :)

On a happier note, I'm falling more and more in love with long, flowing skirts. I've got several now, and I just picked up two GORGEOUS ones ON SALE! ON SALE, my friends! I actually sang to the cashier as she checked me out, "Iiiii looooove a saaaa-aaaale!" (she just laughed, but I'm sure she thought "Christ, get this crazy fat woman OUT of here!") I love feeling beautiful and feminine and pretty! Add these two amazing skirts to my amazing black, bejeweled flats (SO PRETTY!) which, too, were on sale and you make one happy (and snazzy!) Jen. :)

Have you heard of Lori Gottlieb? Check her out. She's really well spoken and funny! I caught her on NPR's "All Things Considered" last night.

I'm off.

(Oh yeah, don't disappoint me, Dr. Carter. No more canoodling with that ugly social worker.)

Jen Out! Ta!