Random Thoughts (Truly)

I read this letter in The Salt Lake Tribune yesterday. It pretty much summed up my feelings about President Bush and his administration. At one time I thought President Bush was the worst president in my lifetime. I have now decided that he is the worst president EVER. Granted, I don't have much experience with James Buchanan or Andrew Johnson or Franklin Pierce or Warren G. Harding, all of whom were not great presidents from what I've read, so I admit my view is biased. But I think President Bush is a horrible leader, and I think our country keeps going farther and farther down the drain the more he is in office. I certainly didn't vote for him (either time), so I feel I have license to complain.

I love the TV show 24. I've really enjoyed every season, but this one was especially good. It was so full of surprises and twists, which is what I love about the show. Very riveting stuff, and last night's season finale was quite good.

I saw Mission Impossible: III yesterday. I quite liked it. It was quite an entertaining action flick even if I think Tom Cruise is a little nutty.

There's talk of a Republican named Lavar Christensen running against my congressman in Utah, Jim Matheson. I really like Jim Matheson, not just because he's a democrat, but because I feel he speaks his mind and doesn't always vote according to party lines, but according to what he truly feels is best. I also like how accessible he is and how personable he is. He really seems to care and really tries to get the pulse of the people he represents. He's also not into mud-slinging, which I would guess is one reason his prior opponent, John Swallow, lost the last two races against him. And yes, it doesn't hurt that he is a Democrat in a lone wilderness of Republicans.

When I read in the Tribune about Lavar Christensen, I was immediately turned off. He's very conservative (just what we need in our one-party state), against gay marriage, and a huge Bush supporter. Why should I vote for this guy when I already like the guy we got?

Church was interesting Sunday. We talked about being a good example to others and about how we are like trees with strong roots that can lean too far if we lose our anchors. But we also talked about not judging others when we don't know the situation each individual is in. There were some things that touched my heart. Surprisingly, I stayed awake for all three meetings.

Jonah started his new job. I haven't really talked to him in detail about it, but he seems very excited and happy about it, so I am glad for that. He's making $1,000 a week (that's how much I make in a month; I guess we can surmise who the breadwinner is in this relationship, can't we?)

A friend of mine just got cast in the touring company of the Broadway musical, Hairspray. She'll be playing the lead. I'm excited for her. This has been quite a process. She auditioned quite some time ago and attended 7 callbacks over a period of time before they actually called to offer her the role. I guess patience pays off. She's very thrilled, as well she should be. She deserves it.

I'm trying to eat less ice cream. It's an addiction. If there were a Betty Ford clinic for ice cream addiction, I'd have to admit myself. Seriously, before a week and a half ago I ate ice cream almost every day. It's odd that I'm not fatter than I am. I mean, I'm not skinny by any means, but I don't look too bad. In any case, I have been off ice cream for almost two weeks. Yesterday and today, though, I gave in and had a small bowl. Still, I am happy with my progress. But I was having serious withdrawals today.

I love my mom. I just do. She's so great. She's one of my very best friends in this world. She's going to be 67 soon, and she is not wild about that. She's upset that her arms are flabby and that she's overweight and that she can't get up as easily as she once could and that her memory isn't what it once was. To be honest, I'm not wild about it either because it reminds me that I'm getting older and that with each passing year there will one day come the time when we must temporarily say goodbye to one another when one of us dies. I will miss my mom when she dies (assuming she dies before me), but at least I have the knowledge that we will see each other again in the afterlife.

I have noticed my mom's short-term memory is bad lately. She has a hard time remembering that she's already told you something or thinks she's told you something that she hasn't. My mom used to be an ace at Trivial Pursuit, too, but now she can't remember names of movies or actors even though she knows who they are. I mean, she can describe the whole movie to you or tell you what else an actor was in, but just can't remember their name. It's little things like that, and I see that it frustrates her. It makes me a little sad, too, because I know my mom just isn't as sharp as she was in her prime. But she's still got her faculties and her health, so I am grateful for that. My sister-in-law's mother, for example, is in the last stages of Alzheimer's Disease, and I am grateful my mom doesn't have anything like that. My mom's memory problems are more of an inconvenience than a debilitation. My mom's mother lived until she was in her late 80s, so I hope to have my mother around for a while.

How's that for random thoughts?