Like a Lead Balloon

Well folks, in spite of what presidential candidate John McSame said yesterday ("The economy is fundamentally strong), the stock market sank like a lead balloon yesterday on the news that Lehman Brothers declared bankruptcy. Of course the one stock holding I have left also dropped drastically in value yesterday. Thus the great Ripoff continues under this Republican administration. And yet we hear "Extend the Bush tax cuts! The economy is fundamentally strong! I'm the change agent! Barack Obama is a Muslin! Sarah Palin is our saviour!" Do you get the feeling that the world is closing in around you? Shortly after George Bush took office I took money out of my bank account (cash) and placed it in a safe place just in case the whole banking system collapsed. At the time some friends of mine thought I was taking extreme measures for something that was unlikely to happen. My "extreme measures" are seeming less and less extreme every day. Fact: I sold all the stock in my IRA account a couple of years ago when the housing market started to collapse. I put those funds in various certificates of deposit. The last CD I had was with a large well known banking institution called Lehman Brothers. The same Lehman Brothers that declared bankruptcy yesterday. Thus, I missed my one cycle of having all my life savings in a failed institution. That was too close of a call for me. I don't want to panic but I keep getting this sickening feeling that the bottom is going to drop out of life as we know it. I hate to be a Debbie Downer, but look around you. We're in a never ending war. The stock market is collapsing. Forty seven million people in this country have no health insurance; and those that do have trouble finding a doctor who will accept new patients. Global warming is fact in spite of what George Bush and his Kool-Aid drinking followers claim to the contrary. And yet the discourse we get from the little man who the Republicans nominated for president is lies, lies and more lies about the Democratic nominee. And the sad fact is, that too many people who vote in this country will buy into those lies. The Republicans know how to use the fear card ("Bar the door Katie! The gays are getting married!") I don't know where this country is going but it doesn't look good now. At least I have a few dollars stashed away for when McBush and McSame totally destroy this country with their selfish and short sighted policies. This blog was not intended to be political but sometimes it's hard to stay away from this subject when one sees that this country is headed towards disaster if John McCain and his moose field dressing vice presidential candidate is elected to serve out another four years of the Bush/Cheney regime. God help us.

Three Down, Three To Go

Ah, I've completed half of my temporary full time job obligation. For the next two days I plan to luxuriate and just do nothing. Actually, I won't do "nothing." I will do whatever hits me fancy at the moment. What's hitting my fancy right now is to update this blog. Somehow I don't feel that my day is complete until I make my daily blog entry. In the past three weeks, there are some days that I am just too exhausted to think straight. Did I say "straight?" Me saying "straight" is like McCain saying he's a "straight talker." McCain is anything but a straight talker these days in which he will say anything, lies included, just to get elected president. But, I don't want to get into my political views on this blog (that's for my "Ron Sees The Light" blog.) Sometimes I just can't help myself since following politics is and has been one of my passions. Back to my full time work schedule. I am finding that I enjoy working full time. Sure, I'm sometimes exhausted at the end of the day from answering questions from the hotel front desk such as "How far are you from the beach? Do you have a pool? How close are you from the water? Does my room have a good view of the water?" (see a theme here?) Of course I get "Do you have oatmeal?" questions (like last night.) Another downside to working full time is that I don't have enough time to do my chores like shopping, cleaning the house, and yard work. And that reminds me, as much as I like yard work, I'm ready for fall time. That's what I like about the change of seasons, I can take a break from the constant yard work. Another one of my passions is my family genealogical research. Since the warm weather I've had to abandon my four hour a day updates to my Family Tree Maker computer data base. I have enough data to enter until the end of my days. When I first retired to Delaware, I did very little. I had to unwind after the trauma of selling my house and moving all my worldly possessions to my new home in Delaware. Then I had all the problems associated with getting everything hooked up in this new house (TV, computer, phones - nothing was easy - problems all.) However, after three months I felt like I had to do something. I had to have something to structure my week around. Plus, I needed extra money to now help pay for the mortgage on my new home which I did not plan for when I first made the decision to move. I decided to look for a part time job. My previous part time job was working the front desk of a hotel (The Hampton Inn in Exton, PA.) I liked that job for many reasons. I got to meet people, the commute was good, and I didn't take the job home with me. There are many other reasons why I like working in the hospitality industry, perhaps the main being that my personality is one that is service driven. I like to provide the customer service that I, myself, find so lacking in today's business world. Perhaps, I get no greater satisfaction that seeing the smile on a guest's face after they have experienced a pleasant stay at the boutique hotel where I work in Lewes, Delaware. So, while I may be a little stressed out from the last three weeks of working full time, I am glad that I had the opportunity to work full time and sharpen my skills at the front desk. But, at the same time I am looking forward to the next two days of doing JUST NOTHING!

Voting

Running late here. Working full time is digging into my blog posting time. It is late at night now. I have to get up early tomorrow morning to be at work by 7 AM. However, I did want to post a blog about my voting experience on Tuesday. I wasn't aware that Tuesday was primary voting day. I'm from Pennsylvania where the primary election takes place in the spring. The last several years I worked the polls at a church nearby my home. It was a job I looked forward to every year. I got a chance to meet many of my neighbors plus participate in democracy. From my earliest memory I've been interested in politics. In fact, my earliest memory of a political convention was the 1952 Democratic Convention in which Adlai Stevenson threw his choice of vice president to the open convention. Estes Keufauver was selected. There have been many conventions since. I've watched all of them. Perhaps the most traumatic for me was the 1968 Democratic Convention that was held in Chicago Illinois. I couldn't believe the violence that was meted out to the Vietnam anti war protesters by the Chicago police. Perhaps the second most traumatic convention for me was the 1992 Republican Convention that was held in Houston Texas. At that convention both Pat Robertson and Pat Buchanan delivered hate filled homophobic speeches that were heartily cheered by the Republican convention goers. That was when I realized that the Republican Party didn't want me as a member. I am gay and both Pats made it clear that the Republican Party did not welcome gay men and women. I switched my registration to Democrat, not so much because I embraced all of the Democratic Party ideals but because I wanted to continue to vote in the primaries. Both Pennsylvania and Delaware require a vote to be registered to a particular party to vote. Independents do not vote unless it is for an independent candidate. I remember so well how I couldn't wait to vote for the first time. The first time I voted one had to be 21 years old. This was ironic because I joined the Army when I was 18 and didn't get out until I was 21 years old. Thus, even though I was serving my country, I couldn't vote. Thank goodness that inequity has been addressed. I have voted for almost every election since. Even if I didn't know all the local issues or local candidates, I felt it was my responsibility to vote. For the life of me, I cannot understand how anyone can complain about our current state of affairs and not vote. It just boggles my mind. That said, I voted yesterday. This is the second time I've voted in Delaware. I'll say one thing, they don't make it easy to vote in Delaware. First, I didn't even know it was voting day. Secondly, I didn't know where to vote. One has to do some digging. Thank goodness a good friend of mine who I was visiting on Tuesday asked me if I voted. I said "Vote? Is it election day today?" He said "Yes." I live in a different jurisdiction than my friend so after I left him I went on the hunt to where I vote. I live in the Milton district of Sussex County. I stopped at a local fruit and vegetable stand. I asked where to vote. The young man who was selling fresh ears of corn and tomatoes (I bought some), said they moved the polling place again. I asked where it is now. He told me the local school up the road from his stand. I get in my car and weave my way up the road into the school ground at about 10 MPH. School is in session. It's been a long time since I've been in a school building with students. In fact, it has been almost 50 years (the last time I was in school.) I have to say, I didn't like it. After some difficulty, I find the voting area. I approach the table manned (and womaned) by several senior citizens who volunteer their time to work at the polling state (why no young people?) I say my last name "Tipton." The elderly lady says "Lipson?" I say "No, Tipton." She says "Lipson?" again. I say again "TIPTON!" Well, to make a long story short, she didn't have my name. They advised me to go to the other polling station which was another school. Oh goody. This was an elementary school at the other end of the town. Now, the last time I was in an elementary school was maybe 60 years ago! Again, no easy thing finding the registration desk. However, I did find it, announced my name. Someone repeated my name (as we poll workers are supposed to do - that is the same procedure in both states), and then said "DEMOCRAT!" Damn right. DEMOCRAT! I was directed to a curtained voting booth. Upon entering and studying the names on the ballot, I realized I did not know any of them nor where they stood on the issues. That is my fault. I've been too busy with my own day to day life and concentrating too much on the national political scene. Besides, I don't get local TV because I have satellite TV by DirecTV which doesn't provide local channels. I'll blame DirecTV. Still, I voted and again got that feeling of butterflies in my stomach like I always do when I vote. As always, I experienced that indescribable feeling of pride and gratefulness that I always do when I vote. The next time I vote, I will know who I am voting for. That will be the presidential election in November. I will vote to end the great national nightmare of the past eight years.

Bring On The Fall

Bring on the Fall! I'm ready. The Praying Mantis is ready. Summer was nice. I really enjoyed those long, hazy summer days. What a pleasure to work in my gardens until 8:30 in the evening with the sounds of summers soothing my soul. A special treat for me were my long pleasant evening walks through my development. The warmth of the summertime sun on my skin was almost erogenous. The smell of freshly cut grass brought back memories of my Fifties childhood when I would mow my neighbor's grass for 50 cents. The noisy cacophony of Purple Martins, bluebirds, and even the determined sparrows building their nests, feeding and raising their young added to the special magic of the summertime season. But, all good things must come to an end. However, I do not meet the end of this summer season with sadness. It is time for a change. I love living where I can experience the change in seasons. While it is true that as I get older I do not like the extremes of the summer and winter season, I do appreciate the change. By moving to the southern most county of Delaware, I can enjoy the changes of season without the discomfort and pain of the extreme cold and heat. Also, while I love yard work, it is starting to get old. Yesterday I was again using the weed whacker to trim the backyard after Bill mowed the lawn. It seems like I just did that three days ago. Actually, I did! The rains that Hurricane Hanna dumped on us last Saturday gave every growing thing a fresh shot of adrenaline. Much like McCain choosing Sarah Palin as his running mate reinvigorated the Republicans (don't even get me started on that subject.) Yesterday Bill and I shot up Route 1 to Dover. I picked up my much needed new eye glasses at Sears and got a membership at Sam's Club. After returning home yesterday and having lunch, I took an afternoon nap. I've been missing my afternoon naps since I began working (temporarily) full time at my job at the hotel. Today I'll travel down to a local nursery to stock up on winter pansies and gas up my Subaru Forester (no, I decided not to get a new vehicle at this time) in preparation for another five days in a row working. Polkamotion, a polka festival, is making an appearance at the Rehoboth Convention Center this week. Bill loves polka (I hear him listening to one of his old tapes even now as I type this blog.) The last time I heard a live polka band was in 1961 when I was stationed at Fort George G. Meade in Maryland. At that time I was flying solo and Bill was in the Air Force stationed in Japan. Unfortunately, that outing ended in a bar room brawl (too much beer by some participants) but we all had a great time in spite of the spilled beer, broken glass and bloodied brows. The early morning sun is high in the sky, there is a gentle breeze and the temperature is a low humidity 71 degrees. It is another perfect day at this wonderful part of the country that I retired to in southern Delaware. I am indeed very fortunate.

Hurricane Hanna and the Wedding

Today I'm well into my second week of working full time at my hotel job. This weekend we had a wedding planned for today. All the preparations went on early in the week. The tent in the parking lot. The wedding planner darting back and forth. The bride and groom constantly changing room assignments for guests. Finally, the Big Day arrives. But guess who else arrived? Hanna. Hurricane Hanna. The Mother of the bride fretted and tried to get an assurance from the wedding planner that Hurricane Hanna wouldn't blow through just as the wedding guests were dining and dancing in the tent at the wedding reception.

Finally, a decision was made. No tent. The wedding would be held indoors. The reception would be held at the bride's Mother's house nearby. Saturday, the Big Day of the wedding arrives. The morning sun rises on the eastern landscape, causing the early morning fog to evaporate. I arrive early in the morning to unlock the hotel. Outside, propped up against a column is one of the wedding guests. A young man who apparently had too much reveling the night before. Perhaps at a bachelor party. I clock in and head back out towards the lobby to go up the street to get the morning papers. Upon returning with the newspapers I see the young man has now draped his body over one of the lobby chairs. He is out. His pants are off. His boxer shorts are on full display for all to see. Apparently he thinks he is at home. I respectfully poke him in the shoulder and ask him if he is a guest at the hotel otherwise he will have to leave the hotel, taking his pants with him of course. He regains consciousness and murmurs "Wedding......." and gets up and stumbles towards the elevator, shoes in hand. I return to the kitchen to relay this sequence of events to the breakfast hostess. Just another story to add to my every growing list of hotel anecdotes (so many stories, so little time.) As the morning progresses, different small business folk, all representing the tableaux of a perfect wedding begin to appear. The florist, the cameramen, the man with the palms (palms?), the men with the wedding arch (see picture), and on and on. The wedding was scheduled for 5 PM in the Parkview Room, which overlooks the parking lot where the wedding tent was installed but has since been removed. No dancing in the parking lot tonight. Right on cue, the winds and rains of Hurricane Hanna (now officially a tropical storm) arrived almost exactly at 3 PM. The time of my shift departure. Monica, my relief, takes over the reins. Almost immediately she is called outside on some urgent wedding related matter. Tropical Storm Hanna was waiting for her. Monica was soaked when she returned to the front desk. She lamented "Now my hair is flat."
I was about to venture out in that torrential downpour myself. I didn't want to play anymore. Thus I left Monica, the wedding planner, and various and sundry folks who were all scurrying in place to make this a perfect wedding in spite of the ominous weather forecast. Tomorrow, when I go in on the 3 PM shift I will find out how all the participants did. I hope they had a wonderful wedding and that the bride was beautiful. Just another day in the hospitality business. I love it.

The Republican National Convention

Here I am, sitting up late listening to Rudi Guilani knock Barack Obama. I'll have to admit, he's getting in some good shots. I should be in bed now so I can be all fresh and ready when I get up at 4:45 AM tomorrow to get ready to go to work. I'm interested in Sarah Palin's speech. Listening to Guilani I'm reminded of Anne Richards and her speech at a Democratic Convention knocking the first George Bush. That speech backfired on her because George Bush was elected president and she lost her job as governor of Texas. Interesting how Guilani feels the need to belittle Obama and build up Palin. While I'm sure she's a very nice lady, but a vice presidential candidate? One beat away from the presidency? I don't think so. Of course all those who are drinking the Right Wing Republican Kool-Aid will find that she is the MOST qualified candidate for vice president. This is going to be an interesting election. It will be close. There are those who will never vote for a black man, no matter how qualified. However, what really concerns me is how could anybody vote for McCain. This man is a hothead. Do we want someone like him with his finger on the nuclear button? This is what scares me to death. Not electing a woman like Sarah Palin as vice president but electing a man like John McCain as president.

Day Off

Ah relaxation. Today was my first day off from work after a five day stretch. That's the good thing about having a job. One does appreciate the days off so much more. When I first moved down here to Delaware after a horrendous experience in selling my previous house, I took about three months off. I did nothing. However, after a time I realized I needed a job. Not only to help with my new mortgage payment (as a result of selling my previous house for a lot less than I had planned), I needed a job to structure my life around. However, the trick was to establish a balance between work and leisure. Working two nights a week and every other weekend, I have established that balance. Recently I was asked to temporarily work full time for the day time front desk clerk who is on maternity leave. I agreed without hesitation. I was anxious to see how I could handle working full time again. It wasn't bad. However, it wouldn't want to be doing it for the next 40 years like when I began my adult working career. But, at the end of my five day stretch I didn't want to "play" anymore. While I love my job; giving restaurant reviews, answering the phone, giving directions to everything from the way to the beach to the best manicurist, taking reservations, and telling the curious guest which side of the Cannon Ball Building the cannon is lodged (I really did get this question last week and when I answered "I don't know", I was informed by the guest "You should know") I was ready for a day off. Today the weather was just about a perfect day for my day off. A friend asked me to join him for dinner at a local gay restaurant. I was reluctant because of several previous bad experiences. In the past friends and I had enjoyed their $5.95 Burger Night. Their hamburgers were delicious as well as their French fries. However, we soon discovered that their once delicious hamburgers had degenerated into grease burgers. My last visit in December was to take a friend to celebrate his birthday. Disaster was averted at that time when the waiter replaced my almost inedible eggplant entree with a generic chicken dish, which was at least edible. I thought I would give them another try during this visit. Alas, they are still serving grease burgers. The French fries were even terrible. Undercooked and tasteless. However, all was not lost. Prior to being seated in the almost empty dining room (always a bad sign, especially at the height of the summer tourist season), I had an Appletini at the bar. It was the best Appletini I've ever had, bar non (no pun intended.) An almost perfect ending to an almost perfect day. One more day off then back to the races.