Goddamn you, 2021: Shakes fist at sky; is anything worth hope?

On New Year’s Eve, the world lost a bright light and a family was rendered heartbroken and gutted. Tommy Raskin, the 25-year-old son of my Congressman, Rep Jamie Raskin, died by suicide. If you have not yet read the tribute Jamie and his wife Sarah wrote to Tommy, you simply must. And if you can, please consider donating to the Tommy Raskin Memorial Fund for People and Animals. At a minimum, please extend an act of kindness to an animal, a stranger, a friend, or a loved one. Check in on them; talk openly about depression, anxiety, mental unhealth and wellness. Normalize struggle and offer resources for help.

Since New Year’s Eve, I have watched:

LA nearly run out of oxygen for COVID patients;

my own state, Maryland, boff the rollout such that vaccines are going to waste and/or being given to anyone walking by;

the Republicans of the PA legislature throwing an idiot-toddler tantrum and refuse to listen to the elected Lt Governor or seat the re-elected-and-certified incumbet, Dem Jim Brewster;

the US Attorney for Atlanta/N Georgia, appointed by trump, suddenly resign and be replaced by trump loyalist, Bobby Christine;

the Minneapolis policeman who shot Jacob Blake EIGHT TIMES in the back be completely acquitted;

the woman who sold my parents a home try to force them to default because she is greedy and now has remorse;

and many trumpers try to overturn the multiple-times-approved 2020 election results…

And I’m trying to just go with it all and help and support, but shit I am tired and overwhelmed, and the amount of stress I’m holding in is NOT NORMAL OR RIGHT OR SUSTAINABLE.

About an hour ago, my dad called to tell me Georgia was going blue. Much as I want to believe that and much as I hope and feel that needs to happen, I cannot invest any faith in a blue outcome or I will Fall.Apart. And yet, his and Mom’s earnestness gave me that hope for a moment and I have since been in snotting tears that are, of course, all those saved up from so many stifled moments of Keep Calm and Carry On since November 9, 2016.

Here is the truth: I despise and actually do wish ill health on (in no particular order; complete stream of consciousness): Ted Cruz, Lindsey Graham, Nikki Haley, Tulsi Gabbard, Donald Trump, Ivanka Trump, Melania Trump, Eric Trump, Donald Trump Jr, Kimberly Guilfoyle, Tiffany Trump, Matt Gaetz, Kayleigh McEnany, Jenna Ellis, Kellyanne Conway, Stephen Miller, Stephen Miller’s wife, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ father, Josh Hawley, Ron DeSantis, Greg Abbott, Brian Kemp, all Republicans from AL and MS, Kristi Noem, all Republicans from GA, all Republicans from Colorado, the Proud Boys, Cleta Mitchell, Rudy Guiliani, Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity, Boxed Wine Pirro, everyone at Fox News with a slight-Purgatory-exception for Chris Wallace (but the jury is still out on him), Rupert Murdoch, the Koch brothers, fat and sweaty Sheldon Adelson, Sheldon’s sweaty wife, the anti-US spy Sheldon flew back to Israel, that guy’s wife, Joel Osteen, Franklin Graham, mega churches, Liberty University, Meghan McCain, Ben Domenech, Sarah Palin, Federalist idiots, the Nats who visited the White House, all police who’ve murdered black men and women and been acquitted because RACISM, you fucking fuckers, obnoxious parents, racists, bigots, elitists, gun fools, Rick Scott, Dick Cheney, George W, Clay Higgins, all Republicans and many Dems from Louisiana, John Cornyn, Chuck Grassley, Brett Kavanaugh, Amy shut the fuck up Barrett, Clarence you fucking fool Thomas, Ginny, Samuel “you asshole” Alito, Jason Miller, other assholes who don’t pay child support, Neil fucking Gorsuch, all the stupid girls I attended high school with, and so forth.

I’m still crying, and my kids are in that weird “Mom is not ok” fugue state, and my husband is all “oh shit” and burping, and I am SO FUCKING worried about the Raskins and this country and the world I’m turning my dear boys into, and if you aren’t feeling this badly, don’t tell me about it.

Vote blue. And pray/hope/dream for America.

17 September 2020: Some uplifting news

I have no uplifting news about Lake Charles, BUT I do have some positive feedback about political fundraising.

I assumed I’d miss the Flip the Senate event I got to co-host because it occurred while I was in Louisiana, but fortunately, my phone had enough cellular service that Mom and I snuggled in bed and Zoomed in. It was such a fabulous event. More than 1,100 blue supporters tuned in and raised over $200,000 for the Jaime Harrison, Theresa Greenfield, Steve Bullock, and Barbara Bollier campaigns. It was such an inspiring event- we were especially fired up to hear from Jaime and Theresa.

A week later, Tom and I realized we’d both donated to the “Princess Bride Live Read” fundraiser for the Wisconsin Dems. Every original cast member who is still alive, minus Fred Savage, agreed to participate, and the replacement cast for those no longer with us, like Andre the Giant, were terrifically filled (Josh Gad played Fezzik). Tom and I and the boys were still in the midst of the nail-biter US Open men’s final when the show began. So we toggled back and forth for a bit, increasingly immersed in the utterly delightful cast party that was this read-through. As it turned out, thousands upon thousands of folks logged on to watch, and despite the fits and starts of bandwidth and location challenges, it turned out to be the ultimate escapist event of joy, nostalgia, teamwork and memory. And, it raised more than $4.25 MILLION. Mandy Patinkin, oh my heart. He was sweating as he reprised Inigo Montoya.

The very next night was the monthly NOPE Neighbors meeting. Each meeting welcomes at least one current candidate for a red-to-blue flippable district, encourages generous donation to said candidate and their co-ballot peers, and educates out the wazoo. Last month we raised more than $20,000 in short order for Elissa Slotkin and the MI slate. But at THIS month’s meeting with Hiral Tiperneni (AZ-6) and Marc Elias of Democracy Docket, we raised more than $75,000 for a large slate of candidates PLUS a slate of protect the vote efforts.

Because, HELLO! We desperately need to protect the vote and go blue. So, give what you can, volunteer, engage, help, vote, work at the polls. PLEASE. Everything depends on it.

28 July 2020: Cat Laughs

Apparently, the combination of fire heat, parenting + working, lack of sleep, Barr’s smug, sanctimonious, selective “remembering” today, and a profound aversion to the bandage on my chest has led me to need and immerse myself in a vat of cat footage. I am delighted.

Observe.

This cat tries ice cream for the first time. I have watched this no less than 92 times today, and even Tom laughed when I forced him to watch. I have a cat, Nutmeg, who LOVES all dairy, even the vaguest hint of it— cheddar, ricotta, milk, cream cheese, cupcake frosting—so this video is infinitely plausible. And yet, what happens? Does the cat get a brain freeze? I’m dying.

Meanwhile, this cat, bless its heart, has no grace. I forced Tom to watch this one too, and he did chuckle. Cats are Majestic Creatures. You really cannot tell which cats will and won’t be graceful and next-level feline. Nutmeg, for example, weighs 15 pounds and I swear he walks like a ghost. There is NO sound. Not a whisper. Ruthie, meanwhile, all 8 or 9 pounds of her walks like a plodding, lumbering goat on stilts. She is loud. Really loud. Like clunky loud. It’s phenomenal, really.

Lastly, I leave you with this. It is in this share that I feel I’m fully becoming middle-aged. Or I’m just desperate because 150,000+ Americans are dead, my oldest may spend his entire freshman year of high school learning from our kitchen, and we’ve been at home for 20 weeks come Friday. Also, the “president” today retweeted “a voice that seemed very important” despite the fact the he doesn’t know anything about her. The her and voice in question belong to Stella Immanuel, a “doctor” who believes that women’s gynecological issues are caused by having sex with demons while they sleep. Demon sperm is a thing the American press had to ask our “president” about during his presser today.

So, I’ll take cat videos and catmouflage with raccoons.