Had an impromptu outing with my sister Patti yesterday, and I have to say it was a real shot in the arm. Shamefully, we don't get together nearly as often as I'd like, despite the fact that we live near each other and are terrific companions. We talk about absolutely everything, but she does like to get me fired up about The Politics more often than not. I think she knows that I have serious Perspective Issues, but I'm owning that; I embrace it, and even though she does take a serious risk hauling me around in her Brand New Car when I get all excited slagging off on the republicans in general and The Angel Of Death in particular, she knows that the Entertainment Value alone is well worth it.
So, yesterday, while we were leaving the tearoom and walking toward yet another Shoe Shopping Indiscretion (it's only June and I've already bought 6 pair--but none at full price!), I notice one of those "Support Our Troops" yellow ribbon magnets on the back of a van in the parking lot. "Geeze, I hate those frikking things," I say to Patti. "They're pointless and worthless. Not to mention meaningless. Do you know how many of those kinds of ribbony magnet thingies there are now?" We climb into her car and start driving. "There are approximately eleventy million," I continue. "There are pink ones for breast cancer. Light blue for prostate cancer. Puzzly ones for autism. Black for POWs. And by and large, none of them were bought with any of the money going toward that cause. Some of them even say things like 'I heart my rottweiler' or 'I heart the Gators.' And the whole thing came from some dorky song by Tony Orlando and Dawn about some convict in prison who was coming home from serving his sentence! Is this really the context we want for America's servicemen and women? And get this! I used to take them off the back of cars and throw them away! What do you think of that?!" I banged on the dash of her car for emphasis.
Patti looked over at me calmly and smiled. "I'm not surprised at all. And, for the record, I never liked that song."
So, yesterday, while we were leaving the tearoom and walking toward yet another Shoe Shopping Indiscretion (it's only June and I've already bought 6 pair--but none at full price!), I notice one of those "Support Our Troops" yellow ribbon magnets on the back of a van in the parking lot. "Geeze, I hate those frikking things," I say to Patti. "They're pointless and worthless. Not to mention meaningless. Do you know how many of those kinds of ribbony magnet thingies there are now?" We climb into her car and start driving. "There are approximately eleventy million," I continue. "There are pink ones for breast cancer. Light blue for prostate cancer. Puzzly ones for autism. Black for POWs. And by and large, none of them were bought with any of the money going toward that cause. Some of them even say things like 'I heart my rottweiler' or 'I heart the Gators.' And the whole thing came from some dorky song by Tony Orlando and Dawn about some convict in prison who was coming home from serving his sentence! Is this really the context we want for America's servicemen and women? And get this! I used to take them off the back of cars and throw them away! What do you think of that?!" I banged on the dash of her car for emphasis.
Patti looked over at me calmly and smiled. "I'm not surprised at all. And, for the record, I never liked that song."
*More of our outing in the next post.
I'm the only Democrat in my family of origin, most of whom keep FOX news on all of the time. So any outing with those folk CANNOT involve politics or things turn to crap. Naturally, they believe they can say anything they want and it's the truth. My words are merely liberal opinions.
ReplyDeleteNance I do that alot...bang things for emphasis.
ReplyDeleteMy, you ARE a shoe fanatic!
Oh thanks Nance. Now all I can hear is, "I'm coming home, I've done my time, and I've got to know what is and isn't mine...."
ReplyDeleteDon't you just want to say "Girlfriend! It's time to move! Your criminal Man is OUT OF JAIL!"
She needs to talk to Paul Simon:
"Just slip out the back, Jack. Make a new plan, Stan. No need to be coy, Roy. Just listen to me...Hop on the bus, Gus. No need to discuss much. Just drop off the key, Lee, and get your self FREE."
One of Paul's worst songs, but I digress. ; )
A couple of years ago, I was at one of my son's baseball games. I was actually being social since I'm not normally (at the games anyway).
ReplyDeleteOne of the women was saying she had just bought one and the other lady says, "They're magnets? I thought they were little paintings."
Now you see why I stick to myself.
P.S. My personal favorite is the one that looks like a pretzel and says "I Support Carbs".
I hate those ribbons too. Every time I see one that says "support our troops" I want to stick a pin in a voodoo doll of G.W.B. But don't get me started. *sigh*
ReplyDeleteSo, we can blame Tony Orlando and Dawn for the war in Iraq?
ReplyDeleteWhew! For such a short post that thing was LOADED!
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, how did you like that Ford Edge? From the outside, they seem pretty nice and on the commercials they seem pretty nice on the inside. I was thinking that if I have to get a kid hauler, I'd think about one of those.
Second, I had no idea that there were so many of those ribbony magnet thingies and that they had an origin of such a strange place.
Third, I'm not at all surprised that you would take the magnets off of cars, that seems very much like a fit you might throw. What I want to know is did you ever get busted by the owner and what happened next?
I hope my tv is back up and running by Sunday so I can see how Brian Williams does on Meet the Press. Do you know who the guests will be?
What, do you read a book a day or something? I only noticed yesterday that you were even displaying your current summer read! Damn, you're quick!
This new bunny...adorable!!
K. I'm done now. :)
nina--i love your nice, comprehensive comments! personally, i think the Edge rides really nice and is roomy, but it's just a van in disguise. jared says it looks like a Prius on steroids. patti really likes it. the color, btw is "creme brulee." i've never gotten busted for magnet removal. yet. i'm pretty discreet. and i'm not the only one doing it, either. google news it. there are tons of us who really hate those things. no idea on the MTP guests, but honestly, i don't think that BW is the right fit. i'd like to see my other news crush David Gregory get the nod, or Andrea Mitchell. Finally, I read about 6-8 books over the summer if I can. I just ordered 2 more, have one on deck after this one ready to go, and am open to suggestions.
ReplyDeleteneil--wouldn't The Angel of Death love that!? Alas for him, GWB will get the credit for this one. Even little Scotty McClellan is singing now.
ortizzle--but the whole POINT is to get you started! Hey, welcome back, dearest. you've been oh so missed!
mary--honestly, the sacrifices we make for our kids. LOL. i've never seen the pretzel one, but it makes my point perfectly. thanks for commenting, and welcome to the Dept.!
v-grrrl--i hear you. i never understood why people loved that stupid song. not to mention the fact that he BLABBED HIS BUSINESS TO EVERYONE ON THE BUS! ...guy can't keep a secret...keep on goin'.
tera--i'm cracking up. all that, and you got the shoes. LOL.
a.l.--too bad you live so far away. you'd love hanging with us.
but buck up--we're taking it all back in November. Believe it.
I have a reading suggestion. You can read the Harry Potter series. There are 7 books total. Then you will have filled your quota by the end of summer :)
ReplyDeleteA certain man we both know thinks that it would be fun to steal as many of those yellow ones as possible and then completely cover a random Hummmer or other insanely large vehicle. Parking lots beware!
ReplyDeleteI love that you get all fired up in the moment, and Patti is apparently cool as a cucumber :-)
ReplyDeleteLol at OD'd bunny. The poor thing!
The place I'm visiting right now is overwhelmingly Christian, and they really overdo it with giving businesses pseudo-religious names. But the taxis and non-government run modes of public transportation like to decorate their back windshields with pseudo-Christian sayings.
ReplyDeleteSo you'll be driving behind a taxi with "Jesus Loves" written on it. Or you might pass a bus that says "Rejoyce And Be Free" on it. Although I guess that's not as bad as "Crap for Jesus Enterprises" (I assume they meant "clap") or "Except the Lord Cold Store" (which is apparently how they spell "accept" over here).
::sigh::
i.h.--don't assume. perhaps "crap for jesus" is just that: a bunch of miscellaneous junk for the lord. and let me say how flattered i am that you are reading the Dept. and commenting all the way from AFRICA! WOW!!
ReplyDeletejenomena--i know. patti lets me do all the emoting for the both of us.
j.--he and i are so much alike in so many ways. we don't ever have to worry about being a bad influence on one another, do we?
nina--your campaign never stops! bring me the first one and i'll put it in my Book Queue out of self-defense.
I wish I would have looked at this latest response earlier :)
ReplyDelete