We're here in Texas where the gubernatorial race is a freaking dog and pony show. In my spirit, in my soul, I hear what Kinky Friedman is saying. I've not seen him get past a one-liner though. It doesn't help when your "secretary of energy" gets busted for weed and mushrooms. I don't know, I know Willie and all his faults and I'd give the dude credit for trying to do something worthwhile. . . I'm SICK of Rick Perry. He's such a hypocrite. I can't go "Grandma Strayhorn" because she's really a republican who is calling the kettle black.

I watched the debates and as a result, I'm gonna have to throw in with Chris Bell. He's real vanilla. He seems to be squeaky clean so that gives one the fond hope that he's really in the deal to do a good thing for the world. He's young enough that maybe he has some idealism. He sounds strong for education. He could possibly win if the independents throw in with him.

Okay, the weird thing. My son is working for Borden. He lives here and doesn't have a car. So his shift is 4-12. Me hubby does the taxi service. I was asleep before Mark left to get James the other night and around 12:15 Mark comes in and (how do I moderate this?) states with emphasis "What did you do?"

"uh, I was asleep"

"Well WHAT about the sign?"

"uh, sign?"

"The SIGN in the front yard."

"mmm, I was asleep."

Between the time that Mark left to get James and the time that they got home, someone had planted a "Democrats for change" sign in our yard. Huh?

I had asked for kinky yard signs several months ago. There is a handpainted one down the street that says "Kinky Friedman for Governor" It has a star of david and under that it says "Why the hell not?"

So this alien democrat sign appeared in our yard. It's kind of crooked. I can't decide if I want to go straighten it out or leave it crooked or take it out, or paint something else over it. I wonder if I could copy Munch's The Scream on it.

It seems that several of those signs appeared in the neighborhood that night. Maybe it was random. Maybe it is a strange mind control trick.

SQ

What I Saw Today

Well it happened this way. I was almost asleep as it was midnight. Rachael comes in and says "Mom, you need to come here."

She and James are hovering near the front door. They look very concerned. I'm tired, so I want to know what the heck is going on. So I ask what the heck is going on.

Rachael points toward the front door. I open the door and find a box on the doorstep. There is a note placed on top asking us to care for "darling Susan" as her mommy can no longer care for her in the way that she deserves. I'm thinking "oh crap, we've been gifted with another cat." The box is stuffed full of random stuff--shop rags, a t-shirt, a nice Italian wool sweater, a baby bib that says "I love my daddy."

I get Mark up and he unloads the box. He gets to the bottom and says "Well I'll be goddamned."

Cautiously, the kids and I peek around the big man and LO--in the bottom of the box on a pack of ice is a live lobster.

It's a big whopping lobster and she looks pissed.

WHO leaves a live lobster on someone's doorstep. I turn to the kids and ask what's going on. They look bemused and say that the phone rang and someone told them to open the front door. They had been afraid to dig in the box (hence getting Mom out of bed.)

A young blue jay and a young cardinal were in the bush right outside my window having a conversation. They were cute, both of them showed juvenile feathers. The jay was much bigger than the cardinal.

I think the conversation boiled down to which one of them had the rights to these particular bushes. I've seen the jay get bigger over the spring.

I put some bread crumbs and some dead cereal out in the bushes and I've seen any number of feathered friends come by. They are funny.

The cardinal must live close. I have seen him several times in the past few days. I think he waits until the jay is somewhere else. I don't blame him, the jay is still bigger.

My garden gnome Augustus supervises the interactions in the bushes. I'm going to have to learn more about the other visitors. Jays and Cardinals are easy to tell for any elementary schooler. I'm going to have to branch out!

I'll try to get some photos.