Day 240: Steps Toward Balance, A Sinking Economy & The Year of the Rat’s Ominous Predictions for 2008

Tuesday, May 13

Today was one of those days that seemed like there’s just not enough hours in the day to get everything done that I wished to accomplish.  I’ve been juggling a lot of time-sensitive projects at work, and then had a lunch date with a couple of ladies of the press.  We met up at Tina’s in Dundee and had a lovely lunch.  It is invaluable to develop relationships and get to know friends of the media – local, national, syndiated or not.

I signed up for a Scandinavian-style sauna-steam for this Saturday morning at Loyly, which I intend to write about for my next blog post on theantitourist.com.  I’m psyched to check this minimalist Euro styled spa.

After work, I spent my evening doing some yoga and abs strength training.  Due to my recent health issues, I’ve been committed to trying to get back into practicing yoga and meditation.  I would like to attend yoga classes, but I really need to get my finances in order. 

I’m spending money on different things for my writing – blog upgrades, writing contests (yup, most require $10-$15 fees to enter work), etc.  I would like to attend a few summer workshops, as well, either at Sitka Center for Arts & Ecology or Fishtrap.  I have limited funds for that, too.  With the gas prices soaring, it makes it even difficult to figure in when I can sign up for a tour and occassional daily usage of a writing room at Writer’s Dojo in Portland – it’s about a 30-40 minute drive from  my home.

I decided to set up advertising on my blog – it’s another way to make money.  I am aggressively looking into other means of marketing my blog and getting it out to more readers.  I’ve even added the subscribe button – keep scrolling!  It’s after the Archives…after the Blogroll, Recent Comments, and Stats – and yup, there it is!

I learned on ABC’s Nightline last night that a stay-at-home mom, who’s blog Dooce is a huge success, makes a good deal of money from advertisers.  I’m slowly dipping into this opportunity.  Sidenote – I love this blog.  I think it’s funny, honest – and not limited to mommies.  As a single woman I appreciate and enjoy Dooce blogger Heather Armstrong’s candid posts.

After working on these opportunities I tuned in to what’s going on in the world.  For one, I am happy that Hillary took West Virginia, but I am disappointed in our nation’s women, the leading gender in our population, for denying this incredible opportunity.  Statistics show that single women support HIllary – it’s the married women who are backing Obama.  I find that to be really, really weird.

What is making me even more sick right now is the devastation in the Far East.  As if Myanmar’s cyclone wasn’t bad enough, followed by a ridiculous government that would rather see its people suffer than allow global aid – because, God forbid that would show their people how kind, generous and effective the rest of the world is.  The leadership there wants to keep its people ignorant of that kind of aid. 

And then there’s China.  I don’t even know what to say about that earthquake.  The 7.9 scale is unimaginable!  I have decided to emulate the Tibetan Buddhists and pray for peace and the end of suffering.  It is my hope that lives will continue to be saved, that medical care, food and water will be available, that shelter will be available and that rebuilding will soon take place.  I will meditate on this and pray.  I hope the global response for aid will reach the Chinese people as soon as possible.

In February, with the coming of the Chinese New Year, the year of the rat, I remember reading an article about the possibility for natural disasters.  I remember thinking about Katrina, the Tsunami in the East (Dec. 04), and I just couldn’t imagine any more distruction.  But, the prediction for disaster was beyond ominous:

The start of the new lunar year, the most important national holiday for China’s 1.3 billion people, followed three weeks of ice and snow storms that crippled transport and power supplies in many cities.

But even though power has been restored to 162 or the 170 worst-hit counties, millions are still without electricity or heating and the China Meteorological Administration warned that the warmer temperatures and melting snow could bring natural disasters, including landslides, in their wake.

And fortune-tellers say that caution will be the watchword for the Year of the Rat, for which they predict financial and political rumblings, tsunamis and epidemics. The reason, they say, is that water and earth – two of the five elements Chinese mystics believe are at the root of all things – are in conflict in 2008.

Text from: ‘China Welcomes Year of the Rat’ by Philippe Naughton, TimesOnline, Feb. 7, 2008.

 

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Day 236: Celiac Woes, Out in Wine Country & Contemplating the State of the Feminist Movement

Friday, May 9

Once again, my stomach was ruling the course of my day.  I felt queasy, tired and irritable.  My stomach hurt for most of the day, which was unpleasant.  I was thinking about the books out there on Celiac disease and gluten intolerance, and they are all pretty much about diet and recipes.  There are no books out there, that I have found, that really focus on the symptoms, replapses and lifestyle issues that affect those dealing with the disease.  There are no books that really explain what it’s like to live with Celiac before cutting the gluten out, and what it’s like once you attempt to cut out gluten. 

I figured, when I do put this blog into a book, I will have to really focus on that – because it’s really what’s been dominating my life this year – the struggles with following such a strict diet, the sickness and mood issues that come with it.

I spent the first part of the day in  meetings, including a wine tasting to evaluate the progress of the 2007 vintage.  It was really interesting to taste where the wines are now and to see where they are going.  The whites, that are already in the bottle, were vibrant but still a little tight.  But they were lovely.  And the diffent blocks of vineyard selections of Pinot Noir were supple, lush, with good fruit – albiet with some intrigue that for a moment makes you wonder - is this off?   But it’s not.  It’s actully too soon to really evaluate these wines because they are still evolving in the barrel. 

The winemaker indicated he was pleased with where the wine are at this point, and taught us about what’s going on with the wine at this point, and our vineyard manager chimed in with information of what happened in the vineyard during the last vintage to help us with our assessment and learning.  It was a really great exercise.

In the afternoon I got a phone call from a friend of mine from back east.  We worked for the same distributor and came out to Pinot Camp back in 2004.  I always admired him for his great palate and wine knowledge, he’s a cool guy and like a big brother.  He and his wife were in town with his boss to meet up with their suppliers.  I met them for dinner at Tina’s in Dundee.  Some other friends were there from two other wineries, so it ended up being one big wine industry dinner.  I had scallops wrapped in bacon, a greens salad with hazelnuts and the duckbreast with cooked greens and risotto.  The table ordered a bottle of pink bubbly, a Riesling, a Pinot Noir and then a fun Bordeaux blend from Red Mountain in Washington.

After, we went to the back room at Nick’s in McMinnville.  We met up with another wine country couple.  It was good fun to hang out.  I was happy to hang out with my former co-worker and to get to know his wife.  She’s a remarkable woman – a professional cellist.  I told them that they had to come back and that they had a free place to stay.  So, hopefully they’ll come back with their daughter.

To end my day,  I was on my way home, driving down 99/The Pacific Highway toward Tigard and I thought more about this election.  I was actually upset with women in America.  I know you shouldn’t vote for someone just for their gender, just as you shouldn’t vote for someone on one issue.  But, for the women who are backing Obama at this point, I can’t help but to wonder if they subconsciously believe that only a man can lead our country. 

From the beginning of time, women have been put in a place below men.  We still make .75 to each $1.00 men make.  Interestingly enough, though, there are more women in higher education in America then men.  And yet I think some women still subscribe to archaic ideas, whether they realize it or not.  Perhaps I’m wrong.  But, I struggle with understanding why women, who are in the majority in the US, would not wholeheartedly support the first woman who can actully beat the challenger!  Why aren’t they stepping up and putting Hillary in that position? 

And then I wondered, are there some women who are judging Hillary unfairly, like the catty women who look you over in the gym and fire away mean glances oozing with their judginess?  I certainly hope not.  Now is the time when I hope women can come together and support the sacred feminine - our important position in society as the nurturers, caregivers, compassionate beings and powerful mothers -we are the ones that carry and deliver life.  It’s time, ladies.  IT IS TIME.

We are in the majority.  It is time to hear our voice.  We are women – hear us roar and let us take care of our wounded nation.  Women out there….sisters, daughters, mothers, grandmothers – tune in!  Do your part.  Make Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton proud! 

In 1848, at the Seneca Falls Convention in New York, Anthony and Stanton began the 70 year struggle to secure the right to vote for women.  Today, 160 years later, headed toward a new Convention, we could put a New York female Senator in the White House as President. 

And think about this for a moment.  There are still nations of the world, specifically within the Middle East, that continue to deny women the right to vote.  Wouldn’t it be marvelous to make those sexist world leaders in the Middle East have to deal with a woman leading the most powerful nation in the world?  Putting a woman in the Oval Office would force change that is global.  I don’t think there’d be the same impact by putting a man with the name Barack Obama in that position.  Nuff said.

And to that end, I found an interesting article addressing why some feminists are not supporting Clinton for Obama:  democrats_feminists

I really don’t think there’s enough change by putting yet another man in the White House,  which also restores the idea that the White House needs a prim and proper Jackie-O little wife to keep things status-quo.  It’s too damn bad that Michelle Obama isn’t running for office instead of her husband.  Now THAT would be interesting.

 

 

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