Hitched

This week Lindsey officially asked me to marry him and I officially said yes. We haven't done much planning beyond that. We have slowly been telling family and friends this week. It has been great fun experiencing the responses--everyone so kind, happy and full of questions. Next month we are traveling to North Carolina, where I will meet the rest of his family and friends. We are quite giddy these days--very much in love.

Work has gotten much more intense for me lately. I like being busy, I don't like being pressured. And I'm way behind at Mad Art. I fear I'll never catch up. Another reason I'm looking forward to the escape to North Carolina.

My parents visited over the weekend. We tried to go to the balloon glow but it was too freakin' packed, so we went to Ted Drewes instead. On Saturday we took a road trip up the river road in Illinois and had lunch in Hardin. It was such a nice day. But now I better get started on my Sunday. It looks cloudy. A good day to hunker down inside.

What a Dolt

A work colleague sent this to me. I think he grabbed it from some online story. It is hard enough to believe people voted this dolt into office in the first place, but it seems impossible to me that anyone would still stand behind him. His smirking face on television just boils my blood. Get this...

Bush had raised eyebrows on his first trip by, among other things, picking Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss. — instead of the thousands of mostly poor and black storm victims — as an example of loss. "Out of the rubbles of Trent Lott’s house — he’s lost his entire house — there’s going to be a fantastic house. And I’m looking forward to sitting on the porch," Bush said with a laugh from an airplane hangar in Mobile, Ala.

In the same remarks, Bush gave FEMA chief Brown — the face for many of the inadequate federal response — a hearty endorsement. "Brownie, you’re doing a heck of a job," Bush said.

Later in Biloxi, Miss., Bush tried to comfort two stunned women wandering their neighborhood clutching Hefty bags, looking in vain for something to salvage from the rubble of their home. He kept insisting they could find help at a Salvation Army center down the street, even after another bystander had informed him it had been destroyed.

And at his last stop that day, at the airport outside of New Orleans, Bush lauded the increasingly desperate city as a great town because he used go there and "enjoy myself — occasionally too much."

Hurricane Relief

I had two different people approach me yesterday at Mad Art about helping them organize some sort of artists relief effort for hurricane victims. One wanted artists to donate work (because artists don’t have money) for an art auction. He wanted to do this monthly—maybe at different places—starting with Mad Art. The other wanted to do a fundraiser where artists donate work and people pay a fee to attend the fundraiser and get a piece of artwork as part of their “ticket”. His intent was that the money raised would go directly to artists who lost everything. I know he knows one artist personally, but how to get money to other artists…I don’t know where to even begin.

I don’t want to be a punk…but anyone that would have to win a piece of artwork before they would donate money to hurricane relief…I don’t care about working my ass off to organize an event for. If you have the money, write a check. No need to make a big show and production out of it. And I don’t care if my money helps an artist, a mechanic, or manicurist. I feel so sorry for everyone affected. This thing is so overwhelming and depressing, I can barely stand it. I know these two guys are just trying to think of some way to contribute and help. I don't question their sincerity at all. But there is already so much confusion around the whole thing...I can't help but think the best thing is to just send some money.

This guy at my office actually had the nerve to insinuate that the people left stranded deserved their misery because they had plenty of warning to get out. But since he’s never not owned a car, been poor, been ill, been disabled, etc. I guess he wouldn’t really understand. Poor over-privileged jerk. I was furious and pretty much said so while he stuffed his face with brownie at our impromptu lunch gathering of about a dozen folks. Oh an dthe other priceless comment he shared was, “The national guard should just surround the dome and let them all take care of themselves inside there.” I don’t know why he just didn’t come right out and say what he was really thinking. “They are all black so who gives a shit what happens to them.” I have a whole new level of intolerance and disrespect for this guy.

I just don’t get some people. I mean it. But I guess his thoughts aren't too far from the presidents. Why should I be surprised?

I hear Sauce Magazine is trying to organize restaurants to donate a portion of all meals eaten next Friday and Saturday. I think we are doing a 50/50 raffle at Art Outside next weekend for hurricane relief.

In the mean time…I’m not sure how to address these two guys who want Mad Art’s help. Like I said. This thing is so overwhelming and depressing, I can barely stand it.

http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2005/katrina/help.center/