Spinning Our Wheels

We enjoyed a nice family bike ride this morning. The weather was great--not too hot and a little bit of breeze along the way--and the scenery was excellent. We took the Greeneway trail from Pisgah Rd. all the way down to the 13th Street bridge. We've not ridden the trail in a long time, and there have been some positive changes to it. One great example of this is that there's now a loop route that meanders close to the banks of the Savannah River. We were treated to the site of a mother dear and her two babies just a few feet away from us on the trail. They took their sweet time moving from the trail to the woods. A little further along we saw a great blue heron and some turtles basking in the sunshine.

Bush Endangering Women's Rights

Subject: 25 days to protect women’s health

George W. Bush has launched a new assault on birth control and reproductive freedom.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently proposed regulations that could seriously undermine access to basic reproductive health services -- including birth control and abortion.

Instead of striking a careful balance between individual religious liberty and patients’ access to reproductive health care, the Bush administration has taken patients’ rights and their health care needs out of the equation.

This far-reaching proposal doesn’t need congressional approval. But, it can’t go forward without allowing for public comment. That’s where you come in.

The deadline for public comments is fast approaching -- September 20 -- and we have to generate intense opposition to these dangerous regulations.

I just sent HHS my comment urging them to stop efforts to block women's access to basic reproductive health services. You can do the same here:

http://action.aclu.org/hhs_comment

Sad

News on the job front isn't good. Turns out there were not enough openings, and I didn't get the job even though the interviewers were very impressed with me. I'm too sad and disappointed to say anything more.

Waiting is a Bitch

I'm currently waiting ever so (im)patiently to hear about a job interview I had last Wednesday. The job sounds perfect for me, and the company is good, too--great benefits. I wish they'd make a decision soon! Many of my friends who were caught in the layoff this summer have already either gone back to work, found jobs, or decided this was a good time for a career change and are going back to school to learn new things. I'm anxious to get back to work soon, too.

We enjoyed this past weekend at the beach. The weather was nasty Friday on our drive down and again on Sunday, but Saturday was just gorgeous, except for strong surf and winds on the beach. We rented bikes anyway and enjoyed a couple of rides along the beach and also did some swimming in the ocean. We went down to South Beach and Harbourtown in the afternoon and looked in the shops. It was a fun, relaxing weekend. Husband and I have decided that our retirement dream is to sell our house and beach villa and buy a home in Sea Pines. I could be happy downsizing if it meant we'd get to spend 365 days a year at the beach. Husband found a sign that sums up my feelings on the matter: "If you are lucky enough to be at the beach, you are lucky enough."

I've done no knitting or crocheting in weeks, but I did pull out the sewing machine yesterday afternoon. Does sewing a torn zipper on a sleeping bag count? Daughter is going on her annual class retreat this week, and our sleeping bag zipper had come loose from the bag itself in a spot. I managed to get it fixed up good as new, so she will be set.

The Meaning of Life

It's been a long time since I posted last. Let's just say I've been enjoying having a life again and having that life not revolve around work and sitting in front of a computer. It's actually quite refreshing and something I hope to continue with after returning to gainful employment!

So....I've discovered the meaning of life. It's very simple actually, and you can discover it, too, if you just head to the beach, rent a bike, and ride your cares away. I cannot think of a more blissful experience (short of marrying my best friend back in 1987 or giving birth to our gorgeous daughter in 1993) than that.

Daughter and I had a wonderful week at the beach last week. We've made it a bit of a tradition to spend a week at HHI every summer for some mom-daughter bonding time. We usually do this the week before school starts and toss in some back to school clothes shopping at the outlet malls as well. I cherish this time with daughter. She's getting older by the second (aren't we all?) and slipping further and further away from me in her quest to be an adult. I hope that one day she'll have a daughter of her own and will be able to share one-on-one time with her own child.

Knitting, crocheting, spinning, and all things fibery are on hold. I've found other things that are taking my time and attention now such as the stack of great books I bought at our local library for just $1 or 50 cents each and this addictive little Nintendo game called Animal Crossing. I'll get back to the needlework eventually, but not right now.

Tomorrow, before the crack of dawn, I head out on a job interview. It's been great having the summer off, but I'm ready to start earning some money again. I do not like to worry about every penny I spend, and while we are not destitute, having two incomes in the family is essential. After all, we've got college to pay for in another few years. Wish me luck with the interview. I have a good feeling about this one and hopefully things will work out. Employers don't usually go to the time and expense of flying someone in to interview unless they are considering making an offer, so that's promising!