and so on....

I confess...once again, I find myself with a jumble of thoughts that I want to share but that I don't feel prepared to fully flesh out in an individual post. 

• I haven't stayed up-to-date on the Wisconsin situation but it brings up one of the areas in which my liberal card might be revoked.  I feel really mixed about unions.  I recognize that the collective power is responsible for many positive reforms that we now take for granted and appreciate that unions help protect people who might be voiceless.  But I also think they can tie hands unfairly and that treating workers as fungible assets isn't always sensible, in ways that can protect incompetence and also fail to recognize excellence.
• My back and I are fighting again.  It had never really become pain-free but a bit of snow shoveling a few weeks ago has left it acting up.  I have an appointment on the 21st with one of my father's colleagues.  I know docs do always want the best possible outcomes but I'll admit that I know the "Doctor Dad" card will help ensure I get the best possible treatment. 
• I bought the current man in my world an electric heating blanket for V-Day.  I really did plan it as for him but admit I've gotten to enjoy it to.  We both like "pre-heating" the bed so the sheets are nice and toasty before we slip under the covers.  It has a ten-hour shutoff but we usually turn it off before totally falling asleep.  Definite win.
• My family is complex.  I'm glad I never had to draw a tree because I can't imagine how it would look and branches have grown since my school days.  It can be messy and confusing and complicated.  Lots of people, lots of personality.  But I appreciate that it also means lots of homes.  I know the doors are open in both "parent" homes.  And I'm not super close to most of the semi-siblings but think it's safe to say they'd invite me in if I showed up on their doorsteps.  It's nice to know that there are always warm places and open hearts for me if I need them.
• I wonder how much of the Charlie Sheen debacle is planned and calculated.  Is he sitting back and loving the character he's creating?  Regardless, I hope those kids have trust funds to cover really good therapy someday.
• The TV just brought up the Galliano story again. He is the designer who made horrid remarks that were caught on video. I hate when people blame their actions on alcohol. I have no doubt the alcohol loosened his tongue and maybe he'd have known not to say it if he were sober, but that hatred is inside him. I feel the same about stories of domestic abuse filled by alcohol. Yes, it contributes. But the ugliness and violence is still in there. Alcohol may explain why it came out, but it never excuses it.
• I spend a lot of the day online.  I do a lot of job search work but also spend time on Facebook and blogs.  I have really come to appreciate that I know some really amazing folks.  Part of me regrets that I didn't know how amazing some of them were during the time we were also seeing each other in person, but it is making me realize how much people can have hidden inside them.
• One of the best parts of being 5'4" and dating a man who is 6' (and muscular) is borrowing his bathrobe to sit in while I'm relaxing in my PJs (longer time than normal folks since I don't get dressed till after my early afternoon gym trip).
• I'm feeling uber-lazy.  Someone dress me and bring me to the gym.