Trip tips

Last Saturday we made an unexpected trip to Texas for 5 days. After all my complaining about being stuck in the cold and dying to get away for a few days, it was a nice to be in "warm" weather. This is the second unplanned trip to Texas in the past 18 months and I have to say I have learned a lot about traveling with realpolitik husband and baby since that time.

1. Always plan and expect the worse of your child. Usually this will result in being pleasantly surprised by the way your child behaves on the trip.

2. Always check the boarding time of your flight. Don't get caught thinking you've got plenty of time to sit and relax at the Admiral's Club. This usually results in missing your flight and waiting another 3 hours for the next one.

3. While celebrity sightings at the airport are always a plus, don't think that because they are at the airport and you are at the airport that you can strike up a conversation with them about how cute your perspective children are.

4. While planning your flights around naps is always a good plan, don't think that your child will actually sleep.

Celeb Rant

The argument of celebrities and celebrity gossip is a two headed monster. I am not even going to address the why do we care and if we don't buy the magazines that then there wouldn't be a market for this stuff. Honestly, a celebrity magazine, particularly People, is my guilty pleasure.

The rant is on the price tag for the first pictures of celebrity babies. I guess not yet celebrities yet, but then again aren't you a product of your parents. Anyway, I digress. So here are all these celebrities lately having children and selling their baby's pictures to magazines. Christina just did it, it is rumored that JLo and Mark are in talks, and then there is the Cruise baby that made serious news by finally being photographed for public consumption. While I am a member of Team Aniston (us Greek girls need to stick together), I think the Jolie Pitt team did it right by donating the money that was given to them for the first pictures of Shilo to charity. I am sure that there are other celebrities that have done the same, but have maybe not made it public.

Come on now, these celebrities have gobs of money, why are they not doing something better with the funds that they do get from selling their first born (baby pictures) to the media. How come we haven't heard of Nicole Richie, or anyone else for that matter of donating money from their celeb baby photo shoots to an organization that helps single moms or for that matter a handful of single moms that were possibly in the hospital at the same time when they delivered. I know I haven't totally thought this out, but seriously, there are children and parents that are more deserving of a large sum of money.

Red Slip? Baby

Well, sort of. After starting the coffeemaker and giving politk baby his milk and graham cracker, I flipped on the news, primarily to see if the weather would be bearable to go outside, but also to see how Wisconsin was gearing up today. And there in front of me, for all to see was the announcement that Fidel Castro was officially stepping down. Wow! Wowwy, Wow, Wow.

To say that I was surprised is a bit of an understatement. I have always found Cuba, Castro and the Cuban embargo very interesting, in fact my Master's thesis was a comparison of Reagan, Bush I and the Clinton administration's policies against Cuba and their implantation or lack there of the Cuban embargo. Through the process, I was able to meet with several people who worked on Cuba specifically in each administration along with many policy analysts to get their take on Cuba, Castro, and the next step for Cuba after Castro. The one thing that surprises me is that Castro is still alive, or at least that is what we are led to believe, and has stepped down. This was something that wasn't even an option for anyone I spoke to during my research. This is a man who has out lasted 10 US Presidents, the fall of the Soviet Union, many many assassination attempts, and his illness for the past year. Everyone, even myself, thought the end of Castro as Commandant of Cuba would end with his death, but should anything that Castro does surprise you.

Now, let’s see what Raul can do, as the official “heir” to Cuba and how he will continue the Castro reign in Cuba. My wager is, until his brother dies he will stay with the status quo, then all bets are off!

A Day Alone

With President's day on Monday, what do you do on a day off? For me, Realpolitik husband is out of town and bambino politik went to grandma's overnight. So, for the first time in a very long time I had the house to myself. Free, free, free.

So, the whole day to myself. What to do? I could be productive, do some laundry, clean the house, run some errands without the baby. Make an appointment for a massage or manicure pedicure. No. I chose to do nothing. Absolutely nothing. I ventured out of my house to retrieve my newspaper from my front door, and then proceeded to sit on my couch and ride the wave of TV viewing. From Meet the Press, to Wild n' out to Dexter, I ran the gambit of television shows, good and bad. And I loved every minute of it. Seriously. I never get this opportunity and I took full advantage.

In retrospect maybe a little waste of time and maybe not exactly what was thought about when President's Day was established. But who cares! Now shhhh, it's time for a little 8-10 hour Savasana.

Pink Slip, Baby

Usually about this time everyday, I have a few minutes to myself to check my email, read a few blogs here and there and get some time to myself. I only allow it to be a half an hour, maybe a full hour tops, but while zipping around the web, I did have a chance to read Joanne's dilemma on Punditmom. I whole heartedly agree!

I too am a woman who thought that I would always vote for a woman when she ran for president, but at this moment, not this one. What bothers me is the 35+ years experience she totes around, but I've also been told that I have drank too much of the Obama Kool-Aid here in Chicago and I don't see the bigger picture. Actually, I do see the bigger picture and today's news I think is a prime example on why Hillary is not my #1 in the primaries.

I have yet to turn on any sort of cable news stations, but as I was placing babypolitik's breakfast in front of him, I heard the news that Hillary Clinton had fired her campaign manager over the weekend. Speculation is that said manager, Patti Solis Doyle, was given the pink slip - or maybe it's blue - because of Hillary's defeat in Iowa and poor showing in other states. Doesn't this seem like it is done out of desperation? The Clinton campaign is not on the downward spiral just yet, or is this how they want us to see the Clinton candidacy? The past two Mondays there have been big news stories about Hillary and her almost sad little campaign. This is all spin. Like a record baby, round, round, round, round. Someone was right, the Clinton campaign is trying play the underdog and hope that will bring some votes their way. Sorry Hillary, I don't think it's your manager that is to blame, maybe it's the person/candidate she is trying to manage.

Lincoln Log Cabin Fever

It's cold here in the Land of Lincoln. In fact, very cold. Without much personal interaction with others, realpolitik mama and her family are going through some serious cabin fever. While this has given me much time to watch my boyfriend, Tim Russert, as well as other less talented and pundit talking journalists discuss, I must say that I am a little loss for blogging. Too much has gone on and I am not too sure where to start or even if there is anything to say on these topics.



First we have Hillary's announcement she was out of money- an apparent ploy to raise some serious cash. Come on, out of money?! There is Mitt Romney bowing out of the Republican race. This was NOT the man I expected to drop out. And now the most recent; Saturday's primaries that is just making this primary season very interesting, exciting, and possibly a little scary.

When I started composing this blog, I wanted to do a little Best Week Ever with some of the quirkiness of Greg Fitzsimmons, or a Paul F. Tompkins, but alas, it's just a week in review like you get on the cover page of the Wall Street Journal. *sigh* I am going to blame the above on the stale air that continues to circulate in my house that I have endured over the past week.
Maybe I'll come across some sort of something or actually leave the house for more than a brief moment, to regenerate my brain for the soggy mush it has become.

One small step for bloggers

And one giant leap for me! Who knows where this journey into the blogosphere will take me and what exactly will happen from this point forward, but I can assure you of a couple, two, tree things.

1. This will not turn into a blog about my child or husband. Of course my young son and husband will be mentioned from time to time, but I will try to keep it to the trials and tribulations of parenting, with maybe a few token pictures or anecdotes for comic relief.

2. I do not assume to know everything or try to know everything. I can only give my take on the issues in hopes to bring something to the conversation that maybe others agree or disagree with, but at least may open your mind to some new idea, subject, receipe, breaking gossip/news story and/or just general nonsence.


Lastly, I the blogger of the Politik Mom in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish my form of Justice, hope we will have domestic and international Tranquility, provide for the common defence and promote the general Welfare, through my tax dollars and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this blog.



Now let's PLAY BALL!