Off the Grid

I am seriously the worst ever! It almost feels like I have been off the grid, but it is more like off the schedule. Nap time used to be blog time, but things have changed around here and I haven't gotten enough blogging in. Just like last summer, I am heading off to a nice warm vacation and will be off the grid most of the summer - unless I can some how figure out how to get broadband wireless connection that won't cost me $400.

But since I will be off the grid, that doesn't mean I will lack opinions. Right now I've got two subjects that are taking up a lot of my thoughts, that for sure I will explore through this medium while on my summer vacation.
1. Patty Blogojavich on "I am a Celebrity....get me out of here"
2. The mom label/category and is SAHM really my only label.

The second topic I have been mulling over since tax day but have yet to conceptualize the argument and the label. Will be working on that post for a bit longer before the "great" reveal!

In the meantime, I am still around, still have opinions and still just dealing. But I will be better!!! maybe I should take a page from a friend's blog and blog every day for a month.

Realvacation Mama

It’s pretty much official that I am on vacation. I still have some of the responsibilities of maintaining a house, like I do at home but it’s hard to complain with the pretty relaxed schedule that I’ve fallen into. Here is a pretty typical day. I've attempted many times to upload with some pictures for additional visualization. (If I had normal internet access I would blog in real time, but you don’t want to get me started on that again)

A normal day begins at 8:30 when I wake from my slumber with realvacation toddler usually asking for his mother and/or grandmother. Straight away to the kitchen for my first cup of coffee and a glass of milk for my son where we then proceed to the balcony (it’s too hot to sit inside) to sit tableside for coffee, milk and maybe even a cookie or two. There is banter back and forth between us (my mom, son, and myself) and our next door neighbors that happen to be my aunt, uncle, cousin, her husband and their 2 kids about what food shopping needs to happen and then off for the 2nd cup of coffee. Our view from the balcony doesn’t suck. Straight ahead are several big mountains, and just to the right a block & ½ away is the beach, which we can see from the balcony, the view also brings about banter about the conditions at the beach.

Around 9:30 or so, off to the markets and bakery for fresh fruits, veggies, and bread for the day – about another ½ block from the house.

Between 10:30-11:00 we + a large beach bag full of stuff and umbrella leave for the beach. Toddler gets in some time in the water, but would much rather spend his time filling his buckets with water then bringing them up to where we sit and playing with several other children at the beach. He is the youngest so sometimes he becomes the water fetcher, but he doesn’t mind. I have yet to count but he probably goes down to the water at least 30-40 times.

1:00pm back home for a quick shower and lunch, from what we’ve purchased at the markets.

2-5ish We all nap. Realvacation toddler a little longer than others – I know I am going to hear it from my OMF’s, but yes I let my son sleep over 3 hours. After we wake up, there is usually another cup of coffee.

6:00pm We head back to the beach or go for a nice walk down into town where there is a park for son to play.

7:30pm Back home for yet another shower (if we go to the beach), a light dinner for son (usually left overs + fruit). Son plays a little while longer, my mother and I argue about what time he needs to go to bed and then 9:00 toddler in bed, sometimes even later. (You wouldn’t believe how late these children go to bed here!)

Between then and when it’s time for bed usually consists of reading the paper, a book- I am on my 4th – and just general chit chat about whatever.


So, you tell me……is that a vacation? I’ve done this almost every year of my life and since I can remember, usually about 3 weeks in, I don’t ever want to come home………

Bitter Unity?

Ok, so while on vacation I've given myself 15 minutes of surfing. After going to a few of my favorite blogs, I moved on to the news of the day (I have my priorities you know). Well I am not sure exactly what day yet, since an 8 hour time difference makes my days and nights all disconbobulated at the moment, but I digress.

My local paper not giving me all the information I was looking for - except to see that my beloved Chicago Cubs are winning on the road, I purused the New York Times, and came across an article of how the Obama and Clinton campaigns are trying to work together to bring unity to the party. So let's discuss blow by blow.

1. Harden Hillary supporters are still up in arms over Obama clinching the nomination and will not support Obama. my response.....get over yourselves! What are the reasons? Is it policy or experienced based? Or is it that you just don't like him. We, as democrats, need as much support and unity as we can get if we want to win in November. Let's all remember the end result.

2. This "symbolic" gesture of Obama writing a check to the Clinton campaign to help her out with her $+12 million debt. Seriously?! Like this woman and her husband don't have enough money to pay off their own debt. Didn't they start a website to ask people for money to help them with their Whitewater legal bills? Why not do the same now? Quick question, would she write him a check, symbolicly showing that she is behind him?

3. Obama hiring Clinton's people for his own campaign. One gripe Clinton supporters have is that " Mr. Obama’s campaign had made only a perfunctory effort to hire Clinton staff members; the Clinton campaign payroll is ending for most employees in less than a week." Don't we all know that when we work for a campaign that there is a 50/50 chance that you'll be out of a job? Isn't this the chance to take when working for a campaign. Surely they can't be claiming they are poor.

4. I am going to end with this, because I could go on and on and on about this article but this one struck me as a little off. "They are discussing whether Mr. Obama’s campaign will provide a plane and staff for Mrs. Clinton as she travels on his behalf." Does this sound like she wants to be paid off for endorcing Obama. To me it sounds as though she is thinking "well, if he wants me to go away and support him, then he is going to have to pay me for it" Who talks like that?! Do any other people who endorse a candidate get their own plane and staff? Hitch a ride with Obama?! I am sure the DNC has some money to help her out, but maybe it's beneath her to not only endorse the soon to be Democratic nominee, but also any other democrat that might be in that particular state, district, etc.

Obviously I have my own unity issues with Hillary Clinton and her supporters. Hey, if they want to have their own party- go ahead. They seem to know what's better anyway. But come November when we are still going to be stuck in this war, our gas is going to cost $6 a gallon and we aren't any better off, you'll see a "don't blame me my mam voted for Obama" bumpersticker on realpolitik toddler's Sit and Stroll.

Travel anxiety

Tomorrow, realpolitik son and I leave for a 7 week vacation. (maybe I'll rename my blog realvacation mama for a few weeks) So the past 10 days I've begun to organizing myself to pack. My bedroom has become a large staging area for all of the things I need to take along. Surprisingly being gone for 7 weeks, I don't need to pack a lot in terms of clothes, but there are other things that I need to take a long and that is what is taking up a lot of room in my suitcase. So we are on the last 24 hours of being in the windy city and feel like I am not ready. I've made this trip numerous times in my life, so I know exactly where I am going and what I will find there, so I am not sure why I am having so much anxiety of this trip, specifically.

Hopefully this will all pass, because after 2pm tomorrow afternoon, there won't be much I can do about the situation.

BTW, for those who are wondering - all 2 of you that read this blog. I am planning on bringing the laptop. Internet access will be limited where I am, but I do hope to hop on the speedy Internet a few times to blog, and give you updates on what I have an opinion on. One thing though.....someone is going to have to keep my in the loop with some of the political stuff because just like the Internet my access to US papers, magazines, etc will be limited. Ahhh of all times to go out of the country and miss all the excitement. So email me and let me know!

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.