Hey everybody,
Well after a week of hanging around waiting for calm seas, we’re bailing out on the Philippines and going back to… (see if you can guess…) Thailand! The Philippines seems (seem?) nice enough, but we just can’t get into it. We hung out on a nice island for a while but it was very windy, which makes the water wavy, which tosses boats and snorkelers around uncomfortably. It also tosses the sand around, such that even if the wind and waves die down, snorkeling is still a drag because the water is all cloudy.
But never fear — the magic of the round-the-world ticket is that we can change our minds. A single phone call yesterday got us onto this evening’s flight to Bangkok, without penalty. We’ve heard about some good snorkel spots around an island called Koh Tao, and maybe we’ll go to that Elephant Conservation Center in Lampang….
OK sorry for the lackluster post with nary a photo!
And finally, to the surprise and delight of all of us (especially Oregonians), your primary vote may actually matter! GO OBAMA!!!
derrykate 
February 22, 2008 at 8:45 am
Way to go Kate and Derry!
I love your grasp of flexibility! And great news about the quick and easy air transport change. Yes, maybe Oregon’s Demo primary will have some small influence. Much talk nowadays about the “super delegates,” of which Oregon will have but a few.
Priscilla and I had a fine visit, and I read to her from your blog and called her over to see photos as she was making breakfast one morning. We are still planning on Italy mid-Sept to mid-Oct, and she’s inviting me to visit her in PA before then.
Be well, and carry on! Love, Allen
February 22, 2008 at 1:06 pm
Hope you guys find a great snorkel spot!! And yes, maybe Oregon will matter, but chances are it will be up to Texas. I’m still rooting for Hillary because I think she might be just a tad older and wiser… but if Obama wins, like I think he will, I will be excited too. He’s young, energetic and inspiring and maybe that counts for more than I give him credit for. 😉
Miss you guys!!
February 26, 2008 at 3:36 pm
Hi Kate & Derry. It sounds as though all is well with you both and that news sounds good to me. Thanks for the birthday wishes. It is always fun to have a birthday.
I know some time has passed since the first talks of my views on the presidential hopeful—but I really wanted to make sure I didn’t let my mouth overload my @$$–if you know what I mean. LOL
Well, the 2008 elections are here. I take voting seriously. Now officially on the back side of 30, I consider voting a painless chance to approve or disapprove of candidates. Some Americans (90+ % of my co-workers included) do not bother to vote. They claim it is a waste of time or that the system is corrupt throughout. I vote for the candidate, not the party (especially locally). I will admit, without shame, that my preferences are more often than not Republicans. I refuse to support Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton, based on, in what is my opinion, their awful principles. It is mostly in the local elections that I am more inclined to vote for a candidate based on reputation and the information available, not party affiliation.
Unlike some Southern Republicans, it is not my intention to tell people how to vote. I only suggest that when you vote, make sure you are familiar with the candidates’ views and platforms. If you are not familiar with certain candidates, you have the opportunity to eliminate them from your list. Just because they are a member of your political party certainly doesn’t give them a “thumbs up”. Although pulling a straight ticket is easier, you may be voting for a candidate you know nothing about.
I am in no way saying that I am an expert on Obama or Clinton. I do know however that Obama has been absent from voting a good percentage of the time. Both he and Hillary are pushing social agendas. Obama’s willingness to confer with any leader, whether we have diplomatic relations with his or her country is disturbing to say the least.
Considering the sad state of affairs this country finds itself in, this is one election year where voters should not be thinking about personal issues that are private and personal, like abortion and gay marriages, and of course the old standard “family values”, whatever that really means. How dare someone imply that America has been so disastrously mismanaged by the Bush Administration since the 2000 election and then let topics like abortion and gay rights creep into the debate for the 2008 presidential election?
With that being said—I will go on the record and let it be known that I have put my money on McCain. Surprised? I didn’t think so. If I would have written this a few months ago, McCain wouldn’t have been the prime candidate for me. Now Republican John McCain is the prominent candidate primarily because the media have glorified him. When I voted in the primary, I didn’t have the entire selection of candidates to choose from, thanks to the early primaries in a few states.
If we want change in our government, we need to clean house in Congress, too. What has the new Congress elected in 2006 given us? Can we expect anything different with a president than we’ve gotten from Congress? I believe that McCain, while not perfect, is the lesser of the evils.
I really hope this didn’t put you to sleep….lol
Although I do tend to vote mostly Republican…most everyone I will allow myself to discuss politics with thinks that I am the most Liberal Republican there is. I give all this “glory” to being reared in the good ol’ town of Oakridge….
March 2, 2008 at 10:01 pm
Hi friends, THANKS for keeping the discussion going.
Staci, that’s wild that 90+% of your co-workers don’t vote. Thanks for taking the time to put your thoughts on paper. I appreciate McCain’s independence and his strong dedication to serving this country. Now that I’m a bit more informed about his Iraq stance, though, I’m less enthusiastic about the possibility of him becoming president.
I still support Obama (over Clinton) because, while their policy positions are virtually the same, their respective approaches differ. His approach seems to be about collaboration and working from common ground, an approach that I think is crucial for us now. One thing that turns me off is when Clinton uses dorky little zingers like, “We need more cattle and less hat,” or “I don’t think the people of Texas scare all that easy,” trying to ‘score points’ by appealing to people’s baser tribal instincts. I’m tired of that whole mindset in American politics. I want a leader who talks to people mind-to-mind, and listens. That is how Obama seems to me.
March 5, 2008 at 9:10 pm
Okay the whole Obama thing is starting to grow on me. I have been getting Hillary e-mails for quite some time but I just recently signed up for Obama e-mails as well. It’s pretty amusing since they both write to me as if I am supporting them and the other guy is the bad guy. BUT, I have to hand it to the Obama for being more direct and full of facts. It’s clear Hillary is more of a politician and I don’t mean that in a nice way. Still… I dunno, there is just something about her I admire. Say, if primaries do come to Oregon do you guys get to vote absentee?
March 8, 2008 at 8:19 pm
O.K., this is long enough. You need to be bloggering more! (new word – verb; to actively engage in on-line discussion) We are getting news-needy! Where are the pictures? Where the heck are you now?
I am actively rooting for Obama. I think it’s so cool that for once what we do in Oregon is going to matter. I was just sure Obama would take Texas, but alas. It was close though. Clinton has mentioned the possibility of both their names on the same ticket, but she hasn’t specified who would be first.
I’m reading the second volume of the Raj Quartet, my five pound book. I was wrong, as you know. It is a continuation of the story of volume one. I’m making another character/place list so I can keep track of people and relationships. I did the same thing for volume one. It’s sort of like reading one of those big Russian novels, where it’s easy go get lost if you don’t have some system. I also made a map of Mayapore, based on descriptions in the book. It all worked out! Once I got started, every new description fitted right in. You know how I am about seeing things “on location.”
Hope all is well. I must go read. Love you both.
Mom/Sue