Now that the hoopla over the Big Event, PUPPY BOWL EIGHT, is finally over, we can move on to other things. As you can see, Sadie and I were wildly unexcited over the football stuff, though Brian really seemed to enjoy itWhile we really are enjoying our fairly snowless winter (so far!), for those of you who yearn for the snow (and those are generally you who live where it is not) I'm including a shot of the one snowfall we've had since October, so you won't think it's a completely unwhite season. I'm just relieved that I have not had to do any shovelling thus far, and with Brian 90% healed from his knee surgery, it's a good bet I won't have to do much. It's pretty to look at, I agree, but not so much fun to live with.
And while on the general subject of Brian's knee surgery, I am happy and somewhat astonished to report that in yesterday's mail, right after last Friday's fifth boilerplate letter from FEMA informing us once again that the damage to our house (never claimed, wasn't any) did not, upon FEMA inspection (never happened) warrant any help, we got a check - no letter, no explanation, just a very welcome check. I'd love to take all the credit for my great advocacy skills, but after I had refuted all their ridiculous reasons for declining to help (not at all limited to our non-claim on the house, but ending in their stating they couldn't get in touch with Brian's doctor, whose name, address, cell phone, office phone and fax number were of course prominently on display in every bill we forwarded)I knew I needed more muscle. So we got in touch with the one state senator in our eight years here who did more than send us a generic email (shame on you, Chuck Schumer! and THANK YOU Senator Larkin) and put us in touch with someone in his herarchy that handled Federal matters. Two weeks later, voila! A check! Sometimes government works - if you complain long enough, loud enough, and have a friend...
In other news, I have succeeded in dieting off almost all the extra pounds put on by the December (and beyond) extravagances. Though I do really well on my own slurping down anything chocolate, I was helped by our generous and wonderful friends who sent very many cookies, fudge, avocados and other treats, all very much appreciated, and all eaten far too quickly. At least Brian got a few pieces of everything. Here's a few mouth-watering shots - are you hungry yet?
And we had a nice surprise this past weekend, when Lisa and Josh, and Josh's mother Laura (who is wonderful just like her son) with Hyla and Ayro, paid us a visit.
That's most the news here. Self-serving insert: I'll just take a moment to encourage all my young readers (I think there may be two or three under forty) to use that internet, twitter, facebook power to support my unofficial but very sincere run for the presidency. In light of the current slate of Republican candidates, since clearly no one is too preposterous to aspire to the presidency, I am moved to offer a genuinely independent alternative: ME! I will not be collecting any direct donations, will not be campaigning, and will not create a superpac run by my relatives. But I can balance a budget, owe no political favors (with the possible exception of the previously mentioned Senator Larkin), have way less baggage than Newt and like almost everyone else, way less money than Mitt (whose name, as Jon Stewart mentioned months ago, means "with Romney" - yiddishist all laugh now). When Newt is the moral arbiter, and Mitt represents the unemployed (and I'd be just delighted to be an unemployed person who somehow gets over $20 mil a year, and I'm betting you would too), I think I have a pretty good chance of being elected by folks with a few fuctioning brain cells and some residual memory. And wouldn't Brian be a great First Man?
Last and probably best, these are dogs adopted recently by the team at ABR that I work with:
Leah,
Mia,
RJ
