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August 16 I'm still here...!I know what you're thinking. You're thinking my god - she has returned to us! Or else your'e thinking who the hell is this chick and why does she think I give a rats-
ANYWAY, I figured I needed to check in.
The world is further down that road to crazy. Don't even get me started. So I'm just trying to live my life, do my thing and enjoy the days as they pass. Summer is glorious here in the Land of Bubba - the only place in North America that isn't too hot, and the evenings are cool and sweet. Xena's Kwoon is getting off the ground and we're excited about that.
And I've continued to try and improve my poker game. I'm studying, and playing some every night. I'm now in the money more than I'm not, and that makes me happy. I wanted to go with my Karma theme, but Zen in poker has already been done.
 It's an interesting concept - attempting to apply the principles of Zen to a competitive game. There are some things that are easy connections -
The biggest seeming conflict for me is that winning at poker calls for aggression. Passive players don't win - at least not in the long run. And Buddism is about a lot of things - but aggression isn't one of them. So part of my task is to balance the Zen principles I'm using with being aggressive when necessary. It's a delicate balence - let me tell you. I tend to tilt way too much. Tonight I came in 3rd in a S&G. Won $18. Not bad. Play the players. Wait for good cards. Then push!
May 21 News From the Home Front! Politics - new day, same crap. Between Harper and Bush I just have to shake my head and sigh. The only bright spot (and thank you bloggers for insuring we even heard about it) was Stephen Colbert's brilliant and scandalous skewering of the president et al, including the dickless media. If you haven't heard his address, here you go. You need to see this. To read the transcript, go here (with thanks to the Daily Kos.)
But enough of that, because I have huge news on the home front! As you may know (but probably don't,) my family has been in flux for the last several years as I've been sponsoring my wife's permanent immigration to Canada. We are both originally from the States (I escaped in 1989, she in 2000.) Imagine - to want to live in a country in which we feel safe, that sanctions our marriage, and that allows me to sponsor her! What can we be thinking! ::sarcasm off - mini rant for our "friends" in the US who are sad that we "cut and ran":: A bit of background... We began our relationship in 2000. Had a Joining Ceremony in 2001. (We call that our Emotional Wedding.) Began exploring sponsorship in 2003 when the law changed to allow same sex couples to sponsor under the family class as commonlaw. Decided we would rather get legally married, and planned for that after BC changed provincial law to allow it. Got married in 2004 (our Legal Wedding) and began the application process. All that time my wife has been a "visitor" in Canada - here legally on a visa but not allowed to work, go to school, etc. The joke was that she couldn't get sick because she couldn't go on my insurance. (Thankfully, she didn't.) Money moved back and forth from tight, to very tight, to just crazy sleepless tight. Six years in limbo is a long time. However, last Friday, May 12 2006, she became a Landed Immigrant!!!!! Wow. We hadn't realized just how stressed we had been until the stress came off. Up until the last minute, DW was worried that the Powers That Be would change their collective minds, and put her on a bus to Seattle. Not because she had broken any laws, but just because... (Don't get me started on the fact that living the last few years in the US helped bring on that mentality...) Anyway - she has now been added to my insurance. Her SIN card is on the way. She can begin to advertise her business and actually make some money. And she's counting the days until she can apply for Citizenship (just like I did all those years ago.) So Welcome to Canada, sweetie. We'll make that appointment at the tat shop for your Maple Leaf now!
(The beautiful watercolour included in this post is of the Peace River in northeastern BC, where we live. I found it on the net, so with many thanks to the artist...) February 13 Child of Saturn,,,February 07 Upon further review...
Ok, so perhaps I was drunk last night with the happiness of Jay getting the bums rush in the Cabinet appointments. Or maybe that spicy burrito I had for supper clouded my judgement. I only know that, in the light of day, I was too optimistic about the Cabinet. In my second reading I'm freaking out! Toews for Justice Minister??? And Day as Minister of Security??? Yikes! Toews doesn't believe we deserve ANY protection under the Charter - he's made that loud and clear. And Day believes that cave men walked with dinasaurs when the world was created 6000 years ago. Please read today's Xtra.ca for a great explaination of what might very well be in store for us. February 06 Where's Jay?Wow. And I say again - wow. Up here in the boonies of BC the Conservatives were grinnin' and chuckin' and tellin' everyone that would listen how the North would rise again and we were in the money now that Harper was in power. After all, Jay Hill has been a little c Conservative (and every other socially right wing party member...) since god was a child. He was the biggest grinner of 'em all. He was going to make sure that us homosexuals got what was comin' to us - mainly, the roll back of our rights.
But low and behold, Harper was sworn in and announced his cabinet - and Jay Hill isn't on it. Instead there is David Emerson who won as a Liberal just 2 weeks ago by declaring the Tories were the devil. Now he's a Tory. (What does that make him? I'll ask some of the ONLY 4500 people who voted him on over the NDP candidate - they might have some choice words...) Does this really mean that Harper is sincerely moving to the middle? Only time will tell. But I can't help but grin an evil grin at the fact that right now Jay is on the back row... |
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