I did feel incredibly better after Saturday's marches, all over the world. I would like to say I'd participated, but the fact is I didn't get the word about the local march in Orlando until around 7 p.m. Friday night, didn't know anyone who was going, and decided it was too last minute. I will be following up with hounding Congress like the angry grandma bear I am, and if the April 15 "Show Us Your Goddamn Taxes, You Lying Motherfucker!* (*not the official name) march takes place nearby, I will happily be there. A whole lotta people are smelling the stink of this election now. This is so un-American, unacceptable, and the bullshit fire hose is blowing stuff at us so fast, it's exhausting.
But we had existing commitments on Saturday. My daughter had signed up for a 5k and then my son-in-law got a last minute chance to attend an educational conference, so I was on Delaney duty early Saturday morning. We watched Beauty and the Beast. I hadn't seen this movie in, oh, 25 years-ish? I had not remembered that Gaston is truly an asshole. It's somewhat surprising to me now, having seen the movie, that Disney World has "Gaston's Tavern," and a (young and cute) Gaston comes out to pose for pictures and flex his muscles. I don't think I'll see him in the same way now. I worked on Delaney's afghan while we watched the movie, and she's pleased with the progress. It won't be done in time to use it this winter. It was 83 and I was in shorts, on January 21. No, this is NOT normal either.
Later Saturday afternoon we had long-standing plans to visit Animal Kingdom. It was a good call. We did the safari ride and glimpsed the new baby elephant, Stella. Sorry there are no photos, but when I say "glimpsed" I mean it. Our driver explained that the matriarchs of the herd have a sort of protective circle around the new little one. Three large female elephants were standing in tight formation, with tiny Stella protected in a sort of elephant leg playpen. We saw a tail, a trunk, small legs, an ear, but her mama and aunties were keeping her safe. It was still a fun experience and Delaney was not disappointed. We walked around what we now consider "our zoo" and saw meerkats and the silverback gorillas,
napping tigers and lions and bats. The zebras started frolicking around, and the meerkats had a momentary freakout and dashed for their burrows until they figured it out: "Whew! Not a stampede!" Hilarious! It was a low-key, wander and enjoy kind of day. At one point we thought we were going to see an acrobatic performance but were in the wrong place. Three incredible singers appeared instead, singing these soaring harmonies of what I think were kids' songs - lots of repetition and a bouncy beat. They had a basket of instruments and a couple of drums. Delaney had just been at a nearby stand where the instruments were for sale and had tried every one, so when she was invited, she joined the performance. She was so quiet and serious, her mother and I started wondering if she was having a good time.
My phone can't capture the beauty of their voices, but did capture the intensity of Delaney's soaking up the experience. For the record: she loved it.
I posted a video last night, tested it, it played. It vanished, and now somehow I can't share it. I'll try to figure it out when I have more energy. Sorry about that.
We ate at the Harambe Market for the first time, and liked it a lot. Another quick serve cheapish place to eat a good meal, noted for future reference.
I needed this break. I've been somewhat obsessed with keeping up with the destruction of our country. Please don't focus too much on the #unpresident; he's just the rodeo clown they put out there to distract the media and the blogosphere. Watch this Republican Congress. That's where the true agenda lies. Trump is an incurious unqualified nitwit, so entirely unsuited for the job, he's the perfect choice to distract the media, and by extension, US. Watch Congress. That's where the bad stuff is happening. Call them, write postcards, annoy them day in and day out. We are watching.
You have absolutely got it right. He is the distraction, the agenda is set by the truly maniacal men who are running him, and Congress is on a rampage. The agenda is for him to create so many scandals and mini crises that we'll all be exhausted and wont even notice when the real s!!t hits the fan. I cant tell if he doesnt realize he' a puppet, or if he's in on the joke. I cant watch him long enough to even think about it.
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Ps. The march was even more awesome than it looked on TV. Overa million rides on metro, just slightly behind Obama's inauguration. Those are out and back rides. Inauguration day had about 400k, about 79-80 % were protesters that day too.
Our march here was amazing as well, and there were so many kids, even tiny infants. The kids were one and all enjoying the whole spectacle, didn't see one meltdown in three hours. Delaney would probably love going with you and her mom and carrying a sign.
ReplyDeleteRead this in an article yesterday, and it's so true.
"Bruce said he listened to a recent Obama speechwriters podcast that pointed out that it is silly for Democrats to concentrate on Trump's evil acts. His offensive nature does not influence people.
"Talking about real people is what matters," Bruce said. "Talk about things that are hurting real people."
My title for him is the Petty-sent, because he is so petty. But you are right, it is Congress that is the real danger.
ReplyDeleteHopefully whatever they do can be undone in the next election cycle.
I have been stranded in Dental Hell since about the first of the year and didn't make it to our local rally---I didn't even knit any Pussy Hats to send in support. I do feel though, that if there is one good thing to come out of this administration, it is that the Trumpster has given us a common enemy to unite against. Saturday evening, the TV coverage of my local rally showed such a diverse group of people who had come together for good---it made me proud of my little Midwestern town.
ReplyDeleteI worked on Saturday, and I cried when I got home and saw the videos. I feel so much safer now! And I made three calls tonight, including one to our Dem. senator, asking her to turn up the heat for everybody who is so scared for the future. We'll see.
ReplyDeleteDelaney feels things intently, doesn't she?
k - Delaney was so lost in the music, she was at times unable to remember to play the drum! Then she'd sort of shake herself and rejoin the song, and watch the woman on her right to see what she was doing and try to follow along. And this is another one of those pictures where I can see what she'll look like at 11.
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