Chronicles of Nana

As Obama is still too young to define himself or know where he comes from…which comes after a long life lived, McCain has had the opportunity to look within and see himself as he has become…After 70 years lived McCain faces himself with warts, shame and all the things that come with the paths he chose tp take.

GRABBING EXPERIENCE…

McCain was born into a Military family with his father and grandfather being admirals. It was assumed that he too would continue on with that tradition, but not without defiance and rebellion. Living a rigid military life that undoubted existed also in the home, McCain spent much of his young adult life being a risk taker and celebrating the ladies. He graduated nearly last in his class and before going to Viet Nam married his first wife, Carol.

SIGNIFICANT EMOTIONAL EVENT…

After being presented with his first daughter, McCain found himself a prisioner of war. For over five years he endured torture and hardship that no one could ever imagine. The code of honor amongst his military  conrades deepen his ressolve, defined his spirituality and increased ten fold his allegience to America.

Released as a prisioner of war, he returned home only to face a failing marriage. He has assumed full responsibility for its failure. His current wife is Cindy, an heiress of a beer fortune. They are parents to several children, a few of which are adopted.

CAREER CHANGE…

Forgoing his military career, McCain headed to Arizona to take up residency in order to enter local politics. With Cindy’s financial help he was elected and has spent many years in government service. He has become well known on Capital Hill being dubbed the “Maverick” as he stepped over party lines to get things done. He knows well the in and out of Washington party politics. He has been critized for working with special interests and lobbiest. To call him a true conservative is a bit of a stretch…

WHOSE’S THE VEEP…

With both candidates the choice for vice president is important to me. I feel both candidates lack certain qualities and expertise that a good veep choice could bring to the parties. Areas such as foreign policy, energy, economy et al play an important part in rounding out the political tickets.

MY TAKE…

Frankly I appreciate McCain’s straight forward answers to difficult questions. I appreciate his tenacity and willingness to get down with the people. His continuous campaigning has proven his age is relative.

However…at best I am luke warm to both Obama and McCain. Unless the issues are defined and clarified more in the future my attitude is somewhat benign. Our country’s future cannot settle for benign…it is too important to be up on the issues and to become proactive to what lies ahead. Frankly public opinion has never been more important.

The media, attack ads, focus groups,  polls and the controling support people should cool their jets. The image makers should step aside,,,the party politic retoric should die down and allow the American electorate plenty of time to think,,,It amazes me how so many important factors of American life can be changed by a few moments in the voting booth.

THE BIG FLUSH…

However, as a middle class American currently I see my standard of living going down the toilet…

I am soo tired of being tired..6 weeks into broken leg recuperation has been a complete drag and boring…I was waiting to blog politics until after the veep selections. However, the other night Fox News had  backround programs featuring Obama and McCain. Since I knew little of their personal history I tuned in…

OBAMA..WHO?

Obama was born from a black African father who was educated at Harvard and a white mother who  obviously had a mind of her own. His father left the mix to return to Kenya. Obama was raised by his mother in Hawaii who later remarried. At about the age of 11 Obama was sent to live with his white grandparents to be schooled. He graduated in Hawaii and headed to the mainland to college. While at Columbia University Obama’s liberal leanings were further enhanced by living in the fringe slum areas and experimenting with drugs and alcohol. His associations there were non-discript. However I found it interesting that those interviewed chose not to speak on camera.

GATHERING ROOTS…

In between his higher education, Obama managed to find his roots by going to Africa a couple times and seek out his father. He sought his law degree at Harvard. It was there that he developed a network and support group dabbling in some questionable associations. It was at Harvard where he met Michele, his wife.

OPPORTUNISTIC…

Obama became active in community involvement and development. He was known as an organizer and joined with a couple activist black ladies to promote their desire to improve Chicago’s black communities. This allowed him to network with many well established black leaders, the shakers and movers.

GETTING RELIGION…

In the meantime, he and Michele belonged to the infamous Reverend Wright’s church and apparently condoned the African/ political/teachings that were taught there. Obama entered the senate race with 4 other candidates. He knocked each one off the ballot due to technicalities. His voting track record is non- discript voting “present” at each proposaL.His time in the senate was limited so he can concentrate on his run for the presidency.

MY TAKE…

And the rest is history…and we shall see. 

  My take on the man is that he is politically motivated by opportunism. He has a gift for oratory and likes to hear himself talk..it would be nice to see him make a 10 word sentence. His heritage and upbringing was not typical..obviously there were tensions and some disfunctional conditions that prompted the decisions being made in his youth. He is an organizer and possesses the ability to play piped piper to thousands. Watching him all these months, it scares me that so many free thinking Americans can be so easy to join the parade without not seeking …the man.

To me.. Obama needs maturity and experience, At his age he lacks humility and the  wisdom from learning from his own  hard knocks. He appears arrogant and so sure of his own opinions. However, recently he has waffled on some of his own issues. He does not appear to be able to laugh at himself and where else does one need a sense of humor than the White House?  A crisis in the White House and I can see him gather his people about him to gather a consenses of opinions while ,in the meantime, America burns. And who are “his people?”

DUMB DEMS…

Besides… I and mad at the democratic congress that has gone backward purposely setting back decisions that should have happened years ago. Pelosi turns off the lights on energy and goes off to promote a book no one wants to read. She is a post menapausal woman that needs a hobby. Even if these and all deadbeat democrats are defeated…who would Obama bring in to support his presidency? His picks of associates in the past haven’t exactly promoted confidence…

The question still remains…who is this guy?

My wallet is empty, the cubboards are bare and … I can’t afford gas for the car…

At least the poor have government housing, Wic and food stamps, food banks, reduced  education costs and cheap health care programs. One false move or mistake and this middle class person is dead meat…makes it kinda hard to sleep at night, you know…?

I just received an email from Grandad that Longs Drug Stores has been sold to the CVS company. This news is not surprising but brings back alot of nostalgic memories for our family…Nearly all of my family has worked there at one time or another. Longs became a major player in our family history.

MAJOR EMPLOYMENT…

Grandad’s first major employment after graduating from Cal Berkeley was at the old Concord Longs store. He was a hotshot college grad with all the answers for Longs marketing woes. It was soon enough when Longs, tired of his vocalizing, sent him to the outer boonies to the new Lodi Longs store. It was there that we raised our children in the land of Camelot..

OPPORTUNITIES….

The camelot of Lodi was great for family. Situated in the central valley of California…it presented us with a time warp to the past. A quiet, lazy little town whose claim to fame was the Tokay Grape vinyards that surrounded it’s perimiter. It was, for us, the primary Pollyanna experience.

The kids would ride their bikes all about town with no fear of trouble. There was one old movie house, the High School pool, the pizza parlor and Howard’s sandwiches! It was where we purchased our newer home…a passage of making it into the big real world. We were on our way!

A FRESH START…

Longs had entered this closed community with the hopes of winning them over to their kind of retail. Grandad was now into management and spent many extra hours to help make it successful. Being situated in the boonies and being automimous made it possible for this store to try new things to win customer loyalty. There are many stories…the hotshot ads, sleeping bags in isles for the kids as employees and wives stocked shelves, the drunken holidays, the training buffets and so many examples of customer appreciation. Longs soon started to make it’s mark upon Lodi…

MOVING ON…

A turn of fate finally got Grandad tranferred to the corporate office in Walnut Creek. We moved back to Concord and built our home. The next 25 years saw many changes. Grandad left Longs in 1998 after becoming a vice president. He established the training department that expanded and offered many employees an opportunity to  better their skill set and raise their standard and work ethic. I became part of the team as a program designer and graphic artist. I spent 10 years learning more than I ever cared to know…

HAWAII…

Longs offered our family the opportunity to go to  the islands of Hawaii. We traveled there many time on business but always managed to find a weekend of fun for the children. It was magical and left us with many lasting memories.

CHANGE…

As time progressed, it became clear that Longs was situating itself for a takeover. We were concerned and Grandad was deeply torn by the decisions being made. Times were getting tough and as in most companies the basic online employees were feeling the pinch, Grandad agonized over the direction of the company and we contemplated leaving.

The ways of business often escape us..in hind sight the evolution of this company made many top executives very wealthy. Our departure was emotional and bittersweet. However, I knew if Grandad lingered much longer his health would take a turn for the worse. Leaving Longs changed the direction of our lives. It opened new opportunities to keep the rat race at bay. It brought new opportunities to establish and renew family relationships.

The day of working for a company for 30 years is over…History. There were actually several “Mr. Longs” and we were privileged to know them all. These founders opened a new way of retailing that is long gone now with the plastic, high tech , insensitive merchandising of today. Retail decentralization is pretty much a thing of the past…individual creativity has been squelched.

Regardless of what Longs has become, we are greatful for the opportunity to have “been there.” We have met many good people whose friendships have enhanced our lives. It was once a family business whose dreams, perhaps, were not fully realized. One is left with the “would’ve”, could’ve” syndrome here…

If only….in any case… thanks Longs Drug Stores for the memories…Aloha dear friend!

Perhaps it is the confinement in the lazyboy, but Hillary Clinton is beginning to smell like a wiff of fresh air were it not for the Bilary connection.  It would be a pleasant surprise to bring to presidential power a person who is not guided by the desires in the pants. How refreshing that would be. However, Hillary just does not shake my tree…I would have admired her more if she shed Mr. President along time ago. But it is time for a level headed female to redecorate the oval office…

MAN OF THE YEAR…

So, how about that John Edwards..?  What a jerk! Had to happen though, he is too perfectly cuoffed, too pretty, too charmingly southern and too ego driven. Why in heaven’s name did he think he could reach the pennicle of power and get away with an affair with a wide eyed groupie?  Some men are perhaps the most stupid concerning perceived morals.

Whatever happened to moral commitment and integity?  His character projects the problem with  men who let their dicks make decisions for them…and now we have a foundation of political traits that media, congress et al scream unfair. Seems these fellow cohorts clamor to separate sexual morality away from the political experience. Well..in my view if a man cannot remain loyal to his wife of choice, then he won’t much remain loyal to a constituant like me…sex and politics have been strange bedfellows since our country began. Politics breed lies and bastards.

HURTING THE INNOCENT…

 My heart goes out to Elizabeth Edwards and children. She now is saddled with a loser of a husband and all the steamy publicity that brings down her man. My guess is she has weathered a wondering husband before. Beisdes she has more to do in fighting for her life than fall on her sword over the immorality of her mate. I am not seeing, however, how she deserves this.. life is not fair!

Mrs Edwards has a limited time to set her house in order…I firmly hope that scumbag of a husband spends all of the time he has to spend with her on his knees bending to her every need. There is not enough time left, in my view, for him to make it up to her. This whole sorted affair is just a small view into what is happening in the world today…when consequences are blindly received because the indiscretion was worth it.

What a sad commentary concerning a generation lost in moral unawareness and insensitivity.

Numbing thoughts….

I have been in an induced  medicated stupor for a month now and have decided to come up for air. Who ever said that drugs were the answer to managing pain was a weird dude…and the hardest part is getting off that stuff. On June 30th I fell coming up the outdoor stairs to the house and my right leg broke in half.

LIVING WITH THE PAIN…

Apparently I had been hobbling on a fractured leg for quite a while…hense the cane and complaints. I had assumed it to be arithritis, It just never occured to me that I had broken a bone. I have never broken a bone in my life so it did not dawn on me that it would ever happen. My bone density is 138 percent which means I am not a candidate for osteoperosis and in my mind I just didn’t go there.

NEED FOR RAIN…

The reality is that I broke my leg femor in two and a metal rod now is in place. The staples have finally been removed and today is my first attempt to take a real shower instead of using a bathroom sink and baby wipes…gross huh? I really need a shower, folks. Yesterday I concluded that my lesson in patience and tolerence is over…to hell with looking for reasons why I must go through this!!!

LESSONS LEARNED… 

There are lessons I am learning from this experience such as…when one must endure a physical trama never look into the faces of loved ones who have gathered around…the little emt’s and emergency crew can handle just about anything including a big fluffy Nana…hospitals are not made for resting and their food is not made for eating…to think how much this episode cost, don’t even go there!!

I had a barcode bracelet placed about my wrist which was scanned everytime someone walked into the room. I felt like a cabbage at the supermarket! I came home with more bruises than I care to attempt. The nursing staff is probably the only redeeming thing about a stay in a hospital. This experience had me under the care of at least five different doctors….let’s see, there was my primary doctor, the orthopedic surgeon, the respitory doctor, the cardio doctor, the physical therapist doctor and more. Whatever happened to the general practicianer!?

HANDICAP BARRIERS…

To become a member of the disabled has been very interesting. The use of a wheelchair is most enlightening. First, there is never enough parking places for the handicapped. And I questioned the mobility issue of some who have those little handicap placards in their windows. Not all door openings accomodate the width of a wheelchair. The general public generally have little regard concerning the sidewalk indentures that are for the convenience of those  in wheelchairs and scooters. Usually people park right over them making it inpossible to manuver the sidewalk issues.

Public restrooms become another issue. Despite not putting enough stalls on the women’s side the handicap stalls are always to the back of the room. I won’t get into the issue of toilet paper and where it is installed!! Knowing that stores have wide isles, they are not wide enough for people who wish to chit-chat or talk on the convenient cell phone. The shelves in these stores are stacked high sky which is understandable but why is it the price information is usually not visable?

AHHH…

Well.. the shower was wonderful! All is well with the world. Tonight we are going to see the stage play of “1776″ and I have been without medication for almost 48 hours. I  plan to spend the rest of the day and evening being “caustiously optimistic.” I am traveling a route I dearly love…north to fruit alley. I”d like to pick up some summer squash and a few other things. We will have an early dinner at the best chicken place in the state…

All is looking up and by the way Grandad, HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!

So sorry for the grumpy days….