Friday, September 26, 2014

It must be Teton time...

I guess I should just begin to refer to my blog as a "seasonal" ritual since my last entry happened in Spring and now I find myself typing again in Fall.  But what about summer?

We find ourselves perched at the foot of the Tetons in small town Wyoming for a one year adventure.  Actually, it's probably more like a ten month adventure - but who's counting?  It's a place we've been enjoying for almost twenty years and finally decided to take the plunge for a year and "let" Caden experience Third Grade in the snow.  (The snow hasn't started yet - but I have a feeling - it's on the way.)  We could get accustomed to this area even more - but Portland is home and we'll make our way back west next summer.


So what else is new?  We've discovered that life pretty much stays the same no matter where we find ourselves.  School activities along with soccer, climbing, and tennis fill Caden's days.  It's true what they say about kids.  "They are adaptable."  (but it's not exactly a difficult place to adapt to.)  I find myself as the "room parent" for Caden's class.  Wait a minute!  Did I just type that?  How did that happen?  Oh - I know - no one else volunteered!

Over the past few months I've had more than several moments when I thought to myself - I need to blog about that - but got distracted and didn't get around to it.  So here's some topics to throw out with a little editorial content thrown in.

NFL domestic violence scandals... Really?  We are shocked that an industry built upon the idea of violence, aggressive behavior, and steroid use results in abuse being carried out off the field against non-football players?  Who could have ever thought that up?  And the chance that the NFL hierarchy might have wanted to cover it up to not soil the sterling reputation of the corporation?!  No chance that would ever happen!  Don't even get me started on concussions!

That brings me to Jameis Winston and college football.  I used to be a huge fan of college football.  (I think it was more for the pageantry of the game than the actual game itself...but still... I loved going to games and watching them on television.)  I've become jaded.  It's a huge business that actually has nothing to do with a school other than sharing the name.  Caring about a school because of a football team - seems a little outdated now.  People like Jameis Winston and Johnny Manziel do nothing to help elevate the reputation of their programs - but I don't think the schools/teams care about reputation anymore.  It's all about $$$.  Witness the travesty currently going on at Florida State University.  Seriously? - that school doesn't have a single senior administrator that has the power to say... "Sorry buddy - but you've played your last down of football with our school name on your jersey!"

Obama...the people that hated him 6 years ago still hate him now.  (even though he has actually put the country into a war they wanted to begin with - but now they even find fault with that.)  As for me - I still think he's better than anyone else the other side would have had in his place.  I'm not a huge fan of what he's now doing in the Middle East - but I also don't have any idea what the right answer is.  That entire part of the world is a messed up place that our American brains can't wrap our heads around.  In fact - it seems that no one can figure out what the answer is for that region.  Religious fervor (if that's what you want to call it) is dangerous.  I might find faults with our own version of religious fanaticism over here - but thankfully - our loons are losing in their attempts to take over our country.

Obamacare... it had a rough roll-out and I was a harsh critic...but by golly...some people who didn't have health insurance before or actually getting coverage now.  Imagine that!

Same-sex marriage... oh wait... I have it.  Never mind - but still hoping it makes it to every state soon.

Hillary Clinton... just not feeling the passion.  Oh yes - if my choice is her - or any one of the 20 Republican contenders out there...she'll get my vote.  She just won't get me being excited about her being President.

As I said,  things never really change wherever we are.  I'm still ranting!