America’s First Mom

Michelle Obama hugs some kids while planting a garden at Bancroft Elementary School in Washington, DC yesterday.

(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Even if I do not always agree with the President, I love his wife. She’s the best. We’re lucky to have her.

-S

Security guards at food banks in the Seattle area

Seattle is one of the more affluent cities in the country. If people here are desperate and worried there may not be enough food to go around, something is wrong, and I’m sure it’s even worse in most other areas.

http://www.nwcn.com/statenews/washington/stories/NW_052709WAB-food-bank-security-SW.21e97a93.html

Desperate times are calling for desperate measures at food banks around the area. Longer lines and shorter tempers are now forcing some facilities to hire security guards to keep people safe.

The need for increased security comes with food banks across the region seeing more people than ever before. Seattle’s Cherry Street Food Bank recently saw 2,651 people walk through their doors in a single day — an all-time record.

“It’s a problem with people wanting more than they get, and not getting what they think they deserve,” said Cherry Street security guard Ron Washington. “Then, they have an argument with the volunteers. That’s when I step in and let the volunteers know it’s not their problem.”

At food banks across our area, waits are getting longer, with people routinely lining up two hours or more before the doors open.

If you are willing to donate a bag of non-perishable or canned food, a bag of dog or cat food, a package of diapers, even a can of baby formula, please remember those who may need your help. If you have cash, your local food bank or pantry can make those dollars stretch further than you ever dreamed they would. Here’s a couple of places to start.

http://feedingamerica.org/

http://www.hope-link.org/

Thank you in advance for your help, and your kindness towards someone you may never even meet.

-S

Moose lived through the weekend, despite us

Okay. I know the blogosphere can’t wait for another installment of Moose and His People, so here it is.  I’m starting a diary offline of our lives with the world’s smartest chocolate Lab. At the very least, we’ll look back on this and laugh. At the most, it may end up as a non-fiction book, chronicling what happens when two middle-aged people decide they’re getting a dog. This all reminds me of the saying, (paraphrased): We make our plans, and God laughs.

Moose had a wonderful day on Saturday. After all, he was the center of attention. The Elizabethan collar came off, so he could actually play with his Kong, various bones, try to fish the ChuckIt ball out from under the lip of the couch… On the advice of both vet and trainer, we’ve been transitioning our sweet boy off the puppy food and onto a better food for him. We had been giving him half the other food and half of the better food. He’d transitioned long enough, right?

Au contraire, mon frere.

We gave our Moose two cupfuls of his new food that morning. I was convinced that we were doing the right thing for our puppy. Yes, he was eating dog food made of human-grade ingredients. Yay for me, right? Uh, no. Guess what happened? Poor Moose had — well, we were wondering if there was Imodium for dogs. The Dauphin pressure-washed his crate. Twice. I hurried off to the kitchen to make rice and skinless chicken breast for the now incredibly-ill doggie.

Our vet’s wife told us that gallon milk cartons were a great dog toy — after all, they could chew to their heart’s content, the plastic wouldn’t hurt Moose, etcetera. Moose destroyed the milk carton in less than two minutes. If that wasn’t enough fun, he managed to rip several chunks of it off as well, which we had to fish out of his mouth. The milk carton was removed. Quickly.

After the day’s activities, Moose needed a bath, so off we went to Wash Spot Express in Redmond’s Marymoor Park. We love Wash Spot Express, and so does Moose. He loved it a little too much on Saturday. The Dauphin was scrubbing him down, and I gasped out, “Oh, no! He’s licking the shampoo!” Of course, the minute he was all rinsed, Moose shook himself off, and dragged us across the grassy area to visit with a gorgeous Collie. The Collie had been walking all day with her humans. She wasn’t so sure about the rambunctious Lab that wanted to make friends, but her people were very nice. We finally coaxed Moose into the car, and The Dauphin had a great idea: Let’s go get some ice cream!

Did you know that dogs are lactose-intolerant? Neither did we. We know someone else whose pup loved vanilla ice cream. Maybe he didn’t get the “lactose-intolerant” gene. Moose had a dog cone at the local Dairy Queen, and that’s when our fun began. Moose really likes ice cream. He likes it so much, as a matter of fact, he tried to dive into the front seat of the car to get some more. We finally managed to install him in the back seat again, and we went home.

More pressure washing ensued. We fed Moose some rice and chicken. After all, he was hungry. Moose finally went to sleep, and it was time for us to go to bed, too.

About 1:00 a.m. on Sunday morning, I awoke to two outraged Maine Coons hissing, spitting, jumping on both of us, and the sounds of an Elizabethan collar hitting the bedroom wall next to The Dauphin’s side of the bed. Moose had managed to escape from his palatial crate. (As far as we can determine, he banged the crate against the dining room wall till the back popped off of it.) On his way upstairs, he sampled the kitty Almond Roca (otherwise known as cat poop,) they’d so thoughtfully left for him inside the cat box under the powder room sink. If he was sick before, this left him even more ill.

After a little emergency carpentry, Moose was installed in his crate once more, and everyone went back to sleep. The only thing we DIDN’T do wrong as dog parents was let him play in traffic. Obviously, some of this stuff we just didn’t know, but there is nothing like the guilt of knowing that we did so many things wrong, and he still loves us.

There were some things that went right this weekend. He loves his back yard. We found out he loves ice, too. He’s learning to fetch. He’s definitely feeling better.

Next weekend, the offleash park! Watch out, Marymoor!

-S

Army post shuts down for a three-day suicide prevention event

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/05/27/kentucky.army.suicide/index.html

A major United States military post is shutting down for three days following a rash of suicides, the post announced.

Fort Campbell, home of the Army’s 101st Airborne Division, is holding a three-day “suicide stand-down training event” starting Wednesday — the second one it has held this year, a post spokeswoman told CNN.

At least 11 deaths of Fort Campbell soldiers this year are confirmed or suspected suicides, spokeswoman Kelly Tyler said. That’s out of 64 confirmed or suspected suicides in the entire Army, according to official statistics. At that rate, the Army is on pace for a record number of suicides this year.

The post commander, Brig. Gen. Stephen Townsend, addressed all 19,000 soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division on Wednesday, Tyler said.

“His intent was to be able to look them in the eye and make them aware that everyone cares about the issue, and make sure they know — corporal to general — what help is available,” she said. “To make sure that people know we want them to keep living.”

I don’t know whether to laugh or to cry after reading the above.

I have a girlfriend whose son returned from a year in Iraq a few months ago. He was promptly deployed for an additional year in Afghanistan. I can’t imagine what it would be like to spend a year worrying over a beloved child, get him home safely, then watch him leave again. Lesa, you’re my hero, and I’m sending that kid of yours all the pink mojo I can conjure up. Every day till he comes home.

In the meantime, other people’s sons and daughters are also being sent into harm’s way. With the advent of stop loss, they’re kept in the military much longer than their original contract called for. Some evidently believe the only way out of repeated deployments, PTSD or other mental illness or physical injury, and what must look like an impossible situation is to end it all.

I’m not mocking Brigadier General Townsend. After all, it wouldn’t be a joy to be in his shoes, either, and enforcing an untenable situation. I’m looking at those further up the food chain. If you’d really like to put an end to the suicides at Fort Campbell, why not figure out why the issues I mention in my previous paragraph are not just tolerated but encouraged in today’s military? If all these soldiers have to look forward to is endless deployments, why would they want to live? We won’t even discuss what’s going on now at the VA for those who actually make it back.

You bet those lives are important. I want all of those soldiers to live. I want them to have the chance to make it home safely, to embrace their loved ones, to know they will never, ever have to go back to a war zone. They give their utmost for all of us, and all they ask in return is that we treat them fairly.

Stop loss and repeated deployments aren’t fair. They aren’t reasonable. They certainly aren’t effective.

End it. Now.
-S

Proposition 8 is upheld in California

The eighteen thousand same-sex marriages performed to this point remain valid.

My thoughts are with those who continue to fight for the ability to have their relationships legally recognized.

-S

Bravo to the students of UPenn!

I like good news. Some days, there isn’t a lot, so we should recognize and celebrate it when it does occur.

It seems that college students don’t use some of the meals they pre-pay for in the dining hall. The students of UPenn donated their unused meals to a shelter. If you’d like to see what happened after that, please watch the following.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032619/#30904234

Maybe this will catch on at other schools, huh? Again, congratulations!

-S

Contrary to popular belief, the world is not your phone booth: A rant in one act

The Dauphin and I made our bi-weekly pilgrimage to Costco today. I realize that going to Costco on the Saturday morning of a holiday weekend is Asking For It, but we felt equal to the challenge. Plus, we scored the most rockin’ treats ever for Moose, so it was a profitable trip!

Costco was fairly crowded, but everyone was in a good mood. Well, everyone but the guy that sat down next to us in the formerly-known Cafe 150. We’re big on Costco’s food area. It’s good, and it’s cheap. It’s one of our lunchtime favorites. After all, the ability to eat lunch for less than $2 is always a great thing.

The guy at the table next to us proceeded to have one of the more personal phone conversations known to mankind, while we attempted to eat our food less than three feet away from him. Evidently, one of his family members is addicted to Oxycontin. The person in question has not had any dental care in the past three years, so we were treated to a graphic description of what this person’s teeth are now like. When he wasn’t going into great detail on the effects of prescription drug addiction on teeth, he was discussing the addiction itself. This conversation went on for the duration of our lunch. The eating area was sufficiently crowded that it would not have been an option to relocate, and I was seriously considering saying something to him, then abandoned the idea. Again: We have no idea who’s packing heat these days.

Why do people think it’s perfectly acceptable to discuss subjects on their cell phones that many of us would prefer were held in a more private setting? Plus, why do people think that everyone around them finds their conversation utterly fascinating? We’ve been subjected to someone else’s cell phone conversations in the middle of our anniversary dinner at a local restaurant few years back, during a movie, any on-stage performance, hospital waiting rooms, etcetera. I do not get it. One thing’s for sure — if any bystander spoke up and told them to take it elsewhere, there would definitely be a problem. When did it become perfectly normal to talk about the most private matters of not only your, but your family’s lives in a crowded public venue?

Obviously, we lived through the experience. It was annoying, but it’s over, and we’ve already moved on. At the same time, why is oversharing now the new black?

-S

Outsmarted by a six-month-old Lab

Moose, modeling his Elizabethan collar, and his very best “You will be assimilated” expression. The collar comes off Saturday!

Ah, the true confessions of a dog owner. We all think we can resist them. After all, I am a rational, somewhat intelligent human with opposing thumbs. Unfortunately for me, our puppy seems to have some kind of magical persuasive abilities that leave me powerless. I’m sure it has something to do with heart-melting brown eyes, a wagging tail, and those slurpy puppy kisses.

Don’t get me wrong. I want him to be well-behaved, so we’re making some progress on the training. (If you live in the Seattle area and have a dog, Puppy Manners is an excellent option.) He gets some treats, but he doesn’t get too many. We haven’t been to the pet store in oh, at least a week. (There’s another trip in our future: After all, leashes = chew toys in Moose’s world.)

Here’s the ugly truth: One whimper from our dog, and I am convinced Something is Wrong. The entire house is in an uproar to discover what it is Moose wants. I realize this is a very, very bad precedent. He needs to learn how to entertain himself. At the same time, it is hard to resist someone that is completely excited (!!!!!) to see you whenever you happen to enter the room, or he hears you calling out to the husband who’s downstairs.

Last night, we got a great example of the way things are. The Dauphin went upstairs to hang out in the soaking tub for awhile, which meant it was my turn to put our canine in his crate for the night. It was past Moose’s bedtime. He should have been tired. Oh, no. For the next twenty minutes or so, it was the Moose Charm Offensive. He licked. He rubbed his muzzle on my hand. He flipped over on his back so I could scratch his belly. I got a few soulful looks. (“C’mon, Mom, just another glass of water. I need a treat. How about a story?”) He was at his most endearing, and I folded like a wet paper towel. Finally, Moose went off to bed. After I begged. (I’m kidding!)

Moose is lying on his bed in the sunshine right now, most surely plotting world domination. I’m starting to believe I need to keep a daily diary. After all, our pup is so much more clever and irresistible than that other (coughMarley/cough) dog, isn’t he? Surely America can’t wait to hear about Moose.

One thing’s for sure — we can’t get enough of him!

-S

A bunch of the Seahawks take some kids fishing, or Aww, is this not the sweetest thing EVER?

Ashley Inge went fishing last Sunday, and Patrick Kerney and Colin Cole tag along!

Photo: C.A.S.T. for Kids

I thought this photo was so charming I had to post it. C.A.S.T for Kids is a local charity that helps disabled and disadvantaged kids experience a day of fishing. If you’d like to chip in a few dollars, I’ll bet they’d appreciate that!

Of course, I’m also betting the adorable Ashley probably had at least two big, tough guys wrapped around her little finger by the end of the day!

-S

“You are brilliant, and the Earth is hiring.”

Every year, there’s a million Commencement speeches around the nation. They’re obviously heartfelt, and most are memorable. This, though, is a commencement address for all.

Paul Hawken did a great job telling those graduates (and the rest of us,) what needs to happen sooner than later. I hope you’ll click on the link and enjoy the following in its entirety.

When I was invited to give this speech, I was asked if I could give a simple short talk that was “direct, naked, taut, honest, passionate, lean, shivering, startling, and graceful.” Boy, no pressure there. But let’s begin with the startling part. Hey, Class of 2009: you are going to have to figure out what it means to be a human being on earth at a time when every living system is declining, and the rate of decline is accelerating. Kind of a mind-boggling situation… but not one peer-reviewed paper published in the last thirty years can refute that statement. Basically, the earth needs a new operating system, you are the programmers, and we need it within a few decades. This planet came with a set of operating instructions, but we seem to have misplaced them. Important rules like don’t poison the water, soil, or air, and don’t let the earth get overcrowded, and don’t touch the thermostat have been broken.

Buckminster Fuller said that spaceship earth was so ingeniously designed that no one has a clue that we are on one, flying through the universe at a million miles per hour, with no need for seatbelts, lots of room in coach, and really good food, but all that is changing.

There is invisible writing on the back of the diploma you will receive, and in case you didn’t bring lemon juice to decode it, I can tell you what it says: YOU ARE BRILLIANT, AND THE EARTH IS HIRING.

The earth couldn’t afford to send any recruiters or limos to your school. It sent you rain, sunsets, ripe cherries, night blooming jasmine, and that unbelievably cute person you are dating. Take the hint. And here’s the deal: Forget that this task of planet-saving is not possible in the time required. Don’t be put off by people who know what is not possible. Do what needs to be done, and check to see if it was impossible only after you are done.

The Dauphin will occasionally shake his head at me when I’m off on a rant. “Honey,” he’ll say, “I don’t understand why you are so wound up about this. We can’t change it, can we?” In some respects, he’s right. (Let’s face it, I really don’t think the University of Washington athletic department is too concerned with my opinion on their football season ticket holders’ bailout program, for instance.) In others, I will fight as long as there is breath in my body.  It’s not just environmentalism. It’s civil rights. It’s hunger and poverty and homelessness. It is the inequities of our society. These are things worth fighting to resolve.

If we throw up our hands and walk away — or turn the TV or iPod up louder and tune it all out — due to the belief that we can’t fix it all, we’ve preserved our own peace of mind, but at what cost? Should we all just forget about it, and not even try?

We are on the brink, in my humble opinion, of the greatest opportunity our society has ever known. We have something impossible looming ahead. Do we have the brainpower and the technology to fix it? Brainpower, yeah. That’s where we’re getting the technology from. What about determination? This is the only planet we’re going to get. It might be nice if we all had a place to live — if not us, it’s the kids you know. What about them?

We never had babies. At the same time, I’d like our nephews and our niece, our friends’ kids, all children, to experience the common miracle of going outside on a clear summer’s night to marvel at the mysteries of the moon and the stars. Someday, they might want to pay a visit to the local river or lake with Dad to fish a little, or watch the ducks. The silly little things we took for granted as kids are in peril now. I’d like our young friends to have fresh water to drink, clean air to breathe, and food that’s safe to eat. I’d like them to have the best education possible. I’d like them to grow up and work at something that makes the world around them a better place.

While we’re thinking about this, one last paragraph from Paul Hawken’s speech.

This extraordinary time when we are globally aware of each other and the multiple dangers that threaten civilization has never happened, not in a thousand years, not in ten thousand years. Each of us is as complex and beautiful as all the stars in the universe. We have done great things and we have gone way off course in terms of honoring creation. You are graduating to the most amazing, challenging, stupefying challenge ever be quested to any generation. The generations before you failed. They didn’t stay up all night. They got distracted and lost sight of the fact that life is a miracle every moment of your existence. Nature beckons you to be on her side. You couldn’t ask for a better boss. The most unrealistic person in the world is the cynic, not the dreamer. Hopefulness only makes sense when it doesn’t make sense to be hopeful. This is your century. Take it and run as if your life depends on it.

Thank you, Mr. Hawken, for another reminder that there is more to life than just an existence. There is hope. There is the reality that we bear a responsibility to others besides ourselves. There is the belief that we are equal to the challenge.

-S