Friday Fish Wrap: August 20, 2010

Mea Culpa. That is for my lovely step-daughter - now in Puerto Vallarta with her new husband. Wednesday was her birthday and we missed it. Life just gets in front of your best intentions sometimes. She’d just gotten married two weeks before, and was leaving for Mexico on Wednesday. Over here at Rancho Maven, we were in the midst of major motion - following our friend Frank’s progress with the Camry and Natacha’s stuff down to Lafayette, Louisiana on a marathon drive. The Check Engine light came on in Santa Rosa, New Mexico. The AC went out in Tyrell, Texas.

And, we had the car checked before it ever left town.

Then came the drama of getting our ill-tempered African Princess on a damn airplane to Louisiana. All our nerves were becoming frazzled. Getting people around the country on our ‘Buddy Passes’ ain’t fun anymore - especially so during the height of the summer season. We finally ended up buying a cheap one-way fare online. Anything to get the show on the road. Then Mr. Maven, going down there to meet up with Frank, and reassure himself that the place Natacha had rented long distance wasn’t totally dangerous, ( It’s sketchy but will do for six months ) had to fight the non-revenue retired airline employee battle of maybe getting on, maybe not. He finally got there.

Ronda, we love you and wish you a Happy Birthday. I’ll make it up somehow.

Back at the ranch, I worked all day to get the dust bunnies, detritus and cobwebs cleared out of the ‘student’ bedroom and convert it back into the guest room.

Ya’ll come visit now, ya hear?

I rode my bike up to Truckee Bar and Grill on Moana and Lakeside this morning for a quick breakfast and while passing the Greek church, I could swear I smelled the delicious aromas of gyro meat and such. Yum. We’re going on Sunday - early. According to my Greek friend, you’d better get there before it’s all gone.

The Greek Festival and ripening tomatoes are a sure sign of mid August. I’ve been picking small tomatoes for a couple weeks now, watching the giant ‘bad boys’ for any sign of pink. I picked the first today.

On the international front, the flooding in Pakistan is edging out other stories, and it should be. The United States is leading the wealthy countries with money devoted to relief - leaving most of Europe way back in the dust. France donated a huge $1 million. Not surprisingly, the Saudi’s and the rest of the oil barons donated zip, nada. This seems to be a pattern among the Islamic world.  Assholes.

But back to my point. I was reading an article by economist Robert Reich today, and he makes a really good point. If we are really worried about Pakistan’s stability and our ongoing relationship with ‘them who also have da bomb’, then it would behoove us to go in with an gigantic bankroll of our own - and take an atomic cattle prod to the Saudi’s (who really do love us, right?)- and motivate them to add another billion or two or three. Hey, it’s just billions.

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