A small celebration for the first day of Spring

[doe]

The recent passing of Ted Kennedy has certainly enlivened debate on this board, a fact which Ted would certainly applaud. It's better than apathy and there should always be room on this board for that sort of thing. This board would have a very narrow bandwidth if all we ever discussed were dev and disability issues.

Well, today marks the first official day of spring in the Southern Hemisphere and it's made me slightly reflective. So I'd ask that you indulge me for a few moments for what follows .

I live in a state called New South Wales. It's a state which has a lot of problems, both politically and economically. Over the past 3-4 years it has had more premiers (akin to US state governors) than I have fingers on one hand and each is as bad as the last. The incumbent is likely to get toppled in the coming months and we will start all over again, ruled by a party that has been in office too long with no real alternative for voters. Economically, the state is broke and is scrambling to get funds from any state taxes it can. It has let infrastructure suffer badly, the roads are congested and you can't rely on the train system to get you anywhere on time (oh, for the NY subway or the London underground). In fact, I can fly down to Melbourne faster than I can drive from one end of Sydney to the other in peak hour. Our health system is crumbling and it never gets fixed because the state government is forever pointing fingers at the federal government and vica versa. The surgery waiting lists are long and you won't get to see a doctor through emergency in anything less than 8 hours. Interest rates are tipped to rise along with unemployment which is lagging behind all other economic indicators.

But today, I see a day of renewal and hope. Glorious blue skys and sparkling seas and a promise of the warmer weather and growth to come over the next 6 months. I have recently overcome one of my personal mountains that I have been trying to scale for most of my life and damn, it feels good . I live in a country that is blessed with natural gifts and I'm looking forward to experiencing them to the full with the warmer weather. Balmy nights and BBQ's with friends and family - that's what the warmer months are all about. I truly feel privileged to be living where I am.

So I hope you all have something to celebrate today and something small to celebrate every other day. If you are and can share it, please do. If you are really looking forward to something and can share it, please do - this is what community is all about.

[Inigo Montoya]

Well, w00t for your personal mountain. :-)

And kudos.

[mike]

Doe,

That is a really wonderful outlook. For me I have just flown out to Colorado to spend some one-on-one time with my daughter. Today we went to Chataqua park in Boulder and it is beautiful, up right against the Flatiron mountains. Wednesday we are embarking on a road trip to Montana to visit Glacier National Park, which I understand it fantastic, then later we will be driving through Jackson Wy, through another stunning vista. It's fall here, so things are cooling off. We're out west so the trees don't turn colors like they do on the east coast, but it's wonderful anyway.

Thanks for the uplifting posting, I feel better.

[Dee Dee]

Kudos and amen, dear spring-Doe .

I´m looking forward to one of the most beautiful times of the year - autumn. It´s still warm, the wind is mild, the leaves on the trees are turning yellow, olive and brown.

In October I will use three hours on a nice Sunday; as I´m going out to collect contributions for the Danish Red Cross. Basically going around in my neighbourhood with the collection box; asking people nicely if they´d consider a contribution.

Some people give me 20 USD, some give me 50 Cents and some refuse to contribute. Usually I´m able to collect around 220 USD in three hours, and the Red Cross is going to use the money internationally as well as here in Denmark. This is one of the best days of the year .

(N.B. I DON´T want to hear anything along the lines of: "Money is a privilege, not a right" !!!)

[Ciao Bella]

Ah spring! suddenly there is this renewed vigor to do something worthwhile like (considering) the City to Bay fun run in September (take note: considering); a sense of clarity for my priorities; and yes, the need to spring-clean - open all the windows and doors and let the spring breeze in! It is also the time to switch from red to white

[doe]

Clover, DD - thanks for the kudos. It's not every day that you lick one of them suckers ;D!

Mike - Colorado sounds fantastic - beautiful scenery and family - enjoy !

Bananas - "booya" - how very Al Pacino of you ;D! Hope the good mood and the spring in the step continues for you and also the photography!

DD - I've collected for charities here as well - Salvation Army and Heart Foundation and there truly is a certain happiness in giving. Hope the Danes are generous for you this year .

Isabelle - you gotta do the run. I did the City to Surf (14ks) a couple of weeks ago and finished it in a much improved time which felt amazing. Would your partner do it with you? Wheelchair users can compete in the City to Surf here. Either way, Go Girl, and save a glass of white for me ;D!

[doe]

Just to put the first post in this thread in context, yesterday, our State health minister resigned over a sex scandal. He's a 53 year old married guy allegedly having an affair with a 26 year old - how sweet (not).

This morning I hear that the premier of another State, Queensland, is going to be one of the celebrities lining up for our version of the TV show Celebrity Masterchef. Yep, she's gonna whip up a feast or two in between all that legislating .

Is this a joke or what?

[Inigo Montoya]

Could be worse... you could have 50 potential embarrassments instead of just 5... AND the whole world waiting for one of them to screw up. lol Try to relax about it, there's nothing much you can do really, one of our former Presidents completely redefined what it means to have sex. ;D

Back to the topic, I'm excited because I just ordered the fabric for my kitchen curtains (okay, yeah, it's taking me a while to decorate , Martha Stewart has nothing to fear from me ).

On the charity front, if you're killing a few minutes on the computer you can play games and donate rice to the hungry at www.freerice.com. It's not joining the Peace Corps, but it's a more constructive way to waste time.

[cunning69guy]

Posted by mike on Aug 31, 2009, 6:56pm Doe, That is a really wonderful outlook. For me I have just flown out to Colorado to spend some one-on-one time with my daughter. Today we went to Chataqua park in Boulder and it is beautiful, up right against the Flatiron mountains...We're out west so the trees don't turn colors like they do on the east coast, but it's wonderful anyway.

Mike,

Although we don't have the colorful Autumns out here that they do in the NorthEast, about the end of this month the Aspen trees in the high country should be turning colors before defoliating for the winter making for some great fiery patches of Aspen stands among the Evergreens/Pines that people make yearly treks to check out. If you can head south from Jackson Hole towards Grand Junction or Rifle and take I-70 East back towards Denver you might catch the beginning of the change if you're lucky. The Denver TV news channels usually update on the color changes during the weather forecast, since the Autumn temperature changes determine the timing of the Aspens changing colors, but they generally peak ~ the third or fourth weekend in September. Either way, enjoy your bonding time and safe traveling.

[cunning69guy]

Or, Jackson Hole to Craig, CO passing through Steamboat Springs which is beautiful in the summer (better than winter in my opinion even without the skiing) and then along Hwy 40 across Berthoud Pass on into Denver. I-80 across Wyoming is fast, but boring (lol).

Happy trails!

[mike]

Cunning,

Thanks for the suggestions, I had forgotten all about the Aspens. We are planning on going through Jackson, and hadn't planned on Hwy 80, so perhaps we'll see the sights you recommended. We are leaving in a couple of hours, and really looking forward to it.

In 1999, my daughter and I did an incredible 7 week road trip, each morning we would get up & then decide which direction to head. We didn't have any particular destination, nor expected time to arrive, it was purely unplanned. We zig-zagged across the country, stopping occasionally in cities, but primarily we used secondary roads so we could see the country. This trip isn't quite the same because she needs to get back to work in a week or so, but I don't. I plan on hanging around in Boulder for a while before returning home, but haven't decided quite when yet.

[Phil]

Spring there means... I don't even want to think about what it means for here.

Thanks, Doe. I think I'll go stick my head in the oven. ;D

[doe]

Clover, you can bet our health minister had the pre-Clinton kind of sex.

BTW, good luck with the kitchen curtains. I'm no Martha Stewart and never will be - got too many other things I'd rather be doing ;D.

[doe]

Sept 2, 2009 12:15:32 GMT -5 Phil said:

Spring there means... I don't even want to think about what it means for here.

Thanks, Doe. I think I'll go stick my head in the oven. ;D

Awww Phil, just drag out the old Red Sox mittens, scarf and beanie from the cupboard and you'll be snug as a bug in a rug .

As for the oven, I'm going to assume that it's gas, not electrical and that you got some sort of happy gas being piped through. Hey, how you get your thrills is your business ;D!

[Ouch]

Sept 2, 2009 12:15:32 GMT -5 Phil said:

Spring there means... I don't even want to think about what it means for here.

Thanks, Doe. I think I'll go stick my head in the oven. ;D

Baked Phil:

Preheat oven to 400...

Hmm...baked Phil...y'know, thinking about that, that just might be the answer to all of your problems.