series

Gratitude Scavenger Hunt – #1

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Refer to the original post for the list.

1. Find something that makes you happy.

As with most of these lists, answers will vary depending on the time of year, my mood, and whatever else is going on in my life, so YMMV on these.

With Nanowrimo, spending some time at my local Starbucks makes me happy. It’s right in town, so I’m nearby if my family needs me to return home for any reason since we have only one car.

So what is that something that makes me happy?

My usual. And the cup says it all – That first sip feeling. (c)2020

Election Connection: Georgia Senate Runoff

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One week and one day ago was Election Day. I was under the impression that this series would conclude on that day, but it is 2020, and 2020 doesn’t allow us to simply move forward. It’s been an obstacle course since the beginning of the year.

While Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have won the Presidency and have already begun their transition despite Trump Administration obstacles, we still have a chance to take control of the Senate.

Control of the Senate will ensure that President Elect Biden can choose his own cabinet and pass laws that support his policy priorities without obstruction from current Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. He obstructed much of President Obama’s two terms, and all he cares about is his own power.

We need to get behind Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff who are the two Democratic candidates running in each of the two Georgia Senate runoffs.

Start with Fair Fight, Stacey Abrams organization. More information will be coming next week.

In the meantime, read this Vox article on Sen. David Perdue’s racism and this Judd Legum Twitter thread about Sen. Kelly Loeffler’s corruption.

Both Perdue and Loeffler used the covid pandemic to make money through their stocks instead of helping their constituents get through the health epidemic.

Do your research and help get Warnock and Ossoff into the Senate and Democratic control.

Friday Food on Tuesday. November.

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I’m sure it’s expected that November’s Friday Food would be related to Thanksgiving. It’s related not to the day of Thanksgiving, but the feelings of giving thanks themselves.

After four years of tension, stress, and for many PTSD, we have elected Joe Biden the 46th President of the United States. His Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris is the first woman, first Black woman, first Indian-American woman to hold that office.

They were put over the top by the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and while this post is specifically about Philly, I would be remiss in not mentioning the role Black Women played in Joe Biden’s victory. We owe them a great debt of gratitutde.

In honor of Philadelphia’s role in pushing Biden and Harris over the 270 Electoral votes needed to win, my family went to a local place for cheesesteaks.

No better way to celebrate until Inauguration Day!

Cheesesteaks. (c)2020

Supernatural Lists: Jobs

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Here is a partial list of some of the jobs that Sam and Dean had, actually, pretended to have. I’ve combined similar careers, and kept the list to twenty. Did I forget any?

  1. Actors, Talent Agents, Talent Scouts
  2. Animal Control, Pest Control
  3. Art Dealers
  4. Author, Blogger, Journalist, Reporters
  5. Bartender
  6. CDC Agents
  7. Coach, Janitor, Research Assistant, Students
  8. Doctors, Medical Students, Orderly
  9. Electrician, Maintenance Technicians
  10. FBI
  11. Fire Fighters
  12. Game Wardens, Park Rangers, US Wildlife Service
  13. Grief Counselors, Priests
  14. Historic Preservation Society
  15. Insurance Investigators
  16. Law Enforcement, Police, Sheriffs, Deputies, SWAT, US Marshalls, Code Enforcement
  17. Personal Trainers
  18. Ranch Hands
  19. Teddy Bear Doctors
  20. Wedding Florists

Inspire. November.

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November is full of opportunities for gratitude – Veteran’s Day, Thanksgiving, colorful fall leaves, the smell of apples and cinnamon. We don’t think so much of Election Day as a day of gratitude, but for those of us who cherish our representative democracy, it is definitely a day to count our blessings.

After the last seven months of isolating and after 230,000 covid deaths (and rising), those of us who have been spared have much to be grateful for in addition to respecting the sacrifice made by others, not only the dead, but the frontline workers – in the health care field, in the food field and the fields that grow the food, our first responders, our teachers, and our parents, and so many other unsung heroes.

Tomorrow is Election Day.

It is the final day to vote for the candidate that best represents us, ALL of us. We have the opportunity to vote for the man (this time) who cares; who epitomizes decency and character; who truly feels the empathy this country needs right now. On a more pragmatic note, he also knows how to get things done without divisiveness, without distruct, with honesty and dedication to service, and that is Vice President Joe Biden and his running mate, Kamala Harris. I proudly voted for them more than a week ago during early voting. You can join the majority of this country in turning around the hate train, the white supremecists who in the last two days tried to run the Biden bus off the road in Texas and closed highways in New Jersey and bridges in New York and today blocking polling places in California. We can take our country back, and it begins tomorrow.

“May history be able to say that the end of this chapter of American darkness began here tonight as love and hope and light joined in the battle for the soul of the nation.“ – Joe Biden

What we do, we do together.

Supernatural Lists: Monsters

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Fifteen or so monsters we’ve met and other entities:

  1. Demons
  2. Djinn
  3. Ghost (also Vengeful Spirit)
  4. Ghoul
  5. Hellhounds
  6. Leviathan
  7. Phoenix
  8. Rugaroo
  9. Shapeshifter (aka Shifter)
  10. Skinwalker
  11. Vampire
  12. Vetala
  13. Wendigo
  14. Werewolf
  15. Witch
  • People (see The Benders [1.15])
  • Clowns (see Sam, Everybody Loves a Clown [2.2])
  • Jefferson Starships (aka Starships) (see Mommy Dearest [6.19])
  • Khan Worm (see And Then There Were None [6.16])
  • Faeries
  • Leprechaun
  • Zombie (but not really – see Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid [5.15])
  • Trickster (again, not really, but spoilers) (see Tall Tales [2.15])

Biblical:

  • G-d
  • Lucifer
  • Michael
  • Raphael
  • Gabriel
  • Lilith
  • Eve
  • Ezekiel
  • Gadreel

Who am I forgetting?!

Supernatural Lists: Geography

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The Winchester Brothers travel back and forth across the country in Baby, their 1967 Chevy Impala. I never much paid attention to some of the place names until in one episode Dean mentioned that he was going to Buffalo, New York because his Dad’s old storage locker was broken into. He was in Queens, New York, and said he’d be there in two hours.

I stared at my screen.

I’ve lived in New York my whole life, including spending my elementary years in Queens, and I’ve been to Buffalo. It is not a two hour drive, I don’t care how fast you’re going.

It’s almost 400 miles! That’s six hours and fifteen minutes IF, and that’s a big if, you’re going the speed limit, don’t stop off in any small towns where the speed limit is lowered drastically, don’t need to get gas, and there is no traffic.

Oh, and four hundred miles in a 1967 Chevy? You will definitely need to get gas. At least twice!

Here is a list of fifteen places the Winchesters visited during the series. I’ve included the episode when they first went there. Some places like Kansas, South Dakota, and Fall River, Massachusetts they’ve been to multiple times over the years.

Note: The notation: 1.1 is Season 1, Episode 1.

  1. Lawrence, Kansas [Pilot, 1.1]
  2. Lebanon, Kansas [As Time Goes By, 8.12]
  3. Buffalo, New York [Bad Day at Black Rock, 3.3]
  4. Lily Dale, New York [The Mentalists, 7.7]
  5. Ankeny, Iowa [Hook Man, 1.7]
  6. Sioux Falls, South Dakota [Devil’s Trap, 1.22] *
  7. Las Vegas, Nevada [Season Seven, Time for a Wedding!, 7.8]
  8. Vancouver, BC, Canada [The French Mistake, 6.15]
  9. Grants Pass, Oregon [Mommy Dearest, 6.19]
  10. Hollywood, California [Hollywood Babylon, 2.18]
  11. Cicero, Indiana [The Kids Are Alright [3/2]
  12. Sturbridge, Massachusetts [Malleus Maleficarum, 3.9]
  13. Monument, Colorado [Jus in Bello, 3.12]
  14. Fall River, Massachusetts [Mamma Mia, 12.2] *
  15. Windom, Minnesota [Jump the Shark, 4.19] *

* A couple of fun things:

Sioux Falls, South Dakota is where Bobby Singer lives. It’s like a home base for the Winchesters. The sheriff is Jody Mills, who becomes a close friend of Bobby and the boys.

Fall River is also where the Lizzie Borden House and Museum is, and Sam and Dean go there in a later episode.

Windom is where Sam and Dean meet their up until then unknown half-brother, Adam Milligan.

Which was your favorite place that the Winchesters traveled to?

Election Connection: 2 Weeks: Voter Suppression and Russian Disinformation

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This link will take you to the story of Corey Brotherton’s father who was turned away for not being registered to vote. Except he was registered to vote.

Know your rights and know where to get the correct information in order to exercise your right to vote.

Corey went to I Will Vote and was able to show the poll workers that his father was indeed eligible to vote. His is one of many stories of voter suppression.

I’m sure you’ve seen the long lines during early voting, especially in minority neighborhoods. Please stay in line. Bring water, food, a chair.

Another resource to keep with you or on your phone is Georgetown Law’s information sheets – one for each state – on what to do if confronted with unauthorized militia groups at the polling places.

ACLU’s information is also good to keep in your phone.

This is the election protection hotline if you are having trouble voting: 1-866-OUR VOTE (1-866-687-8683).

This week has been full of Russian disinformation and DNI Ratcliffe and Sen. Ron Johnson have been at the top of the list encouraging this sort of thing. I know it’s frustrating. I know it’s demoralizing. Try to ignore it. Pay attention to reliable news sources and ignore the Trump Administration’s sidetracking their voter suppression efforts with their screaming about the Biden family. Russia is very much at play in our election, as they were in 2016.

Ignore the polls. Make a plan to vote, and vote as early as you can.

14 days. (See the new countdown on my sidebar.) We can do this. Together.