In celebration of the return of Supernatural’s final season, we had Dean’s favorites for dinner last Thursday. We picked up an apple pie (Dean’s favorite next to cherry), whipped cream, and burgers at our local Red Robin. We’re still deciding on the final episode’s feast.
In the photo: Red Robin sign, Fries, Diet Coke, Bacon Cheeseburger, Apple pie, Supernatural pins, apple pie and whipped cream, SpnFamILY t-shirt (with flannel, of course!)
This is the first in a seven part series appearing here on Thursdays. Unavoidable happenings kept this part from publishing last week. The second part will publish tomorrow or over the weekend so it can coincide with the final seven episodes of Supernatural.
Music has been an integral part of Supernatural since the very beginning. When younger brother Sam complained about Dean’s musical choice, he was reminded of the number one rule of road trip music:
Driver picks the music,
Shotgun shuts his cakehole.
And so for fifteen years, we traveled across the country (and twice in foreign lands) with the brothers, listening to their radio or cassette tapes (until finally updating to the 21st century and iPods) while engrossing ourselves in the classic rock of our own childhoods. Their musical tastes also updated (a little) to some modern classics as the boys grew older, and there was even a fun musical episode complete with soundtrack.
I had originally picked out fifteen songs, but I just couldn’t stop, so I went to twenty-five. You can find all the songs wherever you get your music: Amazon, Pandora, Spotify.
Except for the first and the last, they are in no particular order. I did not place them by season or my favorites.
I’ve curated this list (minus the three that weren’t available) for you to listen to on Spotify.
Part of your voting plan is knowing who’s on the ballot. Some states will also have referendums and it is important to know what you are voting for. Not to put too fine a point on it, but some of the wording is intentionally confusing. You think you want to vote yes, but the opposite is what you want. Read the ballot.
Vote Save America has ballots for every state. Look at your ballot, check the boxes after reading and informing yourself of the issues and candidates, and then you can either print out or email the practice ballot to bring with you to the polls.
IMPORTANT:
THIS IS NOT A LEGAL BALLOT. DOING THIS ALONE WILL NOT COUNT AS A VOTE.
You still MUST go to a polling place and vote. This is only to help you be informed.
In addition to the presidential election, if we want to get anything done we need to flip the Senate BLUE. You can help by donating to the Get Mitch Fund.
You can also donate to Gary Peters who is running in Michigan and has a very good chance of winning his Senate seat with our help.
We can do this!
Together.
The President has called upon his supporters to be poll watchers. It doesn’t work that way. You can’t just show up at the polls on Election Day and declare yourself a poll watcher.
It is against the law.
What’s worse is that the people he’s encouraging are armed militants; militants, not militia. The US does not have a militia and private “militias” are not legally allowed to act as law enforcement.
Not for the state governments, and not for the federal government.
Georgetown Law has put together this link highlighting the applicable law to turn away any of these right-wing, fascist members of the Trump fan club and keep them from intimidating voters trying to exercise their rights at the ballot box.
The link will take you to the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection fact sheets for all 50 states explaining the laws in each state barring unauthorized private militia groups and what to do if groups of armed individuals are near a polling place or voter registration drive.
State Fact Sheets Addressing the Rise of Unlawful Private Paramilities
“Do one thing every day that scares you.”
– Eleanor Roosevelt
“Try new things and discover yourself every single day.”
– Bhavya Choudhary
“TSN”
(Try Something New) – My Husband
For the past two years, my husband has been offering this mantra: TSN, which stands for Try something new. He tries to try something new at least once a month.
I do like to try things, but I try them hesitantly.
I am inherently extraordinarily polite. If I am at someone else’s house and they offer me something that I’ve never had before or am even lukewarm on, I will take it, eat it, and thank them for it.
When we go out to dinner, I prefer tried and true food for the most part, but when I’m on vacation, I will beeline for the local specialty as well as trying new things.
Examples of this are poutine in Canada, tea in the UK, a proper British breakfast in Wales and England, Welsh cakes in Wales, chicken wings in Buffalo, cheesecake in NYC, pretzels and chocolate in Pennsylvania, lobster in Maine, crab cakes in Maryland, beignets and gumbo in New Orleans. Anywhere you go will have a specialty food to try.
On our recent visit to Niagara Falls, Buffalo, and Plattsburgh, New York, we tried many things that were new to us, but were common to the North Country and Western New York.
In the above photo, you will see:
This pandemic has given us many things that are new, not all of them exciting and wonderful, but we’ve hopefully taken them in stride, and will try to move forward embracing the new, the different, the exciting, and even the challenging.
ACLU’s Let People Vote
Follow the link, click on your state and see when your registration deadlines are, when you can early vote, and other voting information.
WHAT IS YOUR VOTING PLAN?
Our anniversary was the last week in August, and we chose to go to the Italian restaurant chain Carrabba’s. It tasted as delicious as it looked!
And suddenly you know: It’s time to start something new and trust the magic of beginnings.
Meister Eckhart
This back to school will be quite different from years past. My youngest starts high school, and yet won’t see the inside of the high school until January. She opted for fully virtual school while my other child in school opted for in-person/remote hybrid. Even back to school night will be virtual.
The above picture I chose was from the last day of our vacation. It is on the cusp between both summer and fall. Its place is so far north that is on a second cusp, balanced between the United States and Canada. It is a home away from home although we’d only stayed at this hotel the one time.
Reading and absorbing Meister Eckhart’s words, I will strive to be more in balance; to start something new; to find the magic of beginnings, and keep moving forward.
This year will be challenging.
It will be hard.
We’ve come through worse, both personally and as a country. We can do this – – – together.
Two days ago, we began school here. We have our agendas and our schedules, our chromebooks and our notebooks.
Yesterday marked forty-nine days until Election Day. As I said then, create your voting plan, and implement it. I was going to do a mail-in ballot, but I think my current plan will be for early voting. I have the dates and the locations, and I’m ready for this new beginning.
This week includes a doctor’s appointment, a therapy session, and the first part of a four part Cursillo workshop and concludes with the observation and celebration of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. That holiday is my personal traditional time for starting anew with plans and changes and goals.
I’m wary… but excited.
I feel goodness and hope. I hope you can feel it also.
It seemed as though all we ate were chicken wings, mac & cheese, soft pretzels, ice cream, and donuts! Everything was amazing! I’ll have several posts in future days with information if you travel to the western New York area. Some things can even be ordered through the mail!
Listed in clockwise order:
Griffins and Ginger Snaps 