Moody Monday: Holding it all together

Yup, the bolts were added to help hold the bridge together. 

I emailed Doc Spo recently that making plans both terrify me, and give me hope for the future.  I am working on plans, airline seats (using frequent flyer miles), the first two hotels, and a cruise have been booked for the 2026 Grand Adventure. A dear friend commented that it is a scary time to leave the country. The USA really does not pay much attention when you leave (a weakness in our system) and I am not really worried about getting back into the country. I have had passports for about 35 years. I am enrolled in Global Entry, when we returned this year, they snapped a photo, and waved me through. I am a worst case scenario thinker, the worst that could happen is I would get trapped someplace like France or Italy - I could live with that. 

The first time I went to England I rented a car, and wanted to explore the countryside. My soon to be ex, was terrified that we would get lost and never make it home. The car remained parked all week (it cost more to park than it did to rent for the week.) By the way, driving in London, even back in 1990, was a really silly idea. 

I have finished presenting what I swear is the last national webinar. I really need to learn to say no to those. I finished a complete outline for a little workshop I am going to do, on publishing photo books for the local arts group. I need to take my laptop over to the community center and make sure the WiFi works well enough to do a live demo. 

There are a couple of Arts things happening this week, that will give me quality time with fun and creative people. 

I glimpse the news, most of it being nasty politics. Politics as usual. I really don't need to see the Epstein files to know about his character, his own words, "just grab them by the _ussy!" told me all I need to know. The voters knew this when they elected him. And even if there is proof in the files, that he committed a crime, he would still serve out the end of his term. It won't change a thing. We already know what kind of a human being he is, I don't need more evidence. 

There is actually very little meaningful news, in the news. Most of it is a constant stream of noise and distraction. 

There has been a huge hue and cry over the cut in Federal Funding for PBS (public television) and NPR (public radio.) A little research shows that the cuts over all are about 15% of the budgets.  For some local stations, the impact is greater, up to 40%, for most it is a painful but survivable cut. Many stations have experienced an increase in donations that will more than replace the cuts. And it frees them from any limitations or concerns about insulting a funder.  If HWSNBN though they were nasty before, now they can say what they really think. Bad news sells, good news snoozes. 

All in all, I am holding it all together.  Doing well.  Making plans for the future. Ticking daily items off the list. Acknowledging the noise, for just what it is. Looking forward to Toronto in a couple of weeks.