See me at NiT

I'm guest-blogging this weekend over at NiT. I always wanted to do that but never seemed to be able to fit it in. See you there....

In which I reveal some of my neuroses and obsessions

I've already pointed out that I have no ability to withstand the relentless drumbeat of repetitive noise. Tonight, it struck me that that's really the least of it. I've thought off and on about that yap lap dog all day [quiet so far this evening], and I realized that lots of noises bother me. I kept hearing sirens on the way home. I work pretty much equidistant from Vanderbilt, the Baptist/Centennial complex and St. Thomas, so there are sirens all around every day. But there were also a lot in East Nashville this evening. All ambulances. They just stress me out. [Believe me, I know I'm a lot less stressed than the people in the ambulance. I'm just saying, they get to me.]

Tonight I walked outside to get something from the car, and for a couple moments, it was perfectly still and quiet. Summer-evening muggy. Crickets. [I like crickets.] I could even see a few stars, between my patio roof, and the two houses up the hill and the next street over from me. I thought briefly about going to sit out on the patio, but I decided against it. I really like my house -- I can see in my mind what it will look like when I'm done with it -- but as a friend of mine once said, getting here is like driving through East Nashville to the suburbs. A couple blocks back from me, the historic area ends abruptly and you enter the land of real yards and ranch houses. I love living here in the middle of the city, but when it's still and quiet, it just makes me realize how much I'd prefer to be in the middle of nowhere, in so many ways.

So I came back inside, and shortly thereafter I started hearing something like cellophane rustling. I thought at first it was coming from the other room, where the dog was lolling around. It's not like her to get into anything, but I went to check anyway because it kept rustling, every few minutes. I searched all around her on the floor....nothing that could make noise. I sat back down. I heard more rustling. I got up and turned on more lights, looked again. Nothing. I finally decided it was either a June beetle, one of those orange bugs that attack your windows at night in the summer, or a wasp. And as much as I don't like the beetles, I really, really hate wasps, so I had to know what it was. It took me forever, but I finally found the beetle stuck in the track for the sliding door. Thank goodness. I hate those things.

America is closed

This whole immigration thing really bugs me. I've been thinking about it a lot this week, but I'm not sure how cohesively my thoughts are coming out tonight. I have a lot of sound bites running around in my head.

It's the "America is closed" attitude that I have a hard time being patient about. The idea that if too many immigrants move here, we'll use up all our prosperity, goodness and light. That they'll somehow drag us down. To that I say, we didn't get here by being stingy with our nation's blessings. And we won't get much farther if that's what we start doing.

Let me rephrase: I am actually trying really hard to think that anti-immigration folks are convinced that our country cannot support more immigrants. Because I'm assuming, rightly I hope, that you all aren't just opposed to our current wave of immigrants because they are from Mexico, Central and South America. That they are Latino and Hispanic, that they fall into the most rapidly growing ethnic group in America. While the "cultural dilution" and "English as our national language" folks fall close to this line, I don't think anyone in the mainstream is actually saying these folks are bad because they're from the rest of America. I don't think that's what you're saying. [If that is what you're saying, no need to worry. The same fear consumed Americans during previous waves of immigration, like when millions came from Germany, Ireland or Asia. Our country has absorbed all of these cultures and more, simply leaving us the richer for it.]

But I'm trying to be real about what's going on. We don't just have 12 million undocumented workers here because the border patrol's been slacking off the last 10 years. Or because 12 million people thought it would be a blast to skirt U.S. Border Patrol agents, just to get some jollies.

So the whole "enforcement" argument gets me too. Some of the folks who are clamoring for enforcement must realize that "stricter enforcement" can only mean going after businesses who inadvertently hire undocumented workers. If the government actually had a way for a business to check the real status of its employees, that would be one thing. But it doesn't. So illegal immigration can't be the business' fault. It's just not reasonable to think that thousands of businesses are purposefully skirting federal law. You know they aren't. They are hiring people who want to work with papers that appear to be legit.

Those 12 million or so folks are here for two reasons:
• With some short, months-long exceptions, our economy has been booming since the early- to mid-1990s.
• In addition to Mexico, several economies in Central and South America have not done nearly so well in the same time period. A few have spent much of that period in the toilet. [Mull over on your own time the catalyst, or benefit, of NAFTA and CAFTA in this situation.]

We needed workers, they needed jobs. This is capitalism at work. The ultimate extension of free trade: Freedom to trade your skills in the marketplace that gives you the highest value for them.

One problem: Our national immigration system doesn't allow for as many immigrants as the economy has demanded*. This makes no sense. Why won't our government update the immigration laws to meet the workforce needs of American businesses?

If for no other reason than to continue propping up Social Security and Medicare, our population needs to keep growing.

* I'm not impressed with the argument that if all undocumented workers went home, 12 million folks could get off welfare and into jobs. For one thing, we had millions on welfare before the current wave of immigration. For another, despite some slowdowns in housing and other sectors, the economy on the whole continues to grow. Our unemployment rate has remained at historic lows for years now. If you want to and can work, can find child care and transportation, you can get a job. Not everyone can meet all those criteria, however. Child care is a particularly vexing issue [as are other family-related issues] -- we make it very expensive for single parents in particular to hold a job.

I haven't solved anything here tonight, but I had to get that out. Thank you for listening.

Dear Neighbor,

I applaud your owning a dog, joining the vast majority of other East Nashvillians. And I too think little yap lap dogs are awfully cute. I'm sure yours is no exception. I used to have a little yap lap dog myself.

I feel sure that you either work third shift or take Ambien to sleep every night. Because I just know there is no way you are aware that your little yap lap dog spends lots of time barking really shrill-ly in the middle of the night. Like last night for instance, 3 a.m. to 4 a.m., no break! Really, that's impressive.

Because I'm sure, if you were aware of this, you would somehow fix the problem. I just know that if you had any idea this yap dog from hell sweet lap dog kept your neighbors up, you'd be horrified.

I'm sorry to have to post it here on my blog, even. If I could figure out exactly what house you lived in, I'd just come tell you myself. Unless you're that guy behind me who guns his motorcycle/large truck/hard to tell motor repeatedly every morning about 7:15 a.m. Because that scares me. And your dog is just fine with me, sir.

You can help

Hey friends, I wanted to let you know about my friend Jim Brown and his wife Dori. Just as they were about to leave for vacation in mid-June, Dori was diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia, often called AML. Needless to say, they changed their "vacation" so that Dori could begin chemo treatments at Vanderbilt. So far, she's doing as well as you could expect under the circumstances.

If you know Jim and Dori and you'd like to keep up with the latest news, be sure to visit the Caring Bridge site Jim set up for them. It's one of those services that specifically helps people undergoing medical treatment keep in touch with far-flung friends and family.

Jim has been running for a few years now, and he ran the Music City 1/2 Marathon just a couple of months ago. He'd been toying with the idea of doing another before Dori got sick, and he knew it wasn't a coincidence that he'd just received a request from the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training program. Jim plans to run the Virginia Beach 1/2 Marathon Labor Day Weekend, raising money for cancer research.

If you are able, I hope you'll make a donation to his efforts. Keep up with Jim's training, too.

Whether you've met Jim and Dori before or not, I know they will appreciate your prayers and good wishes.

links for 2007-06-27

• NPR : Summer Books 2007
  NPR's guide to the best books for the season. Reviews, sample chapters, recipes, and more. My problem: Which ones not to buy?
  (tags: books NPR 2007)
• U.S. Net access not all that speedy - USATODAY.com
  Apparently the speed of our so-called broadband access in the U.S. is miles behind other industrialized nations. I KNEW I wasn't just being impatient!!
  (tags: broadband speed)

Garden is coming along

  Garden, June 23

Here's a photo of my garden from June 23. I can't believe how much it's changed in just a month [and especially from two months ago]. I am liking having the photo record of it.

I finally got the trellis built [see the green post and string, far left side of photo?]. I ended up having to buy a post driver but I'll use it again next year.

I have also made myself two notes for next year:
* Get compost delivered in February.
* Bury the soaker hose in February, before I plant anything.

Maybe it's just because it's new, and this will all work itself out shortly, but the dang thing just curls up and thus impedes the water flow. As well as looks awful. I finally got water running through most of the length of the hose with some strategically placed gravel to weigh down some of the curves, but it's still tons messier looking and acting than I would like.

On other garden fronts, the beans [far left this photo] are going gangbusters, and the okra is really taking off [center front]. And I have many, many tomatoes ripening up. Woo hoo!

links for 2007-06-22

• Millions of Missing Birds, Vanishing in Plain Sight - New York Times
  When the 8yo was 2, she became fascinated with birds, so we took a class together to learn to ID many common birds. She's moved on but I still find them fascinating. Not surprised to read that the numbers of many common birds have decreased dramatically.
  (tags: birds extinction sustainability development)
• Girl's feet severed on ride at Six Flags in Kentucky - CNN.com
  How horrible. And people wonder why I don't like amusement parks.

Not in this family, buster

So this new study is out saying that oldest children score higher on IQ tests than their younger siblings. I guess you'd then think that I, the eldest of three, would be gloating tonight.

Not so, my friend.

The study also goes on to explain that on average, not only do oldest children score better on IQ tests, they are also more cautious and careful than their younger siblings. Now I don't think the article mentions whether there's a correlation or causation on those points, but let me just be clear: I am by far the most spontaneous of my siblings.

Those of you who only know me are probably now befuddled. Because try as I might, I'm not all that adventurous. No tattoos. No strange piercings. No diving off cliffs. No skydiving.

But I'm downright random in comparison to Nashvegas sister and NYC sister. Who are careful planners. And don't make a move unless they can see 3 steps beyond.

I'm afraid that means I don't have the 3-point IQ edge, but I'm not sure how that would help at this point, anyway. Hopefully, my days of standardized testing are far behind me.

Fortunately, I know who to call if I ever get on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.

Our first political endorsement

You'll note that this post is categorized under "Thoughts." We don't even have a "Politics" category here at Fixin' Supper, because this isn't a political blog. Believe me, if I started blogging about all my political thoughts, you'd get sick of me real quick.

But I have to shout out to my friend Jacobia Dowell, who I just learned is running for Metro Council. Jacobia lives in a different part of town than I do, so I was until today unaware of the goings-on in District 28. But if you vote down in Antioch, I can promise you that you won't do better than Jacobia.

I was just checking in at Volunteer Voters and noticed this post about the Nashville Business Coalition adding an additional endorsement for the Aug. 2 Metro elections. Lo and behold, it's Jacobia! We served together on a Junior League committee a couple of years ago, and I can tell you personally that Jacobia is thorough, believes in understanding all sides of an issue, and will work hard to support what she knows to be right.

You go, girl!