Rainy day

The rainy weather blew in yesterday. I was in the pool (thanks to a call from a friend) early in the day - good thing, as the rains came shortly after that.

I'm OK with fall being here - I am happy to switch gears.

This short week has totally thrown me off. I am never quite sure what day it is. So every day when I wake up, I am caught off guard about what it is I have to do, appointments I have.

I had some time to kill this morning, so I walked through Macy's. Our local mall is so sad ... but sometimes I like Macy's. I found a couple cute things today, including a winter coat. Hard to believe I need one. Well, "need" might be strong, but I definitely want one.

But I didn't buy much - we're spending enough on the house that new clothes seem a bit lower on the priority list.

Caught Sarah Palin at the convention last night. She "electrified" and "energized" the crowd according to some reports; others called her "shrill" and "aggressively partisan." Either way, she didn't change my opinion of her.

Sure, she can speak to and energize a crowd - score one point. But it's not her presentation that ever had me concerned. I don't want to be her friend - I don't care how funny or clever she is on the podium.

It isn't about her family or her daughter's pregnancy. I don't doubt for one moment that she loves her children, and I imagine she and her husband have figured out a way to handle the childcare issue.

It is about the policies she advocates: her anti-choice position, abstinence-only sex education, drilling for oil in ANWR, her relationship with lobbyists (which she says she is against, but was happy to use and, in fact, lauded when she was mayor of Wasilla). No recognition of same-sex couples, the teaching of creation in schools, the lack of health care for all Americans, lack of funding for alternative energy sources,and a lack of real change in the way people are treated in this country.

I didn't care, either, for the mocking tone during her - or Rudy Giuliani's - speech. I didn't hear that when Mike Huckabee spoke; he did not mock or make sarcastic comments about Barack Obama or Joe Biden. And I didn't hear it when Obama and Biden spoke. I didn't hear it when Bill Clinton or John Kerry spoke. They all acknowledged what they know about John McCain, that he is an honorable man, but is simply not going to put policies in place that will help this country.

I don't want to hear that every criticism of Palin is sexist. She was chosen because she was a woman. But I'm not not supporting her because of her gender; it's because of the beliefs she holds, beliefs that I don't share. Somehow, Republicans want to claim that all negative comments about Palin are sexist? Talk to Hillary Clinton about that one.

I don't care how Palin dresses, her voice, her laugh, the size of her thighs or style of her shoes. None of those affect my life. But her track record in Alaska - or lack of one - is my business.

Tonight is McCain. I'll tune in; I want to hear what he has to say. But I'm not anticipating changing my mind.

I think the rain will be here for a while.