11:47 am CENTRAL STANDARD
Or 9:47 am in Eugene, where I am currently typing this. Waiting for access to the server. I'm on my laptop and bored.

Slept horribly last night. I was just falling asleep and something started vibrating the bed and then violently shaking it. I stared at the wall for a minute trying to figure out if I was dreaming or awake and what was making the bed shake. So I got up, looked at the clock (2:30 am) and turned on the TV to get myself a little less freaked out. Mind you, I'm on the first floor in a room with glass sliding doors to the outside.

After a few minutes of listening to Dennis Miller rip on Democrats, I flipped off the TV and light and went back to bed.

I don't know how much later, but it happened again. And then it started happening more and more often and was getting louder and louder until I realized it was a chainsaw.

So here was someone cutting the hedges at 3- something in the morning. Then he opened up my patio door and started coming in.

Big guy. Plaid shirt.

It was all I could do to hoarsely scream and jolt up in bed.

It was, you clearly know by now, all just a nightmare. But it was terrifying all the same. Freaked me out.

Monday.

The Simpsons jumped the shark on Sunday.

In the opening bit, I mean. The family water-skied over a couple of sharks and landed on the couch. It was brilliant. I think the general thought on the Simpsons at jumptheshark.com is that it hasn't jumped.

11.07.02

"It's getting dark a little too early."

Blech. I hate that it's already getting dark. Survivor's on tonight. I had no idea Alan was such a reality TV junkie. I have to get out of here at a decent hour. Which is rather difficult. Quick commute. Minnesota traffic is perhaps the most wrongest thing with this state. No viable mass transit system to speak of and just complete gridlock on the freeways.

And now they have Light Rail Transit on its way, which runs from the airport into downtown. So if you want to go to anywhere close to the track, you're all set.

It's one friggin track. And I'm trying to figure out the logistics, right? This thing is supposed to be fast, but does it stop a lot? And in theory there's only one train per track, so that's transiting a pretty limited number of people.

The final thing that makes me nervous about how it will work is that Gov. Ventura was its champion, and that guy has some wrong-headed notions.

Luckily, Action Jesus has weathered the storm unscathed. He's been blessing my keyboard for the past few days.

Mondale lost. There's a Republican majority in the senate. There's a Republican majority in Congress (I think). We are officially in trouble.

War in Iraq? Grand idea!

Overthrowing Roe v. Wade? Heck yes!

Gun control? Who needs it?!

Education? Children? Senior citizens? Arts? Screw them!

I have never been more concerned. Bush is an idiot. I hope everybody realizes that nuclear war has inched ever closer because of this.

Overreacting? Maybe. Maybe not. This is scary.

Ah... election day. There's tension in the air. Alan was almost rabid watching coverage last night. He's completely geeked out when it comes to politics. It's like the Super Bowl for him.

It snowed this morning. Shades of the last election day when I risked life and limb to vote. Lot of good that did.

Where to begin.

Ventura appointed Dean Barkley to replace Wellstone until election results are official. Which is actually quite cool. Barkley and Wellstone were friends, if I recall. When they were running against each other in the last senate election they would carpool to debates together. And Barkley seems like a pretty Wellstone-ish guy. Unlike Mondale.

I'm not excited about this election. I'm voting more to avoid a Republican majority in the senate than for Mondale.

And as for governor, there's no one. I sort of like Ken Pentel. But he has a zero percent chance of winning. Especially when his plan is to increase the taxes of the top 10% in the state.

Which is not a bad idea.

So yesterday my mom's cat, who we've had for 16-1/2 years, wasn't doing well. They took her into the vet and she was diagnosed with liver disease. She was severely dehydrated and shaky. So they kept her overnight.

My mom called me this morning at 8 am to let me know that Cinnamon wasn't getting better and it looked like she had cancer as well, so they euthanized her.

I'm not a cat person, but when a being is in your life for 16 years, they become special to you. Mom was shaken up. I know Cinnamon was definitely her cat. She was a part of the family.

So that sucks.