Today I turn 37 years old and I'm trying to start over, again.  Yes, anytime is a good time to start over.  I want to go back to school.  I want to fix this broken body of mine.  I want better things for myself and my family.  I deserve that much.

I graduated from Smith College in 1997 at the age of 26.  I met my husband the day after I got back from College.  Yes and we had a whirlwind romance.  I lost myself for a long time and I'm trying very hard to claw my way back to the top.  It has been a long journey full of all kinds of surprises.  Life happens while your making plans.  What happens when you stop making plans?  Life still happens.

Reposting because this diary meant a lot to me personally...

It's been at least a couple of weeks since I heard Pat Buchanan on the Thom Hartmann show and I can't get what he said out of my mind.  Buchanan was torn up about the disappearance of Europeans on Planet earth.  Of course you know what he's talking about.  Here is an excerpt from a review of his book...

When one remembers that if there is one cause Mr. Buchanan himself cherishes it is immigration restriction — when one recalls his words on "national suicide" and the "invasion" of America by nonwhites, and his constant inveighing against multiculturalism — when one remembers that the first pages of this very book lament that "as a share of world population, peoples of European ancestry have been shrinking for three generations," that "we are slowly disappearing from the earth" — Mr. Buchanan's feline criticism of Churchill stands as a piece of truly shameless hypocrisy.

NY Sun

It's been at least a couple of weeks since I heard Pat Buchanan on the Thom Hartmann show and I can't get what he said out of my mind.  Buchanan was torn up about the disappearance of Europeans on Planet earth.  Of course you know what he's talking about.  Here is an excerpt from a review of his book...

When one remembers that if there is one cause Mr. Buchanan himself cherishes it is immigration restriction — when one recalls his words on "national suicide" and the "invasion" of America by nonwhites, and his constant inveighing against multiculturalism — when one remembers that the first pages of this very book lament that "as a share of world population, peoples of European ancestry have been shrinking for three generations," that "we are slowly disappearing from the earth" — Mr. Buchanan's feline criticism of Churchill stands as a piece of truly shameless hypocrisy.

NY Sun

Yes, no ice at the North Pole this summer, the first time in human history and a startling development for those keeping on eye on Climate Change signs.  How can it get any bigger?

The disappearance of the Arctic sea ice, making it possible to reach the Pole sailing in a boat through open water, would be one of the most dramatic – and worrying – examples of the impact of global warming on the planet. Scientists say the ice at 90 degrees north may well have melted away by the summer.

"From the viewpoint of science, the North Pole is just another point on the globe, but symbolically it is hugely important. There is supposed to be ice at the North Pole, not open water," said Mark Serreze of the US National Snow and Ice Data Centre in Colorado.

Independent

That's it.  You have to donate to your local candidates, especially in areas where the are considered the "underdog".  Gary Pritchard, who is running for the 33rd California State Senate District will not be taken seriously until he can raise tons of cash.  The only way to do that when you don't have a political machine behind you is to first get small donors to invest in your campaign.  California is TWO Senators away from the majority needed to stop the gridloack in Sacramento.  YOU can help this happen!

We've been spending the last week approaching friends and family and anyone who will listen to chip in just a little bit.  If we can show that we can persuade people to donate and volunteer (Which we do have lots of volunteers!) then we can get larger donors to give and then the whole thing snowballs.  But until we can show that we can build something out of nothing, well then you've still got nothing.

Yes, I know.  Funny title isn't it?  Why be thankful for sickness?  Well, it means that it is not all in my head and that I've not just imagined the last four years of suffering and pain.  I'm really sick and they've finally figured it out.

In fact, for many who suffer from fibromyalgia it takes an average of two to four years to be properly diagnosed.  Can you imagine spending years having Doctors tell you that you are perfectly "healthy"?  And most of the people hit by this syndrome are women.  

I've spent so much time trying to get someone to help me, someone to recognize that this is not how I'm supposed to feel.  Somebody finally got to the bottom of it.  I'm sick.

I've been writing about the adventures of a married couple running for office.  I'm as much a part of this as my husband, Gary Pritchard is (Gary is running for California State Senate in the 33rd district).  My diaries here have been more for venting purposes and rooting him on, I don't think of them as official campaign communications.  I'm writing as the Candidate's wife not adviser, campaign director or handler.

So, having said that, what would you think if we started calling Obama "President-Elect Obama"?  Don't you think that would be rather arrogant and presumptuous of us?  Isn't that reaching a bit since many are still referring to Obama as the "presumptive" nominee?

Well, when you run in such an upside district where the winner is assumed the day after the primary, it's not uncommon for Republicans to refer to said winner as "Senator-Elect".  Yes.

AKA, "Donate to Rid California of Another Neo-Con, Please".  It worked before why not try again.

I've been posting a series of diaries about my husband, Gary Pritchard's California State Senate campaign.  He's running in the very red County of Orange and originally put his name on the ballot to merely supply the voters with an alternative to the "R".  Now the more we learn about our Republican rival, the more we want to give her a run for her money.  Literally.

The seats in Orange County are generally a given for Republicans.  They run, they win, nothing more to it really.  Doesn't that seem wrong?  Especially since the Republican Party has all but turned our Country into a third world nation (Infant Mortality up, the divide between the rich and the poor up, real wages down, you name it, it's gone badly for US).

Sounds a lot more interesting than it is but I'm so excited to be able to share that Gary Pritchard, my husband and Democratic candidate for California State Senate is going to be appearing on Thom Hartmann's Air America show tomorrow morning at 10:50 am (Pacific time).  

More below the cut...

You read that right, I don't support Clinton but I still gave her ten dollars to help pay off her debt and make a gesture towards unity.  

I know this won't be popular here, but really, I don't care.  I could easily ask people to donate to my husband's campaign and I know we could use the money more than Clinton can, but this is how much I believe in Barack Obama as the nominee.  I don't want there to be any doubt about unity, not a ticket but for Clinton's support and that of her die hard supporters.  You have to give them props for tenacity.

As Democrats, no one here is the "enemy".  Just as many have pointed out, we cannot afford a President McCain and ten dollars towards Clinton's debt is a much lower price to pay for an Obama win in November.

Crazy isn't it?  Gary Pritchard, my husband of ten years in September, is on the Democratic ballot for the primary that takes place tomorrow.  We plan to go to a primary watch party and see the returns.  Since he's running unopposed we doubt he will be part of the returns but it is still exciting to be the candidate on such an evening.  

The Campaign Website has been getting a trickling of hits from various Democratic websites.  Here is Gary on the The California Democratic Party website for endorsed candidates.  Gary is also on the front page of the Democratic Party of Orange County for their endorsed candidates.  Then there is Project Vote Smart, League of Women Voters of California and Democracy for America, Orange County.

Imagine reading this in the sub headline of the local paper.  Local being the LA Times, Orange County edition.  Imagine then being married to one of the Democrats who dared to step up and run in this red district.  

In Orange County election races, primaries pose the real fight for Republicans

Come fall, most of the county's Democratic candidates are expected to lose. So Anaheim Councilman Harry Sidhu and Assemblywoman Mimi Walters are duking it out now to secure their party's backing.

LA Times

Charlotte Piper Pritchard was born on May 28, 2003 after 49 hours of labor and a c-section.  She came out kicking and screaming, the doctor said right away, well her lungs work.

This is Charlotte at 32 weeks.

Charlotte and me...

Reposting!

Yes, you were kind enough to help me get my obviously titled diary I Wish I knew how to Get My Husband's Campaign on the Rec List on the recommended list where my husband's campaign was able to get more eyes on it.  See, Gary Pritchard is running for the California State Senate in the 33rd district.  The odds are against us, 27% registered Democrats and 51% registered Republicans and the rest are Declined to states with a smattering of Greens, American Independents and Libertarians.

But if I can get a campaign diary on the rec list at Daily Kos then I don't see why we can't win the damn General Election.  Why bother running if you aren't going to fight like you are going to win.  What have we to lose?

Our strategy is simple, walk, walk, walk.  We walked as a family yesterday for a couple of hours in the afternoon.  Charlotte loves passing the cards out although we did have to stop letting her ring the doorbells, she got a little overzealous at times.  But you want to know the numbers don't you?  How much did we raise???

Yes, you read that right.  The Clinton campaign is blaming Obama for the harsh criticism she received over her insensitive remarks regarding June primaries and the assassination of RFK.  The mind boggles.

And I defended her by saying she should receive the benefit of the doubt.  And Senator Obama did the same by issuing a Statement:

"I have learned that when you are campaigning for as many months as Senator Clinton and I have been campaigning, sometimes you get careless in terms of the statements that you make, and I think that is what happened here," he said in an interview with Radio ISLA. "Senator Clinton says that she did not intend any offense by it, and I will take her at her word on that."

Washington Post

Yes, you were kind enough to help me get my obviously titled diary I Wish I knew how to Get My Husband's Campaign on the Rec List on the recommended list where my husband's campaign was able to get more eyes on it.  See, Gary Pritchard is running for the California State Senate in the 33rd district.  The odds are against us, 27% registered Democrats and 51% registered Republicans and the rest are Declined to states with a smattering of Greens, American Independents and Libertarians.

But if I can get a campaign diary on the rec list at Daily Kos then I don't see why we can't win the damn General Election.  Why bother running if you aren't going to fight like you are going to win.  What have we to lose?

Our strategy is simple, walk, walk, walk.  We walked as a family yesterday for a couple of hours in the afternoon.  Charlotte loves passing the cards out although we did have to stop letting her ring the doorbells, she got a little overzealous at times.  But you want to know the numbers don't you?  How much did we raise???

It's quite sad that every time I click on a major news source I hope there is news that Hillary Clinton has conceded her bid for the Democratic Nomination for President.  Yes, everyday, every time.

But this recent uproar over her remarks says more about us than it does about her.  I sincerely don't believe she was using assassination as an excuse to stay in the race but that she was making connections out loud and it was in June when RFK had won the California Primary and he was killed that very same night.

But the indignation with which many are using to characterize her verbal blunder shows more that she's worn out her welcome for many of the people that do not support her.  Clinton fatigue has come to a head.

Give this a chance...

I've been struggling with my damn digital camera for many stupid reasons that I'd rather not go into.  It's sad.

But I took some photos in the past couple of days of Gary and Charlotte with my phone, my loves and I wanted to share.  I hope you will share some of your personal photos.  Gary my husband is running for California State Senate in Orange County, very red County.  I wanted to share why I fight against such great odds.

These are the reasons we fight, why we cry and why we ache.  We know that there is so much better for everyone in this Country and that every single person deserves dignity, opportunity and respect.  That is what we fight for as progressives.

Skin color, accent, original birth place don't matter, people here are part of our Country, our Culture and our communities.  Love them all.