This morning I went to the Chamber of Commerce's Legislative Breakfast. Our three state representatives were there and all three spoke. Our State Senator is a 60+ woman, who is well-spoken, incredibly well-informed about the issues and is a fantastic person to have representing us in Albany. I was really impressed and so happy to hear her. I was sitting about 6 feet away from the podium so this was really cool. My Assemblyman is someone who is a close friend of the family of my ex-husband and I've known him for dozens of years. He was always a bit pompous but now he has risen to new heights of pomposity. In November he was re-elected by such a narrow margin that they waited until the absentee ballots were counted before declaring him the winner. You'd never know it to hear him speak now, just a few months later. Like our President, he seems to feel his re-election was a mandate from the people. The third speaker was an Assemblywoman from Essex County, our poorer relative to the south, who is a "commoner" and sounds and acts like one. Everyone was surprised when she got elected, I think she's from a farm background. She sounds as if she's trying really hard but doesn't quite grasp the concept of state government. Nice to have two women up there, though. And I had a nice breakfast. It was at the Holiday Inn and--get this, they ran out of coffee cups at the buffet. What a pisser.

So my mood is good today, a rare thing these days. I made it to the breakfast by 7:40, not bad for me. It started at 7:30 but the speakers didn't speak until about 8:00. I didn't really know anyone there, just a few people and they didn't sit at my table. A lot of men in suits, all businessmen. ugh.

Am still enjoying my visits with Ken, he and I are resigned to making this foot thing be a nice experience for both of us. We laugh and talk a lot about current events. He had the caretaker for one of the camps he's wanted to check on visiting him yesterday when I got there ("Elizabeth, you're right on time--you said you'd be here at 5 and you are!"). Robert had already been to the Hord's and all was well there so Ken was pleased. It's frustrating for him not to get to the places he likes to check on during the winter but he's being a really good sport about it.

Tonight I'll go grocery shopping and to the liquor store. Get Ken a backup bottle of Southern Comfort, he's almost out. Myself a bottle of dry vermouth for my drinks, and a bottle of wine for Sunday. That'll be the highlight of my getting out and about, then I'll head home for the weekend. We might be getting a storm tomorrow, but I think they decided it would hit the eastern shore of Lake Champlain so we'll be ok in Hawkeye. GOOD! Let's get rid of our snow, not get more. Like Jenica, I'm sick of winter and really itching for spring.

I need to watch my videos this weekend. I still haven't seen Garden State, have had the library's copy for weeks and weeks. I have 3 videos from Blockbuster.com that I've had so long I don't even remember what they are. This is like an assignment for myself. I don't have to clean much, did enough of that last weekend preparing for company, and didn't mess up much during the week. If I were the type, I'd make a public declaration that I'm going to do my taxes this weekend and that would be enough of a commitment to make me do it. Doesn't work that way for me, though, I won't be embarrassed if I say I'm going to do them and don't. I should at least look to see if I'll have to pay or get a refund--that might make a difference in my attitude toward the task.

What I really need to do this weekend is walk the dogs. Yes, that's what I'll do. They're soooo tired of my spending time at Ken's. If they were children they'd be wetting the bed (wait--one of them sometimes does!) and whining (wait--one of them always does!). What the third ones does is chew things, and Chances has reverted to some chewing behavior as well. Swell.