Update from Millie

Boy, has today been great! Jane took me for a walk this morning without Katrina. She wouldn't get out of bed. That tells you what a princess she is. We got to the top of the neighborhood hill and I got to be off leash! Can you believe it? I ran around and came right back when Jane called...she was very proud. She even took me up Fire Tower Road, but I got really tired. Natch everyone wanted to know where Katrina was, sigh. I got to meet Jane's friend Archie Cross, he was watering his new trees and let me drink out of his hose. The walks here in the "Pitt" sure are different than in VaHi. We saw rabbits, lizards, a snake skin, a turtle, AND a HORSE! I freaked out and started barking at it. Jane said it was just Surprise and that she was nice.

When we got back I helped Jane with her garden...we watered and weeded and moved some dirt. There sure are a lot of damn things in the yard according to Jane...she constantly mutters damn squirrels, damn weeds, damn bugs. I stuck right by her side the whole time. I'm sure that made her real glad. She didn't call me a damn dog once.

Mom, if you are reading this you will be proud to know that I spotted a deer right by the fence and started barking, of course Katrina acted like she was the one who saw it. We ran out barking like rabid dogs and boy that deer took off. Jane was really excited about this and gave us cookies.

Katrina and I got to stay at home by ourselves for hours this afternoon and there was no damage! Quite a day for a city dog. You better get me soon Mom, I kinda like it here in the country.

As I stood in the shadow of the United States Capitol witnessing the inauguration of Barack Obama I was sure we were entering a new era; an enlightened time. Things were going to change. I was not totally naive, I knew there would be those who would not accept a Black man as President, but I never dreamed that two years later we would be witnessing behavior and rhetoric reminiscent of the 1950's. If you are a White person and think you are being discriminated against or that Blacks are racists, why don't you try to imagine a member of your family being lynched with no judicial recourse. Why don't you try to imagine not being able to use a public restroom, send your children to a "White" school, stay in a hotel, get treatment in a hospital, eat in a restaurant, go to college, sit on a bus, vote, hold public office get a job...do just about anything. Think about the fact that if you actually tried to do any of these things you would be beaten, arrested, maligned, fired, KILLED. Give me a break. Because your lazy son did not get into the "college of his dreams" it is not necessarily because a Black person took HIS PLACE. The right is always pointing out that life is not fair...so, life is not always fair. Racism is a real problem that our society needs to address in a mature manner...Mad Men's new season begins tonight against the backdrop of the murders of three civil rights workers in Mississippi in 1963. Tune in in case you forgot what REAL racism is.

Stuck Up!!??

I don't think so. I am reserved and well behaved! The nerve she has calling me stuck up. Here's what I have to put up with. Last night Pat and Jane went out to dinner to celebrate Diana's birthday. They left us here thinking that all would be well. Oh no, the minute they got out the door Millie started trying to get me to do bad things. I went back to the closet to escape, but there she was licking me, wanting me to chase her around the house. I knew this was not what we were supposed to be doing so I just stayed there. What does the wild one do? Starts taking Janes' shoes out of the closet and playing with them. I knew then that it was only going to get worse. Millie found her bag with all her stuff in it and proceeded to take everything out...the toys were fine and I thought I could probably play with some of them, but then she got her dog shampoo out, took it into the den and started chewing the top off. Yes, the entire bottle was leaking onto the rug and it was all over Millie. I just got on the couch and pretended I did not see any of it. When I heard the car come into the garage I knew there was going to be trouble. When Jane came in she noticed that All of Millie's toys were strewn everywhere. "How cute, Pat, look Millie got her toys out of the bag". I just shut my eyes. Then they began to notice the torn up paper, the shoes..."what has gone on here?" Jane said, and it wasn't her quiet voice. THEN SHE SAW THE SHAMPOO! It was all over. I fled to the closet with the intent of never coming out.

Millie here...

...I have been left in the "Pitt" again. What can I say? Katrina is so stuck up, she thinks she's better than me. I am going to show her just how good I am you'll see. I like it here but there are sooooo many rules. Jane is a little bit on the fanatic side about the stupid yard. There are areas I am not supposed to go charging through...good grief, it's outside. We went for a walk this morning and I must have been doing something wrong because Jane kept speaking to me rather harshly. I just like to walk pretty fast and I love to shift from side to side, this really makes Jane crazy. I guess she still remembers the time I caused her to trip over me and fall flat in the street. Boy that caused alot of screaming. I have noticed that Jane still has a scar on her knee. I will try to be better tomorrow.

Mom, I hope you find a place for us to live in Washington soon because I miss you.

Way to go Roy!!

Roy Barnes has overwhelmingly won the DemocratiC nomination for Governor of Georgia. The Republicans have a runoff which will pit two conservatives against one another. Each will try to move to the right of the other...maybe they will move each other so far right that they will no longer exist in the world as we know it.

My Brink had something to do with this victory, and her great boss Chris even more. Good work guys.

And, oh by the way, Brinkley is moving again. Later...

Shirley Sherrod shafted

The right wing has once again made fools of themselves...and the lemmings have followed. Ms Sherrod has worked for the Agriculture Department in Georgia for more than 25 years. She made a speech before the NAACP earlier this year where she recounted an episode that took place 24 years ago. She spoke about a white farmer who came into her office seeking help to keep his farm. Shirley told how she felt the man had a rather "superior" attitude and she did not want to give him the maximum help at her disposal. She thought about all the Black farmers who had lost their land and resented it. This is where the right's coverage of this story ends....A Black racist in the Obama Agriculture Department. O'Reilly, Gingrich, Hannity, et al; "She must resign"! "She must be Fired"! Had these lunatics listened to the entire video they would have heard the point of the story she was telling the audience...her attitude had been wrong! She DID end up helping the family and realized that ANY racism was wrong...she had been wrong! This incident happened 24 years ago, not yesterday! The wife of this farmer has come forward today to say that Shirley Sherrod helped her family save their farm. Why are these people so mean? Why do they look only for the worst in people. It's the 21st Century for crying out loud.

Atticus Finch to Uncle Jack (Scout listening in the hallway)

"Why reasonable people go stark raving mad when anything involving a Negro comes up, is something I don't pretend to understand..."

Can't help myself.

I came to the conclusion sometime back in the winter that I would not write about Sarah Palin and deer again. Well, I can't stand it...there is too much pent up rogue rubbish and bambi bunk.

I think I have come to terms regarding deer in my garden. I see them as pruning rather than destroying. The mums that have returned from last Fall have been carefully nibbled on so that I have not had to worry about remembering to keep them cut back until the Fall comes again. See, isn't that a much more healthy attitude than wanting to trick them into going to the carnivore place on the edge of town? Katrina and I counted 35 of them the other day on our walk and about half were babies with little spots. The number has DOUBLED!!!!!! The funny man next door has placed motion sensitive devices along his fence that turn the radio on when something goes by. No problem, the radios are tuned to NPR so when they go on (and they do about 100 times a day) it's at least something interesting. I am sure that it is only a matter of time before there are hundreds of the darlings lined up along the fence to listen to "State of the Nation" and "All Things Considered".

The rogue one has been taken over by some powerful entity. This is quite disturbing because she is actually being controlled, scripted, and managed. There has always been a tendency in American politics for powerful forces to find a "front man" to place in power so that they can be controlled. Think William Henry Harrison, Franklin Pierce, William McKinley, Warren Harding, Calvin Coolidge, Ronald Reagan, and of course W. When Sarah endorsed Karen Handel in the Georgia Republican gubernatorial contest tomorrow, Handel's poll numbers surged.

"I've looked at clouds from both sides now..."

From up and down and still somehow
It's cloud illusions I recall
I really don't know clouds at all

Atlanta and Jackson's Creek have become a place to visit.

We are home...Two years have passed since we lost our minds and moved to the "Pitt". Pat has immersed himself in the local real estate market and seems to really like it. I am the color commentator and file organizer. We make a good team. The office voted to give Pat the annual "Morale Award", which is given to the agent who is most positive and helpful. It was quite an honor. We love our office and have met many great people.

We have learned almost all the shortcuts to everywhere and there are only a few restaurants in Chapel Hill we have not frequented. Glass Half Full remains our favorite even though it is expensive. We are ready to start working our way through Durham eateries. Last night was to be our trip to the much acclaimed Magnolia Grill on 9th Street, but Megan, our dinner companion, had to go to Greenville to procure a liver (she is the adorable UNC Resident we sold a condo to). I can assure you that when we reschedule our visit to the MG we will not order liver.

Abraham, Martin, and John....June, Bea, and Faye

The Afterlife has become a bit more interesting. Diana's dear mother, June, has joined Bea and Faye. Bea has not stopped gushing about how happy she has been all these years because Diana came into Bruz's life. I am sure by now June wants to say "okay Bea, I get it". Faye is excited that another wordsmith has arrived and June will be convinced that martinis make everything look better. We miss our Moms

The other three are horrified at the state of things in the USA.

Okay, okay.......the "Pitt" is back.

"Life in the Pitt" has been on vacay but is ready to return. There is no clear explanation for the absence. I suppose life in the Pitt was no longer a novelty and reality did not seem so interesting. What was I thinking?

The Chatham County Courthouse catching on fire, leaving a burned out shell in the middle of town, seems to be the point where "Life in the Pitt" was faced with a depressing reality. Why this fire was not quickly put out remains a mystery to me. It burned for almost 30 minutes before firetrucks arrived. This may be Pittsboro, but Chatham County has equipment. After all, there were a gazillion firetrucks and other equipment in the Christmas parade back in December. I loved this building. It was beautiful and as you drove into the "Pitt" from any direction it stood tall and proud in front of you. It took your attention away from the strange things that line the road. The town did pull together to support the businesses "downtown", and there is a commission looking into what will be done, but it makes me sad. The statue of the Confederate Soldier is still standing and many are concerned that it will be taken down...need I say more?! A woman crashed her car into the chain link fence that surrounds what is left which made news and there was speculation that the John Edwards' sex tape was in the courthouse ( no worry it wasn't), but that is about all the excitement to report.

"Life in the Pitt" goes on....