After a Long Absence

I apologize to you readers - all 2 of you - that I have failed to make a blog post in almost two months. I have no good excuse - simply life got in the way. I ask for your forgiveness and promise to blog more often.

More than anything this will simply be a post to catch you up on my happenings. Over the holidays my wife and I returned to Texas for nearly two weeks and had a grand time hanging out with our respective families. Upon return to Indiana, we textured and painted our entire downstairs (sans the powder room) - it was more work than I anticipated, but if I'm allowed a moment to brag - it looks pretty damn good. Next on the home improvement hit parade are the floors.

The remaining time I've mostly spent studying for the Feb. 10th LSAT - however, this past Wednesday I finally got my scores from the Dec. LSAT and much to my pleasant surprise I did well enough that I don't have to retake it. Mind you, I only did "good enough" ... if I were applying to the University of Chicago, Northwestern, Notre Dame, etc. I would still be retaking the exam but for the schools I've applied to I think I'll be fine.

On top of that good news came some terrible news: Molly Ivins passed away that same day. If you don't know who she was you can google her, but for me she was the catalyst for my political awakening. She was also the first person I ever had an intellectual crush on. Recurring cancer finally claimed her - I hate that disease ... no I loathe it. She was everything that is great about Texas and I already miss her wry political wit. In an article titled "Why Coloradoans Hate Texans" Molly astutely noted that "...Texans are the Jews of the West. Meaning that they are perceived as loud, vulgar, richer than most folks, and consequently widely resented." How apropos for a Texan Jew to read those lines.

She continues,

Texans are not, in fact, like other Americans. For one thing, we are obnoxious to be around when we are having fun. We talk loud, laugh loud, get drunk, and bang our beer bottles on tables, we whoopee and hoorah and are generally a pain in the hmmm-hmmm. We yell when we are having a good time. We do not yell when we get mad. We tend to get real quiet just before we stomp someone or shoot someone. Foreigners consider this peculiar.

Granted this statement is a a gross generalization - albeit a highly accurate generalization. And last night at my house during the Super Bowl I was that Texan. But that is another post.

I will leave you with one last quote from Molly.

Next time I tell you someone from Texas should not be President of the United States, please pay attention.

So true Molly, so true.