Wednesday, November 9, 2016

Thursday Thoughts: I'm baaaa-aaack

1. Consider this a continuation of last week's Thursday Thoughts from Ireland since I'm half on that time and half on this time.

2. One of my favorite things to photograph in cities and towns is the stuff on the backside.

3. All every cashier, bartender, people in line around us, and people on the street wanted to talk about in Ireland and Scotland was the election. Did we vote? Yes. How could Trump be a candidate? I don't know. Returning to an outcome I was not expecting, I needed some time yesterday. I shed some tears, I avoided social media because I didn't want to see his supporters or people who were zen or discounting people's feelings about it, I exchanged angry words with MFD about how we go forward from here. I'm still processing. I don't know. Well, I do know some things  - I will continue to stand up to misogyny, sexism, homophobia, racism, ableism, xenophobia. We all have prejudices that we have to overcome, we've all said things we shouldn't. I will continue to grow as a person. I will continue to put good out into my community and be the change I want to see. Acting from a place of fear and subsisting on bitterness is not my style and never will be. If you thought I was a raging feminist all along, quite frankly, you've seen nothing yet. I was a nasty woman before this and will be a nasty woman after this. That wouldn't change regardless of who is President. I have defended my right to equality since I was knee high to women who taught me that that is what we do. I have work to do, and if equality is important to you, so do you. If equality is not of the utmost importance to you at this time, I have no room for you. It's a line in the sand that I am okay making. I demand better for myself and other women, especially those younger than me. Let's take the time we need, then let's do that work. And for christ's sake let's give people some space on this and get out of each other's faces. Stop trying to convince others that they're wrong for feeling anything they're feeling and let it be. Especially if you've spent the last eight years taking a daily dump on your President or listening to others do so without making one but you need to respect the office statement. I am devastated and I am angry and that anger will fuel my fire to be productive in doing my part to further the feminist agenda over the next four years so let me sit with it and mind your business. Pantsuit Nation, mount up.

4. Things I wish I could get here easily: Jammie Dodgers, Hunky Dory crisps, and Roberts coffee from Dublin.  

5. Tuesday night we had an 8:20 flight from Glasgow to Dublin. The actual in air time is like 40 minutes. We sat on the plane from 8:00 until 10:00 before taking off. It was the first time they had to bust out the de-icing equipment this year. I was afraid of mutiny. Do not fuck with older Scottish women who are hot and dehydrated. They will march to the front of the plane and hand you your ass. I was in the front of the plane and bore witness to this awesome fuck off.

6. SEPTA could take a zillion lessons from Scottish Rail. What a stress free ride we enjoyed between Glasgow and Edinburgh, and during rush hour to boot. Carol and I both ride regional rail here and were delighted to miss the shitshow strike last week.

7. Hell yes I do.
8. I tipped.
9. Reminder.
10.  E-card of the week: 
 
Jet lag + general lack of sleep + a cold from lots of plane travel + self induced flash flood in the basement last night due to laundry basin fuckery + election devastation = possible general incoherence. Forgive me my grammar and typos, friends. 


Linking up with Kristin



24 comments:

  1. I agree with your sentiments on the election. And I always find it interesting to hear what people around the world think about it (always bad)...but we're moving on, we have to.
    Glad you had a good trip--sorry you came back to what you came back to!

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  2. I love the power ballads water! I'm so sorry for all of you with the results of the election, but you're right in that every single person can still make a difference and work towards equality. Glad you had such a good trip - Ireland and Scotland are near the top of my list for places to visit so I hope you do a recap of your travels! :)

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  3. Yes to #2. Of all the things to say to me this week, telling me to "accept it" or "get over it" is going to incite more rage than you've ever seen. I can't talk about it yet save for a few sentences here or there. My brain just can't wrap itself around the disgust I have for people right now. I know that a handful of my family members were/are Trump supporters. I love my family, but I will be avoiding them this week/weekend. I'm so disgusted.

    Glad you enjoyed your trip! I LOVE that 'nasty woman' mug!

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  4. love that #9 quote.
    yes to all of #3. this might seem stupid, and forgive my ignorance, but i would love some suggestions on what i can do. i want to do more. i want to be more involved and play a bigger part. so any suggestions would be welcome. if that's ridiculous, sorry! i just don't know where to start, but i am sick of standing by and hoping everyone agrees with me.
    anyway. lol to the justin bieber tip sign. hilarious!
    Jammie Dodgers!!! freaking LOVE them. i bet you can get them at world market. they would be 150% more expensive, but hey.

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  5. omg the sign on #8. TAKE ALL MY MONEY.
    I think Kristen's question on #3 ^^^ would be a great post for you. I would like to read your thoughts on that myself.

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  6. Glad you are 🏡 safe and sound. I cannot believe we still have to fight for equality. I do not like being lumped into white Women /people that voted for trump. I did not. I feel like I need a button saying I voted all blue 💙 And so did my people. Liberty and Justice for every ducking body! All need to stop spewing hate right fucking now.
    Looking forward to a lovely weekend at the lake with my sisters and sweet niece.
    Goddess speed always.
    Love. Your. Momma.

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  7. That was my fave from anyone not from the states, "How can he be a candidate?"...I have no earthly idea. But yes to everything you said! Oh man, basement flood?!

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  8. So inspired and in total agreement on your election stance. Unsurprisingly. One thing I had to touch on yesterday was something you spoke about here, and that's the right to feel however you need to feel and to process this however you need to do so. Don't say "liberals are such whiny babies" when a large part of the population cried endlessly over this result. I accept that he won. I can't do anything about that part. I'll hope he does a good job because if he doesn't, that affects me. But I'll be damned if anyone tells me I can't cry over this. It's a fucking LOSS and a huge one at that. Oh, and I don't have room in my life for anyone who's a bigot in any sorta way, so those folks are getting tossed like this week's trash from my social media feed. Anyway, welcome back!

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  9. Glad you're back. Been waiting for you. Waking up today with the sun shining, as opposed to yesterday's dreary, gloomy rain, I started to feel human again. But as soon as I remember what my country did on Tuesday, it all comes crashing down again. I've cried, not out of weakness or resigned acceptance but out of fury, anger, frustration--and sure, sadness. Sadness because yes, I am scared. But I'm also sad that people I know and love have helped make this happen. It's rallying, at least. Like you, I was a nasty woman before and I'll be a nasty woman forever. I'm giving myself some days to heal, some days to return to a place where my mind isn't crowded with emotion, and then... you know. We fight.

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  10. Welcome back! It's so embarrassing how much the world is watching, and our disgusting election. I avoided social media as much as possible yesterday too, especially FB which is always filled with stupidity and annoyance anyway. Sending you lots of *hugs* and hope you feel rested soon <3

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  11. Welcome back, Snotty! I missed you, and MFD may not be 100% on track in responding to the election, but his vacation photos were aces. Love you!

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  12. Welcome back. And sorry to what you had to come back to. 100% agree with everything you said about the election. I was in literal pain Tuesday night and most of Wednesday. I just wanted to curl up in bed and stay there. But I got out because that is how hate wins. When good people accept defeat when they need to rise up and be stronger than ever. I most certainly did not want Trump to win, but I also feel in my bones that four years from now, the world (particularly sexist pigs) will look back in awe at the slumbering giant they awoke who will never, ever go back to sleep.

    It looks like you had an amazing trip. I would have tipped a ton for no Justin Bieber too. :) And I love the Maya Angelou poem. Because we will rise up.

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  13. I can't believe that they already had to break out the de-icer, but I'm so glad that you had a good time! My sister was in Hamburg earlier this week and she said the same thing about the Germans, that they all wanted to talk about our election.

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  14. I'm sorry you had to come back to a shit show. I apparently had too much faith in the middle section of this country...I just can't believe how many racist, exist, homophobic people live in this country. AND, on top of that, how many people are okay with someone completely unqualified being the face of a nation. That's like me watching Grey's Anatomy then convincing you I can stitch you up.

    The only positive I can take from this is motivation and fuel for my fire, sounds like you're likewise more motivated than ever :)

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  15. You couldnt have said it better - we need to step away - get a breather - DROP POLITICS for a hot second. Nothing can be done about him now. Let's just let some cool heads prevail. Everyone is so full of anger & hate right now. We gotta come together & just be good decent people to one another right now.
    Welcome home.

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  16. Glad you all had a great trip! I love the tip sign lol.

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  17. Facebook and Twitter are not my friends this week and I have stayed off from the crap on both sides. All we can do is move forward and keep believing in whatever it is we believe in and keep trying to put good out in the world and hope that things will be done for the good of this country no matter who is president. I don't think people saying I hope he fails or our country fails is going to solve anything. So like your ecard, I love the shit out of you and everyone else!!! Now hand me some of those Jammie Dodgers please, those look delicious!

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  18. I have been on an unfriending spree. Mostly people I'm not actually friends with, haven't talked to in years, and maybe never even was friends with, just acquaintances. But last night, Michael's aunt posted that we need to stop whining because we lost and they had to endure 8 years of change. Michael said, "Don't go read it. Just unfriend her." So I gladly did just that. But I do kind of wish I had commented, "Like you haven't been bashing Obama for eight years? BYE!" before I did.

    I'm going to start a monthly donation to some organization. Right now I'm thinking PP, but I'm not totally sure yet.

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  19. Post-travel sickness is the worrrrrst.
    I feel like Europeans are better at travel, especially when it comes to trains.

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  20. For purely selfish reasons, I was sad you weren't around to endure the shitshow SEPTA strike. I for one would have enjoyed your witty repartee. That said, I'm glad you didn't have to commute, as most of my friends had nightmare stories!

    The people who are "accept the results and support your president-elect," are the same people who've said the most disgusting, vile things about President Obama. In basic bitch style.. I. Can'.t Even. I sickened by some of the people I learned were Trump supporters, and I had to lay off FB because I was getting nauseas. My only semi-political FB status was the wise words of Andy Dufresne- "How could you be so obtuse?" lol, and I don't think most people understood.

    I'm excited to catch up with you in 2-ish weeks! So happy you had a brilliant time! <3

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  21. I thought of you in Ireland as the elections played off on Tuesday, considering one of the comments you got from a person on your travels about Trump being a lunatic (or something to that effect). It's crazy but the entire world watches American politics...some take it lightly and some are so passionate about it even though they have no saying in voting. America is always in the spotlight so I'm sure your trip was VERY interesting with the conversations that came about.

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  22. I've been unfollowing and unfriending people. When I know what's actually in people's hearts, they can't be a part of my life. When they ask stupid, simplistic questions, they get stupid, simplistic answers. I loved your sentiment about silence being complicit. It's SO TRUE. I'm interested to see what our trip abroad holds in a few weeks.

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  23. Welcome back (it feels kind of strange to write that because I'm not sure the presidential outcome you came home to was much of a welcome). Hopefully you're settling back in and your life is full of power ballads and void of the Beibs.

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  24. Glad you're back and had a good trip! I can't imagine being in another country during the election. I'm sure they had trouble understanding that some of us are as baffled as they are. I'm also, apparently, completely incapable of setting this aside and moving on. Maybe next week I'll post something that isn't political.

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