Hope Springs Eternal

With our vacation finally coming to a close, I have been keeping a close eye on President Obama these last several days. I don't know about all of you, but I am a little overwhelmed by the sense of "finally!". I am blown away by the following events, which have happened in just the last five weeks:

* Obama signs legislation to require equal pay for men and women performing the same job.
* Obama orders the closure of Guantanamo Bay
* Obama presents a federal budget that includes the true costs of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, raises taxes on wealthy people, closes corporate tax loopholes, and looks to the long term
* Obama discloses an exit strategy for Iraq
* Biden kicks of the Middle Class Task Force, with a strong focus on green jobs as the way to create economic renewal
* Obama signs the ARRA, designed to help us all by investing in schools, green jobs, etc.

The list goes on, of course. I'm certainly not saying that he's doing everything right, or that all of this will work, but I am impressed with his course of action, and his clear commitment to trying something different. As my friend Karl frequently reminds me: "You know what the definition of insanity is, right? When you keep trying the same thing over and over again hoping for different results!" Well, we're trying something different and hoping for different results.

I want to make sure that everyone out there is aware of how to learn more about all this stuff. The www.whitehouse.gov website is updated daily with the goings on of the Administration, including a blog, a link to the Office of Public-Liason (where you can send an email to the Administration), and the text of signed legislation, Obama's speeches, press releases, Executive Orders, and Presidential Proclamations. Don't forget about the site www.recovery.gov, where you can track how the money from the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act is being spent. I personally am enjoying the experience of reading this stuff unfiltered by the media. What if we all did that?

I'm looking forward to starting home-based blogs again next week after we get home on Monday :)

Ski Powder

We're still on vacation, and we are in the thick of our month-long ski bum life. We have been blessed with several days of snow after a particularly dry January. Today is the first sun we've seen in about four days. It's lovely conditions out there! Several folks on the chair lift have said that the Farmer's Almanac is calling for 17 feet of snow this February! Who knows, there is snow in the forecast every day but tomorrow as far as they're predicting. I'm having to learn to ski powder. I thought I had it until this morning, the 18 inches was a little much for my weakling coast legs, and my bindings, which are showing serious signs of wear. I do hope I'll figure it out so I can take advantage of that feeling of lightness and flying without so many falls and exhausting attempts to right myself!

Ella is becoming a skier in her own right. We've gotten her out on the snow almost every day we've been here, and she begs for more when we're done for lunch! We got her on the lift the second day, and she can ski short distances without any assistance. She just hasn't figured out how to slow down on her own yet. We keep reminding her to "make a pizza wedge, honey!", but I think she needs to develop a little more leg strength.

Looking forward to more powder! Yeeehawww!