protests and budgets and boxing

Second day of no school.
Teachers (and most of Madison) are mad at our new Governor.
They are calling in sick to protest.  Not enough teachers = no school.
I feel like I'm missing out.

If I were working still at the County (where I was for the bulk of my career), I'd be down at the capitol, chanting and marching and sign-holding with the rest of my union brethren.

If I were at home full time with my kids, I'd be taking them up to the capitol for a real-life civics lesson, showing them democracy at work.

But instead, I'm in this weird limbo spot.  Working (part-time, not permanent, one foot in/one foot out).  Worrying about who will take care of my kids so I can get in, complete my duties, and earn my money.  Missing out on the demonstrations and protests and excitement going on a mere couple of miles away.

I've been calling my old-work friends, looking for their stories.

I've been looking at everyone's pictures on facebook.

I've been reading the editorials in the paper, listening to the smart people on NPR, trying to understand how all of this budget stuff works and what it means.

(You know how they talk of budgets - at least the federal budget - as being in the trillions?  I have no idea how to conceptualize what a trillion dollars means.  Until this.  I recently heard that 1 trillion dollars is to 1 million dollars as 1 million dollars is to (ready for this? you'll be shocked) 1 dollar.  Think about that.  Crazy.)

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In other news, I've been working out in the mornings before work.  I've been doing Billy Blanks videos on you tube.  This morning, I thought, as I was punching and jabbing away, "hey, I think I missed my calling as a boxer!" and then a couple of minutes later I caught sight of myself in the reflection of the window and realized, "wow!  I TOTALY hit like a girl!"

My sweat has now dried and I'm cold.  Off to the showers.