Facebook Recipes

    Lately, Facebook has been filled with yummy looking recipes. Not many of the recipes are low-cal either! Today I printed off four interesting ones and hubby Dale & I went grocery shopping. Home and $100 poorer I decided to make two of them. (Would have liked to have tried that one with the chocolate chip cookie dough, peanut butter cups and brownie mix, but sanity prevailed.) I opted for the Crock Pot Beer Chicken and the Baked Zucchini Fries.

   Whatever possessed me to try a recipe for beer and chicken I can't say. While at the store we looked to buy a single can of beer. I have never learned to like beer. Dale likes it okay but is more a Sapphire & Tonic kind of guy. We had to do a bit of searching at the store to find a single can that we could buy. $2 for a large can of beer. The recipe was for 2 lbs of chicken breasts, so I put a number of breasts in the crockpot, thinking we could use the cooked meat in other recipes. It also called for garlic powder, and a tbsp. of oregano. Hmmmmm. Oregano and beer - that should have been a clue. Mid-afternoon my house started having a distinctive yeasty aroma. I kind of enjoyed the smell, thinking of breweries, Germany, pubs.... By 4pm I commented that I thought the house smelled kind of good. Dale said he thought it smelled........interesting.

    5:30 found me slicing zucchinis into long strips for the zucchini fries. The recipe called for Shake & Bake, shredded Parmesan and a whisked egg. Dip the zucchini in the egg and then shake them in the topping of Shake n Bake with the cheese added to it and then lay them on a baking sheet. Dale came out to help me and I asked him to get out an egg and the cheese. I didn't specify and he assumed the cheese went into the egg mixture. That made the egg mixture clumpy and once into the Shake n Bake bag, the powdery topping just adhered to the cheese/egg and not to the zucchinis. The powdered topping became more clumps of cheese and egg. I finally gave up and just put the plain zucchini on the baking sheet and tried to de-clump the orange looking globs of cheese/egg/topping over them.

     I haven't tasted Shake n Bake in years. But, a fat glob of it baked into a somewhat solid orange mass held together with egg and cheese is not too appetizing. Yuck. This was not a bad recipe - it was our mess up for not following it. As for the chicken - I swear I only put the 1 tablespoon of oregano into the slowcooker, but each breast was covered with it - you would swear there was over a cup of oregano in the pot. The beer made it multiply, I swear. The only thing good I can say about the chicken is that it was moist. Dale and I had dinner. With many sips of water in between bites. Shake n Bake clumps, oregano/beer topping, naked zucchini. What possessed me?

The wonderful news (not) is I have lots more beer soaked chicken to use in other recipes. Dale suggested something Mexican that we can use LOTS OF SPICES on.

As soon as dinner was over, I dispatched him to Starbucks to buy a Frappuccino to get the taste out of my mouth, while I Fabrezed the entire house to rid it of the smell of a rank brewery. (I was really wishing I had made the cookie dough-peanut butter cup-brownies.) Remember those commercials for Frabreze where they took blind-folded people to a dump sprayed with Frabreze and the people thought they were taken to a flower garden? Hah! My house smells like a pub with flowers.

I have the groceries for two more recipes. Wish me luck. But first we are having very spicy chicken tacos.

Frogging Again

I swear.  Sometimes I feel like I frog every knitting project I do, at least 3 times before I have it finished. Or I have it completely finished and want to frog it.  There are my second pair of fingerless mittens that I knit for my step-daugher, Keri.   I, inadvertantly, made two right mittens and didn't notice until I had completely finished which included adding on the thumb.  Frogged and did over.  My Wingspan, which I started on a cruise - got halfway through and decided that it looked like a short ruffle around my neck, so I completely frogged it and re-did making it larger.   I almost completed it again all while on that one cruise.  Actually, it seems like most projects takes me several tries before I am happy with the width or length.   My first sock was completely frogged after 8 inches because I didnt like the ribbing pattern I followed.   Then there are the projects completed that I just don't like and want to re-use the yarn.  I made a beautiful 'Different Lines' shawl by Vera Valamaki.   It's beautiful.  I used a black soft squishly Shepherd's Wool that I bought in St. Charles, Mo. along with a Dream in Color 'Starry' that is cream with a subtle sparkle.  It's lovely.   But I find the asymetrical aspect of it a little hard to wear.   It will be a pain to frogged the stripes, but the yarn is too lovely not to use.   In fact, I have a whole tote bag full of completed projects that I want to re-use the yarn.  Case in point - this Jamie Shawl.

I have wanted to make this shawl since I first saw it at a knitting guild meeting.  I bought the pattern.  It calls for a quivet yarn which makes this shawl (which takes a considerable amount of yarn) quite expensive.  The one I saw was in a cashmere blend.   I was in Victoria, B.C. and saw the wonderful Punta Mericash in just the color I wanted.  But I didn't have the pattern with me and was unsure of how much to purchase.   I bought 4 skeins.   Once home I realized that I didn't buy enough.  So I ordered some yarn from Knit Picks ( was given a gift card from there).  But they didn't have the color I really had in mind for this project.  The yarn arrived and it has sat in a zip lock bag for two years now as I never thought it was the right color.   Then I saw the Guernsey pattern by Stephen West.  (or is it Jared Flood?)  It's a lovely stole-type shawl (as is the Jamie) and features various celtic-type patterns in  rows along the shawl length.  We were on a long cruise over to Ireland and Scotland and I thought this was the perfect pattern to work on and use during this trip.  And a perfect project for my soft Punta Mericash.   I worked and completely finished the beautiful project.  However, I felt the stole was too skinny and not long enough.   At least for my body to use as a stole.  It felt more a wide scarf width.  I didn't like it - but it was beautiful to look at.   The stole sat there.

On another trip, we were back in Victoria (I have never seen Punta yarn anywhere else.   I wandered around but couldn't find the Punta.  I finally asked and was told that the manufacturer has burned to the ground and was currently out of business.   They might have any remaining Punta yarn on their clearance rack.  They did and, luck was with me, the one skein they had was in my Mericash and my color.   I bought it.  

Once home I completely frogged the Guernsey stole.  I re-figured how to add the pattern rows or sections (one section needed to be the middle section) in order to make it longer.  To make it wider was easy.    I began again and completely finished my Guernsey.   And it still didn't feel like the correct width to length stole.   I knew I would never wear it as it was.

I frogged it again.   I have knit miles and miles of stitches now and had nothing but pictures of my finished work.  

The yarn has sat another year or longer as has the Jamie pattern and the yarn I bought to make it.

Finally a month or two ago I looked on Ravelry and found a handful of people with the Punta yarn in their stash.  None of them offered this color up for sale, but I PM'd one of them and she agreed to sell me her two skeins.  They have arrived and now at last I think I have enough for the Jamie shawl.

Because this is not the yarn recommended in the pattern, I did a swatch, using the number 7 needles recommended.   My swatch was way  WAY large.   I went down to a 5 needle and then to a size 4.  With the 4 I made the gauge, maybe  little short in row length.   But I was a bit worried, as when you go down to a smaller needle, you are also using more yarn to make the same amount of fabric.   

I decided perhaps I should out two rows of the cables in order to made a thinner shawl so I could make the length.  Started and got a little further than the first cable.   HOWEVER,  while my swatch showed me to be perhaps a little short in length gauge, my actual shawl was WAY short in length.  Gauge was 26 rows equals 4 inches.  My shawl was now 42 rows at 4 inches.  OH NO.  while the fabric is soft and squishy and perfect, there is no way I am going to have enough yarn to make a stole length.  I took a quick picture before I frogged.  Yes, frogged once again.  This yarn has been so frogged so many times.   

I am beginning again with a size 6 needle.  I don't want to take out any more of the cable rows, so am going to cross my fingers and try again.    I my have to write another knitter on Ravelry and see if I can score any more of the Punta yarn.   

 

Let's hope I like the finished shawl, if and when I ever get this knitted.

Quiet Time in a Hotel

I am sitting in a beautiful room in the San Francisco Westin hotel. My hubby is at the Stanford football game and he had a ticket for me. And even though I am retired and have time at home, there is something about the quiet of a nice hotel room that appealed to me. At home, there is this chore or that project looking at me. Here I can just sit at this pretty desk, type on my laptop, surf the web, watch silly television shows, stretch out on a comfy bed and relax in the quiet. I have a glass of wine with me and it is sheer bliss. There is a station on the telly that is just the sight and sounds of nature. A sunset in Hawaii, a stream in the snow, butterflies on a bush. It is a digital station and the picture and color are breathtaking. I am just going to watch it tonight to go to sleep. How I wish I had that station at home.

Physical Self and Dieting

Gosh I get down about my weight. I blamed my weight on having an office position. I sat at a desk in front of a computer for years and years and years. Even since I was 17 years old. Other people gain weight on vacation,not me. I always lost weight. I said it was because I was up and moving and walking and walking and walking - site seeing. It was so different than sitting hour after hour. Many days I would walk during lunch. I didn't have a big lunch most days. Just a heat your soup in a small can. The girls would meet and have sandwiches and crackers and bread and chips. Not me. Just pull the lid off a small can and heat in the microwave. But I was the heavy one. I would try a diet and lose 6 lbs and stop. I tried Weight Watchers 3 times. Lost 6 lbs and nothing else. I went to Curves for a year - 4 times a week. Other women would lightly walk at the stations inbetween the machines. I would run in place until the sweat would drip off me. They talked about how they dropped 20 lbs. and I stayed the same. Curves had a diet club that you paid a little extra. You received the Curves diet and followed it. It was more a low carb diet. I followed it to a T. To a T. I never cheated once. Not once. I gained 13 lbs. in one week. No kidding. Honest. Easy for me to decide that low carb was not the diet for me.

I did Nutrisystem and did finally lose 25 lbs. last year. It took forever and I finally went off it as I was sooo tired of that taste in tomato sauce for dinners. 15 pounds slowly came back on. Despite the fact I also bought the Leslie Sasone Walk at Home DVD's and faithfully did either the 3 or 4 mile walk - with the stretchy band - 4-5 times a week.

For awhile I did the Wii Fit instead of the Walk at Home. I would run that Wii Fit Island over and over and over. So that I was running it for an hour a day. Then I would 'play' on the other games. But the running was my favorite. But the weight was creeping back up and I decided I wasn't getting the same workout I did with the Leslie Sasone Walk At Home. I went out and bought some new Walk at Home DVD for a change in the routines. One of them used hand weights and I did it frequently. But nothing helped.

Now I have the EA Active for the Wii. Ihave completed my first 30 day challenge at the Easy level. Now I am half way through my second 30 day challenge at the medium level. I do feel it is doing some good. When I started the EA Active I couldn't do one squat without using a chair and the bed to get down. Now I do all of them - sometimes I complete several workouts in a row so some days I am doing 30+ squats a day. I can get down just fine. I didn't used to be able to do lunges. Now I lunge fine. I am sure I could get lower yet with them - I am careful with my knees. But I can now do lunges - and a lot of them for the first time in many years. I do think I can see some arm improvement. But my elephant trunk thighs are still the same.
And my weight has creeped up until I have gained almost all the weight back.

In short, I think I work out and am physically more active than the average person. When I work out, I am dripping with sweat. My heart rate is up. I am not filling up with candy, cookies or chips. I have salads and eat fairly light. I am not saying I am a saint, diet wise. But I am not eating horribly. A bowl of cereal almost everyday. If I go to Starbucks for brekkie, I get either the oatmeal or the granola/yoghurt. I have a decaf non fat grande latte. For lunch, it is either a salad or I still have some of the Nutrisystem cuppy things. If I am out, I admit to a chicken burrito but that is maybe once a month or less. I am not a saint, but we aren't eating out a lot. or eating that badly when out. We don't have desserts out.

In short, I know I could do better in the diet, but I don't think I am doing that badly. Plus I think I work out and exercise far more than a lot of people. I don't think I should be gaining weight. In fact, I think some of it should be coming off. My husband doesn't exercise like I do. My kids do not exercise like I do. My girlfriends do not exercise like I do. I don't understand why the weight and fat just clings to me. I am a size 1x. My waists are getting tighter.

Here is my routine. In the mornings I clean house and do some project items. Then a light lunch. Then I work out for at least an hour for the afternoons. ( I retired last spring.) Then it is relaxation, playing on the wii, watching tv, etc. Then dinner - fairly early.

I do have a latte (decaf, non-fat) everyday. I do have a glass of red wine 3 or 4 days a week.
I think I should record everything I put past my lips during a week and see if there are any surprises.

But I confess, I get really down about it. I don't like the way I feel now, nor the way I look. It makes me want to stay home. Because I am not happy with me. I don't feel I look good, even if my hubby thinks I do. I am neat - not a sloppy person in appearance. I think I am fairly fashionable. My hair is neat and I wear makeup and have great jewelry. I never look like a slob. But I feel it inside. And it permeates everything. I stress and stress about it.

So I need to figure out what I can do to make it change. Somewhere I have got to find a diet plan that works for me.

I'll let you know.

Travels again

Well, let's see...since I last blogged I have been traveling as well. Aruba, Columbia, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Mexico. Then to Bermuda, Wales, England, Ireland, Scotland, France, Spain, Italy, Corsica, Gibraltar. Last week to Vancouver, Canada where I am heading again day after tomorrow. Soon back to Mexico and in the Spring, back to the Far East. I love to travel.

Travels

My hubby and I were talking about travels we have taken. I am amazed by all the places I have been in the last 14 years. I never dreamed I would have ever traveled out of the country. I remember growing up in a medium sized city in Illinois, listening to the song, "If you're going to San Franciso...". I couldn't imagine ever traveling that far. It seemed like everything was happening in the west and here I was stuck in the Midwest. Now I live near San Francisco and have traveled so many places. I remember the first time I flew over - that is FLEW OVER Japan. We could see the lights of Japan from the air. I started crying. My husband wanted to know what was wrong? I told him I couldn't imagine ever actually being in this place. Mind you it was later when we actually did visit Japan. I can't remember where we were flying to on this particular trip. I remember once when we were driving around the Tahoe area and we decided to take along my mother and my daughter to Germany with us on a trip. Once again, the tears started. I couldn't imagine in my youth ever actually going to Germany, the land of my mother's ancestors. And now I was, and I was taking my mother with me. And my daughter too! My husband could sing that song from Aladdin to me. "I could show you the world..." because he has certainly done so. He had broadened my horizons. I am more aware of what is going on in countries that I never knew existed before. I pay more attention to world news. When I am overseas, I watch Reuters news on the television, and they show news from ALL over the world. I think actually most countries of the world see more of what is going on in ALL the world. Here in the US, we seem to only see the US news. Naturally, the US news is what is most important to us. But, I feel we need to be less isolationists, and be aware of what is taking place elsewhere in the world. We don't see that in our US network news. My friends in Australia can tell me all that is going on in the US as much as I know. I couldn't know what is going on there? At least not from our national news networks. They know how our election works as well as I do. I wish I could say the same about theirs. I know more than I used to. But what is going on in Malaysia and Sumatra? In Japan? etc. I come home from each overseas trip vowing to follow the world news more and keep track of what is happening elsewhere. Then I fall into the habit of just watching the television news and before you know it, I have no idea of what is going on elsewhere. Only the little bits we hear here and there. My newly found world awareness slowly fades until the next trip.

I used the reasoning that I grew up in a smaller city in the midwest and that was why I didnt know much about countries elsewhere. I mean California seemed foreign to me and couldn't imagine ever going there. But I have found that we just don't know much about the rest of the world period, no matter where we live. If someone comments on a bag I am carrying and I say I bought it Kuala Lumpur, they seem flabberghasted that KL would have a store that carries a well-known brand. They have no idea that KL is a HUGE city with more fancy department stores than San Francisco. But 20 years ago, I wouldn't have known that either.

Oh the things I have seen and done in the last 14 years. It amazes me. I have been the luckiest girl. I hope my children get to see more of the world. My daughter has some overseas trips under her belt and my son too, during his service years. But I hope they can continue to travel and open their horizons and minds to all the world.

I have been to Canada and Mexico. Amazingly Mexico only recently.
Alaska (only recently) and Hawaii. I have been to Midway Island which not many people have had that pleasure. What a treat. The most amazing white white white beaches. The most beautiful beaches I have ever seen. And all the gooney birds everywhere. You had to watch not to step on them. That will be the subject of another post some day.

I have been to Australia a number of times. Sydney and Melbourne, of course. But Brisbane and Cairns, Darwin in the North shore and Aledaide down south. Went to wineries in McLaren Vale out of Adelaide and loved it. Crossed the Great Australian Bight and visited Perth.

I've been to Bali and would love to go again. This was before the bombing of the night club.

I've been to Tahiti and Bora Bora. Beautiful but HOT. Had a drink at Bloody Mary's in Bora Bora. Le Truck.

I've been to Singapore 3-4 times. I love this place. Shopping! Having a Singapore Sling at Raffles in a tradition. One of the easiest subway systems to get around. Going late winter is better climate. Best place to buy electronics. Wonderful Chinatown. So colorful. Think of Rodeo Drive times 10.

Japan, The Great Buddha. Right in a neighborhood. Some people there wake up in the morning and look out their bedroom window upon that peaceful face. Walked up many stairs to an ancient temple not far from there. Actually went to several temples not far from there. Remember all the small statues of Buddhas, one after another. Thousands of them. Riding the trains and subways there. Climbing the many stairs. Once again buying electronics. Next trip I am bringing home a fancy toilet seat. haha. Sleeping in a traditional bedroom suite with mats on the floor, low tables and chairs, sliding rice paper doors and duvets on the floor to sleep on. Wonderful experience, but hard on our backs. :) Eating from street vendors and having no idea of what we bought. Would go again in a heartbeat.

Hong Kong - have been many times and would go again and again and again and again. Luckily my hubby knows it well and we walk and walk and walk. The jade market, the bird market, Stanley market (shoes!), seeing the men go to restaurants for the noon meal, but the women spread little picnics wherever they are and eat outside. Pull out mats and food from shopping bags from fancy stores. Again, Rodeo Drive multiplied by 1000. Night Markets. Getting eye glasses there. The Marklin train shop - a tradition. Buying my strand of real pearls. Took days before they were ready. Going to see another Great Buddha. Hong Kong Disneyland!!!!!!
The Disneyland train. The Marriott hotel where we stay with the wonderful vista overlooking HK harbor. I can close my eyes and see it to the nth detail. The star ferries. My mahjong players in the building across the way. Repulse Bay. I could go on and on.

Thailand. The most picturesque food. Night markets. Witty cab drivers. We have been several different places in Thailand and want to go more. Bangkok is always a treat.

Taiwan. The changing of the guard. The huge hotel.

Korea. Walking everywhere. Buying my suitcase. Being in a mall when some young Korean rock star group was playing and everyone was going crazy, screaming and carrying on. We had no idea who they were of course, but it was fun to watch. Street vendors. The wonderful hotel.

Macau. Walking, walking, walking. The children getting out of school. All the little shrines near every doorway. St. Paul ruins. The hotel where we ate lunch on the balcony. Old old hotel.

Malaysia - Kuala Lumpur - the twin towers. Magnificent. Once again, Rodeo Drive times 1000. Starbucks! Shopping for bags. That wonderful street. The vendor chasing me down the block to buy an Estee Lauder perfume. We have been 3 times and I would go again anytime. Beautiful city. Kelang. Dale teaching a class of Starbucks employees on the spur of the moment. Unbelievable. They were so amazing.

New Caledonia (Numea) Old French speaking city.

Il' de Pine - picturesque island with white beaches. Cracking coconuts on a tree knob and drinking the milk. My first taste of Pastis. Buying a basket just weaved by a native lady. picking up shells only to have hermit crabs crawling around our room all night. Put them back in the water the next day.

Vauatu - drinking with the natives. What was that stuff?

Sri Lanka. Guns in the port. Walking out of the mall to see men with uzi's in the street.
Taking a tut-tut around. Not feeling too safe.

India. Wonderful Bombay. going to a local market and through the sari market. Walls of colorful silks. The most amazing place. Silks hanging everywhere in every color possible. Many shot with gold. Amazing. The mass of humanity. The people on the street. Were they dead? The trees filled with pigeons. The topiaries. The steers in the street. The men pulling wagons themselves in the street. The people. The beggars. Chocin India. The colorful seaside.

Sinai. The most cosmopolitan place I have ever been. The clear clear seas. The hooka bars.
The desert. The yachts from everywhere in the world. The tourists from everywhere in the world. And yet, a sense of the holy mountain and the sandy hills just like the pictures in my Bible's and childhood catechism books. Just like it was pictured. The land of Moses. Mixed emotions. I could feel a sense of religious there. And yet see a string bikini, and a black burka next to it. One of the most amazing places I have ever been. Sharm el Shek,Egypt.

Cairo. Oh, Cairo. My amazement but disappointment in the pyramids. Not with the structures but with the Egyptian government which is letting these things go to ruin. They speak like they are so concerned but they let vendors and tourists climb all over them. The place was filthy. Every depression in the ground was filled with paper cups and wrappers and trash. No bins around. Vendors were allowed to assault the tourists. In your face so much that you couldnt' look at what you had come so far to see. disgusting. The Sphinx. Much smaller than expected but at least here, the vendors weren't allowed and it was kept pristine. Some palace - beautiful place but again the government is allowing it to fall into ruin. hadn't been dusted in years. Filthy. Won't be there in another 100 years. Egypt needs to protect these items. Cairo. Sailing the Nile in a Felluca. Cairo. The poor poor donkeys everywhere being abused. Broke my heart. The bombed out looking buildings everywhere. The City of the Dead. The masses of humanity. And I thought Mumbai was crowded. Cairo. I won't be back. I won't recommend it. But it was interesting. Seeing camels in the field working like a steer here, pulling a plow. But usually it was a poor small donkey carrying an overwhelming load. Depressing.

Greece. The Parthenon. Amazing. Egypt could learn a lot from you Greece. How to treat your antiquities. Athens. The most amazing jewelry from anywhere in the world. I will go back here sometime before my life is over. And I am gonna buy more jewelry when I do. ;-P

Rome - catching the train in. Seeing the Pope. What a unexpected delight. The Sistine Chapel. Buying my mother a rosary there. Dale getting his pocket picked on the subway by a young gypsy girls. The Trevi Fountain. The Spanish Steps. Almost missing the train back.

Paris - The naked girl playing ping pong statue on the way to Notre Dame. The Pont Neuf. The Champ Elysees. The public toilet on the Champ Elysees that had us laughing so hard. Kara buying a baguette because it was the thing to do.

Politics

Oh my gosh, politics. Do I want to tackle this subject? Can I say I hate politics? But you can't get away from it. No matter what country you live in. But here in the United States, I hate the way we have evolved. Somewhere, sometime, in the last 15 years, I feel our government servants stopped working for us, and only work for themselves. Suddenly everything, I mean, EVERYTHING, became party and politics. The left and right no longer even attempted to work together. If the Democrats suggested something, the Republicans hated it and visa versa. Here is California, in the state government, it has become ludicrous. One Democrat state rep did not vote as the rest of her party voted, and they kicked her out of her office. I mean literally made her move out of her office in Sacramento just because she voted her conscious and not the way the party told her too!

But everything now is so political. Everything is either left or right. And someone is either loved or hated based on whether that individual is Democrat or Republican. For example, QVC just announced that Elizabeth Hasselbeck is coming with a line of clothing. My word, the forums just went crazy. "I hate her! How could QVC do this?" and other ruder comments. "I won't watch! She is so awful." No matter that the woman has a background in fashion as a shoe designer and later hosted a television show on fashion. Fashion is her background. But the comments and horror of her coming on the QVC network with a line of clothing were outrageous. And all of it based on the fact she is a Republican. She voices a Republican point of view on the television show "The View". The majority of forum commentors did not care that she had a background in fashion. They absolutely did not want to watch her or see her, only because she was Republican. What does her political leanings have to do with it? I would hate to have my career be judged on how I voted or if I leaned right or left. Why did it even come into play? What did it have to do with her designing a fashion line?

I have to admit that most of the screaming that takes place does so within my party, the Democratic party. NBC, CBS, NPR all report with a leftish slant. A Democratic leaning. Those stations are very biased towards the left. But you do not hear many complaints about it. Fox Broadcasting takes a middle of the road, with some programs more to the right. Oh my gosh, the outrage you hear voiced about the Fox Broadcasting channel is everywhere! I feel it is more in the middle than any of the other networks that I mentioned above. But the fact it doesn't report with our Democratic leaning as the others is shouted about to the rooftops!

Back to Hasselbeck. Why is it that she is the one voice people complain about? The rest of the hostesses on "The View" all are Democrats. No one complains about them. Joy and Whoopie (and Rosie before them) can make all the comments they want, outshout the others and no one thinks a thing. Whoopie Goldberg and Joy Mehar both were on QVC. Nothing was mentioned about them. But Hasselbeck comes and the screaming begins. Why? What has it to do with fashion? Why are people defined by their political leanings and why are we tearing ourselves (and our country) apart by trying to box every one in as left or right, republican or democrat.

I live in the SF Bay Area. I would be frightened to place a republican sign in my yard for fear my house would be set on fire. I would be frighted to place a republican bumper sticker on my car for fear it would be vandalized. I wouldn't do either of those things because I am a Democrat. But the point is - why are we so polarized?

What has happened to us? I do not like the way we (the people of the US) are changing in this manner.

If I were a young actor or actress in the US, and wanted to make it. I wouldn't tell my political leanings. For if they happened to be Republican, I would be shunned and never make it. Why? What does your political leanings have to do with whether or not you were a good actor? But that is how bad it has become.

I wish we could start trying to all work together. I wish our government's servants would try to work together. Here in California, the separatization between the Dem's and Rep's has the state budget in a stranglehold. Agencies are going out of business, people are suffering, and yet those we elected won't change their votes or even attempt to work out a solution to the point that schools, cities, homes for the elderly, etc. etc. etc. are going under. But the PARTY is the everything, no matter the outcome.

If America doesn't change this separatization, I think we will go down. It scares me. What has happened to us?