Oh, ugh, Dana.

A rant: When we travel, we sometimes book transfers or tours. Every time, I ask whether or not they can accommodate my daughter's booster seat (having the right kind of seatbelt). Sometimes they say they can, and then show up with a car/van that can't. I refuse to let her ride, and my husband gives me the stink-eye. We are booking transfers and tours now in Chile, I looked up the laws, and the agent is telling me that she doesn't need a car seat (wrong), and that anyway she's sure it will be fine. Nope. I'm a law librarian; I can look up the laws and I'm sure I'm correct. Also, confirm the seat belts, because I will consider it a breach of contract if they show up with something in which she can't legally ride.

I don't think following the law on this issue is being unreasonable, but everyone looks at me like I'm making trouble.

I feel like I'm coming unhinged. I am just seething with rage.

Yikes. Did something happen?

Sold the last of Hubby's guns, glad to not have the responsibility for those any more. The gun store was busy--apparently going to the range is a popular Veterans Day activity--but no one was spouting off politically. Limbaugh was on the shop radio, but it was obviously just (toxic) background noise. The only gun I have now is my own, and I've changed my mind about selling it. Time to clean it and get back in practice.

The jury in the local police stop murder trial have been deliberating for about 20 hours over 3 days, and they told the judge at noon that they couldn't come to a unanimous decision. She sent them back in to deliberate more and basically said "Figure it out."

So the news is at the court, because the jury had another question -- wanting to know if the police officer literally said the words "You're under arrest" before the man he killed allegedly tried to flee. The judge said she can't answer something that wasn't presented at the trial, and sent them back in to keep deliberating. It's after 5:00 on a holiday Friday. This is weird.

What's kind of freaky is that when the judge and jury went in for that question, there were 8 deputies standing in the middle of the courtroom, between the table for the defense and the table for the prosecution and all the families. I feel like they're expecting an acquittal or a hung jury.

Holy shit, y'all! I just found out that a friend of mine in NYC dated Trump decades ago. She is terrified by the prospect of him being President—unsurprisingly, he had a monstrous ego and was a complete asshole way back then.

Holy shit! I found out earlier this year that my cousin-in-law was one of the many journalists who got SPY magazine sued by the Donald back in the early 90s (he wrote the fabulous Ivanarama! article that introduced the verbal tic of "the Donald"! and the two of you who actually followed this shit as obsessively as I did will know what I'm talking about!), but that's nowhere near the same level of creepy or Holy Shit as OMG DATING. And yet, still far too few degrees of separation for my taste.

I feel like I'm coming unhinged. I am just seething with rage.

I'm so sorry, Glam. I am right there with you. It is all too much. DH felt he had to drive me to Ft. Lauderdale today for my dentist appt because he didn't think I was well enough to drive. I didn't argue.

Holding close the things and people I hold dear. Buffistas. My DH and kids. Focus only on the positive and continue my news blackout. About to go for Thai with son and his GF and her Cuban mom in the bluest community in the area. And drink sake.

You are clearly in the right, Sparky1