I almost wound up flying to St. Louis today! Some journalism students were heading there for a conference and one of their chaperones dropped out at the last minute because of illness. The school sent out a desperate e-mail to faculty and staff looking for a replacement. I was ambivalent about volunteering, but I didn't want the trip to be jeopardized and I do have a journalism background, so I talked to Dave about it and then raised my hand. But I made clear to the dean that I'd never chaperoned an overnight trip before, and in the end, they found another teacher who was able to go. It's just as well.
The other teacher is a woman, as is the chaperone who dropped out, and I know they try to maintain a certain balance of men and women on these trips, so in addition to her experience that might have given her an edge.
I've just taken a quick look at the election results in the states. It looks like Fetterman pulled off a win for Pennsylvania's seat in the Senate, so that's good -- and Warnock is ahead in Georgia, though the race is tight. It doesn't look like the Republican "red wave" nightmare some were predicting, though it still astonishes me that so many people voted for Herschel Walker or Dr. Oz. And many races are still up in the air. Overall, things look positive at this early hour.
Of course my votes in Florida against "DeSanctimonious" and Rubio went nowhere, but I expected that. I'm usually on the losing side in Forida races, where Republicans dominate.
Dave's strep culture came back positive yesterday, so he did have strep throat. He feels better now, though. His doctor prescribed a few more days of antibiotics to be on the safe side, and I picked up that prescription for him last night. He's going back to work today.
When I told my co-workers about Dave's diagnosis, one said, "Strep! That's so contagious!" I read about it and sure enough, apparently it is quite contagious, and ever since I've been hypervigilantly monitoring my own throat for signs of scratchiness. Maybe it's just as well I didn't fly off to St. Louis! So far I feel fine, though.
(Photos: A fallen leaf near school, and a Waterlogue version of the same photo.)
Hoping that your throat stays strep free.
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting how that changes the image. I still prefer the real thing, or a real painting...but that's me, and is a useful graphics tool
Well, I'm glad Dave is at least feeling better now. Nice of you to offer your services for that trip. I'm stunned by the support for Walker and Oz. With candidates as bad as those two, the elections should be slam dunks.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was schoolkid - a very long time ago, 1960s - strep was considered the first sign of scarlet fever and your whole family had to go into quarantine if one kid got it. I believe the actual bacteria has weakened over the years and while it's still contagious, it is no longer a scary illness. Antibiotics can be wonder drugs.
ReplyDeleteI have been watching the mid-term election results too. As you suggest, it is verging on incredible that some of those ignorant right wing bozos attract any votes at all. It 's as if January 6th never happened and that Trump was right all along about the 20220 election being "stolen". America! America! Wherefore art thou?
ReplyDeleteI am completely NOT SHOCKED that DeSantis is going to be the governor again. I'm used to living in complete disdain of the governor but I fear for my dear ones who are LGBTGIA and some of them have already been discussing better places to live.
ReplyDeleteAt least nationally it's not quite as bad as it could have been.
We walked it back from the precipice here in Pennsylvania. I cannot tell you how much brighter this morning seems. Yesterday, I walked to the courthouse to vote and walked back. I couldn't bear to watch the television OR watch the computer. I spent the majority of the day cleaning my bedroom, and the rest of it making beef stroganoff for supper.
ReplyDeleteI love the water color thing that you did- without making a mess- cool ap!
ReplyDeleteStrep is one of the times I was the most miserable- DO NOT kiss Dave!LGBTGIA- whoa , how many letters can we fit on to that? De Santis is such an ass, Florida is fugged yet again.
Well, there is no figuring out the mind and actions of Republinuts ... I was so hoping the blues would wipe out the reds in a wide sweep, but some of the red MAGATs oozed through, however, it looks like we have the Senate and need more to hold the House!
ReplyDeleteIt appears to be good at the moment!
Strep is a bitch ... thank God for the drugs to fight it! Try not to get it!
https://lgbtqia.ucdavis.edu/educated/glossary and XYZ
ReplyDeleteGlad Dave is feeling better! My brother used to have strep regularly when we were little (like 4 and 5 years old), but I never got it from him (and we used to sleep together because we were afraid of the dark). It was a bit of a miracle - but I'd had my tonsils out so I think that was supposed to help.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I was on the wrong side of the votes on every race but one in my home state, I'm pretty pleased with the results of the nationwide races. It was nice to know that many of the Trump backed contenders lost and that it wasn't a clean sweep for the Republicans. I'm still holding out a little hope that they take control of the House and the Democrats control the Senate so that we can look forward to a couple years of compromise instead of tit for tat legislation. I know those of you farther to my left are probably disappointed with that as are those further to my right. But I'll be happy if it happens.
ReplyDeleteI have never had strep throat, which is fine with me. When my daughter was young, she had strep regularly. Somehow I never caught it from her but I was always worried I'd get hit with it. As you know, I am also on the losing side in Florida.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
I was so depressed yesterday worrying about the election but woke up to learn that things weren't as bad as predicted. Things in AZ are still up in the air but it's looking better than expected. Fingers crossed that it continues that way.
ReplyDeleteI read the news this morning and was so relieved to see that there wasn't a red wave. Yay! Insanity did not prevail.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad the antibiotics worked and Dave can go back to work tomorrow. I hope his recovery continues and all will be well.
Still counting votes but does look hopeful. Thanks voters!
ReplyDeleteI like how that app turns your photo into a watercolor-like pic. Amazing to me!
I miss your comments, Steve. What's up with that?
Glad that Dave is recovering. I've never had strep throat but I do know it's quite painful. Love that photo that was turned into a watercolour. I'm also glad Dr. Oz got beat. The man is a bit of a nutbar.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad the red wave wasn't, but I'm mourning the loss of Malinowski, an excellent congressman I worked for, to a truly shameful son of a wonderful father, Tom Kean. The result of redistricting which made the district heavily republican where it had been leaning democratic.
ReplyDeleteI had strep a few years ago, and my doctor asked if I worked with kids because that's how adults get it. I hope Dave recovers fast.
Just being a chaperone is iffy. Taking an overnight field trip is better if you are the organizer.
ReplyDeleteI've had strep one time in my life and it was as an adult. (I got it from my kids.) That was the worst sore throat I've EVER experienced! Of course the kids bounced back after 24 hours of an antibiotic, but my husband and I suffered for days!
ReplyDeleteI hope Dave quickly makes a full recovery! I have a feeling you'd already have it by now if you were going to get it.
Hi Steve, Dave and Olga. Oh well, we can't win them all. Governor Abbot (hot wheels they call him). and lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick have won another term. Here in Harris County we can go blue but I have to understand we can't speak for the entire state. By the way those polls are brain teasers for those I assume who doesn't have their own direction. Now we all know they are wrong. I've never believed them anyway and always focus on the real votes. They are paid to lie because they are only humanoids and can't see into the future. But the brain teaser suppose to steer someone to that person because as you know now everyone don't love a winner and money is not the answer. Unfortunately I wouldn't for someone because of all the money they are suppose to have. Trump is probably sitting somewhere crying his heart out.(lol) Maybe those trumpetts are beginning to see him for who he really is....a liar, mess maker and a thief. He is only pretending to run for President so his trumpetts can continue to send money to his campaign and he is living on those funds.
ReplyDeleteDeSanctimonious! I love it. Having just moved from NY to VT, it was interesting to see the differences both on the ballot and at the polls. I just made it under the line. I do hope you don't get strep - it's a nasty business.
ReplyDeleteSome of the results are just baffling. In Ohio, I can't believe JD Vance won. Perhaps if the Democratic party had spent some money there, things would have been different. It does look like Boebert lost, so that's just wonderful.
ReplyDeletethings could be better, but they could have been a lot worse. I do like your water color app.
It’s very transmissible
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I hope you avoid the strep. Yes, maybe good St.L fell through. but too bad, too.
ReplyDeleteWe were lucky in Michigan and I'm shocked. Not only did our governor, Sec. of State and AG get elected but for the first time in 40 years and only the second time in 100, we have a Democratic state house AND senate. I was pleased for Fetterman. Still holding my breath on the outstanding US Senate seats. They need 2 and three are undecided.
Take care!
The election result could have been so much worse. Once again my sympathy to the decent people of the US who want nothing to do with the Republicans and what the party has become.
ReplyDeleteI am glad that Dave finally got a diagnosis and that he is on the mend. And hopefully you won't get it! I have chaperoned overnight trips before. Not for the faint of heart!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad that Dave is improving since strep is miserable and very painful. I echo your relief about the election results; it was a mixed bag but more positive than I anticipated. I liked this explanation about why the polls were wrong: Young people would rather pick up a live grenade than answer a call from an unknown number. Thank you to our Millennials and Generation Z.
ReplyDeleteWell you missed out on a trip and hopefully you'll miss out on the strep throat too.
ReplyDeleteGZ: Oh, I would never suggest that Waterlogue could substitute for the work of a real artist. But as you said, it's a fun editing tool.
ReplyDeleteMitchell: EXACTLY! How could people vote for such terrible candidates?
Sabine: Oh, that's interesting about the bacteria weakening. I hadn't heard that. I thought we just kept it more under control now with modern medicine. I did know it was the cause of Scarlet Fever.
YP: To be fair, I've been asking "wherefore art thou" for years now. Ever since GWB, Guantanamo and the imaginary weapons of mass destruction. At least Obama was a brief return to sanity.
Ms Moon: It's appalling that a leading figure in government would espouse views denigrating any segment of the population. But I'm not surprised either.
Debby: Yeah, Pennsylvania really came through! I was impressed!
Linda Sue: I hate to sound like an old man, but I have lost track of LGBTQ and sometimes Y. I usually write LGBTQ+ which covers everything, but perhaps that's no longer ideal.
Marcia: I never really expected Dems to hold the House. We're doing much better than I feared we might!
Bug: Oh, I hadn't heard that about tonsils. Why would that help, I wonder? The tonsils are supposed to fight infection!
Ed: My concern with Repubs taking over the house is that we'll see a flurry of vengeful investigations and even impeachment attempts, which will just gum up the works even more.
Janie: Well, I'm encouraged to hear from people who have cohabitated with a strep patient and yet emerged without catching it!
Sharon: I'm impressed that Arizonans have (so far) held their own against the madness. I thought Kari Lake might be a shoo-in.
Robin: It's very promising, isn't it? It's a sign that most Americans don't want extreme Trumpism either.
Ellen D: It is an amazing app and very easy to use! Yeah, sorry about the comments. I will try to catch up, now that I know you're looking for them!
Pixie: He really IS a nutbar. (Good word! LOL)
Boud: Redistricting seems like dirty pool to me. The courts really need to intervene and stop this gerrymandering. Districts should be contiguous and contained, not spidery and sprawling.
Red: Oh, I don't know. That sounds like even MORE work!
Kelly: Dave said he's never felt so sick, which is saying something.
Angelicastar: I hope Trump is crying his eyes out! Isn't that a delicious image?! You're right about some polls, so-called "push polls" that are really meant to convince voters to go one way or another.
Susan: "DeSanctimonious" is what Trump called DeSantis. Apparently there's no love lost between those two. I would love to see them run against each other. They'd be like fighting dogs.
Allison: I don't know what to think about Vance. I read his book years ago and enjoyed it -- he seems like a smart, sensible guy. I suspect he's playing the MAGA part because he thinks he needs to in order to win. (And I'm sure he's sympathetic to some MAGA issues, like the proliferation of Opioids.)
John: GREAT.
Jeanie: Yeah, Michigan really came through with flying colors! Pretty amazing!
Andrew: Well, if this election shows anything, I think it shows widespread skepticism about the Trump agenda. Biden is not a popular president and yet people continued to back his party, which is unusual in a midterm.
Michael: Ha! I can only imagine. I'm kind of glad I didn't go.
Margaret: That is an interesting explanation! I almost never get unsolicited calls here. It's a refreshing change from the USA.
River: Yeah, that's a trip I DON'T need to be on!
Yeah, I'm worried about the mass of investigations aspect too. But it has been non-stop investigations for how long now so perhaps it will just feel like par for the course. What a strange time we live in?
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