And then here. It was an awesome night. John McCain’s rally was all kinds of exciting. (It may not look so exciting from the picture, but this was the best I could do, since all the good pictures online were locked into flash slideshows.)  I saw the future leader of the free world. Commander in Chief. El Presidente. O Captain, my Captain. (I could go on, but I’ll stop there. You get the point.)

Interestingly, there was a band of Ron Paul supporters outside the event. They were friendly enough as we walked in, but as we were leaving they started haggling us. It wanted to make me say “My candidate can beat yours up!” Or perhaps “Go support a candidate who has a chance!” Maybe not the most mature response… Good thing I kept my mouth shut. But just as we were crossing the street away from them, one of Ron Paul’s cronies yelled “Jesus loves you!” I appreciate that. I know He does. But I also know that He loves the unborn babies that Ron Paul supports abortion for - the same ones that John McCain fights to defend.

I’m off my soap-box now. Did I mention that I saw John McCain? In person. Sure, it was through a crowded room, barely close enough for me to make out which one he was. But we were in the very same room. O Captain, my Captain…

Wanna know who I just got off the phone with? The county commissioner. He’s also the local head of the John McCain campaign. And guess what - they called me to ask if I’d volunteer! Apparently big brother really IS watching. To be fair, I registered on McCain’s website as a supporter, so in their plea to round up volunteers they called me. Me! (I feel so loved!)

I might actually be volunteering with the campaign sometime between now and Super Tuesday, and I hope they’re smart enough not to put me on the phone. Because the reasons I support the man have more to do with gut feeling and “I read something once somewhere that really convinced me” than with any strong arguments or the ability to have an intelligent conversation about it.

So it kind of boils down to a few things for me. His life story speaks for itself - he’s shown more dedication to this country than any candidate in recent history (except, perhaps, Colin Powell when he ran a few elections ago). He and his family have been willing to give all for this nation for generations. He also has the political experience, respect, and connections to be the leader of the free world. And he has a strong record of defending what’s right - even if it isn’t popular, or if the big money industries don’t agree. In fact, that may be why his campaign has had a harder time with finances. Unlike some other presidential candidates, McCain doesn’t court big industry or sell his vote for the sake of popularity or money. He has integrity. And balance too. He recognizes the importance of environmental concerns, but makes decisions with a great deal of wisdom, balancing all sides of the issue. And you know what else? He’s not afraid to break the status quo. He’s come up with some pretty inventive solution, even if it meant challenging ‘the way things have always been done.’

Well, that’s enough for my political soap box. I’ll cry if McCain doesn’t win the nomination. Really. I was devastated when he dropped out of the election 8 years ago, I don’t know if I can handle it again. Well, I’d probably recover. But I would be bitter about it for the next, oh, 8-12 years.

I suppose the point of this is to be an informed voter. Know who the candidates are and have reasons for your vote. And, well, this should go without saying, but do actually get out and vote. You’re welcome to comment about my political soap box, but beware that since this is my blog, I have every right to delete any comment that doesn’t wax lyrical about my political hero.

Apparently, hubbs and I could be driving a Rolls Royce. If only we’d gone the way of pastoring a prosperity gospel church instead of some quaint, conservative church plant in who-knows-where. Darn. Guess we missed the boat on that one.

Referring to his over $3 mill. salary, luxury cars, and extravagant lifestyle, Rev. Dollar (yes, that’s really his name!) says “Just because it’s excessive doesn’t mean it’s wrong.” Anyone? Thoughts?

There’s been an ongoing debate through Christian history on this very issue (of course, Rolls Royces would be a recent addition to the debate). There are battling sides - one that says God rewards the faithful with material pleasures. The other tends to be more monastic, giving up worldly goods to free themselves to fully serve Him. I don’t expect the debate to come to an abrupt end, but which one is it? Is Rev. Dollar’s Rolls a reward from God for his faithful ministry? Or should we be seeking out treasures in heaven rather than on earth?

(Cue Beetles music) You say you want a revolution, Well, you know, We all want to change the world…  Our coup was successful. For those of you who aren’t versed in the dynamics of suburban homeowners association takeovers, check out the reasons for the takeover here.
The result of all this is that I am now a full-fledged Board Member - I’m the secretary in fact, because, as they say, I write pretty. In truth, I’m the secretary because I can string a few words together in a sentence without proliferating profanities. I know, it’s tough to find a candidate as qualified as me. Oh! and I can take notes too. Man! The talent I possess!

So, we’ve had our hostile takeover, we’ve completed our revolution, next on the agenda, mwahaha, we’ll try to take over the world!

But seriously, the issues isn’t over. There’s a case in front of Georgia’s supreme court about a sex offender and a day care. If the court rules in the offender’s favor, the guy in my neighborhood is expected to take this sweet pastor’s wife to court.

Life in the ‘burbs. White picket fences. 2.5 kids. An SUV in the driveway. Perfectly manicured lawn. Bunko. Soccer games. Trips to the mall. A Pottery Barn catalog waiting in the mailbox. Spring-time barbeque on the deck. A hanging planter of peonies on the front porch. Neighborhood picnics. A sex offender down the street. Homeowners Association dues paying for a lawyer to protect the sex offender. Oh! wait! those last two are just a part of my world, not the ‘ideal’ suburban community.

Yes, that’s right, my subdivision is now embroiled in a vicious battle between the sex-offender supporting board of directors and a resident who takes care of 3 neighborhood children during the day along with 3 other children who live nearby. Technically, she runs a family day care home. And a sex offender can’t live within 1000 feet of it. But he does. So one of them has to go. The board chose to keep the sex offender. The residents chose to keep the day care. 67% of the residents signed a petition. There are other things at issue, but it was the sex offender trying to bully the sweet child care worker that pushed us homeowners over the edge. So now, there’s a special meeting impending. At that meeting we’ll try to oust the arguably corrupt board members who we think have been pocketing a chunk of change from our dues. We’ll also be able to reverse the law suit and fines they’ve levied on this nice woman who meant no harm to anyone.

And who’s running for the new board of directors? Yours truly. Maybe I’m crazy. The press has been all over this, and the last thing I need is to be publicly scrutinized. But, there are very few people willing to undertake the task of putting this neighborhood back on clear footing, reducing the annual dues, and making it a nicer place to live. So, for the sake of improving my community, I’m putting myself out there, and hoping that the current board members don’t retaliate before we can get rid of them. I saw their mob squad pause in front of my house the other day. I’m expecting a ‘love note’ in the mail any day now - it will probably say something like I need to repaint my house or clean my gutters or plant some flowers or something. And as a final notice (they never send out first notices), they’ll levy a fine of $25/day until I make it happen. Nice, huh?

Links to the media coverage of what’s going on in our quiet little town:

• AJC “Sex Offender’s trouble spills over to child care center 4/15/07
• AJC article “The Sex Offender and the Day Care” 4/20/07
  
• 11 Alive video: Sex Offender fights day care 4/23/07
• AJC “The Sex Offender and the day care: Speedy resolution not likely” 4/24/07
• CBS 46 Video and print report: Sex Offender vs. day care divides neighborhood 4/24/07
  
• 11 Alive Video: Sex offender fight grows 4/25/07
• Gwinnett Daily Post: Residents spar over day care shut down 5/5/07

Was anyone else shocked by the intense images on American Idol this week? It was really powerful. My hope is that the people who were touched by the show will make some long-term decisions about involvement of some sort, and search for long-term impact.

I have to say I’m impressed with how much time and money Idol put into this effort. It was pretty impressive. I’m so happy to see a major network doing something ambitious to effect change.

Supporting the cause in her own way, fellow blogger Owlhaven is giving away a copy of Bono’s book, On the Move, so head on over and enter yourself. I’d love to read it! I’ll probably pick one up at the library.

My homeowners association is in the news. We have a sex offender living in the neighborhood and serving on the HOA board. Across the street from him is a sweet pastor’s wife who runs a home-based day care for a handful of kids, most of whom live in the neighborhood. And in the state of Georgia, that can’t happen. The board has used HOA dues to pay for a lawyer to close down the nice lady’s business, regardless of the fact that 67% of the homeowners signed a petition to keep the day care open. So now we’re trying to remove a few members from the board. We had an initial meeting at the local library tonight, and we had people from the Atlanta-Journal Constitution as well as Fox News. My moment of glory? The back of my head was on the nightly news tonight - and at least I was wearing my good earrings!

One of the tough questions brought up was if it’s fair to require one homeowner to move (which is what legally has to happen for the day care to stay open).  The board member has been a homeowner here for 10 years, and the daycare has been open for 6.  But the issue at this point is well beyond fairness. This man has resorted to some despicable tactics to attack the day care, including but not limited to deception, abuse of power, and creepy sneakiness. So if one person has to suffer consequences, it should be the man who made illegal choices, not the woman who owns a day care and not the parents who send their children to that day care.

So, Mrs. Kim, my prayers are with you, and may the key people in this situation have the wisdom to handle it appropriately.

It seems, on days like today, that mass shootings define this country. Why are there so many? It’s overwhelming and mind-boggling. My prayers and heart-felt sympathies go out to the community at Virginia Tech. I came across this blog from a VT student. I’m sure there are similar ones out there. But to read what someone from the community has to say about it is staggering. I don’t know why things like this happen. But I sure am glad I have a Firm Foundation to stand on. I don’t know how the rest of the world lives through pain and sorrow without a strong and abiding faith in the One who dries all tears.