Rehearsal Dinner and Presidential Debate #1

So this weekend, Bill's cousin Greg is getting married...which is just the START of our family/wedding-filled summer. We went to the rehearsal dinner tonight at the Carousel in Faust Park--there's actually a working replica of the 1904 World's Fair Carousel. The dinner had the best theme, "Margaritaville"--which to me, meant flip flops, yeah!! Saturday is the wedding which I'm really hoping will include Uncle Jack's headstand YMCA dance because it's just been too long since I've seen him split his legs while standing on his head. Next weekend we're going to DC/Baltimore to hang out with Tom and Amy, which will be so much fun. I'm just a little worried that we won't be able to keep up with them! Then the next weekend is Denver (if I can snag a cheap flight) and then to Quincy for Holtapalooza and then to Miami for another cousin's wedding/our anniversary. Hopefully we will get in some trips to Minneapolis, Chicago, and Charleston before the summer's over--I can't wait!

The first presidential debate was last night so I went to a viewing at one of my favorite law school professor's house with NARAL and really had a great time. Election season is, after all, my favorite time of year and election night is the best holiday if you ask me. I was sorely disappointed by Barak's stiffness, but I think he did much better when he had an impromptu rebuttal and went off-script. HRC was pretty good and honestly was the most "presidential," but I just don't know how well she comes off to those who aren't willing to look beyond her rough edges--which is wouldn't even be an issue if she were a man. John Edwards did NOT impress me and I really wish he would stop being so slick. Mike Gravel was at times hilarious and pointless, but I have to give him props for showing emotion and passion, as well as actually speaking some truths that others are unwilling to risk the political fallout for saying. The highlight of the evening was listening to Professor Rosenbury's critical review of last week's USSC's abortion decision: if you pay attention to the language Justice Kennedy used, it's just amazing how much antiquated, misogynistic, and anti-choice rhetoric was incorporated. He actually referred to women as being frail! Yikes!!

As I write this, Bill and I are watching Grey's...and of course, he's diagnosing everyone and kinda ruining the show--argh....he DID NOT, however, catch the "penis fish" on the x-ray, just in case you're wondering. And I'm sorry, but it's just not realistic that McDreamy lives in a trailer.

A Quick Trip to Indianapolis

Mom and I went to Indy today for a quick trip to the bassoon doctor (and spent a lot of time shoe shopping). It was nice to just spend time with her, but I'm really tired from all that driving. Anyway, on our way out of town, we stopped at an amazing doggie boutique....where, of course I was a good dogmom and got Otis a new toy. Before anyone accuses me of favoring Otis (that's not likely), just remember that George only loves carrots and me--occasionally he'll give Bill attention, but only if carrots or a walk are involved--so toys aren't necessary. Otis does the craziest thing with toys: if there's a squeaker, he'll immediately locate and destroy that part of the toy--but he can't hear, so how does he know about it? Bill was especially excited by the new toy as the caterpillar has 8 legs for him to pull on when they play tug so apparently, that's great for their daily WWF matches in our living room.

NYT Editorial: Denying the Right to Choose

I couldn't say it better myself.........

Denying the Right to Choose

Among the major flaws in yesterday’s Supreme Court decision giving the federal government power to limit a woman’s right to make decisions about her health was its fundamental dishonesty.
Under the modest-sounding guise of following existing precedent, the majority opinion — written by Justice Anthony Kennedy and joined by Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Clarence Thomas, Antonin Scalia and Samuel Alito — gutted a host of thoughtful lower federal court rulings, not to mention past Supreme Court rulings.
It severely eroded the constitutional respect and protection accorded to women and the personal decisions they make about pregnancy and childbirth. The justices went so far as to eviscerate the crucial requirement, which dates to the 1973 ruling in Roe v. Wade, that all abortion regulations must have an exception to protect a woman’s health.
As far as we know, Mr. Kennedy and his four colleagues responsible for this atrocious result are not doctors. Yet these five male justices felt free to override the weight of medical evidence presented during the several trials that preceded the Supreme Court showdown. Instead, they ratified the politically based and dangerously dubious Congressional claim that criminalizing the intact dilation and extraction method of abortion in the second trimester of pregnancy — the so-called partial-birth method — would never pose a significant health risk to a woman. In fact, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has found the procedure to be medically necessary in certain cases.
Justice Kennedy actually reasoned that banning the procedure was good for women in that it would protect them from a procedure they might not fully understand in advance and would probably come to regret. This way of thinking, that women are flighty creatures who must be protected by men, reflects notions of a woman’s place in the family and under the Constitution that have long been discredited, said a powerful dissenting opinion by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, joined by Justices John Paul Stevens, David Souter and Stephen Breyer.
Far from being compelled by the court’s precedents, Justice Ginsburg aptly objected, the new ruling is so at odds with its jurisprudence — including a concurring opinion by Justice Sandra Day O’Connor (who has now been succeeded by Justice Alito) when a remarkably similar state abortion ban was struck down just seven years ago — that it should not have staying power.
For anti-abortion activists, this case has never been about just one controversial procedure. They have correctly seen it as a wedge that could ultimately be used to undermine and perhaps eliminate abortion rights eventually. The court has handed the Bush administration and other opponents of women’s reproductive rights the big political victory they were hoping to get from the conservative judges Mr. Bush has added to the bench. It comes at a real cost to the court’s credibility, its integrity and the rule of law.

Sinuses, Schminuses

Ahh...springtime! The pretty flowers, blue skies, tweeting birds.....and horrible, nasty, evil allergies--joy. I spent the day home from work with a throbbing sinus headache and all the other fun things that come along with a sinus infection. Oh well, I'd still rather it be spring than winter-ick! It's times like these that I realize the importance of normal, day-to-day health insurance. Also, I have discovered that my dogs sleep A LOT! Seriously, Otis hasn't left the bed more than twice all day--and it's 5pm! Maybe he has allergies too........

Marathon!

So after months of training, the marathon finally arrived....but poor Bill's leg just wasn't liking the whole running thing. Bill pushed through over 13 miles before he decided that he'd rather be able to walk again than really hurt himself by finishing the race. His pace was awesome, though: he would have finished in 3h18m if he kept going at the same rate--that's so impressive!! His last marathon was 3h59m--wow! Otis, George, and I took him to the start and then Otis and I had a few spots along the race planned out to cheer him on, but we didn't actually pick a spot early enough to catch him running. The pictures are from the medical tent and from the finish line (Bill had to turn in his chip which was just painful since he had to see all the finishers--boo). Isn't Otis handsome in his jacket?

28?!?!?!?!!!

Today is my 28th birthday--that's how old my mom was when she had me!! I'll admit to being a bit freaked out at that notion and to wondering just exactly how the hell I can be 28, but oh well. Bill and I went out last night with the Moyich's and had a great time! We were supposed to go watch the Cards at home but the weather wasn't cooperating and the game was called early so we went around town drinking at different spots instead. I played oppossum this morning and then we got Indian food for lunch--yummy. Bill is supposed to be cleaning the house today for my birthday present but so far all he's done is whine and mumble about how much he hates to clean....nice. He also took me to Walgreens to look at birthday cards instead of actually buying me a birthday card--not because he's cheap, just because he's been busy. I don't care--I think it's funny and I love him anyway. Bill just said that if I love him, why does he have to clean the house??? BECAUSE IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!

New Camera, New Blog

Bill and I got a new camera for our birthdays from my parents this past weekend, so plenty of George and Otis pictures were taken. I'm not quite sure how to post them yet, so this is my test page...hope it works! Please leave me a comment with suggestions--thanks!

Here's the link: http://picasaweb.google.com/katieholt