The prodigal daughter returns.

The Blob began about three years ago as a way for me to put off packing for the big move from Houston to San Francisco.  It feels appropriate that it should end now with me being a giant procrastinator again, but this time packing for my big move back to the east coast (beast coast, as they say).

I'm so glad people have enjoyed this blog.  I promise there will be more to come (possibly "Reports from Solitude"...we'll see).

Merry Christmas (isn't it great we're allowed to say that again?  Just don't mention that Jesus was a vulnerable fetus) and a happy, healthy, peaceful 2018 to you all.

I'll leave you with my packing playlist--all songs that appeared on my Spotify Top Songs of 2017 (you'll find I am not "hip").  I can recommend these songs for singing aloud while moving piles from one place to another and mulling over your life choices.

• "9 to 5" by Dolly Parton: Particularly satisfying after you have quit your job.

• "You've Lost that Lovin' Feeling" by Hall and Oates: Becca and I are going to be Hall and Oates for Halloween next year.  This has been good practice for the karaoke portion.

• "I Want Crazy" by Hunter Hayes: Not sure I need too much more of it though, tbh.

• "Montezuma" by the Fleet Foxes

• "Head Full of Doubt/Road Full of Promise" by The Avett Brothers

• "Fuck You" by Cee-lo Green ;)

• "Respect" by Aretha Franklin

• "Send Me on My Way" by Rusted Root

• "Bridge Over Troubled Water" by Simon & Garfunkel: SAIL ON, SILVER GIRL

• "Time to Say Goodbye" by Sarah Brightman and Andrea Bocelli: CON TEEEEE PARTIROOOOO (also, why is she so weird in this video?)

• "One Day More" by the 10th Anniversary Cast of Les Miserables (the best version IMO, 25th Anniversary also acceptable): One day more to pack and get rid of all this, plus several items not shown:

A coup in America.

This segment followed by this segment make me about as hysterical as a Fox News host when Barack Obama wears a tan suit.  I feel crazy.  But I think this is incredibly alarming and probably evil shit.  

This is the test of American democracy.

If this White House continues to discredit the FBI, sowing misinformation via their propaganda media arm, insinuating without real evidence that FBI officials were planning subversive activity against the president, we very well may be witnessing a coup—the hostile takeover of the American government by anti-democratic forces and their idiot stooges.

This is what happens in authoritarian regimes—the demonization of the “other”, the undermining of checks on power, the banning of words, the consolidation of that power.  The circumstances are said to be so dire we must put aside the law.

The circumstances are dire, and that’s why we must cling to the law. 

The foundation of our government, those precious values in our Constitution, is under assault.

We, the people, must cling to the law if our leaders will not.

This is the chaos Vladimir Putin wanted when he interfered in our election.  He wants to make a mockery of us, and he’s had definite success.  But his target is not just the office of the president—it’s our whole system of government and society.  He wants the world to see that we as Americans do not value our greatest strength—that we are a nation of laws, and not of men.

If we want to preserve the republic, we, the people, must prove him wrong.

We, the people, must demand our leaders are held accountable to the law.

Congress, representative of the people, must impeach President Trump if he fires Robert Mueller.  The people must demand it.

This is not sexy stuff.  But democracy is destroyed by gradual disintegration from within.  A series of events make up that gradual decline.  The election of Donald Trump was one such event.  The removal of Robert Mueller would be another. 

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I’m not a big protest person, but I will participate if Trump crosses this line.  Consider finding an event near you. 

Belated birthday message.

I find I'm getting pretty cheeseball in my old age, so please bear with me.  Also if you've been watching the Crown and imagine this in the style of the Queen's Christmas message, I won't be upset.

My husband and I--

Oops sorry, got a little too into being the Queen.  I don't have a husband.  Ahem.

I'm fairly sure my 28th year on this planet would hold its own against most soap operas.  It at least holds the record for number of times yours truly has said, "You've got to be fucking kidding me."  (Nobody was ever kidding.)

It would be easy to dismiss 2017 as a miserable year.  There's been a lot of bad shit.  But I'm not about doing things the easy way.  Some really wonderful things have happened this year.  

My best friend in the entire world got engaged to her (other) best friend in the entire world and I've never been so sure two people belong in each other's lives.  They are going to adopt me and we will live happily ever after in DC with our dogs and cats.  (Can't wait to join you guys on the honeymoon, it's gonna be great.)  

I have two beautiful nieces who give me hope and remind me to keep fighting.

I've made some lifelong friends in San Francisco.  (You're stuck with me, bitches.  Kisses.)

Most importantly, I really think a miracle happened this week.  (I told you this would get cheeseball.)  I'm not always sure God is a real thing, but he got several checks in his column over the past few days.  The last time I felt this sure there is a God, I was laying on the ground in Victoria Park in London having a small personal crisis when a puppy rushed in from out of nowhere and attacked my face with kisses.  Hard to compete with that.  (The puppy probably just liked that my face was sweaty from running, but still.  Higher power.)

Here's to all of us getting out of 2017 alive and maybe even well.  And here's to me becoming a 29-year-old hermit.