A lot of water, metaphorically speaking, has passed under the bridge since my last post. I'm not going to apologize for that. If I commit to a daily blog, my brain would find some way to short circuit my plan, so I'm not going to try. Right now, it's chilly and windy outside. My window is rattling because of the wind. It's cloudy and overcast and the daylight has that cold winter day look to it, and I'm trying to collect my thoughts.
As a resident of the California Central Valley, my concern about water begins and ends with the faucets in my kitchen and bathroom. The water is really hard here, and I need to use a razor blade paint scraper whenever I need to clean the hard water stains off my sinks. The valley GOP has this bill, H.R. 1837, which is an attempt to undo a water deal that would restore water flow to the San Joaquin River to benefit fishermen and fish downstream. I'm against this bill, but I see the need to improve water service for the farmers here in the valley. It would be nice if all parties involved could be rational, but you have reactionary ranchers and farmers in the valley and reactionary environmentalists and fishermen downstream, so you get this Wild West brainlessness instead. All I want is to make sure I can get a clean glass of water when I want it. I'm selfish that way. But trying to find balance in all this is as hard as the water. I'm out of ideas.
Here's another thing about me. I'm a smoker, and have been since 1966. I'm also a Democrat. Evidently, the Democrats in the House of Representatives have this bill, H. R. 1639, which wants to put cigar and pipe tobacco under the auspice of the FDA and make it a controlled substance. Cigarette tobacco won't be far behind. I can not let this stand. And while all this is going on, a number of states are having primaries to determine who they want to be their nominee for the Republican Presidential candidate. Personally, I couldn't care less who they choose. All I want is a clean glass of water and a smoke. More later.
