happy presidency, big O!

Tonight my daughter mentioned, "Mommy. I make up stories in my head."

I received this news with emotional duality of trepidation and joy. We'd hoped that gene would skip a generation. But on the outside I said, "You know why that's special? Because you're the first one who ever gets to hear that story."

She got it. Six-almost-seven years old and she gets it. "Yeah. Cuz I make it up and it's mine and I get to find out what happens first."

Other odd tidbits:

We need snow. I mean SNOW people! If I wanted 66 degrees I'd move to, hell, I don't know, somewhere temperate. Sheesh.

Having traveled up I70 to Keystone for the weekend, I'm shocked at the pine beetle damage. I shouldn't be; Grand Lake forests are decimated. But to see miles of brown mountainside in one go puts an ache in me that even snow can't cure.

My friend complimented me on my dressing "style". Um. Style. Huh. I'm a punk rocker at heart with a pinch of hippie. Picture fringe and studs, with faked cleavage, and you pretty well got my style.

I said, "Thanks. I work in the entertainment industry."

She nodded. "Yeah, I guess you do."

Tomorrow we inaugurate Barack Obama, our first Af-Am president. By electing a level-headed man of color to the job, we've shown how far we've come, but the fact that we even are mentioning his race at all shows us how far we still have to go. But more importantly...what color tie will he wear? I'm goin' with the blue.

I have a cold. It sucks.