Random Bullets of Monday

• It's another rainy, windy, gray day. It was raining hard enough at 6:20 this morning that I drove the Kid to the bus stop (but, hey, at least he was up in time for the bus!). The wind and rain make it feel colder than it actually is, but it might actually get cold enough for snowflakes on Wednesday. This despite the previously mentioned flowers by the driveway and the grass which is greening up nicely in the back yard.
  
• I wake up every morning to the news, first BBC and then Morning Edition. So usually the first thing I hear is whatever has blown up in Baghdad today, how many car bombs have gone off, how many soldiers have died. It is sobering. I wonder if GWB wakes up to a similar report? Somehow I don't think so. If he did how could he be contemplating sending 20,000 more American troops to Iraq?
• Will the new Congress have the wherewithal to stop the troop surge? What would it take? I'm not a fan of violence, but I have wondered lately if an uprising of the people, some kind of revolution, is what it would take to stop Bush from doing whatever he decides to do. I don't seriously think it will happen but it is another sobering thought.
• On a more cheerful note I am trying to learn to distinguish Downy woodpeckers from Hairy woodpeckers. I know that I have Downys who come to my feeder just outside my window, but a moment ago I think I had a Hairy. I would post pics, but they are stored on my old computer at the moment but here.....from the Cornell website is a Downy and here is a Hairy. As you can see, they are quite similar. Have to keep the camera nearby in case the larger one comes back.
  
• I really need to take down the Christmas tree today. Argh. It's a lot of work and it makes a mess. And I've been trying with not the greatest results to begin a knitting project. After restarting a half a dozen times or so, I think I've got it almost figured out, so I want to spend some time working on that, too. And I badly need to buy groceries. And do laundry. And maybe go buy another bird feeder.
  
• This is so typical of me--I spend more time thinking of what I could/should/might do on my day off than I do actually doing it. For now I'm going to make a latte and have breakfast. Oh, you say, weren't you up at 6:20 to take the Kid to the bus? Yes, but I went back to bed :)
  
• Picture of the day to come later.