My muse has eluded me...

As far as the "rant"goes... Well, rants based on current events really do need to be delivered in a timely manner. And, given that I still haven't seen the ad that started the thing, I think I'll just shelve the idea, and say that the Campbell Brown video pretty-much summed up my feelings on the subject.

With the following side-notes:

I used to work in the Financial Services Industry (Not for WF - but another Big 'Un that's faring even worse!). My friend still works at the same bank and she did point-out that the TARP funds are NOT simply "hand-outs," but loans that must be paid back, with interest. And yes, it's true, most news reports don't really acknowledge that when they sharply criticize the banks.

Howsomever, I work in a different industry now. One that is also "feeling the pinch" of hard economic times (as we ALL are). My current company isn't "in trouble" or anything (not yet, anyway!), but it started instituting cost-cutting measures long before the - umm - fertilizer hit the fan. I mean, all non-essential business travel was cancelled - starting early last year. Merit Increases have been cancelled for this year - all with the stated "hope" that they *don't* have to institute workforce reductions (Gawd knows, MY fingers are crossed!).

And I remember, not all THAT long ago, going on semi-lavish "Teambuilding" trips and such. I joined the company long-after the TRUE Boondoggles had ended, but we did have a few "decent" events. One of the last ones, I believe, was in Lake Tahoe (which isn't all that far from here - and hotel rooms can be had "for cheap" during mid-week). Although, I do share Jon Carroll's general opinion about "Compulsory Teambuilding Events."

I don't mind hanging out with colleagues off-site, during off-hours. But on-the-whole, I'd much rather be off somewhere else. Rather than having the "Flavor-of-the-week" forced down my throat by the Latest 'n Greatest Motivational Speaker... (And don't EVEN get me started on those stupid Team-Building Games!!!)

:::whew::: Got THAT off my chest! Although not nearly as "colorfully" as I'd originally intended!

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In other news: It's RAINING! Lots, in fact - which is good. And no real end in sight, at this point. So I figure it'll be about a week or two before I start whining about wanting to see the sun again - or booking a Cheap Weekend in Cabo or something!

Consequently, not much has happened in the garden... I did head over to Home Depot and picked up a couple of bags of steer manure, intending to toss 'em on the pile of leaves for the Pumpkin Patch. While I was there, I discovered they were having a special on Phoenix roebelinii - Pygmy Date Palms. Big clumps of trees in big pots for under $20. So I bought one, having NO clue where I was gonna put it (Yeah, like that's ever stopped me! It's an Addiction I tellya!). I managed to get everything unloaded from the truck and into the backyard, but that's as far as it got!

Well, at least with all this rain, it won't be too terribly difficult to dig a hole for it! Just gotta figure out WHERE!