Who has time to blog anymore?

My god, I have never worked so much in my life. Sure, I got paid for 40 hours a week before, but I didn't always WORK 40 hours a week, y'know? There wasn't always 40 hours of work to do. Now, I have to account for how many hours I work on each project I have, so I'm working my ass off for a solid 40 hours a week and end up being in work mode for a little more than that. Add to that my commute time and I'm away from home about 11 hours a day. When I get home, I want nothing more than to watch Rachel Maddow and space the hell out.

It's great, though. I love working there. I hope it continues. I still don't know.

Now I am focusing my non-work energy on Thanksgiving. We are having only four people this year: his mom, my mom, my mom's "don't call him my boyfriend" friend, and my sister. The theme is Indian food. The menu is as follows:

• Andhra-style sprouted mung bean salad (if you've never tried sprouted mung beans, you're missing out)
  
• herb-laced yellow mung bean dal
  
• sliced white radishes with winter squash
  
• greens and plantains with toasted almonds
  
• char-flavored spiced eggplant and potatoes
  
• stuffed cauliflower with tart tomato-coriander sauce
  
• brown rice pilaf with broccoli, cashews, and cumin
  
• homemade raita, cilantro chutney, and tamarind chutney
  
  
• chapati (whole wheat flat bread)
  
• sweet potato-stuffed paratha
  
  
• saffron coconut soy ice cream and masala ginger apple crisp
  
  
• barley tonic, ginger lemonade, and cinnamon rooibos chai

It looks like a lot. It might BE a lot, but the recipes seem not super complicated and someone besides me is making some of it. I am ridiculously organized and my house is almost clean and it's only Saturday. Sunday is prep-planning and shopping day.

I have a headache and I need sleep badly.

Totally true things that are totally insane.

No, not that I saw the Mountain Goats last night. That's not insane, unless you want to call my love of a band that has brought me friendship, new bands to love, lyrical pleasure, and many happy times "insane."

But this, the threatened "outing" of No on 8 supporters by the Yes on 8 campaign is totally nuts. Oh, it's on now. If California fails to defeat the constitutional gay marriage ban, it might depress me even more than a McCain victory.

And you know the McCain campaign has gotten desperate, too. One of his young volunteers claimed that she'd been beaten up by an Obama supporter, but ended up in jail herself for filing a false police report. Because she made the whole thing up. Way to effing go. Whether this was a solitary act of insanity or a coordinated effort at race-baiting, the Republicans are the only ones looking worse for wear.

Is it just me, or is it funny that it's proud Red Staters who want to bring back "communist" as an insult?

If you care, here's more--gossipy but true--about the place I call work. Valleywag failed, however, to take the bait CFO Blake Jorgensen set out: photoshopped pics of himself in drag. I'm sure he's feeling very hurt right now.

This has totally made the rounds already, but if you hate broccoli and don't read 80,375 blogs already, click to reaffirm your disavowal of delicious little trees.

The last thing is totally true, and totally awesome. The only totally insane thing will come if this guy doesn't become our next president.

And here, just because it's been stuck in my head for weeks:

Yay for seeing the same band over and over again!

Yeah, Steve said we had to go see the Mountain Goats. They are playing the Fillmore, so we're hoping the show sold out so we get free posters. Anyway, tomorrow I better have more energy than I've had the rest of the week, because I have some serious rocking out to do! WOO!

The things I can't control.

If you pay attention to the horrible economic news, you might've heard that the place I work is having trouble. If you pay attention to me, you know I like working there, and even though (1) it's only been a month and (2) my contract ends at the end of December, I know I'd like to continue working there. But times are scary, and I'm trying to prepare myself for disappointment and another grueling job hunt come January.

The election is coming up, and beyond my little ballot, I have no bearing on its outcome. I've become more of a (admittedly partisan) news junkie than I've ever been, listening to NPR on my from the moment I get up through the commute--two hours total--and watching The Rachel Maddow Show or Countdown when I get home, then The Daily Show and Colbert Report before finally going to sleep. All the news is about the election and the economy.

Speaking of The Daily Show, this had me rolling, then furious:



I may live in a gay state (here's hoping it stays that way) and be voting for someone a Congressdipshit from Minnesota thinks might harbor anti-American sentiments, but I'm an American too. I'm afraid for my career and well-being; everyone I know is in murky financial territory. Am I a Fake American because I'm a feminist? Because I supprot gay marriage? Because I think it's better to improve the lot of the middle class in our consumer-driven economy? Because I'm not buying the bullshit McCain/Palin are trying to sell me as chocolate? Because I live in a diverse, left-leaning city? Because you can't sum up my job, or the jobs of my friends, with meaningless, pandering phrases like "Joe the plumber"?

What makes you a Fake American?

It's still not important.

But I did it. Please be my friend! If you're into this sort of thing. And it appears that 75% of everyone is! Hi, 75% of everyone!