Turning 50

I am not the first, nor will I be the last, to write about turning 50.

However, I will only turn 50 in my lifetime, so it's significant to me.

I celebrated my birthday in Minneapolis, with my family, and a week early. Unknown to me, my husband had been planning the celebration for a year, when we found out in August that our children's "Nutcracker" auditions were on the day after my birthday.

Originally my birthday would have been perfect -- it was on a Saturday, and the same weekend as the Purdue-Minnesota football game; we could have celebrated in the afternoon, and gone to a football game in the evening.

However, there is always good in the bad. As it turns out, my godparents as well as a couple of other people would not have been able to make the party if it had been held on my birthday.

My party (a partial surprise, since I was told it would be at my aunt's -- no slouch location, since they have done benefit concerts there) was at the Nicollet Island Inn. It was a lovely dinner, with just the right number of people in attendance to make it a party, but few enough that I had a chance to talk to everyone at least once, and a few people at length.

It was a low-key party, with no speeches. However, DH did welcome everyone, and had prepared a slide show set to "Linus and Lucy." He had thought of really just about everything -- kids' menu type food for the kids, a choice of salmon or chicken (the salmon was a concession for him -- he hates fish), and a cake from Wuollet's, the world's best bakery.

In spite of a "no gifts" request, I still got gifts -- a lovely rosemaled plate, the Bing & Grondahl Christmas plate from 1957, my birth year, a Cartier watch, which I have to keep locked in our grounded safe when I'm not wearing it. People who didn't bring gifts brought cards, of course.

It was clear that a lot of thought had gone into the preparations. My husband remarked that he was glad it was over -- he doesn't like keeping things from me, even when it's a fun surprise. Most importantly, though, everyone seemed to have a good time. The entire weekend was so "right" that I don't think I could have asked for anything better.

But how do I feel turning 50? Really, I feel no different than 49. In fact, I can argue that I feel better than at 49, because I was surrounded with such love and consideration that I felt loved and important.

50 really isn't all that old -- my grandparents lived into their 90s (and even within spitting distance of 100), so I feel like I'm only halfway through my life. I'm in middle age, and probably have been for a while, which is a good place to be. I am a little sad that I can walk anonymously without attracting admiring glances from men, but really, that shouldn't be important, anyway.

Perhaps I never will feel very old -- after all, I'll always be younger than my big brother.

School Days, School Days...Dear Old Golden Rule Days...

Tomorrow is the first day of school. The supplies are all in desks and lockers, the first day of school outfits have been chosen, and the myriad of forms completed.

And significantly, tomorrow is the first day of middle school for my older child.

New bus time, too -- 6:57a.m. which will be a real b__ch when it's winter and dark outside. I am not sure I'm ready for my child to go to middle school. I often think that school systems should have a separate 6th grade campus to get them out of elementary school, but protect them from the harshness of middle school. Kids change so much between 6th and 8th grades, that is seems unfair to lump them in with kids who are years older than they are. Well, at least it seems that way.

We are relieved and proud that our child has been placed in advanced reading and mathematics. Boredom would come all too quickly otherwise. The math teacher was going on about what a challenge it is...until we mentioned the 99th percentile on the state standardized test. Then he started talking about the math club.

On the eve of middle school, I decided I had better break it to my older child that I am the Tooth Fairy. The news was taken with that accepting astonishment we have when we are finally told for sure that our parents are the ones who do those things. The younger one lost a tooth today, so the timing was good. I think the new knowledge, the being "in on it" has provided an exciting diversion from first day anxieties.

So, tomorrow the Tooth Fairy will come, the new bus routes will be tried out, and the new year in school begins.

The Erosion of Rights

How can we continue to stand by and watch the president and the Congress allow our rights to slip away?

For the Congress to grant approval to warrantless wiretapping is nothing short of absurd. The balance of powers has already erode to the point of being on the verge of an autocracy, with power being handed to a man who has little interest in the good of the nation.

Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, all the men who put their lives on the line for liberty (and even, I expect, those who opposed independency) would be appalled. George Washington wisely refused to be king, and left the office of the president before the people were willing to see him leave it, because he knew that it was important for the government to work.

Yes, terrorism is a terrible thing, and, yes, it it terrible partly because it circumvents the rules. But suspending the rules of the civilized world to try to eliminate it is not the answer. Like parenting, boundaries have to be set, and it is up to the people in charge to keep the boundaries. If we change the rules on the whim of the objector, we have anarchy.

We have a weak, wimpy Congress, with a majority that only does lip service to change, instead of forcing it. We need to see courageous choices, not safe, money-source-pleasing ones.

If we continue down this path, one of two things will happen. We will become a dictatorship under the rule of an idiot.

Or we will be governed by a Congress that is the pawn of the rich and influential.

It's not too late to change. Teddy Roosevelt stood up to corruption. Certainly the Congress can do the right thing.

The heartbreak in Minneapolis

For as long as I can remember, Minneapolis has been a magical place for me.

I was born there, and left there just shy of my 8th birthday to move to West Lafayette, Ind, on the banks of the Wabash, home of Purdue University, and boasting one of the top (if not the) school systems in the state.

But every summer, and many spring breaks and holidays, we would drive the 553 miles from our house to my grandparents' house on Elliot Avenue in south Minneapolis, where we were lovingly welcomed. In the summer, we played there, or at Lake Nokomis or Harriet with our cousins who lived not far away, and go to at least one Twins game at Met Stadium. If we were lucky, it would be a twinight double header. My grandfather would buy us a bag of peanuts and a drink, and every once in a while, a hot dog. During spring break, we would watch high school state hockey finals on television. And all year around we would head to the end of the block to the public park with swings, a baseball field and a wading pool.

Minnesota and Minneapolis is the setting for one of my favorite book series, the Betsy-Tacy books by Maud Hart Lovelace. She fictionalized her hometown of Mankato as Deep Valley, but Minneapolis stayed itself.

When I was an adult, I lived and worked in Minneapolis. I worked downtown, and lived, except for six months, in the city near the remarkable chain of lakes. It was like going home when I moved, because of the years of happy experiences and the love of family and friends we had there. For several years, I lived not far from where Maud placed Betsy and Joe's first house near Lake of the Isles.

When I married and moved away, Minneapolis remained for me "home." Although I have one brother in West Lafayette, and one in Minneapolis, and we will willingly travel to WL for a Purdue game, Minneapolis always seems to be the logical meeting place, "home." My mother, who lived in Indianapolis after West Lafayette, went back to Minneapolis to spend her last days when she was dying of cancer.

Minnesotans have always been proud of the high quality of life in the state, and for me, that was an aura that was almost magical. Tragedy happened in Minneapolis, but not often, and always on a small scale.

So when the I-35 bridge collapsed on Wednesday (a bridge I crossed hundreds of times), it was excrutiatingly shocking. Minnesotans aren't naive, they're too pragmatic for that. But with the quality of life comes the expectation of reasonable safety. And safe bridges falls in that realm.

The gleam of greatness has not left Minneapolis. But a pall of sadness has fallen over the city that will take a while to disappear.

Astoria

We spent a short week in Astoria, Oregon. Oregon, where there's no sales tax, and lattes in every shop!

It was a fabulous vacation.

End the Anarchy

There is anarchy in the White House, and it is being led by the president.

Apparently our president hasn't read the constitution, or he doesn't think it applies to him. Whatever the case, right now he is doing what he pleases, with no regard for the law.

It is bad enough that the war he started in Iraq was ill-advised and has been poorly managed for the past four years. But the latest really comes close to being the last straw. Indeed, it is the last straw for many Americans.

In an effort to find out about what exactly led to the firing of seven well-performing U.S. attorneys by the Justice Department, especially whether or not it was politically motivated, the Senate has been holding hearings. The Attorney General has already appeared, and now seems to have lied under oath.

In addition, two people have announced that the president has directed them not to answer any questions regarding the matter, and he has invoked executive privilege. The problem? They are both former employees of the White House. The president has no legal jurisdiction over either of them. I wonder, is it even appropriate for the president to be discussing it with them? If it is not illegal, it surely smacks of impropriety.

And this from the man who ran on a pledge to restore dignity and honor to the presidency.

John Glenn , a man who oozes integrity, says that Bush is the worst president in his lifetime. That's saying a lot.

I know that President Bush sleeps comfortably at night, and probably tells himself that history will show he was a great president, misunderstood by the people. Unfortunately, when he took the oath of office, he pledged to uphold the current constitution, not circumvent it, and to serve the people, not himself.

Maybe we should all chip in and buy him the Cliff Notes of the Constitution so he can read it some time.

"Graduating" 5th grade

My first born is finished with elementary school tomorrow, and heads to (the dreaded) middle school in the fall. I know all parents whine the same old wheeze, but it's really true: It seems like just yesterday that I was holding my first born as a newborn in my arms, and now I'm getting ready to deal with teenage angst.

Although the elementary school doesn't hold graduation ceremonies, as some do, for 5th graders, tonight the class had their own celebration, with a potluck dinner and speeches giving advice to their fellow students by each member of the class. They also sang two songs they had practiced and prepared especially for the parents.

While all the speeches were thoughtful, I thought my offspring's was superior to the rest. With the exception of two other girls, who also always give fine speeches, the majority of them sounded like 5th grade speeches. I think my child was superior in structure, language, and every respect. But judge how good it is for yourself:

"My fellow classmates. I have great pleasure in telling you that this year has been incredible. This year was the best.

One piece of advice I have for you is: Follow your passion. This is VERY important advice. If you stick with a REALLY strong passion, you'll do better in life. Another piece of advice I want to share is: Treat others the way YOU want to be treated. Kindness (and bullying) is like a boomerang; it always comes back. If you want to be successful in life, do exactly this! One last piece I have is: Don't risk breaking a rule. If ou break a rule (on purpose!) you can get in trouble! Don't risk getting in serious trouble, and you will be happier!

I'd like to thank my mom and dad for supporting me, Finn for being able to work with me, and everyone else for being GREAT classmates."

Rosie's off the View

It seems like I was just writing about Rosie O'Donnell's return to daytime television, and now she's gone again, and the confetti with her, like a flower floating on the river that just meets your fingertips, but floats away before you can grasp it. (I think someone else came up with this metaphor, and was roundly chastised for it. I like it.)

It was regrettable that Rosie's inevitable departure from "The View" came suddenly and with great volition. I was gearing up to say goodbye, and anticipating a happy sendoff with a Broadway production number, confetti, and kind public words of affection from her cohosts. Now, as a fan, I feel confused and saddened, and robbed of the closure I was selfishly hoping would come.

But bravo to Rosie for walking away when things became ridiculous. I can only speculate, but it just doesn't seem like a coincidence that it happened on a day Barbara Walters was absent. In fact, it seemed almost engineered, with a repeat guest host who had dealt with the panel's contention before, Joy pulling out a laundry list of Bush's sins that set off neo-con Elisabeth Hasselbeck and pushing Rosie to the point where she had to force the truth.

Interesting, too, that Elisabeth Hasselbeck never answered Rosie's questions, but chose to launch into a tirade that might be excused as pregnancy hormones, but sounded more like a desperate push back from someone watching the cracks form in their ideology but afraid to accept what's breaking it.

I do feel some sympathy for Hasselbeck. One of the most difficult things is to accept the flaw in our ideology. People on the far edge of the spectrum, either side, always have the most difficult time accepting that the truths they hold aren't always truth, but point of view.

It has been an interesting year of growth for Hasselbeck. We have watched her go from appearing to be a mouthpiece for FOX News to questioning and challenging. And just when it appeared that she would become a thinking woman's conservative, her star on the rise (thanks in large part to Rosie O'Donnell, who allowed Elisabeth to have her say), she was pulled back into the neocon fold and petted and praised like a puppy. What an insult to an intelligent woman. And she almost gratefully fell back into it, appearing to prefer the comfortable, safe, familiar neocon role, instead of the harder, lonelier, independent thinker.

It was clear, before "Nuclear Wednesday," as Rosie calls it, that she was already moving on to new things.

Ultimately, the damage will not be done to Rosie, it will be done to The View, and the women who remain. The show will not regain the audience it had with Rosie, who, love her or hate her, always made things interesting and fun on the show. She elevated it from an innocuous daytime talk show to a meaningful place where people could go listen to intelligent, thoughtful women carry on the dialogues being carried out in many friendships across this country.

Rosie and Elisabeth were, for a while, proof that some civility remains in the sharp divide that dominates politics in our country. Their falling out only serves to remind us what a sharp divide it is.

Still, it would have been nice to have some closure. I'll miss Rosie on "The View."

In Memory of Gerry Neudeck

The world lost a fine man this week.

Dr. Gerold Neudeck, PhD, was an incredible engineering mind, who held patents in semiconductors and was a beloved teacher. He's one of the people who made the Internet possible.

But when you met him, you met the man from Beach, North Dakota, who loved to fish and bake sourdough bread. He never talked about his professional accomplishments, although he would speak proudly of his students.

To me, he was a friend, and like family. When I was a girl, there was a triumvirate, of sorts, of families, including mine, that formed an extended family. I was the token daughter -- among the collective eight children, I was the only girl.

When I was in junior high school, I would babysit, at my mother's behest, his and his wife's two sons. They were 3 and 5 when I started. I was under strict instructions not to accept payment at first, although as time went on my mother gave in and let them pay me. I never accepted much, however; I was doing a favor for friends, and I rarely did more than turn out the bedroom light and read or watch television.

As was common in that era (am I really old enough to refer to my childhood as an era?), Gerry would pick me up and drive me home. I came to appreciate that time with him -- whether or not we talked. He was a great listener, and an astute questioner. I spent most of my time talking (which I still do), but when he spoke, it was always worth listening to.

Even when I was 12, he listened respectfully, speaking to me as if we were equals. It helped me define my sense of self, and my self respect. He never stopped being the kid from Beach, North Dakota, with a love for the land.

So, here's to Gerry Neudeck. A man who loved his wife, loved his sons, loved Purdue, and loved life. He made the world a better place.

So much! Too much?

I noticed that, early this year, one of my Senators stopped hosting her monthly constituent coffees at her office. It takes little time to conclude that she is too busy now that the Congress is actually doing something while in session.

Just today the Senate passed the Iraq funding bill, in spite of the president's threat to veto when it lands on his desk. Of course he will vetlo it -- this president is determined to follow his own agenda, regardless of its cost to the American people. He seems to forget he's an elected official and not a CEO with a golden parachute.

And that Henry Waxman has been busy! I have lost track of the number of issues his committee has looked into. Why were eight state attorneys fired? Looks like political motivation, especially when a Republican Senator took it on himself to call and complain. Wait, since when does the legislative branch meddle with the executive branch? When the Party is more important than the People.

Of course the biggest joke is Alberto Gonzales glibly claiming to not remember/recall things 75 times when forced to speak under oath as the Senate conducts its own investigation. And what does this president say? Well, kind of like, "Good job, Brownie!" he expresses confidence in his Attorney General. Who, let's not forget, the author of the justification for using torture in spite of the Geneva Convention.

Why does Nero keep popping into my head when I watch President Bush Jr. talk about how things should be his way?

140 people were, tragically, shot dead on the campus of Virginia Tech by a young man who was mentally ill, who was never properly diagnosed, and who was able to all too easily purchase weapons and ammunition. Could it have been prevented? Probably. Would tougher gun control legislation have made a difference? In this case, likely not. It looks like, in this case, the best prevention would have been proper medical diagnosis.

The biggest tragedy in all of it? NBC's decision to show footage from a media package the shooter sent to them. I am all for freedom of speech, and perhaps it was in that spirit that they chose to show bits and pieces (regardless that they could have not, since they were the only ones to receive it), but I was more appalled that they felt it was necessary to show him pointing guns and play his vitriol. A couple of carefully edited stills captured from the video, and the news anchor reading excerpts, would have been all that was necessary. The sad concurrance by the "experts"? There was nothing new, or helpful, in the materials.

Not all the news is bad. Even at this early date, the Democrats have an embarrassment of riches in the candidates seeking the party nomination for president. I would vote for any of them. Given the mood of the country (although the election is still a long way off), it seems unlikely that a Republican will win the general election, so it's important to look at the Democrats.

Good things have been happening, too. But it just seems that there is so much drama now, it's hard to make room for the lighter side.

So, is it too much? Not really! We are just catching up on the backlog.

It's global warming, stupid

Today Al Gore spent the day testifying before Congress about what he knows, after forty years of research, about global warming. See his testimony before and conversation with the Senate committee here.

Since I have known about global warming since I was a kid, reading my dad's copies of Scientific American, I am constantly annoyed by the politicizing of the issue. Especially when their objections stem from the objections of special interests.

One of those special interests, ironically enough, is the Christian Right. The leaders in the movement, including James Dobson (who I used to admire) and Jerry Falwell, recently formally objected to the broadening of focus by the National Association of Evangelicals to include care for the poor and helpless, and to responsible use of the environment. (The Christian Right sees marriage, homosexuality and abstinence as the most important issues facing American Christians.)

The statement of Evangelical Call to Civic Responsibility includes the following paragraphs. While the wording is measured, it says to me that evangelicals are ready to remove the politics from care for our planet. And while I don't agree with everything in the Call to Civic Responsibility, I am proud to once again stand with evangelicals united in stewardship for the Earth.

"Because clean air, pure water and adequate resources are crucial to public health and civic order, government has an obligation to protect its citizens from the effect of environmental degredation. This involves both the urgent need to relieve suffering caused by bad environmental practice. Because natural systems are extremely complex, human actions can have unexpected side effects. We must therefore approach our stewardship of creation with humility and caution.

"Human beings have responsibility for creation in a variety of ways. We urge Christians to shape their personal lives in creation-friendly ways: practicing effective recycling, conserving resources, and experiencing the joy of contact with nature. We urge government to encourage fuel efficiency, reduce pollution, encourage sustainable use of natural resources, and provide for the proper care of wildlife and their natural habitats."

They just can't be THAT stupid. They must be reckless.

I was watching part of Valerie Plame Wilson's testimony to the House Oversight and Reform Committee today. Drawing largely on information gleaned from the various testimonies at the "Scooter" Libby perjury trial, the Democratic congressmen had a lot of questions.

One point of contention, explored by the Republican members, was whether or not Valerie Plame was a covert operative, and whether or not those in the White House who "outed" her would know. There seems to be some impression that she was working for the CIA but not covert. This is important, because if she was not covert, no crime was committed.

I took away these things:

Valerie Plame was covert. Exposing her position put her, and the people she came in contact with, into danger. Not only was she immediately removed from her position when the news was released, but the status was confirmed by the CIA for the committee.

The people in the White House who discussed her identity and leaked it to the press were either reckless or stupid. If they at least one person knew she was covert, then it was reckless and unpatriotic to out her, showing a disregard for all the lives endangered by her identity being revealed. It also shows a disregard for the men and women who spend their lives working for an organization dedicated for defending our freedom.

And if no one genuinely knew, then they were just plain stupid. Common sense dictates that someone working for the CIA is, at a minimum, likely to be covert. Surely with all the high security clearances floating around the White House, someone there should have been able to ask the question, "Is Valerie Plame covert, and will we be endangering lives by revealing her identity?"

Up until now, Ms. Plame has been quiet, allowing her husband, the former ambassador, to speak. But, before Congress, she was articulate, thoughtful, patriotic, and critical without being disrespectful. Which brings me to the final thing I took away:

The country lost an intelligent, highly-trained, valuable CIA operative because of petty politics. Lest we forget, Ms. Plame was a government employee. All those taxpayer dollars that went into her specialized training and allowed her to develop her knowledge and experience in other ways, were wasted.

The White House and the Republicans love to give lip service to patriotism. It has become apparent in the past few years that their definition of patriotism is, in reality, agreeing with the president. Members of this Administration are fond of using the phrase made well-known by its use on "The West Wing": "I serve at the pleasure of the President."

I just wonder -- how much pleasure did the President find in seeing Joseph Wilson and his wife derailed?

Selling Girl Scout Cookies

It's cookie time! And with two girls selling this year, it's more work for me.

Because, the reality is, cookie sales are ultimately the responsibility of the parents. It is up to a parent to organize, up to a parent to make certain the girls go out and sell, up to the parent to bring the order forms to work and collect orders, up to a parent to hand in the order form, up to the parent to make sure the money is collected and correct, and required of a parent to be present at the "site sales," the lucrative post-presale bonanza.

I spent Friday night with my 10-year-old standing outside a small market in a small tonwship, selling cookies to weary Friday night shoppers, and, later, people running in for beer. It was raining, cold (well, everything is relative, of course -- it was about 40), and breezy. I spent today with my first grader and two other squirrely (aren't all first graders wiggly?) Brownies in an entrance to a large chain supermarket, who had specifically requested that people only be asked on their way out to buy cookies.

Friday night we worked alone, so my daughter was credited with all the cookie sales. In spite of the cold and rain (although she WAS dressed for it in snowpants and boots, gloves and a hood), she told me at least twice through the two hours that she was enjoying herself. I enjoyed the time with her, watching her confidently solicit sales.

Today was pleasant, chatting with two moms, and watching the girls interact and miss sale after sale while squirreling around. When they are in first grade, it's a good thing the cookies sell themselves. However, eventually they got used to selling cookies, and the sound of three sweet voices asking in unison, "Would you like to buy some Girl Scout cookies?" is almost irresistible, and stopped a few people who wouldn't have otherwise. And it was a beautiful thing to hear adult women reminisce about selling cookies as girls, as they purchased a box because they were proud to have been a Scout.

Best of all, this year all the troops in the Totem Council are participating in Operation Cookie Drop, to get cookies to our troops. Not everyone wants to buy cookies, but several people always mention they'd love to buy some for service men and women. And this year they can.

Becoming a Theater Parent

My 5th grade daughter is performing in her elementary school's production of "Beauty and The Beast" at the end of the month. I am tickled that she is playing a lead.

She was disappointed not to get cast as Mrs. Potts. I was disappointed she wasn't cast as Belle. However, she was cast as Madame de la Grande Bouche, the Wardrobe, which is almost better, because she gets to be funny.

I was a theaterphile in high school, and a theater major (at least in the beginning) in college. While I spent time working "backstage," my favorite place was on stage.

But I can't be on stage, for one of my favorite shows, this time, so I am working on costumes and makeup. I am the only one on the makeup team with any stage makeup experience, so I have been giving advice. Basic stage makeup isn't rocket science, so I really only have to give the occasional tip to the competent, creative women who are doing the bulk of the work.

I have also been acting primarily in an advisory capacity on the costume team, as well. The show has a costume budget of $0, so the head costumer is incredibly resourceful, creative, and often spends her own money. But, mostly, she is great at "repurposing," as interior designers like to say. Of course, anyone in theater will tell you -- they're the original repurposers.

One day I spent the entire costume session fitting shoes. Another I spent writing names on tape and sticking them to skirts as the 20 "Gastonettes" (ie "Silly Girls"). I did do most of the alterations on my daughter's dress, but that's only half her costume.

Today, at the costume marathon in preparation for next week's costume check and photo day, I split my time between helping kids find their costumes and helping the final touches team brainstorm enchanted objects costume pieces. It started when they hung out with the costumers seeking inspiration for how to wear the plates. We had just found the best way for the doggy footstool to wear the cushion (created by an upholsterer) which gave them the starting point. They quickly figured it out (foamcore is just the best invention for costumes, isn't it?), and moved on to the challenge of dancing forks and spoons. I brainstormed quite a bit with them (I was in favor of hats), but the return of another final touches team member diverted us to the Wardrobe.

I had been thinking about the best way for the costume to fit, especially in relation to movement. The final concept is beautiful -- and that's just with dry erase marker on the board. Ironically, my dancing daughter won't be showing her beautiful moves dresssed as a wardrobe. But, of course, her dance training will help her dance in spite of a cumbersome costume.

Once finished with that, they returned to the spoon and fork challenge while I went off to wrangle Gastonettes, and when I returned it was in time to help hold things steady for the prototype. By the time I left with my daughter, we also had the tablecloth figured out, and the salt and pepper shakers. The costumes had already been put together, so the final touches were simple.

As a member of makeup, I was also able to take photos of some of the actors in costume to help figure out hair styles.

And now I have nothing to do, except figure out my daughter's makeup, until Saturday. But there are plenty of people right now painting and sewing like crazy getting ready for Saturday.

In praise of Stanko Milov

We in our family have become big fans of Stanko Milov, one of the principal dancers with the Pacific Northwest Ballet.

We saw him dance the Prince with the great Patricia Barker as adult Clara in "Nutcracker" in December, and were instantly smitten with his grace, power, storytelling, and elegance. And he is one of the few male dancers who can competently and equally partner Patricia Barker.

On Saturday night, we went to see Patricia Barker dance Odette/Odile in "Swan Lake" with Stanko Milov as her Prince Siegfried. What tipped the scales for us was that Stanko is partnering her in this, her final full-length ballet before retirement.

Last Sunday we met Stanko at the annual Pacific Northwest Ballet School's annual Winter Wonderland Ball. He taught the "folk" dance class, and we found him charming and congenial. He is also 6 ft. 5 in. tall, the same height as my dh. He and dh seemed to bond over this fact, and Stanko said, "You must come see me in "Swan Lake!"

We hemmed and hawed all week, and ran the risk of not getting tickets (Patricia Barker is only set to dance two performances, and we cannot, practically, attend her final performance next weekend), but when I called on Friday morning, when only singles were left, we were able to snag two sets of two seats in the best seats in the Hall -- Orchestra, director's preferred (and in the dead center of the section -- 14 rows from the stage), and the Dress Circle, second row center.

At this point, I have a confession to make. The one other time I saw "Swan Lake" I was bored and annoyed by it. I didn't consider a story about a failed love romantic, I had no sympathy for Prince Siegfried who I thought was selfish, and I thought most of the ballet was dan

cers showing how long they could hold difficult poses. I missed the storytelling completely. Thankfully, PNB's production is not in the least boring.

Patricia Barker was perfection, bringing to her dual roles an emotional, technical and interpretive maturity that in almost unmatched. This ballet is all about the women, and

at the center of it all is the prima ballerina; Patricia Barker surpasses the requirements of the role.

But into this ballet of women bursts Stanko Milov; tall, ripped, virile and desireable. From the moment he walks on stage in Act One, he is the focus. He "gets" his character, and gives the audience a young,

passionate young man who is not willing to settle for less than true love. He establishes and develops his character through the first act, so by the time he meets Odette in the second act, and falls in love, we feel like we know and understand him. Not a mere prop for the diva, but a partner in storytelling. When we walked out of the performance hall, we heard more people commenting on Stanko Milov than Patricia Barker. And that is saying something!

But his greatest charm is as a partner. He thoroughly understands that the male dancer must framework the female to her best advantage for the maximum impact, while still managing to be his character fully engaged in the moment. And he always deferred graciously and respectfully to Patricia Barker at the end of each pas de deux, allowing the audience to accolade her. Only when the applause was prolonged would he do a slight bow before acknowledging her again.

So while Seattle fans acclaim one of their favorite athletes, let us give praise to Stanko Milov, whose power, athleticism, grace, and talent have kept him out of the shadow of his most frequent partner, and at her side to equally accept the accolades and love.

The State of the Union

I am still mulling over President Bush's State of the Union Address delivered last night.



Predictably, it was a slightly more centrist approach, with concessions to global warming (termed "global climate change" by the president because of course he wants to avoid the term commonly used by reasonable scientists for the past 30 years), and ideas for health care, etc.

Predictably, he pushed his Iraq policy, and said the state of the union was strong.

In the final analysis, though, regardless of the accolades of concessions and a spirit of cooperation by the conservative pundits, the president appeared to not to have gotten the message that the last election sent.

President Bush is enjoying the lowest approval rating ever, close only to Harry Truman, and Richard Nixon during the Watergate hearings. Now, low approval ratings and unpopular decisions aren't necessarily a reason to change policy. Lincoln, for instance, made some pretty unpopular-at-the-time decisions, but stuck by his plan.

However, this is different in a big way -- that was a civil war at home, which the government didn't begin; just defended against. The Iraq War may be a civil war, but not between Americans, and it was started by us. And not only was it started by us, but it was botched frm the beginning, when Bush, even then, chose to ignore the advice of the experts. Lincoln listened to his experts. And the Union Army was fighting an enemy it understood, and outnumbered. The Iraq War is the first war since the Revolution that the States initiated.

With the surprising strategy of Scooter Libby's lawyers to portray him as a fall guy for Karl Rove, and claim that Rove and Cheney knew all about it and engineered the leak, things are not looking good for the president. This man digs his heels in and refuses to budge, in the name of his convictions. But if he is going to save his political behind, perhaps he needs to pay attention to his "empire" crumbling around him.

Last night was a start, but I remain skeptical. Skeptical that the president will compromise. Skeptical that the Democrats will take the high road and avoid the temptation to take revenge like the Republicans did against Clinton. It certainly would be nice if, after six years of little besides self-reward and corruption, this was a group of people who worked hard and did some good for the country.

The state of the union may be strong, but it will only stay strong as long as democracy is able to exercise.

It's the right time for Hillary

I awoke this morning to dh saying, "Hillary Clinton is running for president."

It is about time. We need Hillary Clinton in the White House.

Not because she is Bill Clinton's wife. But because she is an intelligent, articulate statesman with international credibility who has the unique, intimate perspective of what life is like as president. That is critical if we are going to re-establish our nation's international credibility.

And not because she is a woman, although it is exciting that we have a woman candidate who has such strong qualifications. And because, in many ways, she is much more the real face of America than we have seen in a long time.

She is a woman from a Midwestern, middle class family who went to one of the top schools in the country because she wanted to be a lawyer. She was a Goldwater Republican who became a southern Democrat. With the centrist sensibility present in our society today, she is all that.

She has already survived the intense scrutiny of federal prosecutors and unprecendented attacks to her character by a partisan Congress while First Lady. She has had her private life played out in the press, and has faced down political skepticism about her suitability as a Senate candidate. Not many of us have faced that, but how would our lives look if they were played out in the press?

She has been a working mother who has worked hard to balance work and family. While the myth of the one-income household with the father earning the money and the mother staying home to care for the household and the school-age children, that is not the reality. The face of the American woman is more likely single, often a single parent, and a lower-class to middle-class income. We think we want Cinderella for the First Lady, but we are really more like Belle.

Hillary Clinton has what it takes to be president.