Happy World Freedom Day

Happy World Freedom Day!

Americans certainly took it to the limit.

This is also Cook Something Bold Day, but I get the distinct impression that with all their pot stirring, Americans went a little too far!

Hillary Clinton left it all out there; I’ll give her that.

Swallowing this morning’s bitter pill will be as difficult as the campaign she endured.

In spite of the clouds of corruption and familiarity that dogged her, she was a far more reputable candidate, although many will enthusiastically argue that with Bernie Sanders at the helm, the Democrats would have found themselves in a far different position this morning.

Does Donald Trump get the benefit of the doubt from me? Not a chance. He’ll have to prove he’s capable of displaying a shred of presidential behavior and, may I say, Barack Obama is a supremely tough act to follow.

Trump will have to prove to me and to half of American voters that he is trustworthy, diplomatic, credible and reasonable. From where I stand this morning, that seems hilariously impossible.

Photo courtesy Flickr

I still can’t figure out how this self-made chauvinistic pig, classless bully and impetuous, petty blowhard becomes President of the most powerful country in the free world!

Clearly, Americans were more than desperate for change.

They want the establishment to choke on Trump’s dust.

In four years, if he doesn’t deliver jobs and security, frazzled Americans may point to Donald Trump and bark, “You’re fired.”

Hopefully, if and when that time comes, the United States, with its lofty democratic ideals, is still recognizable.

Fifty of the G.O.P.’s most senior officials signed a letter several weeks back, arguing Trump would weaken the United States’ moral authority. They questioned his knowledge of and belief in the Constitution and stated he “lacks the character, values and experience to be president”.

They warned he would be “the most reckless president in American history” and this morning, with his macho talk of walls, balls and guns, he’s sitting in the big chair.

Could divisive Donald Trump have a hairy and do something horrendous?

Wait for it.

There are those illusionists who are telling a tale of two Trumps today, insisting the brutish Trump was out to win, and now that he’s won, a presidential Trump will emerge.

Wince and suck it in, we’ll all hold our breath together.

I fear issues important to Canada, such as climate change, natural resources, trade, border security and NATO, will come under fire from the White House.

I trust Prime Minister Trudeau, like all determined Canadians, will shore up our identity, values and policies, and brace for the storm of trumped-up politics.

These Dodos Are Done

No argument here; we’re spoiled.

I had mentioned in a blog before that a local snowplow driver would occasionally clear our driveway, free of charge. It took me a while to figure out who was clearing the snow.

I hadn’t asked anyone; we always shoveled it ourselves.

Once I discovered who it was, we decided to hire Steve for a winter to see how it would go.

Now, we can never go back.

It’s like having air conditioning in the house. We can never go back.

This is the third winter we’ll be paying for snow removal.

It’s great!

Snow removal loot

We were always under the impression it would be too expensive. We had also somehow convinced ourselves it was good to be outside, doing exercise.

Those days have gone the way of the dodo bird. In fact, we may have been dodo birds before hiring snow removal. Unless I’m walking, skiing, or skating, the extent of my being outside, doing exercise in winter, is shoveling the back deck.

I’m good with that.

Even better, we paid for this year’s snow removal by rolling loose change.

I bought the coin holders and a very determined Susan rolled change we had piling up in jars.

We stuffed all the rolled change into a red bag and I brought it to the bank, where I changed it into bills. Then, I went straight from the bank to the snow removal company office and paid for the entire winter!

Feels good.

Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!