A few things that are bugging me this week ...

After six months of semi-regular blogging, I'm finding that even though I sometimes feel a bit "written out" and my time is more limited, I still seem to have a lot to say.

Here are a few thoughts that have been running through my brain recently, in no particular order of importance except what is coming to mind first:

I've been thinking that people react rather violently to totally random tragedies. I am not saying that the tragedies are any less real or tragic, but that we might really want to think things through before passing laws that have a long lasting effect on everyone in the nation.

Specifically, I went to visit my daughter last week, who lives by the bay. No matter what the weather, I can never fail to go down and pay homage to the lake when I am there. I was wearing a new-to-me hooded jacket, because it was chilly and windy by the water. I actually had a fairly decent hair look going when I left home in the morning, but of course I've had enough experience with damp and windy days that I didn't expect that to stick around. Even so, when I tried to put the hood up to protect what I could, I realized that I had a hood twice the size of my head and no strings to pull the sides in closer to my face.

Oh, yeah, there they were. They were attached to the inside of the hood, with two button-hole type openings and a plastic slide-thing that could anchor them somewhat tighter. I should have done this before I put the jacket on, while I was inside and could see what the heck I was doing. It was definitely not a one-handed job that could be done while I was walking along the bike path. Eventually I managed to get it somewhat gathered around my face to protect me a little bit from the wind. But, by this time my hair is totally trashed, and not only that I look ridiculously like Nanook of the North:

Obviously, I didn't need to worry about any predators, sexual or otherwise.

Now, I realize that the reason for there being no strings on my jacket hood is because once upon a time, a long time ago, a small child was trying to go down a slide while wearing their hooded jacket. The long strings on the hood somehow caught on the railing of the slide, the child went down and ended up strangled by her own jacket.

As I said, this is no less a tragedy now than when it first happened 20-some years ago. I'm sure that little girl's parents have not forgotten this awful event and I suppose they were at the forefront of the clamor to do away with long hood strings back then. I probably would have been, too, if it had been my child.

But guess what. This is an adult-sized jacket. I'm an adult. I should be able to have long, tie-up strings on the hood of my jacket if that's what I want. If I am not in total control of my faculties, it's my own fault. I'm not going to expect that people lead a crusade on behalf of my own stupidity if I decide to go down a slide.

Some day, they really ought to let people take responsibility for their own decisions. And that's all I'm going to say about that.

Next item: I'm really steamed about shopping local. I'm going to have to get into that in a whole blog all by itself. Or maybe a column for the magazine. Or maybe both.

Here's another totally random thing that really got to me this morning. I may have mentioned that I'm not a fan of FOX News but I do watch the local Fox station for my local news. I can't help it. I enjoy that it's all locally produced, even though they do call in out-of-town FOX pundits that take frequent (and cheap) jabs at the Democrats. And, dammit, I really like the local news staff. They're cool (especially Al Allen).

Tim Skubick, their "political consultant" used to write political columns for Heritage Newspapers when I worked there. Maybe he still does. I think his political views are pretty much in line with the powers that be out there in Fox, New Jersey, or wherever the newspaper company is based these days. So this morning, he was on the phone (he's only been actually in the studio once in all the years I've been watching) talking to one of the anchors and as her eyes are literally glazing over, he starts talking about Governor Granholm and criticizing her "punt" when he posed her an all-important political question:

Who is going to win the football game this weekend? 

Granholm's response was something to the effect of well it will be a great game because a Michigan team will come out the winners.

Really--is this a question that a governor is required to answer? Even if he's a man? Even if he's a Republican? And whatever the governor's answer, does he or she need to get criticized for giving a totally non-partisan answer?

Get over it, Skubie.

Oh ... and lastly, I forgot to bake bread this morning for the Farmer's Market. I wonder if that means the season is really over. I'm a little chagrined over this.

OK, I'm done for this morning. But you'll probably hear more from me soon.