Really, nail-bitingly close. We are a few Senators’ decisions away from making marriage equality in Washington State a reality. I am prepared to be very, very proud of my adopted state, and also very, very crushed for the thousands of loving people who still don’t get that (in)decision that I get.

I truly believe that in a few decades, the idea that marriage was once so uncivilly banned from a portion of the population who are in long, long-term, consenting adult relationships will be deeply embarrassing to us as a country.

If you’re also in Washington State, won’t you help? The Stranger’s Slog (who has only every been kind to me) has a list of which Senators who remain undecided on the issue–some of whom are Democrats, which is truly inconceivable/unacceptable. Please, take 10 minutes to send some emails.

Marriage equality is a right, and it’s time to make it right.

Here’s what I’ve been doing of late:

Community-building

Writing

Some light inter-office PR work

And generally keeping it down on the work-from-home front. I’ve also been barefoot running, not using shampoo, taking lots of meetings, and making stuff and doing things. Also, I have a podcast! It’s got at least 4 listeners! Wouldn’t you like to become one of them?

If you’d like to see more of what I’m up to, add Blisstree and Seattle Pulp to your RSS feed, and get all the news and words I put all over the internet.

Our newest family member is fitting in quite well.

Indi is on the left, Hunter, our newest family member, is on the right

But he gets bored. I work from our house, but I can’t spend as much time playing as he wants–he’s still very much a puppy in his appetite for tugging and running. A buddy, we thought, might help.

Also, both Adam and I are pretty passionate about animal rescue, in that we want to personally rescue everything on four legs. Or no legs. Or two legs. Really, anything.

So we did. Our house grew by one beating heart yesterday, bringing us to a total of two humans and two dogs. So far, Indi and Hunter seem to be getting on swimmingly.

Despite my waffling in October, I did decide to participate in NaNoWriMo for the second time. You can read along with my novel here. Writing a novel means that I count my days in words.

In addition to writing (both my novel and for my various writing jobs for which I get paid), I’m also running quite a bit. In an attempt to better my 10k speed (and also break my distance barrier), I’ve been on the road and in the gym fairly frequently. Running means that I count my days in miles and minutes.

And to ensure that I don’t entirely lost my mind during this month of forward-thrusting progress, I’ve also been making sure to get my daily allowance of booze. This has mostly been in the form of wine, though there have been more than a few nights where the drink of choice has been beer (out of a keg, no less. Thanks, Washington Bus!)

Essentially, it’s been a month of steps forward (and sips backward). But don’t worry, there’s been a lot of dog-time, too. Did I mention that we’re also considering adopting another dog? Which means my days have also been measured in missed voice mails and coordinating with foster families.

Over and out.

Today, we are just a few months from the start of November, which means across the country, folks are gearing up to dive face-first into a month of furious writing. Last year, I was among them. This year, I’m waffling.

Last year at this time, I was working a single job as a copy-writer. The copy I was writing wasn’t particularly difficult, nor stimulating, and took little creativity. It left me with a lot of extra brainpower to sink into a novel which, when completed, I was fairly pleased with.

This year, though, things are different. My career has come a long way–and with it, the demands on my mental capacity. Each day, I write between 8 and 12 articles, in addition to several contract copy writing jobs and one-off blogging. It’s a lot of content, and it’s all original and difficult and thinky. It leaves me, most days, feeling entirely fried. On the weekends, I work more.

I’m not entirely sure if I’ll have the stamina, nor the capability, to crank out an addional 50,000 words, just for fun.

But I may try it anyway. I don’t think I’ll know until November 1.

Here we go?

[happy birthday, Dad. You're my favorite favorite and you always will be]

…Ours is a useful trade, a worthy calling; that with all its lightness and frivolity it has one serious purpose, one aim, one specialty, and it is constant to it — the deriding of shams, the exposure of pretentious falsities, the laughing of stupid superstitions out of existence; and that whoso is by instinct engaged in this sort of warfare is the natural enemy of royalties, nobilities, privileges and all kindred swindles, and the natural friend of human rights and human liberties.

Mark Twain, on “America’s funnymen”, in a letter to the then-president of Yale University.

They used an editorial to define a movement that is happening in cities across the country, and that has been happening, quietly, in homes since the greed and irresponsibility of a few lead to the economic collapse of many.

The Occupy movement, which has taken the form of sit-ins and protests from sea to sea in the last few weeks, has widely been criticized for being ill-defined. And while yes, of course, there are slack-jawed hangers on who are more lazy and feckless than justifiably frustrated (I’m looking at you, juggalos who are just “pissed at the man and shit”), for the most part, the Occupy movement is very, very clearly defined, and it is very, very simple. The fact is that the majority of people in America are suffering through something they had nothing to do with, while those who perpetuated the failure of the economy and all of its trappings, have not only been allowed to go free, but they have in fact become more powerful.

And yet, still, news outlets across the country report that it’s just a bunch of protesters complaining about nothing. They run the most sensational photos, they report from the sky in helicopters, they throw up their hands because kids today!? Who gets them?!

I get them. I’ve been reporting on Occupy Seattle for Seattlest (a website which, by the way, is in its death rattle for reasons I will explain later), and I know exactly what they want. They want to visually demonstrate that they are angry, that things are wrong, that this is no longer capitalism. And if you want real capitalism, fine, have it. But don’t pretend that when bankers make huge mistakes and then are bailed out and continue to work, while everyone who has gotten an education and tried every outlet are still without jobs, that that is capitalism. It’s not. The system we have in place has effectively priced everyone except the top tier of earners into not just the middle class, but the lower class. And as a result, the lower class has become voiceless.

But here’s the rub–the Fourth Estate, or the media, have long been responsible for speaking up for those voiceless people. If not with actual editorials, then at least with sensationalism that skewed not in favor of the deep-pocketed fat-cats, but in favor of the working class. Sure, there have always been papers run by greedy corporate types (someone’s got to bankroll the presses), but there has also been a long tradition of using the news as a method of information dispersal. Powerful images, excellent content–even the reality of the situation is enough. But now, nearly every news organization is owned by, to use the parlance of the people protesting, the 1%. And as a result, they are not telling the truth. That means you, Fox, MSNBC, Seattle Times (yes, Blethens, you there), Bonneville Communications–all of you. Your reporting is irresponsible.

But in our current economic situation (the one that people are protesting), the news is struggling. And real headlines and, well, real news doesn’t sell. It doesn’t get clicks. Amanda Knox, Steve Jobs, LOLCats, celebrity sightings–these are what keep news organizations in business.

I’m a member of the media, working for a small family of websites. And my parent group is just as much a victim of the numbers game as any–which is why my overlords have recently threatened to can our site, if we don’t begin reporting on the garbage that makes advertisers happy.

And yet, reporting on Occupy Seattle has brought us more positive, intelligent, loyal readers than any splashy story about Hope Solo’s naked self. Because, contrary to what the Fourth Estate seems to believe, there are people out there who are hungry to see reporting that reflects their experiences. That says yes, this is messed up, and yes, your protests are worthy of real coverage.

New York Times, I applaud you for your editorial, and for your use of your power to spread information. It’s important, and it’s responsible.

So last week, when I wrote this piece about being childfree by choice, the part that made me the most nervous was unveiling my age. But I figured few people I knew would read it.

And then it ended up on the Daily Beast. Thanks, Andrew Sullivan.**

But now, the cat’s out of the bag, and it’s true: I am only 24 years old. It costs me more to rent a car, I was born in the late 1980s, I didn’t get to vote for Al Gore, and I graduated high school in 2005. Happy?

But really, to me, my age has been a big part of why I’m doing pretty well. I graduated from college in the worst possible time, but my youth has made me a valuable asset to many of my workplaces. Coupled with the fact that I actually have a work ethic (thanks Mom and Dad!), this seems to be going well.

Which is all to say, young, aimless, drifting people of America–get it together. Your age is no excuse. There is no better time to get your damned life started than when you are young.

/End sermon.

**also, actually, thank you. Because that is amazing.