Best Slumber Party Ever

My girls had a slumber party Saturday night. Three of their friends from school joined us, as did Meredith, and we had a wonderful time. The party began with the girls arriving and immediately changing into their swimsuits. We played in a kiddie pool and ran through a new hose/spray contraption I recently picked up. That's them up above posing on the playscape. They decided to eat their dinner in the playhouse in the back yard: And no, we did not cook it on the play stove behind them ;) After dinner and a whole bunch of playing (I wanted them to be worn out so they'd actually fall asleep at some point), we got out the cake and ice cream, lit the candles, and the girls blew them out: Next came opening present time. The girls had a blast opening presents, squealing loudly at the trove of treasure they acquired. They also had lots of help from their friends opening the gifts. I think the sugar from the ice cream may have also inched the energy upward ;) The attendees all got goody-bags filled with trinkets and other stuff so as to not feel too left out. Here is the post present-opening mess: Next, the girls wandered upstairs, played dress-up, held a fashion show, and then went promptly to sleep, right on time. NOT! Though they didn't get to sleep until very late, they were wonderful, polite, well-behaved, and eventually did fall asleep. And of course, they were up at the crack of dawn wanting to watch cartoons on TV. All in all, 'twas a great party! Can't wait 'til next year!

Bloody Screaming Foetuses

Or is it foeti? <----- That, by the way, is a Petoskey stone. They are found only in Michigan, mostly around Little Traverse Bay. I awoke this morning in Petoskey, MI, which until last evening, I had never visited. It was a truly beautiful town. I stayed at the historic Perry Hotel, which was a beautiful and inexpensive place to stay. It's rooms are nice, they have a corporate rate (which means a room without a view), and their restaurants are pretty fancy. I had to stay in and prepare for a trial deposition of a defense witness, but it nonetheless offered a great atmosphere. I was able to score a Founder's Pale Ale on tap and bring it to my room for a nightcap :) First thing in the morning, I was off to take the deposition. As I drove down the hill from the hotel, I was comforted by the realization that I don't have to remain in Ypsilanti to view numerous blow-ups of bloody, dismembered feotuses (or feoti) while driving my car. I was treated to what I had previously thought was a rare benefit available only in my adopted hometown. The streets near the bridge were lined with pleasant, dedicated, well-dressed protesters, all holding large pictures of feotuses in various states of death, decay, and dismemberment. It was truly a delightful way to begin my morning. I don't know if the town announced this festive occasion, but you might want to check the website so you don't miss it when planning a visit. After the deposition was concluded, I drove down state route 131 all the way to Kalamazoo to meet my girls. The drive was beautiful, with black cherry stands here and there, an antique tractor fair on the west side of the road about 10 miles out of town, and at least one delightful sign that said "Alba Public School: My neighborhood school of choice." This is somewhat of an inside joke, as there is apparently just one school in Alba, which caused me to do a double take. I'm so used to seeing "[fill in the blank] Public Schools" that it looked like a typo. 177 kids, 13 teachers, 1 school. Amazing ! About 45 minutes south of Petoskey, I did drive for awhile behind a large tanker truck filled with, yes, you guessed it, fish. They apparently were bound for an inland lake that needed some stocking to attract more fishermen and women. Or is it fisherpeople? Only in Michigan . . . . Overall, a beautiful drive and a beautiful day! In case you were wondering, the British spelling is so that I don't end up on the Google Alerts of the people with the signs and their buds. I'm all for free speech and personal opinions and such, but those people creep me out.

Best. Service. Ever.

As you may already be aware, I refer to my car as the "lawyer-mobile." About a year ago, I bought my father's 1998 Infiniti Q45 for a song and a prayer, due to his inability to get a decent price in our current used car market, what with the excessively low residual values. Bad deal for him, good deal for me. ;) The car has served me well, but I did manage to crack up the windshield very badly, and I recently realized that it was also due for its annual major service call. So I made an appointment to bring it in, and I brought it to Suburban Infiniti. These people are utterly out of their minds when it comes to service. They are simply the best. They were so hassle-free, I would actually consider paying more for one of their cars just so I could be assured that future service calls wouldn't be an imposition. First was the loaner car. They provided me, at no cost, with a brand new silver, Infiniti G35. This thing is a freakin' sports car with four doors, for Pete's sake. I do realize that the idea was to dazzle me into dumping my current car in favor of purchasing something like the loaner. Unfortunately for Infiniti, I'm not the type to drop $40K on a car under any circumstances. Again, bad deal for Infiniti, good deal for me. So I leave the car, and they call me with an estimate. They actually quote me less on the windshield than I had obtained competitively over the Internet. I frankly couldn't believe that a dealer would even think of replacing my entire windshielf for under $300. They also recommended that I not pay to correct a relatively minor problem, as it would probably end up being included in my next service call, and there was no reason to pay twice for something minor. Them saving me money? I was incredulous. They called me no less than four times in three days to update me on the status of my car. When I called back, somebody actually answered the phone all but one time, and when they did not, I left a voicemail and was called back within the hour. I can't even get my secretary to do that ;) And to boot, the annual service, including a new windshield, cost less than the last service call on my PT Cruiser before I sold it. And they washed the Q45 before giving it back to me. I think these Infiniti people are onto something, I really do. Unbelievable . . .

Other YCFE supporters speak

I received this very interesting email exchange in my inbox last evening. My neighbors and fellow supporters of the YCFE, Barbara Zmich and Celeste McClellan, are none too pleased with the endorsement letter that I posted on last week. On their own initiative, they asked for the mailing list used by the defunct organization's co-chairs. Unfortunately, the "keepers of the information" have declined to provide it to them as evidenced by the exchange below (the email addresses have all been omitted): Dear Steve and Lois, Last Friday, July 21, we e-mailed former co-chairs of the dissolved Ypsilanti Campaign for Equality Beth Bashert and Lisa Zuber, copied to Paul Schreiber, the letter below. As you'll read, we were hoping that in the interest of fairness they would send us the list of YCFE supporters they used to send their letter of July 1, 2006, which we believe misrepresented your past and/or current views and actions regarding the Ypsilanti Human Rights Ordinance. Our intention was that if you wished you could use that list to contact the supporters of the defunct YCFE, just as the Schreiber campaign paid for the July 1 letter, which appeared under the YCFE letterhead. Also copied below, you'll see that Beth Bashert responded almost immediately, with the single word "No." We received no response from Lisa Zuber or from Paul Schreiber. As you know, we were not solicited by either of you to undertake this effort. For the sake of full disclosure, please be advised that we are Pierce supporters. But please also know we only made that decision after receiving the "YCFE" letter, which for us tilted the scales far away from the Schreiber candidacy. Please feel free to use our names and/or anything contained in this e-mail when contacting voters about this issue. We are copying this e-mail to ypsidixit.com and trustygetto.com so that as many Ypsilanti residents as possible may hear in a timely manner of our correspondence. Best of luck to the both of you. Sincerely, Barbara Zmich Celeste McClellan From: Beth Bashert (e-address deleted) Subject: Re: Schreiber endorsement letter Date: July 21, 2006 3:07:03 PM EDT To: Barbara Zmich/Celeste McClellan (e-address deleted) Reply-To: Beth Bashert (e-address deleted) No. Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device -----Original Message----- From: Barbara Zmich/Celeste McClellan (e-address deleted) Date: Fri, 21 Jul 2006 14:50:09 To: Beth Bashert (e-address deleted), Lisa Zuber (e-address deleted) Cc: Paul Schreiber (e-address deleted) ,Barbara Zmich/Celeste McClellan (e-address deleted) Subject: Schreiber endorsement letter Dear Lisa and Beth, We read with dismay and concern the extremely misleading letter you sent out on July 1 to supporters of the now-defunct Ypsilanti Campaign for Equality. In that letter, you use the letterhead of the now defunct YCFE and your titles of that dissolved organization to endorse Paul Schreiber for mayor of Ypsilanti. Among the most egregious omissions is the fact that Lisa Zuber is co-chair of the Schreiber for Mayor campaign. Setting aside the politics involved, we feel that as the former co-chairs of YCFE, you misused the organization's name, issuing your endorsement without authorization by YCFE supporters. The implications, misstatements and omissions in the letter are at the least, in our opinion, unethical, and for us have cast a dark shadow over both the Schreiber campaign and your own personal credibility. Since we were also contributors to the Ypsilanti Campaign for Equality, we believe we are on an equal footing to you with regard to the use of the information generated during the campaign. In the interest of fairness we ask you to email us by the end of the day Sunday, July 23, 2006 the list you used for that mailing so that we may pass it on to both the Steve Pierce for Mayor campaign and the Lois Richardson campaign. They both deserve the opportunity, if they wish to do so, to point out to the supporters of the YCFE the omissions and misstatements contained in your letter. Sincerely, Barbara Zmich Celeste McClellan I guess the question on everyone's mind is, why not provide the list? Scared of the truth if it gets out? Though I was initially outraged, at this point, I'm just puzzled and disappointed. Most people I deal with are quick to correct their errors once they are pointed out. But actions speak louder than words. If this is how Schreiber intends to handle future missteps -- denial -- then it is obvious he doesn't fully understand what it means to serve the public and to ask voters to place their trust in him. For those of you just now coming to this issue, you can read more about it here, here and here. UPDATE: A reader informed me of a letter to the editor on this very issue, published just yesterday.

A weekend to remember, including a reception for Congressman John Dingell

This has been a fun-filled weekend. The Beerfest was on Friday, and a gazillion people descended upon Riverside Park to sample Michigan brewed beer from all over the state. The range of samples was dizzying, if you'll pardon the pun. There were ales, lagers, stouts, porters, and barleywines from breweries as close as the Corner Brewery, three blocks from my house, and as far as the Leelanau Brewing Company in Traverse City. My favorite was the Rochester Mills Co. Royal Kona Stout. Meredith's favorite was the Smuggler's Hazel Nut Stout from the Hideout Brewing Company of Grand Rapids. One nice feature is that they give you three ounces for a token, and you only get 12 tokens with a ticket, which makes it much easier to avoid getting snockered ! Last evening, Meredith and I had the pleasure of attending a Fiesta-themed reception for U.S. Congressman, John Dingell. Held in the Ypsilanti Auto Heritage Museum (just one block from my home), the reception was a great opportunity for local supporters of Congressman Dingell and the Democratic Party to meet and talk. We had a chance to speak with Congressman Dingell, who is a gracious listener and very patient with the numerous people who are always seeking his ear. In addition to the Congressman, the reception was a who's who of local politics. Fellow Ypsilanti BOE members, Floyd Brumfield and Tom Reiber were there. Friend and mutual supporter, our State Representative, Alma Wheeler Smith was there. State Senator, Liz Brater came. Some of our Washtenaw County Commissioners attended. Friend and mutual supporter, Rebekah Warren, who is a candidate for State Representative covering Ann Arbor came. All three Ypsilanti Mayoral candidates (Steve Pierce, Paul Schreiber, and Lois Richardson) attended. Frankly, I couldn't possibly list all the people who were there, nor all who I had an opportunity to converse with. The food and drinks (particularly the margueritas) were outstanding, which was to be expected as the event was sponsored by the Sidetrack Bar and Grill. Well, enough of the ridiculous name-dropping. Hope your weekend was a blast, too :)

Quick question . . . .

Are we the only country in recent history to send a luxury cruise ship to pick up our war refugees? Heck, in this economy, at least we're making them pay their own way, no? ;) UPDATE: I got a heads up that my snarky comment about paying is now obselete, as the fee for taking the Cypress cruise has been waived, thanks to the outrage expressed by so many.

Sumthin' to make fun of

The ad for my firm's Nursing Home Practice Group has been redone, this time in color. You can make fun of it in the comment section below. Don't be bashful . . . . Go ahead . . . . Poke some fun now . . . . You know you want to . . . .

So my curiosity got the better of me . . . .

So my curiosity got the better of me this afternoon. I walked over to the Downtown DDA and asked to see the file on the meetings preceding 2002's election. I obtained my own copies of the October 24, 2002 minutes, plus other material from the file. I confirmed that the YCFE letter is indeed inaccurate and illegitimately smears Pierce and his campaign. First, let's turn to the minutes. They state that DDA Members Campbell, Farmer, Heater, Nelson, Pierce and Williams were present for the meeting. DDA Members Kinley, McEachern, and Moss were not. The only staff present was Jennifer Goulet, DDA Director. Under heading "V. Ypsilanti Campaign for Equality," the minutes state (and this is the entry in its entirety): Campaign Co-Chair Lisa Zuber provided a presentation on the upcoming ballot issue proposing to modify the City's human rights ordinance and requested that the Board consider endorsing the YCFE position calling for a "no" vote. The members thanked Zuber for her presentation but no action was taken as the Board discussed concerns that such an edorsement was outside of its jurisdiction as an Authority. This is the only mention of the issue in the minutes. At the next meeting on November 21, 2002, according to the minutes I obtained, the minutes of the October 24 meeting were approved unanimously. I also obtained a copy of the official Agenda with what appears to be the DDA Director's handwritten notes on it. There is no handwritten indication, nor any other indication of any further discussion on the issue. I also obtained a copy of the Director's handwritten notes. Under the heading YCFE Presentation in the notes, it states (in its entirety): Lisa Zuber (see handouts) - request for endorsement. There is no other mention in the file of the DDA Board's discussion on this issue. Please take special note that there are members of the DDA who were present at the DDA meeting who are supporters of the other candidate. I don't see anybody questioning their commitment to civil rights, and it's obvious that's because nobody should. The DDA (as a group and as an entity) had questionable authority to endorse a ballot issue -- nothing more, nothing less. Put another way, the DDA wanted to act ethically and legally, and since it (as an entity) wasn't convinced that it actually could ethically and legally issue an endorsement, it didn't. To characterize this as a "refusal" is plainly outrageous and unsupportable. I call upon those who issued the endorsement, as well the campaign of the other candidate who paid for it to issue a correction and an apology. Nothing less will do. So when you hear that the YCFE co-chairs are out shooting their mouths off telling people that "Pierce refused to endorse us," and that the other candidate is the "only person who has demonstrated his commitment to protect these rights," don't believe the hype. And keep in mind that the Ypsilanti Housing Commission, of which the other candidate was a member at the time, didn't endorse the campaign, either. Instead, use the opportunity to set the record straight. Tell people the truth, that: Pierce did indeed endorse the campaign. Pierce did indeed donate web hosting service to the campaign. Pierce did indeed put a lawn sign out in his yard. Pierce did indeed vote to preserve human rights at the ballot box. The other candidate is claiming exclusive moral ground that doesn't belong to him. Update: The supporting documentation has been scanned and uploaded. All you have to do is click on the text above, and you can view the actual documents. Thanks to Rod for scanning them for me.

More on dirty politics

Because we all like to beat dead dogs until they are, well, deader . . . . My friend, Eric, has chosen to blog on the less-than-legitimate endorsement of Steve Pierce's mayoral rival. You can read about it here. As has Rod Smith. You can read his post here. And, of course, so has ypsi~dixit. If anyone else has, send 'em my way so I can put up the link.

Matching my favorite beverage with my favorite place

In just over a week, Ypsilanti will be hosting the Michigan Beer Fest in Riverside Park. Beginning at 5 P.M. on Friday, July 21, and continuing the next day from 1 to 6 P.M., the festival will allow the tasting of a large variety of Michigan beer. You can read more about it here. I, for one, can't wait. Hope to see you there :)

Elected Officials' Canoe Race

I was honored this morning to be Ypsilanti Mayor Cheryl Farmer's teammate in Washtenaw County's Elected Officials' Canoe Race put on the the Jaycees. Early in the morning, Meredith and I picked Mayor Farmer up at her home and proceeded to Gallup Park. Mayor Farmer, being the world-class competitor that she is, insisted that we arrive early and check out the course. This is me getting outfitted for our practice run. Next, we launched the canoe out into the river: And we waved bon voyage. Don't worry, they did photograph us prior to departure so that if necessary, our remains could be identified ;) After the practice run, we bumped into the other team from Ypsilanti, made up of Councilmen Bill Nickels and Brian Filipiak. They were rarin' to go. We also met Mayor Hieftje from Ann Arbor, as well as fellow elected officials from Wixom, Scio Township, and Ann Arbor. We all lined up at the starting point, and took off on the crack of the pistol. I know it's hard to see, but that's Mayor Farmer and I in second place at the start. Then came the finish. As you can see, everyone else is so far back, Meredith couldn't even get them in the photo ;) Okay, so we came in last place. In our defense, I doubt anyone voted for us because of our skill in a canoe ! 'Twas the agony of defeat that greeted us at the finish line :( Even though we were less than victorious, we did have smiles on our faces when it was over. Here's the not-so-winningest team right after the race. And, special thanks to Meredith for taking the pictures! Next year, we're gonna beat those scalliwags from Scio Township - I just know it !!

Political dirty tricks on the eve of ElvisFest

When I ran for the Ypsilanti School Board, I was forced to deal with my share of negative campaigning and the spreading of misinformation about who I was and what I stood for. Unfortunately, now that the current election season is in full swing, I am seeing the same thing happen, only this time with the mayoral race. I think this type of negativity is uncalled for, and I have little patience for those who engage in it. Last week I received a letter from the Ypsilanti Campaign for Equality (YCFE), an organization that I donated a great deal of my own personal time and effort to. Apparently, two of it's co-chairs decided on their own to endorse one mayoral candidate, and then decided that their endorsement would be more effective if it were issued under the auspices of the organization. Then they went further than a mere endorsement. They deliberately misled members of the organization by stating that another candidate was not a supporter of the YCFE. I object to this type of campaigning and to the intentional spreading of misleading information for political purposes. Following is my open letter to our community: As a strong supporter of the Ypsilanti Campaign for Equality, I was dismayed by a mailing issued by two of the organization's co-chairs that endorsed one mayoral candidate and spread misleading information about another. Steve Pierce was and is a strong supporter of the YCFE. In fact, the YCFE's web presence was due to his generous donation of Internet hosting. He also proudly displayed a lawn sign and was openly supportive of our cause. I am also concerned that the endorsement did not involve any attempt to poll supporters of the YCFE or speak with the candidates prior to issuing it. It was poor form for one of the co-chairs to issue the endorsement while failing to mention that she is closely connected with the endorsee's campaign committee, a key fact that should have been disclosed. The YCFE has been a powerful force in Ypsilanti as a defender of civil rights and as an organization that has brought our community together, making it stronger. Its strength and credibility flow from the generosity and hard work displayed by its supporters and contributors. I object to its co-chairs' use of the organization's name, its letterhead, and its goodwill as a soapbox to express their own personal political opinions. I think supporters of the YCFE deserve better, as do the citizens of Ypsilanti. Our city faces tough fiscal times. This election is an outstanding opportunity to achieve a truly progressive change in city leadership. I urge supporters of the YCFE to learn more about Steve Pierce, about his actual and real support of our cause, and to consider his candidacy for the mayoral race based upon the facts and his record. When this election is over, I want to be able to stand behind whoever wins knowing that the winner was elected legitimately on the basis of an accurate evaluation by voters. When facing our city's challenges, I believe we really are all in this together, and we must maintain our ability to work together constructively and productively after the election is finished. We are quite lucky this year to be in a position where nobody can question the candidates' commitment and heartfelt dedication to our city. In the fervor to support the various candidates, I hope we don't squander the achievements and progress that have brought us so far as a community.

Visit to Chicago

I visited my children in Chicago (they are there for the summer with their mom) over the weekend of the 4th of July. We had a spectacular time ! The visit began with a trip to a playground a few blocks from their apartment. They go there almost daily. They were very excited to show me a new technique they employ when swinging. They call it "the spider." We walked around their neighborhood. One of the truly wonderful things about their neighborhood is that you can walk just about anywhere. We went out to eat at a restaurant called the Noodle Zone, which had Thai, Chinese and Japanese cuisine. The girls loved it. We also got some ice cream, and I picked up a case of my favorite beer from my Colorado days, Fat Tire Ale, which isn't available in Michigan. The next morning, we decided to go to the Lincoln Park Zoo. So we hopped in the car and made it a day. It was a little bit rainy, which worked in our favor. The zoo was not crowded at all, and the clouds kept us cool. We saw lions: And lowland gorillas: There was a kids building that had air conditioning and a wonderful thing to climb on. The kids had a fantastic time navigating all through this thing: We saw polar bears, who were swimming to keep cool: The polar bears were quite gregarious. They seemed to genuinely enjoy swimming in circles, to the bottom of the pool and then coming up right in front of the kids standing before the window. Every once in a while, they would stop and hover in front of the kids and blow bubbles, perhaps ruminating over their next meal? On that patio of another display was a mini water park. The kids had great fun splashing in the water: Even the drinking fountains were spectacular: The trip to the zoo ended on the Extinct and Endangered Species Carousel: After that, it was back to the apartment for dinner, some cards, and then I had to travel home. It was quite the wonderful visit ! Next time, the girls will come here for a long weekend. I can't wait. :)