Recess!

DING-A-DING-A-DING-A-DING!

For better or for worse, I've lived in the Washington, DC, area most of my life, and worked in that wretched city one summer (1999, the longest summer in history). The August Congressional recess has become a part of my own natural rhythm. Everything grinds to a halt around here. Even businesses that don't do government work seem to kick back and not worry too much about getting things done.

Before the advent of air conditioning, the recess was intended to allow our representatives to escape the Potomac swampland the nation's capital turns into every summer. By August the air is so fetid, breathing itself becomes a matter of luck. It's almost as bad as New York City.

More important, the recess offers everyone a respite from the toxic swamp gas of politics. Though machinations and manipulations continue behind the scenes in Crawford and Kennebunkport (after all, Karl Rove would cease to exist if he weren't planning the demise of a Democrat), the tide of Washington news stories should ebb for the next few weeks.

I've decided to take a recess from all the crap, too. I've been blogging more or less every day for nearly a year, venting my opnions on the outrage of the hour. This Administration provides so much good material, it's hard to stop.

But August is a good time to slow down and reacquaint oneself with the things in life that don't drive us crazy. Embrace the inactivity, the boredom. Have a big glass of lemonade or iced tea, a cold bottle of beer or frozen margarita. At least once a day, eat a snowball, Italian ice, slushy, snow cone--whatever they call it in your parts.

August is the yin to the rest of the year's yang. Revel in it.

Besides, we need time to replenish our Reservoirs of Rancor for the coming year: Supreme Court nominee hearings, Karl Rove's frogwalk, and the continuing Operation Charlie Foxtrot in Iraq (it's too bad war can't take a recess).

Though it's only been a year, I thought it'd be fun to dig into the archives and pull out some tasty bits of 2004. Check back here every day or so for a stumble down Memory Lane. Some politics, some nonsense, some Yankee-bashing...

If you can't get enough o' my love, stop by my personal/writing blog, which I plan to update daily.

Stay cool, Seethers, and I'll see you in September.