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Here I am, a person who perhaps watches three to four hours of television tops and usually that means I’m watching a DVD on my television screen – one I rented from Netflix. But this morning because I had to get up with the chickens for an international conference call, I drank my tea and watched the Weather Channel to see why it is so blooming cold here. Then I watched CBS and ABC morning news. I personally preferred ABC because of the anchors and the weather girl was a kick. While watching a commercial came on by Sports Illustrated selling scads of Superbowl memorabilia. They were showing images of the Saints winning the 44th Superbowl and when they flashed on Drew Brees holding up his son, tears welled in my eyes.

Now you tell me if an online, radio, out of home, print, mobile advertisement could ever stir that sort of emotion and I’ll eat my media maven hat.

Oh and the good news – ten degrees warmer tomorrow.

Oh please, Rupert, no contest.

I received this letter from Joe Biden last night:

Rachel —

For the first time in our nation’s history, Congress has passed comprehensive health care reform. America waited a hundred years and fought for decades to reach this moment. Tonight, thanks to you, we are finally here.

Consider the staggering scope of what you have just accomplished:

Because of you, every American will finally be guaranteed high quality, affordable health care coverage.

Every American will be covered under the toughest patient protections in history. Arbitrary premium hikes, insurance cancellations, and discrimination against pre-existing conditions will now be gone forever.

And we’ll finally start reducing the cost of care — creating millions of jobs, preventing families and businesses from plunging into bankruptcy, and removing over a trillion dollars of debt from the backs of our children.

But the victory that matters most tonight goes beyond the laws and far past the numbers.

It is the peace of mind enjoyed by every American, no longer one injury or illness away from catastrophe.

It is the workers and entrepreneurs who are now freed to pursue their slice of the American dream without fear of losing coverage or facing a crippling bill.

And it is the immeasurable joy of families in every part of this great nation, living happier, healthier lives together because they can finally receive the vital care they need.

This is what change looks like.

My gratitude tonight is profound. I am thankful for those in past generations whose heroic efforts brought this great goal within reach for our times. I am thankful for the members of Congress whose months of effort and brave votes made it possible to take this final step. But most of all, I am thankful for you.

This day is not the end of this journey. Much hard work remains, and we have a solemn responsibility to do it right. But we can face that work together with the confidence of those who have moved mountains.

Our journey began three years ago, driven by a shared belief that fundamental change is indeed still possible. We have worked hard together every day since to deliver on that belief.

We have shared moments of tremendous hope, and we’ve faced setbacks and doubt. We have all been forced to ask if our politics had simply become too polarized and too short-sighted to meet the pressing challenges of our time. This struggle became a test of whether the American people could still rally together when the cause was right — and actually create the change we believe in.

Tonight, thanks to your mighty efforts, the answer is indisputable: Yes we can.

I’ve spent a productive but quiet weekend with Tin. When T left she said I should have someone over every afternoon on the front porch so that I wouldn’t go stir crazy but I’ve longed to have this weekend where I could get some of my to-do list done and then dedicate my time to Tin one on one. There always seems to be playdates and festivals and music going on and so it was welcome news that Super Sunday was postponed till next weekend and we had an ideal Sunday, one where he napped in the afternoon with careful planning on my part – hallelujah.

When we went uptown to pick up my brass pass at Whole Foods, we dropped by a friend’s house who we haven’t seen in a month of Sundays for a quickie and took the kids in her double stroller over to the grocery. Her daughter couldn’t see me when we started walking and she shouted, “Hey! Where’s Tin’s mom?”

Ha!

I went outside to fertilize my roses – also on my lengthy to do list – and my neighbors were bundled up in winter attire rocking on their front porch. As I poured the fertilizer I wondered why the hell they were sitting outside when it was so damn cold, and then I looked up and saw the most amazing thing – the light from the setting sun on the houses across the bayou – the late afternoon sun creates this magic that is breathtaking. Worth shivering for.

I picked up three bunches of daffodils at Whole Wallet for $5, can’t beat that with a stick. Then I was walking in the park and noticed a mother duck with 12 ducklings, ahhh. Several families were perching their kids on the long branches that hang down on the ground from the old moss covered oaks – the kiddies were dressed in Easter best.

Spring has sprung right? Well you’d think that is what is going on but honestly it is winter cold here today and again I say if I could get my hands on that little gopher I’d wring his little neck.

The Bowery bellhop told me to take one of their cars instead of the taxi cab sitting out front and he said the familiar refrain, “It’s cheaper.” But when we got to the airport the guy tried to jack up the amount by $10 and I said no way. I offered to call the hotel to verify the amount but he bitterly took what I gave him.

This is about the third time this has happened to me when the legitimate hotel has convinced me the car is better, it’s not. It’s more expensive and they’re mostly grifters.

Another day older and deeper in debt. Well that’s partially true, today begins week five of Lent in which I have given up alcohol and sweets and to date have dropped five pounds. I told this to my friend and she said, “Wow, you must drink a lot!” And I said, “Uh, no, I don’t drink a lot. It’s more than the alcohol, it’s what it entails. A vodka tonic at night on the porch requires some snack as I can’t drink without food in my body. Then it leads to dinner and by that time I’m much hungrier than I would have been if I hadn’t had the drink. So it’s alcohol and food that has led to my body expanding one to two dress sizes in the last two years.”

She ate an entire can of tuna while I was telling her this and smugly said, “Well I only have about two or three glasses of wine total a week.”

For our anniversary, T gave me two books, one is The Lazarus Project by Sarajevo born Aleksandar Hemon, which I finished this afternoon. The fact that I was able to get through a book in these days and times is a testament to three pages a night and a fair chunk on the flights I just took because thankfully there is NO WIRELESS on the plane (yet).

I was wondering why she chose to give me this book on our anniversary as it is about a man in the throes of a major identity crisis and while he loves his American wife, he loves her less the closer he gets to his real home in Sarajevo. The comparisons that go back and forth are almost carbon copies of our life.

The wife is a true American – a brain surgeon no less, industrious, overworked. He wonders why she is nonplussed over the existential meaning of life and broods about his place in the world and his inability to deliver on any of his promises to himself.

Don’t get me wrong – it’s a good book, the writing is engaging – he wrote this in English and that is not his first language. The plot is compelling, he is wanting to write a book about an immigrant Jew who died at the turn of the century, an anarchist who was wrongfully shot by the Chief of Police in Chicago.

But it’s typical of boy drama, where the protagonist is the lonely man, dreaming of screwing someone other than his wife, and resenting that no one truly understands him – his lament throughout. Reminds of me of Richard Ford, whose writing I like as well, but who offers up the same boy themes throughout his writings.

Tonight I finished cleaning and sealing all the Carrara marble countertops in our house. This is something I’ve been waiting to do and was anticipating T’s departure as the opportune time to get it done. It was one of many things on my to do list that included three and a half hours in Metairie, a trip uptown, a trip to the Quarter, and lots of fast time here at the LaLa – the closet cleaned out for mother in law, the counter tops done, etc.

What remains is the scrubbing down the front and back porch but it is way too chilly for even this enterprising gal to do that.

What I wonder though is while T is in Spain, sipping espresso with her fellow European academics, perhaps even discussing the perils of capitalism, while I am here running down my to do list at nano speed, I wonder if she really understands that I do love her for her differences as well as our similarities, however vast they may seem, particularly when penned by a boy.

I woke with the chickens this morning and had the rare opportunity to get up and sit at the dining table with the sun rising in the horizon – the New York Times laid out in front of me, a piping hot cup of Pu’urh in my beach cup, and time to waste. Ah Sunday mornings…

I have not had a hot cup of tea in so long I burned my mouth with the first sip.

Last night, Tin and I got in the bath and we scrubbed and scrubbed until we were both super clean. Then getting out he slipped and whacked his head – we needed Mama to hand him off to for his greasing. Next time helmet in the bath.

But this morning he was sleeping peacefully. And other than burning my mouth, I was having a peaceful Sunday morning watching the people walking their dogs, running and biking on the chilly bayou. Everyone was wearing snow bunny suits complete with gloves.