Top Comments: Fly Away Edition

Gosh, it feels like forever since I've done one of these!

It's that time of year when the days are on the verge of getting longer, but the weather hasn't quite gotten the notice that winter is soooo last season. It's the time of year where the holiday hangover is almost a memory..... just in time for tax season. This, combined with various household nuisances and primary overload, has me wishing I could just fly away somewhere....

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Thanks so very much to everyone who submits comments and helps make this series the wonderful thing that it is!

2008 hasn't started out all that great for this family. We've gotten some pretty major (negative) news regarding all sides of the Asimbaclan. It seems like we're not given time between the phone calls to get used to the latest calamity before that damned phone is ringing again with the next. (We're disconnecting our land line. If they can't find us, we don't have to continue this human pinball impersonation!)

Then, like sick, demented icing rosettes on the crap-cake, this week we've had to deal with so many.....irritations. Got our tax bill. Not. Fun. The wingnut job is finally gone (woohoo!!!), but given the last bit o'news about our tax bill, the timing ain't the greatest! We need to get new health insurance by March 1st, as our current plan has priced us out the possibility of continuing with them (plus, it's the EVIL BSofCA). My computer display has crapped out on me, just after the warranty expired. It's a design flaw, and it appears that the computer manufacturer may be willing to accept this, given that there's an entire website dedicated to said design flaw, and repair at no charge - though I've still gotta work for it. Property taxes are due. Asimbadog needs his nails trimmed. (This is a major ordeal, and never costs less than $300.)

After taking stock of the situation, I've decided. I NEED TO ESCAPE!

What I'd like to do? Run away! Any of the following would work quite nicely for me:

Flying away to some secluded island
Downloading some serious backpacking skills (a la The Matrix) and heading out somewhere very remote, and not too cold with just me, my camera, and my iPod
Going to some decadently appointed mountain cabin near Heavenly.
Packing myself away to some week long remote, but posh spa.
Winning the lottery. No, not that lottery (though that would seem to be par for the course), THIS lottery!

Given that actual physical escape is not really an option, I'm going for the next best thing. I will make time over the next two days to do at least one of the following:

Retreat to my backyard hammock with blankets, iPod, and a great book.
Hide in my bathroom, with a lavender scented bubble bath, glass of wine, and a great book. (Or same scenario, but with candles and Rachmaninoff on my iPod)
Go for a bike ride with my husband that has no predetermined destination or pace.
Go for a hike with my sister that DOES have a predetermined destination and goal.
Disappear into our guest room with its comfy chair and furry, purring cat and a great book.

I'm a little bummed that it takes times of great stress, or even of moderate stress with a hundred pecked-to-death-by-ducks constant irritations as icing, to remind me that EVERYTHING looks better after I spend quality time with me.

It doesn't take much - just an hour or two, or if I'm really lucky, an afternoon, and I'm much better equipped to deal with whatever life throws my way. That's not to say that I end up happy with the crap coming my way. It just means that I'm able to quell that bit of me that wants to handle the crap by screaming and crying and stomping my feet with much less effort.

So, how do you manage to retain your sanity and goodwill when faced with the sudden realization that it's been far too long since you've done something just for you? (I reserve the right to blatantly steal your ideas, by the way!)

Here are tonight's Top Comments!

First, a couple of submissions from yesterday that arrived after the cutoff time:

From wscomn:

HEH
Hollywood politicaljunkie give us a good lesson on the political space-time continuum with this comment. Love it!

From noweasels:

bwack. . .bwack bwack bwack . . . quaoar on Karl Rove advising John McCain

From greenchiledem this morning:

Top Comment: "With Harry Potter in his corner now, Obama is unstoppable!"
OMG this was so funny!  The diary by rhubarb about a very young super delegate from Wisconsin deciding to endorse Senator Barack Obama has a photo of the young man.  I guess it’s the tie that may have caused the commenter to think of the star of books and movies. The commenter, Hippokleides, made me laugh so hard I had to send it for top comment. Now the photo may be necessary to get the full content of the comment. (Now one commenter thought it was a criticism of the young man, Jason Rae, I didn’t take it that way at all. I thought it was on point since the story was about the success of this young man being elected to the DNC at the young age of 17!)

From sarahnity:

In a thread discussing the correct phrasing of the threat, "Don't make me turn this car around," Cali Techie had the ultimate response!

MadGranny sends us these:

I guess Cartoon Peril and CaptUnderpants just couldn't help themselves in the diary, Dems Abroad Primary

http://www.dailykos.com/...

http://www.dailykos.com/...

From CrashingVor:

A new species of diarist
appeared today, not so much a troll as a Tom Bombadil.  LaughingMan summed it up best.

From AndyS In Colorado:

This comment by Catte Nappe in xxdr zombiexx's diary is a pungent and concise observation about the right wing's projection about "victimization"

From llbear:

Tells of one kossack's warmth and generosity toward another kossack.

My picks:

jml9999 made me miss The West Wing intensely with this comment.

this comment by IrishKorean about early voting in Texas is wonderful!

Speaking of favorite on screen gems, cardinal gives us this, with regard to the plagiarism brouhaha.

A HUGE Happy Anniversary CONGRATULATIONS to mcmom! 50 years! FABULOUS!!!

Yeah, it's from C&J, and yeah, it's a pootie pic, but it SOOO goes with my theme tonight! This comment from Phil N DeBlanc sums it up nicely for me.

The wonderful, fabulous, intrepid BeninSC brings us Top Mojo!

Top Mojo - excluding search-identifiable tip jars and first diary comments (top 30 of each plus ties):

1 I don't mean this to be tin- foilly.. by la urracca - 207
2 IDEA! by librarianman - 136
3 This is huge news in Europe, and it will by Asinus Asinum Fricat - 121
4 I would agree, slinkerwink . . . by nyceve - 105
5 Definitely diary-worthy... by maxschell - 102
6 Your Hole Solution Consultants. by Crashing Vor - 92
7 Nope - this is the brilliance of the GOP machine by inclusiveheart - 89
8 we'll glaze over your problems, by Sargent Pepper - 88
9 My personal experience by kid oakland - 82
10 I wrote an e-mail to my Senators Levin by Owllwoman - 81
11 When I early voted in Tuesday... by Melody Townsel - 81
12 Obama brings people together by jhutson - 80
13 Obama spends more on staff... by DaveV - 80
14 With Harry Potter in his corner now, by Hippokleides - 76
15 yes by its simple IF you ignore the complexity - 74
16 He knew this was coming... by kharma - 73
17 Did somebody say donuts?? we luvs the donuts by PhillyGal - 72
18 Here you go by discocarp - 72
19 How am I to remain a cynic? by phillyPete - 69
20 Nah, W will have the entire by Bob Love - 69
21 last night's eclipse by juliewolf - 66
22 she will spin and spin and spin by MantisOahu - 63
23 Great idea. by Crashing Vor - 62
24 I couldn't resist . . . by nyceve - 61
25 Yay! PhillyGal's Back! by Debbie in ME - 60
26 Happy Thorsday by Debbie in ME - 60
27 makes mark penn by countrysexual - 60
28 TEXAS early voting is up 1,000% by Grand Moff Texan - 60
29 Not nice.... by jenontheshore - 58
30 post humpday by khereva - 57
31 Good diary, recommended by Bill White - 57
32 I like KOS' take by Grand Moff Texan - 57

Top Mojo - everything included:

1 tip jar by Gottschalk - 657
2 Tips n/t by Cenk Uygur - 342
3 Tips for by RobertInWisconsin - 340
4 Tip jar by The Termite - 333
5 EXACTLY SEVEN SECOND LATER by Grand Moff Texan - 307
6 Tip, flames, candy by rhubarb - 287
7 Repeat after me: there are NO CIA planes by Asinus Asinum Fricat - 257
8 tips by Helenann - 246
9 tips, recs, recommends by krazypuppy - 240
10 Tip Jar! by rjones2818 - 230
11 It's a dirty job by poblano - 212
12 I don't mean this to be tin- foilly.. by la urracca - 207
13 tips? by Jeff in CA - 189
14 Normally by calipygian - 159
15 IDEA! by librarianman - 136
16 tip jar by John DE - 124
17 tip jar by woolie - 121
18 This is huge news in Europe, and it will by Asinus Asinum Fricat - 121
19 Tip Jar by sheddhead - 116
20 Tips/Recs. by icebergslim - 115
21 Mojo Jaro by Richard Cranium - 111
22 I would agree, slinkerwink . . . by nyceve - 105
23 Definitely diary-worthy... by maxschell - 102
24 Don't Tip Me - Tip Hillary by Alegre - 96
25 It's interesting. I'd venture that they're by slinkerwink - 96
26 Your Hole Solution Consultants. by Crashing Vor - 92
27 Nope - this is the brilliance of the GOP machine by inclusiveheart - 89
28 we'll glaze over your problems, by Sargent Pepper - 88
29 My personal experience by kid oakland - 82
30 I wrote an e-mail to my Senators Levin by Owllwoman - 81
31 When I early voted in Tuesday... by Melody Townsel - 81