Emerging from the bunker.

I think I see daylight.

On the morning after the election I was sad at the passage of Proposal 2 (anti-affirmative action) and the failure of Proposal 5 (guaranteed school funding.) But as the enormity of the Democratic victory began to penetrate the semipermeable membrane that is my head, the world looked a lot brighter. After all, Democrats now have most of the state house, and they could pass school funding legislation. (Prop 5 had some damn good things in it, like using a three-year average of school enrollment as the basis for district funding.) And I sort of got over the passage of Prop 2 by realizing that its constitutionality would be assailed from several angles, that the war wasn't yet over.

But wait -- Woohoo! We're a land of checks and balances again! We've got subpeona power, baby, and I'm pretty sure that Waxman and Conyers and Rockefeller remember how to use it! After twelve excruciating years, we have the House back!

Anyway, you all know that. What you don't know -- what you're dying to know -- is what I did down in the bunker.

Let's see. I made my first pot roast (four stars). I baked my first lasagna (four stars). I baked a chocolate layer cake that was pure gastronomic delight and utter engineering failure. (Yes, I was too proud to call Amy for help, thankyouverymuch.) I washed a lot of clothes and dishes. I got the family off to school and work in the morning, sometimes feeding them pancakes, bacon or muffins. I looked for work. I went out to coffee and lunch with friends. I didn't write a word, but I spent entirely too much time on the computer and I have the ninja Tetris skills to prove it, so back off. I upgraded my Mac with OS X Tiger, a new DVD drive (because *^&%!ing Tiger only comes on DVD) and a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse. I was the overlord of many hours of playdates. They call me ... PlayMaster, or they would if they showed any respect. I worked concession stand #13 at Michigan Stadium to support the YHS bands. I was lost in a corn maze at night with two other families, wondering how long was it proper to wait before commencing the cannibalism. I listened to the Decemberists, Sugarcult, Rainer Maria, the Killers, Johnny Cash, the Editors, Head Automatica, Gnarls Barkley, OK Go and the Shins. I rinsed and waxed nostalgic with Peter Gabriel and early Genesis, the Firesign Theater and Cat Stevens. I went on a few job interviews.

I start my new job at the U-M Central Power Plant next week. It's temporary, but it can become permanent. We'll see.