Mocking Men With Femininity

[IrishAyes]

62. Thank you everyone

... for not only putting up with me but making me feel welcome indeed. Keep on like that and you'll be a good influence on me yet. Here where I retired in the remote MidWest (in case you missed my thousand previous screams about the culture), so many people think virtue requires passivity, especially in women. That really burns me up. I think it's part of what makes them Republicans. While I have various ready answers as to why I can't/won't/shouldn't submit to bullies of any kind, I'm going to add a response I picked up on this thread to the effect that what you allow is what will continue. Just wait until the next one questions the state of my soul because I spoke up about something.

I've noticed something else, too. They don't stick up for each other either. Unless it involves a close relative, they're going to keep their head down and their lip zipped. Apparently the only socially acceptable whipping post is a librul. Then it's open season.

Sorry, there I go again. There actually are some people here whom I like. And I don't really quarrel with everyone. Too many for my personal satisfaction, perhaps, but then I'm working on internalizing the fact that even some of those might not know what to make of me either. So pray for a reasonable amount of patience - just not too much. That's for lotus eaters.

One of my favorites in town, even though I don't know him well and he does follow that other, y'know, political party, is the county property assessor. When everyone else's taxes went up a couple years ago, mine actually went down from $220 a year - yes, a YEAR - to $182. That has to mean that the age of the home has a lot to do with assessments. He told me it had nothing to do with improvements so long as they didn't involve increased square footage. Outbuildings over 12' on any measurement get taxed, so I put up two sheds on either side of the yard next to the alley, and each measures no more than 11'11". No taxes there, even if I built a third. My house is 2200 sq ft but it's also a hundred years old and I bought it at auction 7 years ago for $16,500. We won't discuss the tons more required to rehab the place, but I expected that.

So when I kick and squawk about what I DON'T like in this part of the country, I have no right to expect too much sympathy. I couldn't live here w/o the internet and places like DU and all of you. So for that I'm most grateful and will try not to wear out my welcome.