Depression

So I've been trying to dig myself out of the hole at work (love vacation, hate coming back from it), attempting to re-regulate my body clock (-6 hours) and have somewhat unpacked.

I miss Sweden.

Clean, friendly, bike-lane/pedestrian friendly, no/low murder rate Sweden.

This week has been hard at work. A coworker was killed in a freak accident Saturday night. He was a great guy and always had a smile for me. 50 years old, two kids going to/in college and just trying to make his way in the world.

Then on Tuesday, a former student (whom I had met) was shot to death by her ex-husband in front of her 13 year old daughter and then the ex- kills himself in front of the daughter too. Oh yeah, and before that, the ex- had killed the former student's boyfriend. A hell of a way to start a Tuesday morning I tell you.

I want more than just a slogan ('Peace in the Streets' my ass) from my elected officials. I want the Mayor to show a little leadership in the police department he wanted control of so terribly. I want a clean and friendly city. I want bike lanes.

Most of all I want to stop reading of the latest murder each day on the front page of my newspaper. I want my fellow citizens to live in a safe city.

I know, I'm an optimist, I think we can achieve these things.

But probably not under this administration. Get out from under your desk, Mayor Ballard. Time to show up and do some heavy lifting. You wanted this job. Time to step up and do it.
This is no longer the campaign season where you can promise lollypops and carmel apples to all the people and they buy into it. You actually have to *do* something.

Welcome to your job, Mayor Ballard. You wanted it. Now go to it -- please.