An Update on my Letter to Congress, Plus It’s Break Time.

I'll be away from my home office for a while.

Photo by Casey Horner on Unsplash

As most of you know, I wrote an open letter to Congress concerning Trump’s ambush of our ally, Ukraine. I sent it to every Democratic and Independent Senator and a few Republicans. I also sent it to the Representatives I thought might actually read it. (My plan to send it to every Congress member petered out when I realized there was no way to send it in a bulk mail; it had to go to each member separately. I just wasn’t up to it. Sorry.)

Many of the Senators don’t accept emails from anyone outside of their state. Some say it up front (Baldwin, Hickenlooper, Padilla, Reed), but others wait to say it in the form letter they send after they’ve received it. That’s not cool.

I understand why that might be the case, considering the kooks and bots with nothing but time on their hands, but as I was doing this, I wondered why there isn’t a way to contact any member of Congress at any time—or all of them at once. They represent more than their own states when they vote at the Capitol. Our lives are in their hands every time they enter that chamber. When they’re there, they’re representing the nation, not just their own state.

Some of them have character limits, which, again, makes sense I suppose, but John Fetterman—really? 1200 characters? Mitch McConnell has a 3,000-character limit, while Chris Murphy has 10,000.

I didn’t expect much from Congress, but there are other ways to promote and send the letter, and some of you have told me you’re using my letter to send to your own Congress members. You’ve also told me you’re using all or part of it as a script when you call. I can’t thank you enough for coming aboard, for trusting me with your names, and for wanting to engage.

When I look at my newsletter’s stats I can see it has already made an impact right here at Substack. I’ve gained many new subscriptions since last weekend, when I first asked for signatures, and then published the letter on March 1.

It gives me confidence to keep trying to light fires under our elected members of Congress. We need the boost these little actions do for us. Whatever we’re doing, we’re doing something. That’s far better than doing nothing. So thank you!

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Now for my other news: I’m going on a cruise! My first, and the first time I’ll be using my passport. That’s BIG. It’s an eight-day Caribbean cruise and I’m going with my two daughters and my niece. We’re flying to Port Canaveral on Saturday, but I’m already at my daughter’s downstate, because, of course, the weather Up North chose not to cooperate and I had to leave home a few days earlier than I’d planned.

When it came to vacations, cruises were never on the list. I tend to avoid crowds and noise, plus I get seasick. There must have been reasons why this seemed like a good idea way back in December, but I don’t remember what they were now. But this is supposed to be a smaller ship, with good reviews and decent food, and I need my Big Water fix. I need warm breezes. So here I go.

I don’t have to tell you there’s a lot going on in the real world—I had no idea how much when we scheduled this cruise last year—but I probably won’t be writing any long pieces for the duration. I’m only taking my iPad and my phone, and when it comes to trying to write and publish, both of them hate me. They refuse to behave like my laptop, no matter what I threaten. (But I’m hoping I’ll be having enough fun not to notice.)

I’ll be checking in via Notes and on my Chat*, so I won’t disappear entirely. I just won’t be sending out newsletters for a while. Which I’m sure will be okay; I just don’t want you to think I went off and died, or something…

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By the way, did you see I’m on Chat* now? I Still don’t have the full hang of it, but I do know how to get in the door. I think I’ve made it open to visitor threads from subscribers, so if you want to hang around in there, just come on in. I may be using Chat to check in now and then.)

I expect Trump and his chosen goons won’t take to behaving while I’m gone, but I’ve heard the internet isn’t great on those ships, so maybe it’s for the best that I can’t be totally immersed. Maybe I need this in order to energize. We’ll see.

I won’t be far. I can’t be far. I’m hopelessly addicted to you!

So, I’ll see you when I see you. I’m counting on a bon voyage.

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