Two families.
Great food.
Excellent gifts.
Fun games.
Cute kids.
Awesome surprises.
Lots of Love.
How much better can it get?
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Life's Lessons
It turns out that one of the hardest things in the world is to have a brand new snowboard and have to wait six whole days to use it....
Monday, December 17, 2007
Blessed
What a lovely weekend. There is nothing like freezing weather to make you appreciate a warm home and a great family. The boys did such a beautiful job cleaning and decorating the house on Saturday, and it really felt like Christmas. They picked out the perfect tree, nice and fat, and made it look beautiful.
On Sunday we made Christmas cookies together and it was really fun. The one with the heart on it was my favorite :)
In just a few days, both of our moms will be here, and then the holidays will be complete. Just one week till Christmas!
On Sunday we made Christmas cookies together and it was really fun. The one with the heart on it was my favorite :)
In just a few days, both of our moms will be here, and then the holidays will be complete. Just one week till Christmas!
Monday, December 3, 2007
The First Snow
All snow is awesome, but no snow is better than the first snow.
Know what I mean?
The first time you glance out the window and notice those white flakes falling.
Gasp! Oh my god, it's snowing!
Who can I call??
And even better than just seeing the snow outside the window is driving in it.
Five in the afternoon, as dark as 10pm.
Sitting behind the wheel, mesmerized by the thick, white flakes flying into your headlights.
Andrea Boccelli on the stereo.
That's the kind of drive that you don't want to end.
Know what I mean?
The first time you glance out the window and notice those white flakes falling.
Gasp! Oh my god, it's snowing!
Who can I call??
And even better than just seeing the snow outside the window is driving in it.
Five in the afternoon, as dark as 10pm.
Sitting behind the wheel, mesmerized by the thick, white flakes flying into your headlights.
Andrea Boccelli on the stereo.
That's the kind of drive that you don't want to end.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Klosterman's 23 Questions
I stole this from my friend Jackie's blog. It is so funny I couldn't tear my eyes away from it, so I decided to copy it here and answer the questions myself....
In Chuck Klosterman's genius, Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs he lists 23 hilarious questions, he asks, "...everybody I meet in order to decide if I can really love them."
In Chuck Klosterman's genius, Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs he lists 23 hilarious questions, he asks, "...everybody I meet in order to decide if I can really love them."
Klosterman does not provide an answer key, however. But you have to see this.
23 Questions I Ask Everybody I Meet... By Chuck Klosterman
1. Let us assume you met a rudimentary magician. Let us assume he can do five simple tricks he can pull a rabbit out of his hat, he can make a coin disappear, he can turn the ace of spades into the Joker card, and two others in a similar vein. These are his only tricks and he can't learn any more; he can only do these five. HOWEVER, it turns out he's doing these five tricks with real magic. It's not an illusion; he can actually conjure the bunny out of the ether and he can move the coin through space. He's legitimately magical, but extremely limited in scope and influence. Would this person be more impressive than Albert Einstein?
1. Let us assume you met a rudimentary magician. Let us assume he can do five simple tricks he can pull a rabbit out of his hat, he can make a coin disappear, he can turn the ace of spades into the Joker card, and two others in a similar vein. These are his only tricks and he can't learn any more; he can only do these five. HOWEVER, it turns out he's doing these five tricks with real magic. It's not an illusion; he can actually conjure the bunny out of the ether and he can move the coin through space. He's legitimately magical, but extremely limited in scope and influence. Would this person be more impressive than Albert Einstein?
my answer: yes, for a brief moment, because he is present. until you realize that he can't learn anymore tricks and his skill probably doesn't change the scientific world the way Einstein did.
2. Let us assume a fully grown, completely healthy Clydesdale horse has his hooves shackled to the ground while his head is held in place with thick rope. He is conscious and standing upright, but completely immobile. And let us assume that for some reason every political prisoner on earth (as cited by Amnesty International) will be released from captivity if you can kick this horse to death in less than twenty minutes. You are allowed to wear steel-toed boots. Would you attempt to do this?
2. Let us assume a fully grown, completely healthy Clydesdale horse has his hooves shackled to the ground while his head is held in place with thick rope. He is conscious and standing upright, but completely immobile. And let us assume that for some reason every political prisoner on earth (as cited by Amnesty International) will be released from captivity if you can kick this horse to death in less than twenty minutes. You are allowed to wear steel-toed boots. Would you attempt to do this?
my answer: I couldn't.
3. Let us assume there are two boxes on a table. In one box, there is a relatively normal turtle; in the other, Adolf Hitler's skull. You have to select one of these items for your home. If you select the turtle, you can't give it away and you have to keep it alive for two years; if either of these parameters are not met, you will be fined $999 by the state. If you select Hitler's skull, you are required to display it in a semi-prominent location in your living room for the same amount of time, although you will be paid a stipend of $120 per month for doing so. Display of the skull must be apolitical. Which option do you select?
3. Let us assume there are two boxes on a table. In one box, there is a relatively normal turtle; in the other, Adolf Hitler's skull. You have to select one of these items for your home. If you select the turtle, you can't give it away and you have to keep it alive for two years; if either of these parameters are not met, you will be fined $999 by the state. If you select Hitler's skull, you are required to display it in a semi-prominent location in your living room for the same amount of time, although you will be paid a stipend of $120 per month for doing so. Display of the skull must be apolitical. Which option do you select?
my answer: Definitely the skull. I could use the money, plus it would make a great conversation piece, albeit an ugly one.
4. Genetic engineers at John Hopkins University announce that they have developed a so called "super gorilla." Though the animal cannot speak, it has a sign language lexicon of over twelve thousand words, an IQ of almost 85, and -most notably- a vague sense of self awareness. Oddly, the creature (who weighs seven hundred pounds) becomes fascinated by football. The gorilla aspires to play the game at its highest level and quickly develops the rudimentary skills of a defensive end. ESPN analyst Tom Jackson speculates that this gorilla would be "borderline unblockable" and would average six sacks a game (although Jackson concedes the beast might be susceptible to counters and misdirection plays.) Meanwhile, the gorilla has made it clear he would never intentionally injure any opponent. You are commissioner of the NFL: Would you allow this gorilla to sign with the Oakland Raiders?
4. Genetic engineers at John Hopkins University announce that they have developed a so called "super gorilla." Though the animal cannot speak, it has a sign language lexicon of over twelve thousand words, an IQ of almost 85, and -most notably- a vague sense of self awareness. Oddly, the creature (who weighs seven hundred pounds) becomes fascinated by football. The gorilla aspires to play the game at its highest level and quickly develops the rudimentary skills of a defensive end. ESPN analyst Tom Jackson speculates that this gorilla would be "borderline unblockable" and would average six sacks a game (although Jackson concedes the beast might be susceptible to counters and misdirection plays.) Meanwhile, the gorilla has made it clear he would never intentionally injure any opponent. You are commissioner of the NFL: Would you allow this gorilla to sign with the Oakland Raiders?
my answer: No. I'm pretty sure the members of the opposing team would not appreciate being tackled by a 700 lb gorilla.
5. You meet your soul mate. However, there is a catch: Every three years, someone will break your soul mate's collarbones with a Crescent wrench, and there is only one way you can stop this from happening: You must swallow a pill that will make every song you hear--for the rest of your life--sound as if it's being performed by the band Alice in Chains. When you hear Creedence Clearwater Revival on the radio, it will sound (to your ears) like it's being played by Alice in Chains. If you see Radiohead live, every one of their tunes will sound like it's being covered by Alice in Chains. When you hear a commercial jingle on TV, it will sound like Alice in Chains; if you sing to yourself in the shower, your voice will sound like the deceased Alice vocalist Layne Staley performing a capella (but it will only sound this way to you.) Would you swallow the pill?
my answer: This question is hilarious. I would take the pill of course.
6. At long last, someone invents 'the dream VCR.' This machine allows you to tape an entire evening's worth of your own dreams, which you can then watch at your leisure. However, the inventor of the dream VCR will only allow you to use this device if you agree to a strange caveat: When you watch your dreams, you must do so with your family and your closest friends in the same room. They get to watch your dreams along with you. And if you don't agree to this, you can't use the dream VCR. Would you still do this?
6. At long last, someone invents 'the dream VCR.' This machine allows you to tape an entire evening's worth of your own dreams, which you can then watch at your leisure. However, the inventor of the dream VCR will only allow you to use this device if you agree to a strange caveat: When you watch your dreams, you must do so with your family and your closest friends in the same room. They get to watch your dreams along with you. And if you don't agree to this, you can't use the dream VCR. Would you still do this?
my answer: Yeah I would, sure. I don't subscribe to the theory that dreams have deep, psychological, or future-predicting meanings, I think they are just random machinations of our quirky minds. So why not?
7. Defying all expectation, a group of Scottish marine biologists capture a live Loch Ness Monster. In an almost unbelievable coincidence, a bear hunter in the Pacific Northwest shoots a Sasquatch in the thigh, thereby allowing zoologists to take the furry monster into captivity. These events happen on the same afternoon. That evening, the president announces he may have thyroid cancer and will undergo a biopsy later that week. You are the front-page editor of The New York Times: What do you play as the biggest story?
7. Defying all expectation, a group of Scottish marine biologists capture a live Loch Ness Monster. In an almost unbelievable coincidence, a bear hunter in the Pacific Northwest shoots a Sasquatch in the thigh, thereby allowing zoologists to take the furry monster into captivity. These events happen on the same afternoon. That evening, the president announces he may have thyroid cancer and will undergo a biopsy later that week. You are the front-page editor of The New York Times: What do you play as the biggest story?
my answer: I would combine the Sasquatch and the Loch Ness monster into one story, and think of some really creative title for it. Then the president will be on page 2.
8. You meet the perfect person. Romantically, this person is ideal: You find them physically attractive, intellectually stimulating, consistently funny, and deeply compassionate. However, they have one quirk: They are obsessed with The Dark Crystal. You'd have to watch the DVD with him/her once a month, he/she peppers casual conversation with Dark Crystal references, uses Dark Crystal analogies to explain everyday events, and occasionally likes to talk intensely about the film's 'deeper philosophy.' Would this be enough to stop you from marrying this individual?
8. You meet the perfect person. Romantically, this person is ideal: You find them physically attractive, intellectually stimulating, consistently funny, and deeply compassionate. However, they have one quirk: They are obsessed with The Dark Crystal. You'd have to watch the DVD with him/her once a month, he/she peppers casual conversation with Dark Crystal references, uses Dark Crystal analogies to explain everyday events, and occasionally likes to talk intensely about the film's 'deeper philosophy.' Would this be enough to stop you from marrying this individual?
my answer: No. I have no idea what the Dark Crystal is, but from Jac's answer I suspect it's some sort of sci-fi film. It might be annoying, but his good characteristics would outweigh his bad ones, hands down!
9. A novel entitled Interior Mirror is released to mammoth commercial success (despite middling reviews). However, a curios social trend emerges: Though no one can prove a direct scientific link, it appears that almost 30 percent of the people who read this book immediately become homosexual. Many of these newfound homosexuals credit the book for helping them reach this conclusion about their orientation, despite the fact that Interior Mirror is ostensibly a crime novel with no homoerotic content (and was written by a straight man). Would this phenomenon increase (or decrease) the likelihood of you reading this book?
9. A novel entitled Interior Mirror is released to mammoth commercial success (despite middling reviews). However, a curios social trend emerges: Though no one can prove a direct scientific link, it appears that almost 30 percent of the people who read this book immediately become homosexual. Many of these newfound homosexuals credit the book for helping them reach this conclusion about their orientation, despite the fact that Interior Mirror is ostensibly a crime novel with no homoerotic content (and was written by a straight man). Would this phenomenon increase (or decrease) the likelihood of you reading this book?
my answer: It would increase it, for sure.
10. This is the opening line of Jay McInerney's Bright Lights, Big City: "You are not the kind of guy who would be in a place like this at this time of morning." Think about that line in the context of the novel (assuming you've read it). Now go to your CD collection and find Heart's Little Queen album (assuming you own it). Listen to the opening riff of Barracuda. Which of these two introductions is a higher art form?
10. This is the opening line of Jay McInerney's Bright Lights, Big City: "You are not the kind of guy who would be in a place like this at this time of morning." Think about that line in the context of the novel (assuming you've read it). Now go to your CD collection and find Heart's Little Queen album (assuming you own it). Listen to the opening riff of Barracuda. Which of these two introductions is a higher art form?
my answer: Since I've never read the book or listened to that album, this is a tough one. But I'm gonna go with Jac and say the line in the book, simply because I'm more a fan of words than music, although it's close.
11. You are watching a movie in a crowded theater. Though the plot is mediocre, you find yourself dazzled by the special effects. But with twenty minutes left in the film, you are struck with an undeniable feeling of doom: You are suddenly certain your mother has just died. There is no logical reason for this to be true, but you are certain of it. You are overtaken with the irrational, metaphysical sense that somewhere- your mom has just perished. But this is only an intuitive, amorphous feeling; there is no evidence for this and your mother has not been ill. Would you immediately exit the theater, or would you finish watching the movie?
11. You are watching a movie in a crowded theater. Though the plot is mediocre, you find yourself dazzled by the special effects. But with twenty minutes left in the film, you are struck with an undeniable feeling of doom: You are suddenly certain your mother has just died. There is no logical reason for this to be true, but you are certain of it. You are overtaken with the irrational, metaphysical sense that somewhere- your mom has just perished. But this is only an intuitive, amorphous feeling; there is no evidence for this and your mother has not been ill. Would you immediately exit the theater, or would you finish watching the movie?
my answer: Um, LEAVE THE THEATER. What kind of awful person would finish watching the movie??
12. You meet a wizard in downtown Chicago. The wizard tells you he can make you more attractive if you pay him money. When you ask how this process works, the wizard points to a random person on the street. You look at this random stranger. The wizard says, I will now make them a dollar more attractive. He waves his magic wand. Ostensibly, this person does not change at all; as far as you can tell, nothing is different. But somehow this person is suddenly a little more appealing. The tangible difference is invisible to the naked eye, but you can't deny that this person is vaguely sexier. This wizard has a weird rule, though you can only pay him once. You can't keep giving him money until you're satisfied. You can only pay him one lump sum up front. How much cash do you give the wizard?
12. You meet a wizard in downtown Chicago. The wizard tells you he can make you more attractive if you pay him money. When you ask how this process works, the wizard points to a random person on the street. You look at this random stranger. The wizard says, I will now make them a dollar more attractive. He waves his magic wand. Ostensibly, this person does not change at all; as far as you can tell, nothing is different. But somehow this person is suddenly a little more appealing. The tangible difference is invisible to the naked eye, but you can't deny that this person is vaguely sexier. This wizard has a weird rule, though you can only pay him once. You can't keep giving him money until you're satisfied. You can only pay him one lump sum up front. How much cash do you give the wizard?
my answer: I don't know. 20 bucks? Twenty times what he did for the random stranger seems like a lot, but 20 bucks isn't too much to part with, so maybe that'll be my amount. Maybe I'll just ask him how much it would cost for a few inches of height....
13. Every person you have ever slept with is invited to a banquet and you are the guest of honor. No one will be in attendance except you, the collection of your former lovers, and the catering service. After the meal, you are asked to give a fifteen minute speech to the assembly. What do you talk about?
13. Every person you have ever slept with is invited to a banquet and you are the guest of honor. No one will be in attendance except you, the collection of your former lovers, and the catering service. After the meal, you are asked to give a fifteen minute speech to the assembly. What do you talk about?
my answer: I love this question, it is so funny! I guess I would fill them in a little on what I've been doing, wish them well, and thank both of them for what we shared...
14. For reasons that cannot be explained, cats can suddenly read at a twelfth-grade level. They can't talk and they can't write but they can read silently and understand the text. Many cats love this new skill, because they now have something to do all day while they lay around the house; however a few cats become depressed, because reading forces them to realize the limitations of their existence (not to mention the utter frustration of being unable to express themselves). This being the case, do you think the average cat would enjoy Garfield, or would cats find this cartoon to be an insulting caricature?
14. For reasons that cannot be explained, cats can suddenly read at a twelfth-grade level. They can't talk and they can't write but they can read silently and understand the text. Many cats love this new skill, because they now have something to do all day while they lay around the house; however a few cats become depressed, because reading forces them to realize the limitations of their existence (not to mention the utter frustration of being unable to express themselves). This being the case, do you think the average cat would enjoy Garfield, or would cats find this cartoon to be an insulting caricature?
my answer: That was so not the profound question I was expecting at the end of that intro. The more I think about it, the more I think they would be entertained. I say that because Garfield is supposed to be so much smarter than his intellectually inferior owner, John. And that's probably just how most cats really feel!
15. You have a brain tumor. Though there is no discomfort at the moment, this tumor would unquestionably kill you in six months. However, your life can (and will) be saved by an operation, but the incision will leave you significantly less intelligent, less logical, and with a terrible memory. The surgery is in two weeks. How do you spend the next 14 days?
15. You have a brain tumor. Though there is no discomfort at the moment, this tumor would unquestionably kill you in six months. However, your life can (and will) be saved by an operation, but the incision will leave you significantly less intelligent, less logical, and with a terrible memory. The surgery is in two weeks. How do you spend the next 14 days?
my answer: I would write a lot. I'm not sure what exactly, but definitely a journal at least. I don't know what else I could really do in such little time. I'm tempted to say make a video of myself and perhaps interviews of the people who know me well, but what purpose would that serve? Watching it might just make me feel bad later that I'm not as smart or as wonderful as I used to be.
16. Someone builds an optical portal that allows you to see a vision of your own life in the future (it's essentially a crystal ball that shows a randomly selected image of what your life will be like it twenty years). You can only see into this portal for thirty seconds. When you finally peer into the crystal; you see yourself in a living room, two decades older than you are today. You are watching a Canadian football, and you are extremely happy. You are wearing a CFL jersey. Your chair is surrounded by books and magazines that promote the Canadian Football League, and there are CFL pennants covering your walls. You are alone in the room, but you are gleefully muttering about historical moments in Canadian football history. It becomes clear that for some unknown reason you have become obsessed with Canadian football. And this future is static and absolute; no matter what you do, this future will happen. The optical portal is never wrong. This destiny cannot be changed. The next day, you are flipping through television channels and randomly come across a pre-season CFL game between the Toronto Argonauts and the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Knowing your inevitable future, do you now watch it?
16. Someone builds an optical portal that allows you to see a vision of your own life in the future (it's essentially a crystal ball that shows a randomly selected image of what your life will be like it twenty years). You can only see into this portal for thirty seconds. When you finally peer into the crystal; you see yourself in a living room, two decades older than you are today. You are watching a Canadian football, and you are extremely happy. You are wearing a CFL jersey. Your chair is surrounded by books and magazines that promote the Canadian Football League, and there are CFL pennants covering your walls. You are alone in the room, but you are gleefully muttering about historical moments in Canadian football history. It becomes clear that for some unknown reason you have become obsessed with Canadian football. And this future is static and absolute; no matter what you do, this future will happen. The optical portal is never wrong. This destiny cannot be changed. The next day, you are flipping through television channels and randomly come across a pre-season CFL game between the Toronto Argonauts and the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Knowing your inevitable future, do you now watch it?
my answer: I think I'd be too curious not to.
17. You are sitting in an empty bar (in a town you've never before visited), drinking Bacardi with a soft-spoken acquaintance you barely know. After an hour, a third individual walks into the tavern and sits by himself, and you ask your acquaintance who the new man is. Be careful of that guy, you are told. He is a man with a past. A few minutes later, a fourth person enters the bar; he also sits alone. You ask your acquaintance who this new individual is. Be careful of that guy, too, he says. He is a man with no past. Which of these two people do you trust less?
17. You are sitting in an empty bar (in a town you've never before visited), drinking Bacardi with a soft-spoken acquaintance you barely know. After an hour, a third individual walks into the tavern and sits by himself, and you ask your acquaintance who the new man is. Be careful of that guy, you are told. He is a man with a past. A few minutes later, a fourth person enters the bar; he also sits alone. You ask your acquaintance who this new individual is. Be careful of that guy, too, he says. He is a man with no past. Which of these two people do you trust less?
my answer: I think it depends on so much more than just the information given here. What sort of past does the first guy have? If its really awful then I trust the second guy, just because the odds are in his favor. But appearance have a lot to do with it too. What if one is well-groomed and wearing a business suit, and the other is dressed in dirty, torn clothes with unkempt hair, gross teeth, and an angry look on his face? Suddenly the having of the past isn't so important is it...
18. You have won a prize. The prize has two options and you can choose either (but not both.) The first option is a year in Europe with a monthly stipend of $2,000. The second option is ten minutes on the moon. Which option do you select?
my answer: Europe, without hesitation. I've never fantasized about being an astronaut.
19. Your best friend is taking on a nap on the floor of your living room. Suddenly, you are faced with a bizarre existential problem: This friend is going to die unless you kick them (as hard as you can) in the rib cage. If you don't kick them while they slumber, they will never wake up. However you can never explain this to your friend; if you later inform them that you did this to save their life, they will also die from that. So you have to kick a sleeping friend in the ribs, and you can't tell them why. Since you cannot tell your friend the truth, what excuse will you fabricate to explain this (seemingly inexplicable) attack?
19. Your best friend is taking on a nap on the floor of your living room. Suddenly, you are faced with a bizarre existential problem: This friend is going to die unless you kick them (as hard as you can) in the rib cage. If you don't kick them while they slumber, they will never wake up. However you can never explain this to your friend; if you later inform them that you did this to save their life, they will also die from that. So you have to kick a sleeping friend in the ribs, and you can't tell them why. Since you cannot tell your friend the truth, what excuse will you fabricate to explain this (seemingly inexplicable) attack?
my answer: I really dislike this question. I have no idea how I would explain it, but I would do it. I'd probably just end up losing them as a friend and being viewed as some sort of psychopath, but at least they'd be alive. This is weird.
20. For whatever the reason, two unauthorized movies are made about your life. The first is an independently released documentary, primarily comprised of interviews with people who know you and bootleg footage from your actual life. Critics are describing the documentary as 'brutally honest and relentlessly fair.' Meanwhile, Columbia Tri-Star has produced a big-budget biopic of your life, casting major Hollywood stars as you and all your acquaintances; though the movie is based on actual events, screenwriters have taken some liberties with the facts. Critics are split on the artistic merits of this fictionalized account, but audiences love it. Which film would you be most interested in seeing?
20. For whatever the reason, two unauthorized movies are made about your life. The first is an independently released documentary, primarily comprised of interviews with people who know you and bootleg footage from your actual life. Critics are describing the documentary as 'brutally honest and relentlessly fair.' Meanwhile, Columbia Tri-Star has produced a big-budget biopic of your life, casting major Hollywood stars as you and all your acquaintances; though the movie is based on actual events, screenwriters have taken some liberties with the facts. Critics are split on the artistic merits of this fictionalized account, but audiences love it. Which film would you be most interested in seeing?
my answer: Definitely the documentary.
21. Imagine you could go back to the age of five and relive the rest of your life, knowing everything you know now. You will reexperience your entire adolescence with both of the cognitive ability of an adult and the memories of everything you've learned from having lived your life previously. Would you lose your virginity earlier or later than you did the first time around (and by how many years)?
21. Imagine you could go back to the age of five and relive the rest of your life, knowing everything you know now. You will reexperience your entire adolescence with both of the cognitive ability of an adult and the memories of everything you've learned from having lived your life previously. Would you lose your virginity earlier or later than you did the first time around (and by how many years)?
my answer: Same time I guess. Same person? I don't know, maybe.
22. You work in an office. Generally, you are popular with your coworkers. However, you discover that there are currently two rumors circulating in the office gossip mill, and both involve you. The first rumor is that you got drunk at the office holiday party and had sex with one of your married coworkers. This rumor is completely true, but most people don't believe it. The second rumor is that you have been stealing hundreds of dollars of office supplies (and then selling them to cover a gambling debt). This rumor is completely false, but virtually everyone assumes it is factual. Which of these two rumors is most troubling to you?
22. You work in an office. Generally, you are popular with your coworkers. However, you discover that there are currently two rumors circulating in the office gossip mill, and both involve you. The first rumor is that you got drunk at the office holiday party and had sex with one of your married coworkers. This rumor is completely true, but most people don't believe it. The second rumor is that you have been stealing hundreds of dollars of office supplies (and then selling them to cover a gambling debt). This rumor is completely false, but virtually everyone assumes it is factual. Which of these two rumors is most troubling to you?
my answer: Definitely the one about stealing office supplies to cover a gambling debt. Mostly because it's not true, but also because it's really awful and illegal.
23. Consider this possibility: a. Think about deceased TV star John Ritter.b. Now, pretend Ritter had never become famous. Pretend he was never affected by the trappings of fame, and try to imagine what his personality would have been like.c. Now, imagine that this person, the unfamous John Ritter- is a character in a situation comedy.d. Now, you are also a character in this sitcom, and the unfamous John Ritter character is your sitcom father.e. However, this sitcom is actually your real life. In other words, you are living inside a sitcom. Everything about your life is a construction, featuring the unfamous John Ritter playing himself (in the role of your father). But this is not a sitcom. This is your real life. How would you feel about this?
23. Consider this possibility: a. Think about deceased TV star John Ritter.b. Now, pretend Ritter had never become famous. Pretend he was never affected by the trappings of fame, and try to imagine what his personality would have been like.c. Now, imagine that this person, the unfamous John Ritter- is a character in a situation comedy.d. Now, you are also a character in this sitcom, and the unfamous John Ritter character is your sitcom father.e. However, this sitcom is actually your real life. In other words, you are living inside a sitcom. Everything about your life is a construction, featuring the unfamous John Ritter playing himself (in the role of your father). But this is not a sitcom. This is your real life. How would you feel about this?
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Mmm, food
Four days till Thanksgiviiiinnngggg!!! (must be said in an Oprah voice)
I love Thanksgiving. Mostly I love food, and holidays that revolve around food. I'm cooking a 25 lb turkey (my first), homemade stuffing (my first), and a sweet potato pie (also my first)! Aaah, few things make me happier than cooking firsts.
I love Thanksgiving. Mostly I love food, and holidays that revolve around food. I'm cooking a 25 lb turkey (my first), homemade stuffing (my first), and a sweet potato pie (also my first)! Aaah, few things make me happier than cooking firsts.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Moxie
Man, it's been a long time since I've been inspired to write. I can't explain it. On a side note, my good blog friend Jessica has also been on hiatus for a long time. Maybe there's something going around...
So anyway, tonight I went to my regular Tuesday class, Health Care Policy. Nothing notable about the class really (aside from my near-perfect score on an Op-Ed piece I had to write with absolutely no confidence, thank you very much). Until tonight anyway.
We were discussing possible topics for our next assignment, and the professor (a PhD in political science) suggested, "How about people hiding their assets in order to qualify for Medicare when they retire?" And in a bizarre reaction from a speak-her-mind type of girl, my classmate says, "That's what I'm gonna do."
I've never seen a student actually get the professor to drop her jaw like that. Literally. For about ten seconds. It was really funny. But then the girl kept going. She starts saying things like, "Why should people work hard their whole lives, only to have all their money sucked away by health care when they're older?" After the professor got over her speechlessness, she started going at it with this girl. They were literally yelling back and forth, with the class just sort of watching it all happen. This girl wouldn't back down, and the professor just didn't know how to explain to her all the ways that her opinion is morally flawed. Her main argument was, "Why should my kids pay for your medical care when you're older when you've got a second home worth $350K??" And the girl didn't care at all, was totally unconcerned that she was seriously pissing the professor off. It was awesome. In a strange sort of way. Finally they stopped arguing and I don't think the professor looked in her direction again for the rest of the class.
After all the discussion we've had about how the country is running out of money for Medicare, especially with the baby boomers retiring, I was pretty amazed at this girl's moxie. Even though her argument was completely based on bad ethics, I was still sort of impressed. But I still had to go up to her after class and get in on that argument a little. I couldn't help it. Typical of my slippery-slope debate style, I said, "Okay, what about someone who's never worked a day in their life? Should they be able to hide all their inherited assets and live off of the government?"
"No, they shouldn't."
"Okay, what about a millionaire? Should they be able to?"
"I don't know, all I'm saying is that I don't have a problem working the system. I don't have to have the same opinion as her, and I'm not going to pretend like I do."
That's it really. It all faded after that and we all left. But I'm pretty sure every student there was talking about it on their way to their cars.
It probably doesn't sound very exciting to anyone who wasn't there, or maybe to anyone that has a life... but it was pretty cool!
So anyway, tonight I went to my regular Tuesday class, Health Care Policy. Nothing notable about the class really (aside from my near-perfect score on an Op-Ed piece I had to write with absolutely no confidence, thank you very much). Until tonight anyway.
We were discussing possible topics for our next assignment, and the professor (a PhD in political science) suggested, "How about people hiding their assets in order to qualify for Medicare when they retire?" And in a bizarre reaction from a speak-her-mind type of girl, my classmate says, "That's what I'm gonna do."
I've never seen a student actually get the professor to drop her jaw like that. Literally. For about ten seconds. It was really funny. But then the girl kept going. She starts saying things like, "Why should people work hard their whole lives, only to have all their money sucked away by health care when they're older?" After the professor got over her speechlessness, she started going at it with this girl. They were literally yelling back and forth, with the class just sort of watching it all happen. This girl wouldn't back down, and the professor just didn't know how to explain to her all the ways that her opinion is morally flawed. Her main argument was, "Why should my kids pay for your medical care when you're older when you've got a second home worth $350K??" And the girl didn't care at all, was totally unconcerned that she was seriously pissing the professor off. It was awesome. In a strange sort of way. Finally they stopped arguing and I don't think the professor looked in her direction again for the rest of the class.
After all the discussion we've had about how the country is running out of money for Medicare, especially with the baby boomers retiring, I was pretty amazed at this girl's moxie. Even though her argument was completely based on bad ethics, I was still sort of impressed. But I still had to go up to her after class and get in on that argument a little. I couldn't help it. Typical of my slippery-slope debate style, I said, "Okay, what about someone who's never worked a day in their life? Should they be able to hide all their inherited assets and live off of the government?"
"No, they shouldn't."
"Okay, what about a millionaire? Should they be able to?"
"I don't know, all I'm saying is that I don't have a problem working the system. I don't have to have the same opinion as her, and I'm not going to pretend like I do."
That's it really. It all faded after that and we all left. But I'm pretty sure every student there was talking about it on their way to their cars.
It probably doesn't sound very exciting to anyone who wasn't there, or maybe to anyone that has a life... but it was pretty cool!
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Fashion Faux Pas
So, today was pretty cold and I decided to wear cozy, warm clothes to my class. I picked my most comfortable sweatshirt, which just happens to be a yellow one that says Colorado across the front. I didn't even think about what message that might send to my New England classmates on this day, which happens to be Game 1 of the World Series. Oops! My classmates all thought I was sending the message that I was against the Red Sox!
What an idiot.
What an idiot.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
free admission
I ruined lunch. I didn't mean to. I couldn't help it. I feel like a child that can't control herself. I'm scared that I might lose something very important to me if I don't figure out how to handle myself. How do I do that? I wish I knew. I promise I'll try. But it's bigger than that. It's a lot of things, not just that one. It changes the course of my thoughts, and I haven't figured out how to steer them back yet.
"Two out of every seven days." I really don't want that to be true. It's not true, but lately it's not that far off. I'm not going to be that person. That's not me.
I know what needs to change, I just don't know how to make it happen. I need to take charge. I need courage. I don't feel very courageous right now.
"Two out of every seven days." I really don't want that to be true. It's not true, but lately it's not that far off. I'm not going to be that person. That's not me.
I know what needs to change, I just don't know how to make it happen. I need to take charge. I need courage. I don't feel very courageous right now.
Friday, October 5, 2007
Necessities
It's Fall and I need new boots. I want new boots. I want all kinds of new boots in different colors. I'm itching to go shopping for fall clothes and boots. Anyone want to come?
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Umm, hello?
Excuse me, but am I the only person that noticed the GLARING absence of what should be the most important topic on the policy table today??? Where were the questions about global warming in the debate last night??
They're Democrats. They can't win without pledging an end to the war. They have already said a thousand times that they are planning to draw down the troops in Iraq and put and end to this war as soon as possible. Making them promise to do it by a certain day when Bush still has over a year left in office is just ridiculous. Let's get past that idiotic line of questioning, shall we?
Okay, universal health care is important. Let's keep that on the table. So is same sex marriage. But neither of those are really going to matter much in a decade or so when global warming has gotten a lot worse than it is today. It's not going to get better. Our only hope is that we can maintain the level of damage we are already doing in lieu of increasing that level with each month and year that goes by. We need policy NOW. Not later. It's already later.
They're Democrats. They can't win without pledging an end to the war. They have already said a thousand times that they are planning to draw down the troops in Iraq and put and end to this war as soon as possible. Making them promise to do it by a certain day when Bush still has over a year left in office is just ridiculous. Let's get past that idiotic line of questioning, shall we?
Okay, universal health care is important. Let's keep that on the table. So is same sex marriage. But neither of those are really going to matter much in a decade or so when global warming has gotten a lot worse than it is today. It's not going to get better. Our only hope is that we can maintain the level of damage we are already doing in lieu of increasing that level with each month and year that goes by. We need policy NOW. Not later. It's already later.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Awful Rita, Meter Maid
On Monday I worked a double shift at the restaurant. In order to understand this story you have to understand the difficult parking situation all restaurant employees on Federal Hill suffer from. There are a few small parking lots in the area, but they are all designated solely for either valet or employees of nearby businesses. So the only option we have when we work is to find street parking. But street parking is only available for two hours at a time between 8-6pm. So you actually have to leave work every two hours to trya nd find a new parking spot in this busy area. It's a pain in the you-know-what. The hardest part is just remembering to do it, especially during a busy lunch rush.
So I got outside to move my car, and dammit, there's one of those dreaded bright orange envelopes on my windshield. This one was for being too close to the end of the designated parking area, which I really didn't think I was, but okay, they're the experts. Bam, $30 down the tubes. So I move my car. That was at 3pm.
At 4:30, not even two hours later, I go outside to move my car again, and wouldn't you know it, another ticket!! Except this time it's for exceeding the two hour parking limit. But wait! I wasn't! I didn't! I was only there for an hour and a half!! (Can't you picture me whirling around in a circle, desperately searching for the parking ticket lady so I can give her a real piece of my mind)
Well, she was no where to be found. So now I owe FIFTY DOLLARS in parking tickets. I didn't even make that much money during my lunch shift! I was so upset I almost cried.
So I went back into work and ate a double fudge cookie and a glass of milk and that made me feel better.
So I got outside to move my car, and dammit, there's one of those dreaded bright orange envelopes on my windshield. This one was for being too close to the end of the designated parking area, which I really didn't think I was, but okay, they're the experts. Bam, $30 down the tubes. So I move my car. That was at 3pm.
At 4:30, not even two hours later, I go outside to move my car again, and wouldn't you know it, another ticket!! Except this time it's for exceeding the two hour parking limit. But wait! I wasn't! I didn't! I was only there for an hour and a half!! (Can't you picture me whirling around in a circle, desperately searching for the parking ticket lady so I can give her a real piece of my mind)
Well, she was no where to be found. So now I owe FIFTY DOLLARS in parking tickets. I didn't even make that much money during my lunch shift! I was so upset I almost cried.
So I went back into work and ate a double fudge cookie and a glass of milk and that made me feel better.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Bush v. Dems
I walked in the house just in time to catch the last five minutes or so of Bush's speech on the war, and the subsequent Democratic response (given by our own RI Senator Jack Reed I might add).
Sheesh, talk about intense. How the heck does anyone know what side to be on and what the real repercussions are either way?? Although we might agree that the original reasons for going into Iraq were not good, blatant lies even, but that's not the point anymore. We have to agree that we're in it neck-deep now. To pull everyone out at this point would no doubt bring consequences that we can only pretend to be able to predict.
So is the answer to stay there in great numbers for many years to come? I really hate that idea. But what's the alternative that the Dems propose? It's kinda vague if you ask me. If there's a way to get international support and have a very minimal presence over there while still pursuing the same broad objective, then by all means, let's do it! (And then afterwards we can try to explain to the entire world why we're willing to bring democracy and 'save' the Iraqis, but not the North Koreans, Sudanese, etc..)
Am I siding with the Republicans? No. And not just because I'm afraid of the wrath of my democratic boyfriend if I do... but because I think we need to right the incredible wrong that has been done to our own country and our own soldiers. How? I have no idea.
The whole subject is exhausting enough as a bystander, I can only imagine what it's like to be any of those key players in this war right now. But we did it, we're there, and it needs to be fixed. The sooner the better.
Sheesh, talk about intense. How the heck does anyone know what side to be on and what the real repercussions are either way?? Although we might agree that the original reasons for going into Iraq were not good, blatant lies even, but that's not the point anymore. We have to agree that we're in it neck-deep now. To pull everyone out at this point would no doubt bring consequences that we can only pretend to be able to predict.
So is the answer to stay there in great numbers for many years to come? I really hate that idea. But what's the alternative that the Dems propose? It's kinda vague if you ask me. If there's a way to get international support and have a very minimal presence over there while still pursuing the same broad objective, then by all means, let's do it! (And then afterwards we can try to explain to the entire world why we're willing to bring democracy and 'save' the Iraqis, but not the North Koreans, Sudanese, etc..)
Am I siding with the Republicans? No. And not just because I'm afraid of the wrath of my democratic boyfriend if I do... but because I think we need to right the incredible wrong that has been done to our own country and our own soldiers. How? I have no idea.
The whole subject is exhausting enough as a bystander, I can only imagine what it's like to be any of those key players in this war right now. But we did it, we're there, and it needs to be fixed. The sooner the better.
Desperation, Boredom, & Sexism
written/doodled in desperation for something to occupy my mind between about 7 and 8:30pm last night, during one of my courses....
>>>
I really want to be interested in this class. I'm going to be paying for it for a long time, plus I have to be here for three hours a week for the next 13 weeks.
Her voice is annoying. Her Power points look like high school assignments. Didn't anyone ever teach her the 5x5 rule?
I'm bored and I'd rather be at home. But then again if I was at home I'd probably just be sitting around, eating something fattening. So I might as well be here and maybe even learn something.
Talking about gender discrimination is like beating up on a dead horse. It's a boring topic for me. Maybe just because it's been talked about in so many of my other classes. Are there really any graduate students here who need an introductory, in-depth discussion of this topic?
We don't live in the 50's anymore. Women are successful and have opportunities these days. If we insist on being completely equal, does that mean that we have to give up the disparity in relationships too? I don't want to start paying for dates and holding doors open for men. That's just weird. I still want to get out of traffic tickets and cover charges.
I'm not a feminist. I like being a girl and being different from boys. Then again, if I become a senior level manager someday I sure am going to want to make the same salary as a male manager in a comparable position. I guess that's not the case in our society right now. Okay, maybe it still is an important topic... I guess.
>>>
I really want to be interested in this class. I'm going to be paying for it for a long time, plus I have to be here for three hours a week for the next 13 weeks.
Her voice is annoying. Her Power points look like high school assignments. Didn't anyone ever teach her the 5x5 rule?
I'm bored and I'd rather be at home. But then again if I was at home I'd probably just be sitting around, eating something fattening. So I might as well be here and maybe even learn something.
Talking about gender discrimination is like beating up on a dead horse. It's a boring topic for me. Maybe just because it's been talked about in so many of my other classes. Are there really any graduate students here who need an introductory, in-depth discussion of this topic?
We don't live in the 50's anymore. Women are successful and have opportunities these days. If we insist on being completely equal, does that mean that we have to give up the disparity in relationships too? I don't want to start paying for dates and holding doors open for men. That's just weird. I still want to get out of traffic tickets and cover charges.
I'm not a feminist. I like being a girl and being different from boys. Then again, if I become a senior level manager someday I sure am going to want to make the same salary as a male manager in a comparable position. I guess that's not the case in our society right now. Okay, maybe it still is an important topic... I guess.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
the look
the way he looks in a suit and tie
catches me off guard every time
masculinity
gentleman-like in his pressed white shirt with kind eyes
the scruff on his face giving away a hint of a naughty side
his nearness makes me feel beautiful
catches me off guard every time
masculinity
gentleman-like in his pressed white shirt with kind eyes
the scruff on his face giving away a hint of a naughty side
his nearness makes me feel beautiful
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
my favorite moments of the weekend
happy hour martinis with a handsome man in a business suit
eating lunch with the whole family
fishing on the beach
finding thyme in the produce section
relationship firsts..
babies blowing raspberries
drinking wine outside with live jazz
model marathons
homemade gyros
morning coffee
best goodbye kisses ;)
eating lunch with the whole family
fishing on the beach
finding thyme in the produce section
relationship firsts..
babies blowing raspberries
drinking wine outside with live jazz
model marathons
homemade gyros
morning coffee
best goodbye kisses ;)
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Senator Scum
Adultery, in and of itself, is pretty despicable. I understand that every situation is different, and I try not to pass judgment on a relationship that I'm not a part of. So when I heard about Clinton I didn't really pay it that much attention. That's his business. I don't know anything about his marriage. What Senator Craig (allegedly) did, however, is kinda nasty. But still, whatever, I don't know if it's true.
Then, today, I read an article. I even checked the facts, and it's true. During his time as Senator, he has voted against a bill to expand the hate crime law to include acts against gays, lesbians, and bisexuals. He voted against a bill to outlaw employment discrimination based on sexual preference. He voted for a bill to keep same sex marriages from being recognized federally. And he voted against a bill to reduce the tax burden on small businesses, increase jobs, and increase take home pay for employees.
What a scumbag.
Then, today, I read an article. I even checked the facts, and it's true. During his time as Senator, he has voted against a bill to expand the hate crime law to include acts against gays, lesbians, and bisexuals. He voted against a bill to outlaw employment discrimination based on sexual preference. He voted for a bill to keep same sex marriages from being recognized federally. And he voted against a bill to reduce the tax burden on small businesses, increase jobs, and increase take home pay for employees.
What a scumbag.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Bye For Now
Bye for now Mom,
Having you around is so comforting. I miss you already and can't wait for the next visit.
Can you move over here please?
Having you around is so comforting. I miss you already and can't wait for the next visit.
Can you move over here please?
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Lessons and Judgements
A lot of money was lost. Only a few people were around at the time. One was a new guy who, rumor has it, was fired from his last job for stealing. Did he do it? I'll never know. But where else could it be? I work hard, and a lot, and I don't want to do it for free.
I used to steal things when I was 13 or 14. Then I got caught. And my mom talked to me, and explained the concept of "It's just not yours to take." It's a simple concept, but one that hadn't occurred to me until she said it. I haven't stolen since then. I don't understand how other people do it, especially adults. Do they not think about the impact it has on the victim? Or do they just not care? Or is it possible that they have a genuine need and feel as though it is their last resort?
I used to steal things when I was 13 or 14. Then I got caught. And my mom talked to me, and explained the concept of "It's just not yours to take." It's a simple concept, but one that hadn't occurred to me until she said it. I haven't stolen since then. I don't understand how other people do it, especially adults. Do they not think about the impact it has on the victim? Or do they just not care? Or is it possible that they have a genuine need and feel as though it is their last resort?
Friday, August 3, 2007
Not All
My brother asked me once why all women become "psycho" a few months after dating them. I really don't like that word. I haven't forgotten that conversation either. Luckily, he met a woman who isn't like that, so perhaps she's changed his view of "all women". I don't like that either. Last night my coworker said "all women can't drive". I think we should be careful of grouping a lot of people together by just one characteristic. Or something like that.
I think what my brother meant was something more like, why do women tend to be controlled so easily by their emotions? Or something like that.
I admit, some women make a bad name for the others, like when they trash their boyfriend's car (or make it sound cool by singing about it, ahem, Carrie Underwood), or max out his credit card as some sort of punishment. That stuff is not okay. But that's those girls, not all.
I used to make excuses for boyfriends acting the way they did by saying, "but he's a guy, he can't help it", or something lame like that. He could have helped it.
There is something really nice about being with someone who is mature enough to be understanding rather than defensive, patient rather than frustrated, and doesn't roll his eyes when you try to explain how you feel.
Although they may not be the majority, they are out there, and they are the reasons that we can't ever say, "all men...". So let's not.
I think what my brother meant was something more like, why do women tend to be controlled so easily by their emotions? Or something like that.
I admit, some women make a bad name for the others, like when they trash their boyfriend's car (or make it sound cool by singing about it, ahem, Carrie Underwood), or max out his credit card as some sort of punishment. That stuff is not okay. But that's those girls, not all.
I used to make excuses for boyfriends acting the way they did by saying, "but he's a guy, he can't help it", or something lame like that. He could have helped it.
There is something really nice about being with someone who is mature enough to be understanding rather than defensive, patient rather than frustrated, and doesn't roll his eyes when you try to explain how you feel.
Although they may not be the majority, they are out there, and they are the reasons that we can't ever say, "all men...". So let's not.
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Yet Another Ending
My best friends are gone.
For a few days, I was back at home.
Comfort, honesty, laughter.
Criticism, understanding, realizations.
Adventure, silliness, pictures.
So fun.
I miss them already.
For a few days, I was back at home.
Comfort, honesty, laughter.
Criticism, understanding, realizations.
Adventure, silliness, pictures.
So fun.
I miss them already.
Monday, July 30, 2007
The Broadway Exhileration
What's more fun than going to a Broadway show?? Not much!
One of my best friends was just here visiting, so we drove down to NYC for a few days. As a "welcome to the city" present from ourselves to ourselves, we went to "A Chorus Line". Although not a typically big-budget play, we were thoroughly entertained by the 80's-era costumes, characters, and dance numbers. And then of course we sang and danced our way directly to the nearest bar for a nice tummy-settling martini (or maybe it was two...).
ONE... singular sensation, every little step she takes (dada da dadada daaaa). ONE.. thrilling combination, every move that she makes...
Oh, and how can I forget the frozen state in which we found ourselves when we came face to face with Josh Lucas on our way in to the show! He fulfilled our hopes of seeing a celebrity while in the city. Thanks Josh. You're no Jake Gyllenhaal, but you'll do..
.
One of my best friends was just here visiting, so we drove down to NYC for a few days. As a "welcome to the city" present from ourselves to ourselves, we went to "A Chorus Line". Although not a typically big-budget play, we were thoroughly entertained by the 80's-era costumes, characters, and dance numbers. And then of course we sang and danced our way directly to the nearest bar for a nice tummy-settling martini (or maybe it was two...).
ONE... singular sensation, every little step she takes (dada da dadada daaaa). ONE.. thrilling combination, every move that she makes...
Oh, and how can I forget the frozen state in which we found ourselves when we came face to face with Josh Lucas on our way in to the show! He fulfilled our hopes of seeing a celebrity while in the city. Thanks Josh. You're no Jake Gyllenhaal, but you'll do..
.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
The In-Between Time
Sometimes sitting on the couch can feel indescribably good.
What a lovely weekend. Happy hour drinks and a delicious Italian meal on Friday, big family breakfast, playing in the park, and a home cooked meal on Saturday, and lazy breakfast and then exciting go-kart day on Sunday. It just doesn't get much better than that.
Now the weekend is almost over. Time to clean and prepare for the exciting week ahead. If I could just get off this couch...
What a lovely weekend. Happy hour drinks and a delicious Italian meal on Friday, big family breakfast, playing in the park, and a home cooked meal on Saturday, and lazy breakfast and then exciting go-kart day on Sunday. It just doesn't get much better than that.
Now the weekend is almost over. Time to clean and prepare for the exciting week ahead. If I could just get off this couch...
Saturday, June 30, 2007
I'm in love...
...with my job!!
I started my internship this week at the Dept of Environmental Mgmt. in the Strategic Planning & Policy Division. It's awesome!
I'm finally working regular hours, and not wearing a uniform. THANK GOD.
This week I've helped with a Smoke-Free Beach initiative, done research on states with greenhouse gas reduction legislation, researched the recycling programs in cities/towns here in Rhode Island, and even attended a meeting at the State House.
I'm working on the policy side of environmental protection, exactly where I want to be right now. I'm so excited!
There is a down side though, and that is that I still have to work my other job in order to pay all the bills. So I'm super busy these days, but it's all worth it!
I started my internship this week at the Dept of Environmental Mgmt. in the Strategic Planning & Policy Division. It's awesome!
I'm finally working regular hours, and not wearing a uniform. THANK GOD.
This week I've helped with a Smoke-Free Beach initiative, done research on states with greenhouse gas reduction legislation, researched the recycling programs in cities/towns here in Rhode Island, and even attended a meeting at the State House.
I'm working on the policy side of environmental protection, exactly where I want to be right now. I'm so excited!
There is a down side though, and that is that I still have to work my other job in order to pay all the bills. So I'm super busy these days, but it's all worth it!
Monday, June 18, 2007
Fathers Be Good To Your Daughters
Taken from chapter 1 of a book I bought for my brother for Father's Day called Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters:
Men, good men: We need you. We - mothers, daughters, and sisters - need your help to raise healthy young women. We need every ounce of masculine courage and wit you own, because fathers, more than anyone else, set the course for a daughter's life.
Your daughter needs the best of who you are: your strength, your courage, your intelligence, and your fearlessness. She needs your empathy, assertiveness, and self-confidence. She needs you.
Our daughters need the support that only fathers can provide - and if you are willing to guide your daughter, to stand between her and a toxic culture, to take her to a healthier place, your rewards will be unmatched. You will experience the love and adoration that can come only from a daughter. You will feel a pride, satisfaction, and joy that you can know nowhere else.
Wow. Sure makes me wish I had a father. I suppose as a consolation gift I will accept a good father to my daughter(s) someday.
Men, good men: We need you. We - mothers, daughters, and sisters - need your help to raise healthy young women. We need every ounce of masculine courage and wit you own, because fathers, more than anyone else, set the course for a daughter's life.
Your daughter needs the best of who you are: your strength, your courage, your intelligence, and your fearlessness. She needs your empathy, assertiveness, and self-confidence. She needs you.
Our daughters need the support that only fathers can provide - and if you are willing to guide your daughter, to stand between her and a toxic culture, to take her to a healthier place, your rewards will be unmatched. You will experience the love and adoration that can come only from a daughter. You will feel a pride, satisfaction, and joy that you can know nowhere else.
Wow. Sure makes me wish I had a father. I suppose as a consolation gift I will accept a good father to my daughter(s) someday.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Attitude Shift
I remember the old days at Outback, right in the middle of the dinner shift, it would be crazy busy. The kind of busy that if you're not good at prioritizing all the things you have to do and asking for help when you need it, you'll cry.
Seriously.
I got good at it.
And I loved it.
I would stop, just for a micro-moment, and smile to myself. The energy, the craziness, the productivity. It was great. Exhilerating.
Things have changed.
I'm at a different restaurant, but the concept is the same. That one or two hours per night where things go insane. One spilled drink or mistake on an order can throw you over the edge. Except now, I don't like it.
I endure it.
I stop, for a micro-moment, and think about how much I can't wait for this to end so I can go home. Now it's a chore. Now I am forcing myself to smile and pretend like I love what I do.
Seriously.
I got good at it.
And I loved it.
I would stop, just for a micro-moment, and smile to myself. The energy, the craziness, the productivity. It was great. Exhilerating.
Things have changed.
I'm at a different restaurant, but the concept is the same. That one or two hours per night where things go insane. One spilled drink or mistake on an order can throw you over the edge. Except now, I don't like it.
I endure it.
I stop, for a micro-moment, and think about how much I can't wait for this to end so I can go home. Now it's a chore. Now I am forcing myself to smile and pretend like I love what I do.
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
ode to jason
unstoppable conversation.
intimate confessions.
soft affection.
silliness and debate.
our time together is too fun.
intimate confessions.
soft affection.
silliness and debate.
our time together is too fun.
Saturday, June 2, 2007
Writer's Block
I can't write.
I have started and stopped so many blogs in the past several days.
The only things on my mind these days worth writing about are the dates I've been enjoying with my new friend. They are wonderful and fun, and yet I can't write about them. Not because I'm not allowed, but because I just don't know how to convey myself in words. I'm happy and excited. It's all I can think about.
Life is good.
I have started and stopped so many blogs in the past several days.
The only things on my mind these days worth writing about are the dates I've been enjoying with my new friend. They are wonderful and fun, and yet I can't write about them. Not because I'm not allowed, but because I just don't know how to convey myself in words. I'm happy and excited. It's all I can think about.
Life is good.
Saturday, May 19, 2007
the old forgotten feeling...
I'm in a daze.
I have to force myself to focus on normal things like driving, reading the news, etc. Inevitably my mind wanders back to our date. To things we said. To our text exchange afterwards. To possible future dates. To gestures. To all the things we have in common.
It's fun and exciting and nerve-racking and painful and wonderful all at the same time. Butterflies, lack of concentration, anticipation, questions.
I had forgotten what this feeling was like.
Floating. Cherishing. Breathing.
I have to force myself to focus on normal things like driving, reading the news, etc. Inevitably my mind wanders back to our date. To things we said. To our text exchange afterwards. To possible future dates. To gestures. To all the things we have in common.
It's fun and exciting and nerve-racking and painful and wonderful all at the same time. Butterflies, lack of concentration, anticipation, questions.
I had forgotten what this feeling was like.
Floating. Cherishing. Breathing.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
floating on air
So, I just read the cutest little blog by my friend Trinh about having a crush. Trinh likens the feeling of having a crush on someone to bubbles floating through the air. I think that's an apt description. Like on tv when you see someone whistling and floating through their usual daily routine, and the people around him say, "what's gotten into him??".
That's how I feel today too. Sigh...
I finally picked up the phone and called him this morning, and we're going on an official lunch date this Friday! I'm so excited! I'll definitely be floating around until then.
That's how I feel today too. Sigh...
I finally picked up the phone and called him this morning, and we're going on an official lunch date this Friday! I'm so excited! I'll definitely be floating around until then.
Monday, May 14, 2007
Table from Hell
I just got off my second double shift in a row, which means 24 hours of work in two days. Thank god I have tomorrow off.
My feet hurt like hell, I'm fatigued, and my mind feels like a zombie. And on top of all that, my last table was one of those that you would gladly hand the tip right back to - and then some - just to go back in time and never serve them.
As soon as I walked up to the table I knew they were going to be annoying. They were three middle-aged men, all in suits, and out to have a good time. And not in the fun way, but in the obnoxious way. First they ordered cocktails, and when asked what kind of vodka they would prefer stated unequivocally that "Ketel One is the only vodka in America!" Uh, okay.
Then, while my other tables waited patiently for me to take care of them, I told these guys the specials. We have many specials at the Med, and they are detailed. They proceeded to interrupt every single one with either a question or a comment. I finally got through them all and then they asked 18 more questions about them. Then they asked for recommendations for appetizers. I told them what they should get, and, here it comes, the best comment of the night, "I hope they're going to be good, your whole tip depends on it!"
They still wouldn't let me leave. One of them was "really a sauce guy" and wanted to know all about each of our pasta sauces and which would be best to substitute for the one that comes with the special of the day. At that point I was fighting all my urges (and I'm normally an incredibly patient person when it comes to my tables) to tell them they are idiots and they should go to the Olive Garden.
Finally I tell them I need to go take care of my other tables, and surprisingly they let me (but not without some stupid attempts at humor with comments about how 'my other tables don't really want me to take care of them').
The rest of their meal experience is a combination of more ridiculous comments and entirely too many personal questions about where I'm from and why I'm here. And instead of just ordering extra shots of limoncello (after the first complimentary round), they tried their hardest to talk me into sneaking them some free ones. Uh, are you kidding me? I told them, "As much as risking my job sounds like fun, I'm going to go ahead and ask my boss if you can have them".
Yeah, then they stayed until the entire restaurant was empty and the only people left were me, the two bussers, the bartender, and the manager. All hanging out at the bar waiting for them to leave. They were totally oblivious. They paid their tab, and then sat and talked. And sat. And talked. Finally my manager let me go. Who knows, maybe they're still there.
And here I am, venting to you. My computer screen. I have to admit, I feel a little better now.
May this be a lesson to you all: Don't make jokes about your server's tip, it's never funny and they are inwardly cursing you. Don't ask your server to repeat the specials four times, it's not cool and they are inwardly cursing you. Don't ask several personal questions about your server's background, you don't need to know all that and they are inwardly cursing you. Don't beg your server for free drinks, they will give them to you if they can and want to, and they are inwardly cursing you. And don't stay in a restaurant long after the rest of the guests have left and the entire place is clean, at this point the entire staff is cursing you.
My feet hurt like hell, I'm fatigued, and my mind feels like a zombie. And on top of all that, my last table was one of those that you would gladly hand the tip right back to - and then some - just to go back in time and never serve them.
As soon as I walked up to the table I knew they were going to be annoying. They were three middle-aged men, all in suits, and out to have a good time. And not in the fun way, but in the obnoxious way. First they ordered cocktails, and when asked what kind of vodka they would prefer stated unequivocally that "Ketel One is the only vodka in America!" Uh, okay.
Then, while my other tables waited patiently for me to take care of them, I told these guys the specials. We have many specials at the Med, and they are detailed. They proceeded to interrupt every single one with either a question or a comment. I finally got through them all and then they asked 18 more questions about them. Then they asked for recommendations for appetizers. I told them what they should get, and, here it comes, the best comment of the night, "I hope they're going to be good, your whole tip depends on it!"
They still wouldn't let me leave. One of them was "really a sauce guy" and wanted to know all about each of our pasta sauces and which would be best to substitute for the one that comes with the special of the day. At that point I was fighting all my urges (and I'm normally an incredibly patient person when it comes to my tables) to tell them they are idiots and they should go to the Olive Garden.
Finally I tell them I need to go take care of my other tables, and surprisingly they let me (but not without some stupid attempts at humor with comments about how 'my other tables don't really want me to take care of them').
The rest of their meal experience is a combination of more ridiculous comments and entirely too many personal questions about where I'm from and why I'm here. And instead of just ordering extra shots of limoncello (after the first complimentary round), they tried their hardest to talk me into sneaking them some free ones. Uh, are you kidding me? I told them, "As much as risking my job sounds like fun, I'm going to go ahead and ask my boss if you can have them".
Yeah, then they stayed until the entire restaurant was empty and the only people left were me, the two bussers, the bartender, and the manager. All hanging out at the bar waiting for them to leave. They were totally oblivious. They paid their tab, and then sat and talked. And sat. And talked. Finally my manager let me go. Who knows, maybe they're still there.
And here I am, venting to you. My computer screen. I have to admit, I feel a little better now.
May this be a lesson to you all: Don't make jokes about your server's tip, it's never funny and they are inwardly cursing you. Don't ask your server to repeat the specials four times, it's not cool and they are inwardly cursing you. Don't ask several personal questions about your server's background, you don't need to know all that and they are inwardly cursing you. Don't beg your server for free drinks, they will give them to you if they can and want to, and they are inwardly cursing you. And don't stay in a restaurant long after the rest of the guests have left and the entire place is clean, at this point the entire staff is cursing you.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
My Med
Despite the fact that I'm still working as a waitress, long after I promised myself I was done with it, I'm really enjoying the restaurant that I work at now.
It's Mediterraneo Caffee, on Federal Hill. 'The Hill' is an area of Providence known for its large population of Italians and good restaurants. And 'The Med' is considered by many to be the best restaurant on the hill. One of the things I like most about it is that almost all the employees are Italian. Some Italian-Americans, but also some that are actually from Italy. We have three main chefs, all are from Italy and all are really fun guys. Several of the cooks are from Italy and even a couple of the front-of-the-house guys. So they are always speaking Italian to each other, it's awesome!
And speaking of guys, almost all of my coworkers are guys. After working at my last restaurant where many of the girls were catty and stressed out all the time, I feel like I am working in an all boys private school now. They joke and play and act like boys, it's hilarious and fun.
Oh yeah, and the money is way better than most other restaurants. Hooray for that!
I'm glad that I like my job for the time being. There will undoubtedly come a time when I am sick of it and maybe even hate it, but for now it's fun. And I might even pay some bills too.
It's Mediterraneo Caffee, on Federal Hill. 'The Hill' is an area of Providence known for its large population of Italians and good restaurants. And 'The Med' is considered by many to be the best restaurant on the hill. One of the things I like most about it is that almost all the employees are Italian. Some Italian-Americans, but also some that are actually from Italy. We have three main chefs, all are from Italy and all are really fun guys. Several of the cooks are from Italy and even a couple of the front-of-the-house guys. So they are always speaking Italian to each other, it's awesome!
And speaking of guys, almost all of my coworkers are guys. After working at my last restaurant where many of the girls were catty and stressed out all the time, I feel like I am working in an all boys private school now. They joke and play and act like boys, it's hilarious and fun.
Oh yeah, and the money is way better than most other restaurants. Hooray for that!
I'm glad that I like my job for the time being. There will undoubtedly come a time when I am sick of it and maybe even hate it, but for now it's fun. And I might even pay some bills too.
Monday, May 7, 2007
Mahalang
Sometimes I really miss having my close friends around me. Every now and then I get "mahalang" (homesick or nostalgic, for my one Rhode Island friend who reads this) for Guam and for my friends over there. I have made a few fun friends here, but it's not quite the same as hanging out with people that you grew up with. There is no automatic assumption that you will go out for coffee together over the weekend, or to the usual bar on Friday. There are no regular phone calls, late night talks about relationships, three-hour-long discussions about life's uncertainties, and certainly no crying on shoulders. I don't know my friends' family members, let alone feel like they are extensions of my own family.
Every time I see an In Style magazine I think of Erika. Every time the topic of swimming comes up, I think of Claudia. Every time I see a group of girls going out together, I think of my fun circle of friends. Every time I hear John Mayer or Stevie Wonder, I think of Sirenu. Every time I hear reggae music, I think of DUB. Every time I hear this song, it reminds me of my year in Europe and how much I missed home (and on a side note, it also makes me want to marry Michael Buble).
So Erika and Claudia - my two best girls - and I have been sending these silly emails back and forth and we searched our archives for some fun pictures. I thought these two defined our relationships well :)
Every time I see an In Style magazine I think of Erika. Every time the topic of swimming comes up, I think of Claudia. Every time I see a group of girls going out together, I think of my fun circle of friends. Every time I hear John Mayer or Stevie Wonder, I think of Sirenu. Every time I hear reggae music, I think of DUB. Every time I hear this song, it reminds me of my year in Europe and how much I missed home (and on a side note, it also makes me want to marry Michael Buble).
So Erika and Claudia - my two best girls - and I have been sending these silly emails back and forth and we searched our archives for some fun pictures. I thought these two defined our relationships well :)
Saturday, May 5, 2007
Guam, As Seen From New England
Anyone from New England: Where are you from?
Me: Guam
Anyone from New England: (small laugh), No seriously, where are you from?
Me: I really am from Guam
Anyone from New England: Wait a second, you mean Guam is a real place? I always thought it was just a joke!
-------
I have had this exact conversation (or other forms of it) 948 times since August. It's bizarre. In most other parts of the world, and the US for that matter, people have either never heard of Guam or they are familiar with its military affiliation. That's it. There are no jokes about Guam in other regions.
Apparently here it is freakishly common to say, "It's so far away it's in Guam", or "She's from Guam" (meaning some place really far away, like Pennsylvania).
How does one properly respond to this weirdness? I have yet to figure that out...
Me: Guam
Anyone from New England: (small laugh), No seriously, where are you from?
Me: I really am from Guam
Anyone from New England: Wait a second, you mean Guam is a real place? I always thought it was just a joke!
-------
I have had this exact conversation (or other forms of it) 948 times since August. It's bizarre. In most other parts of the world, and the US for that matter, people have either never heard of Guam or they are familiar with its military affiliation. That's it. There are no jokes about Guam in other regions.
Apparently here it is freakishly common to say, "It's so far away it's in Guam", or "She's from Guam" (meaning some place really far away, like Pennsylvania).
How does one properly respond to this weirdness? I have yet to figure that out...
Thursday, May 3, 2007
Scar Tissue - Good Read
I am reading a really great book right now, which doesn't happen all that often (especially when one is a full time student), so I wanted to share.
Scar Tissue is an autobiography by Anthony Kiedis, the lead singer of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. In it he describes - with surprisingly intimate detail - his years of drug use, his history with songwriting and singing, his relationships with women, struggles with fame, the ever changing dynamic of the band, etc.
It's such an easy and fun read that I know I'll be done with it way too soon. Then what am I going to read???
The Sun Beckons
The weather is gorgeous outside today. And I'm sitting inside, in fleece pajamas, playing around on the computer. I'm not sure what that makes me, but I am sure that I will be dealing with a guilty conscience all evening if I don't do something outside today.... but what do I do?
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
high-and-mighty me
Yesterday I had a dreadful conversation with a good friend. He had all these pent-up feelings that came flying out at me in a passionate and lengthy outburst.
Apparently every time we eat together I discuss the nutritional contents of the food, and make cracks about how fattening his food is. This whole time I thought I was making interesting conversation, or 'busting his chops' like I do about most things. I thought I was being funny. But it turns out he was secretly grinding his teeth each time, and not saying a word about how I was making him feel. Until yesterday.
After eight months of friendship and hanging out, he has come to the conclusion that I have this inner judgment and prejudice against people who are overweight. That when I look at someone I instantly see them as either fat or skinny, and if they're fat then I have to find other reasons to like them or something. Which is so weird for me, because (and I know Danny will attest to this) I always feel like I play the 'advocate' in most conversations, blasting my conversation partners for making offensive comments, like referring to someone as "the big girl" or something.
He called me "High and Mighty", and said I "make people feel like second-class citizens".
Ouch.
Obviously my comments and jokes came across in a completely different way than I intended. On the one hand I want to take this as constructive criticism and maybe change the way I talk to people at times. And on the other hand I'm pissed off that a good friend would say things like that to me and call me names and cause me to be paranoid about the effect I have on people and their perceptions of me.
Scolding me is just about the worst thing someone can do to me. In recent months I've realized that it serves only to make me feel offended, angry, and then to withdraw. Ask my brother and Logan.
It's still too soon for me to decide if I'm going to view this as a wake-up call about him or about myself. Maybe both.
If anyone reading this has honest, constructive thoughts for me, I wouldn't mind hearing them at all. I'm pretty sure only my close friends have access to this blog, so feel free to vent.
Apparently every time we eat together I discuss the nutritional contents of the food, and make cracks about how fattening his food is. This whole time I thought I was making interesting conversation, or 'busting his chops' like I do about most things. I thought I was being funny. But it turns out he was secretly grinding his teeth each time, and not saying a word about how I was making him feel. Until yesterday.
After eight months of friendship and hanging out, he has come to the conclusion that I have this inner judgment and prejudice against people who are overweight. That when I look at someone I instantly see them as either fat or skinny, and if they're fat then I have to find other reasons to like them or something. Which is so weird for me, because (and I know Danny will attest to this) I always feel like I play the 'advocate' in most conversations, blasting my conversation partners for making offensive comments, like referring to someone as "the big girl" or something.
He called me "High and Mighty", and said I "make people feel like second-class citizens".
Ouch.
Obviously my comments and jokes came across in a completely different way than I intended. On the one hand I want to take this as constructive criticism and maybe change the way I talk to people at times. And on the other hand I'm pissed off that a good friend would say things like that to me and call me names and cause me to be paranoid about the effect I have on people and their perceptions of me.
Scolding me is just about the worst thing someone can do to me. In recent months I've realized that it serves only to make me feel offended, angry, and then to withdraw. Ask my brother and Logan.
It's still too soon for me to decide if I'm going to view this as a wake-up call about him or about myself. Maybe both.
If anyone reading this has honest, constructive thoughts for me, I wouldn't mind hearing them at all. I'm pretty sure only my close friends have access to this blog, so feel free to vent.
the big 2-9
It's been one week since my 29th birthday. I'm 29.
I celebrated with three meals. Lunch with John, lunch with Trinh, and dinner with family. They were all lovely. Even though I had to contribute to dinner with family and we had brownies instead of a cake. But it still counts. Trisha didn't have candles so she put a sparkler in my brownie, it was awesome.
Now I'm 29.
Every time I say it I get a little more used to it.
I celebrated with three meals. Lunch with John, lunch with Trinh, and dinner with family. They were all lovely. Even though I had to contribute to dinner with family and we had brownies instead of a cake. But it still counts. Trisha didn't have candles so she put a sparkler in my brownie, it was awesome.
Now I'm 29.
Every time I say it I get a little more used to it.
new blog old blog
I swear I had an account here last year. I thought I would just pick it up where I left off and start adding to it again, but apparently this is the 'new blogger'. It looks the same to me. I should still be able to see my old stuff. But whatever. Here I am again. Let's hope it lasts this time...
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