Things I will never understand about northerners:
8. Restaurant service. I will not go on a rant here, but maybe, once, you should go out to eat in the south and you will weep to return to a restaurant in Yankee world.
9. They don't realize that putting spaghetti noodles in chili is perfectly normal.
Things I love about them:
5. There's a certain independence or DIY-ness here. It's quite charming and very useful. I am not sure that I have ever met a Mainer, for example, whose parents don't "put up" food for the winter in loads of canning jars.
6. I like about Maine that the world does not stop in the event of a snowstorm. In Louisville, they predict a few inches, and the Kroger's is literally cleaned out of milk, meat, and bread (apparently the essentials.) The city shuts down. In Maine, you get a foot, most people still have to go to work. Oh, well that part sucks, but the rest I like.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Sunday, November 30, 2008
A thrill of hope
I have been practicing singing and playing "Oh Holy Night" for Christmas carols. Jon remarked that he preferred the less religious carols. While I do not consider myself a religious person, I do love the beautiful songs and do not want to shy away from them because they are religious. After all, I am a bluegrass musician, we like the old-timey gospel stuff.
Then I listened to the words:
"A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices-for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!"
What a gorgeous thought. A friend remarked that it reminded her of Obama. Listening to only those words--not the rest about the Saviour, etc--there is a nice bit of truth to that.
We certainly live in a weary world. How beautiful the idea that for this weary world, there might possibly be a thrill of hope. Whatever that hope is, it is lovely.
Then I listened to the words:
"A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices-for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!"
What a gorgeous thought. A friend remarked that it reminded her of Obama. Listening to only those words--not the rest about the Saviour, etc--there is a nice bit of truth to that.
We certainly live in a weary world. How beautiful the idea that for this weary world, there might possibly be a thrill of hope. Whatever that hope is, it is lovely.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Southerners vs. Yanks
...part one of many, I am sure.
There are several things I will never understand about Mainahs:
1. Why they insist on complaining about the weather unless it is 76 degrees. Otherwise, it's either too cold, too hot, too cold in the shade, too hot in the sun, etc. Um, you live in MAINE.
2. Why they insist on eating fruit that is not remotely close to being ripe, and then they insist that it's really good. Peaches, nectarines, and pears should absolutely never crunch. And no, they are not good that way.
3. Why they insist on eating huge holiday dinners at 2 PM. Why not at a regular meal time, so your body is actually hungry when you eat? And so you don't get a weird hunger pang at 9 PM?
4. Why they really don't say much ever. Believe it or not, in the south, we actually do care how the people in the coffee shop line are doing. We actually do call lots of people, "Honey," and we actually bond over things like the grocery store being out of pecans.
5. Why they say they don't like grits. Most of the time, they have never had grits. (Once they try some cheese grits with garlic, like any smart person, they realize their folly.)
6. Why they don't pay attention to basketball. I understand that they don't have great college teams to rally around like we do in Louisville (go Cards!), but UMass is good, and being from Boston has not stopped the Red Sox from being the object of many a Mainer's affection. I ask this in true astonishment: how can anyone watch the thrilling action on the NCAA courts and not get totally wrapped up in March Madness?
7. Allen's Coffee Brandy.
8. Why they don't see the importance of serving bread warm as opposed to at room temperature.
OK, on the flip side, here are some things I love about Mainahs:
1. They tend, and I do say tend (ahem), to mind their own business when it comes to whom you worship, to whom you are attracted, and the color of your skin. At least they tend more than the south.
2. They know how to make some good chowder.
3. They like their beer strong and flavorful. Mmmmmmmmmm Geary's. Southerners are pretty darn attached to their cans of Bud Light.
4. They are not afraid to eat their own lobster.
There are several things I will never understand about Mainahs:
1. Why they insist on complaining about the weather unless it is 76 degrees. Otherwise, it's either too cold, too hot, too cold in the shade, too hot in the sun, etc. Um, you live in MAINE.
2. Why they insist on eating fruit that is not remotely close to being ripe, and then they insist that it's really good. Peaches, nectarines, and pears should absolutely never crunch. And no, they are not good that way.
3. Why they insist on eating huge holiday dinners at 2 PM. Why not at a regular meal time, so your body is actually hungry when you eat? And so you don't get a weird hunger pang at 9 PM?
4. Why they really don't say much ever. Believe it or not, in the south, we actually do care how the people in the coffee shop line are doing. We actually do call lots of people, "Honey," and we actually bond over things like the grocery store being out of pecans.
5. Why they say they don't like grits. Most of the time, they have never had grits. (Once they try some cheese grits with garlic, like any smart person, they realize their folly.)
6. Why they don't pay attention to basketball. I understand that they don't have great college teams to rally around like we do in Louisville (go Cards!), but UMass is good, and being from Boston has not stopped the Red Sox from being the object of many a Mainer's affection. I ask this in true astonishment: how can anyone watch the thrilling action on the NCAA courts and not get totally wrapped up in March Madness?
7. Allen's Coffee Brandy.
8. Why they don't see the importance of serving bread warm as opposed to at room temperature.
OK, on the flip side, here are some things I love about Mainahs:
1. They tend, and I do say tend (ahem), to mind their own business when it comes to whom you worship, to whom you are attracted, and the color of your skin. At least they tend more than the south.
2. They know how to make some good chowder.
3. They like their beer strong and flavorful. Mmmmmmmmmm Geary's. Southerners are pretty darn attached to their cans of Bud Light.
4. They are not afraid to eat their own lobster.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
A wish list...
..that has nothing to do with gifts, and yet is still completely self-centered.
1. I wish that predictive text weren't so prudish as to not have in its dictionary words like, "pissed" and "damnit."
2. I wish that Veggie Sausage weren't so expensive.
3. I wish that there were a faucet in my apt. that would pour bourbon.
4. I wish that I had planted butternut squash and a few more beets this summer.
5. I wish that people from my past did not think it is OK to scan pictures of me from age 15 and post them to facebook.
6. I wish that we could claim Thanksgiving as a "friend" holiday without insulting our families.
7. I wish that one could choose a few default dreams to re-dream at night upon demand, especially when one is dreaming about fending off child murderers.
8. I wish that Mabel were not a "sinker".
9. I wish that I had a job whose contribution to society were greater than the ability to make a good latte.
10. I wish that there were a radio station that played music that might challenge the masses.
1. I wish that predictive text weren't so prudish as to not have in its dictionary words like, "pissed" and "damnit."
2. I wish that Veggie Sausage weren't so expensive.
3. I wish that there were a faucet in my apt. that would pour bourbon.
4. I wish that I had planted butternut squash and a few more beets this summer.
5. I wish that people from my past did not think it is OK to scan pictures of me from age 15 and post them to facebook.
6. I wish that we could claim Thanksgiving as a "friend" holiday without insulting our families.
7. I wish that one could choose a few default dreams to re-dream at night upon demand, especially when one is dreaming about fending off child murderers.
8. I wish that Mabel were not a "sinker".
9. I wish that I had a job whose contribution to society were greater than the ability to make a good latte.
10. I wish that there were a radio station that played music that might challenge the masses.
Friday, November 21, 2008
my xmas list
1. Still looking for that air-brushed t-shirt that says "Tooken" on it.
2. A second earring to match the one I lost, made by the very talented local artist Alicia Allen
3. A jar of Smith's Family Farm yogurt.
Considering no one we know has any money right now, I guess that'll just about do it. Although there are plenty of free things I would love for Xmas:
-rock and roll band of my very own
-a question
-a gift card for a one on one day with some very busy friends
-jobs for the several people I know who really need them
-Upping the amount of funny stories, smiling eyes, occasional southern accents, and bone-crushing hugs that help me get through my days.
2. A second earring to match the one I lost, made by the very talented local artist Alicia Allen
3. A jar of Smith's Family Farm yogurt.
Considering no one we know has any money right now, I guess that'll just about do it. Although there are plenty of free things I would love for Xmas:
-rock and roll band of my very own
-a question
-a gift card for a one on one day with some very busy friends
-jobs for the several people I know who really need them
-Upping the amount of funny stories, smiling eyes, occasional southern accents, and bone-crushing hugs that help me get through my days.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Cheap Living
Hey, anyone hear about the times lately? They're tight. Jon and I are on a semi-spending freeze. Which means that we are not spending money outside of necessities (a loose word in our book.)
When I was a student I learned some ways one can conserve money while still consuming lots of the all-important carbs. While I do not advocate dumpster diving (gross), with a little of the Artful Dodger in you, you can eat quite a few meals for free.
Openings: art openings, grand opening celebrations, book signings, ribbon cuttings, any kind of community celebration. There is always free food at these and often free wine. First Friday art walk is a good choice for even supplementing the carbs with some protein-rich cheese. But you have to get there early. Just think, you could eat for free and culture yourself at the same time.
Jobs: There are two kinds of jobs in which free food is available. The first is, obviously, a food service job. (I highly recommend working for a local company vs a chain restaurant for many reasons, not the least being that large corporations often do not include free meals in their benefits.) The second is a job at a place that hosts a lot of events, meetings, workshops, etc. I worked at a National Park for a year and ate so many free bagels, muffins, and scones, and an occasional score of a veggie wrap left behind that I gained several pounds.
Church: Almost always, where one finds God, there is also coffee and donuts.* (The exception being Catholics--they're pretty hit and miss on the donuts.) Many churches give out free food as well. The pastor at the church across the street once said to me, "Excuse me, are you homeless? Cause this is for the needy!" My response (in my head, as I was too shocked and embarrassed to speak) was two-fold: "Uh, lady, this is a residential neighborhood. And, yes, I am needy, I am unemployed and have a $40,000 student loan and my rent is through the roof. It's Portland. Heard this story before?"
*The problem with this is that they do it after church so you have to praise the Lord to get the donuts! If you're stooping this low, you might as well wander your way into weddings and funerals too! I can assure that my family is so large no one would ever notice that there was an unfamiliar face.
Greedrinks: Could it be any better? The second Tuesday of every month, Greendrinks rocks again with free beer and free food and a lovely crowd of eco-conscious folks! Tomorrow it's at the Maine Rock Gym. Happy hour time.
More cheap living skills soon to come.
When I was a student I learned some ways one can conserve money while still consuming lots of the all-important carbs. While I do not advocate dumpster diving (gross), with a little of the Artful Dodger in you, you can eat quite a few meals for free.
Openings: art openings, grand opening celebrations, book signings, ribbon cuttings, any kind of community celebration. There is always free food at these and often free wine. First Friday art walk is a good choice for even supplementing the carbs with some protein-rich cheese. But you have to get there early. Just think, you could eat for free and culture yourself at the same time.
Jobs: There are two kinds of jobs in which free food is available. The first is, obviously, a food service job. (I highly recommend working for a local company vs a chain restaurant for many reasons, not the least being that large corporations often do not include free meals in their benefits.) The second is a job at a place that hosts a lot of events, meetings, workshops, etc. I worked at a National Park for a year and ate so many free bagels, muffins, and scones, and an occasional score of a veggie wrap left behind that I gained several pounds.
Church: Almost always, where one finds God, there is also coffee and donuts.* (The exception being Catholics--they're pretty hit and miss on the donuts.) Many churches give out free food as well. The pastor at the church across the street once said to me, "Excuse me, are you homeless? Cause this is for the needy!" My response (in my head, as I was too shocked and embarrassed to speak) was two-fold: "Uh, lady, this is a residential neighborhood. And, yes, I am needy, I am unemployed and have a $40,000 student loan and my rent is through the roof. It's Portland. Heard this story before?"
*The problem with this is that they do it after church so you have to praise the Lord to get the donuts! If you're stooping this low, you might as well wander your way into weddings and funerals too! I can assure that my family is so large no one would ever notice that there was an unfamiliar face.
Greedrinks: Could it be any better? The second Tuesday of every month, Greendrinks rocks again with free beer and free food and a lovely crowd of eco-conscious folks! Tomorrow it's at the Maine Rock Gym. Happy hour time.
More cheap living skills soon to come.
Monday, October 6, 2008
pro-life
I recently received an email from someone I know. It was a thinly-veiled pro-life video encouraging me to "vote my conscience". Great, thanks, I will!
In the video, there is a picture of-you guessed it-a fetus, with the words, "Some issues are more important."
I do not ask this question as an attack, but because I seriously want to know: Why is an unborn baby more important than a living child? Because, if I voted for McCain and Palin, the policies they promote will hurt living children. For example, McCain promises a $5000 tax rebate for every family so they can buy insurance. The average premium for a family, according to this website is over $12,000. That's not doing much for families who make too much to qualify for state funded health care, but who cannot afford insurance (and who can at that cost?) and don't get it at work.
Other Republican policies leave children behind. Let's take a look at No Child Left Behind. A great idea, but the federal government has failed to fund this, leaving states to fund it themselves (they have to!) and therefore cutting costs in other ways (like shortening the week to four days!!!!) that drastically affect the education system in our country. Better educating kids can help them to climb out of poverty, but that takes funding, and right now Republican policy is more concerned with funding "rebuilding" in Iraq, a country that has a very large surplus, according to Barack Obama and this article.
So, when I think about voting my conscience, I know I want to cast a vote that will help our country now, and for the future. I strongly believe that the future of our country lies in providing an opportunity for our youth to be well-educated and healthy. And that is why my conscience tells me to vote for Obama/Biden.
In the video, there is a picture of-you guessed it-a fetus, with the words, "Some issues are more important."
I do not ask this question as an attack, but because I seriously want to know: Why is an unborn baby more important than a living child? Because, if I voted for McCain and Palin, the policies they promote will hurt living children. For example, McCain promises a $5000 tax rebate for every family so they can buy insurance. The average premium for a family, according to this website is over $12,000. That's not doing much for families who make too much to qualify for state funded health care, but who cannot afford insurance (and who can at that cost?) and don't get it at work.
Other Republican policies leave children behind. Let's take a look at No Child Left Behind. A great idea, but the federal government has failed to fund this, leaving states to fund it themselves (they have to!) and therefore cutting costs in other ways (like shortening the week to four days!!!!) that drastically affect the education system in our country. Better educating kids can help them to climb out of poverty, but that takes funding, and right now Republican policy is more concerned with funding "rebuilding" in Iraq, a country that has a very large surplus, according to Barack Obama and this article.
So, when I think about voting my conscience, I know I want to cast a vote that will help our country now, and for the future. I strongly believe that the future of our country lies in providing an opportunity for our youth to be well-educated and healthy. And that is why my conscience tells me to vote for Obama/Biden.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
short list
thing i like:
squashing fallen cherries while walking home on Vesper St.
thing I dislike:
foam soap
squashing fallen cherries while walking home on Vesper St.
thing I dislike:
foam soap
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Maine, the way life is.
I have succumbed to the Maine way of life, and become a patcher. Meaning: I have a myriad of jobs that I patch together. And they are all very unique and interesting. Over the course of a month, I will have been paid to be:
1. Assistant Manager of the Portland Observatory
2. A Barista
3. An afterschool teacher
4. A pie-maker
5. A model
6. An elected official
7. A field hockey coach
8. A musician
While the lifestyle can be a little harrowing, it is always full of surprises, many of them pleasant. Take modeling, for example. Craigslist gigs is a great place to find very short-term work, usually involving getting paid very well to pass out promotional shwag or talk very enthusiastically in a focus group about breakfast cereals or such. Recently there was a post for a size 14 model. I looked at the listing, as I sometimes wear a size 14. It was a yarn company in Portland, and I wrote them to say that while I was not a model, I was a knitter, and I would be happy to be their size 14. Well, to make a long story a little shorter, after sending them some completely unprofessional pictures taken by Jon at Kettle Cove, my mom at the Aquarium, Mandy at my Derby party, and Darcy for my campaign, they hired me!
I was to be picked up, along with the size 18 model, and driven to New Harbor for the photo shoot for Classic Elite Yarn's Curvy Knits pattern catalog. I got in the car and a gorgeous woman with an equally gorgeous name, Ondine, introduces herself to me. When I ask her what she does for a living and she responds with something like, "Fashion designer and model," I begin to think that this adventure might involve a little more than some little yarn company taking my picture.
We pull into a driveway of a rented farmhouse on a hill overlooking New Harbor, about as picturesque as it gets. I meet the make-up artist and the stylists and am asked to try on several knitted garments with a mess of clothes with tags still on (all "borrowed" from some big stores.) Then the stick thin models walk in wrapped in blankets, shivering from their "spring" photo shoot down on the water. They quickly get naked, change outfits, the make-up artist gets very concerned about their wind-blown hair, and off they go for another shoot. I read for about 30 minutes (I was told to bring a good book), and then it's time for my face to become a canvas.
The make-up artist plucks, shapes, trims, gels, and pencils my brows. Then she puts layers and layers of make-up on my face, curls my hair, and uses about a half a bottle of hairspray for my half-updo. I put on the salmon colored knit tunic (NOT at all my favorite color, but it was matched with accessories that I chose!) and I am instructed to walk and skip in a swingy way through a field while the photographer's assistant walks beside me with a screen filling in shadows and the photographer shoots picture after picture after picture.
I remove the tunic, leggings (which fit perfectly and I got to keep!), and boots, and change into a loose cotton dress and a silky periwinkle cardigan (again, so not my color). We went to set up the shoot while Ondine was putting on a beautiful green lacy cardigan for her next shoot. Apparently the photographer was so happy with the look of our practice shoot that she decided to shoot it for real, in between the make-up artist running in and spraying my hair again and again. I had to hold some flowers, flirt with the assistant, play with my hair...
It was all so surreal. I was a model! For realz! Apparently I did so well the photographer had no idea it was my "first" time (I say that in parentheses because--as if I am going to become a model!) And I got paid good money for it! Of course, I will post some photos when I get them.
Heh. Maine.
1. Assistant Manager of the Portland Observatory
2. A Barista
3. An afterschool teacher
4. A pie-maker
5. A model
6. An elected official
7. A field hockey coach
8. A musician
While the lifestyle can be a little harrowing, it is always full of surprises, many of them pleasant. Take modeling, for example. Craigslist gigs is a great place to find very short-term work, usually involving getting paid very well to pass out promotional shwag or talk very enthusiastically in a focus group about breakfast cereals or such. Recently there was a post for a size 14 model. I looked at the listing, as I sometimes wear a size 14. It was a yarn company in Portland, and I wrote them to say that while I was not a model, I was a knitter, and I would be happy to be their size 14. Well, to make a long story a little shorter, after sending them some completely unprofessional pictures taken by Jon at Kettle Cove, my mom at the Aquarium, Mandy at my Derby party, and Darcy for my campaign, they hired me!
I was to be picked up, along with the size 18 model, and driven to New Harbor for the photo shoot for Classic Elite Yarn's Curvy Knits pattern catalog. I got in the car and a gorgeous woman with an equally gorgeous name, Ondine, introduces herself to me. When I ask her what she does for a living and she responds with something like, "Fashion designer and model," I begin to think that this adventure might involve a little more than some little yarn company taking my picture.
We pull into a driveway of a rented farmhouse on a hill overlooking New Harbor, about as picturesque as it gets. I meet the make-up artist and the stylists and am asked to try on several knitted garments with a mess of clothes with tags still on (all "borrowed" from some big stores.) Then the stick thin models walk in wrapped in blankets, shivering from their "spring" photo shoot down on the water. They quickly get naked, change outfits, the make-up artist gets very concerned about their wind-blown hair, and off they go for another shoot. I read for about 30 minutes (I was told to bring a good book), and then it's time for my face to become a canvas.
The make-up artist plucks, shapes, trims, gels, and pencils my brows. Then she puts layers and layers of make-up on my face, curls my hair, and uses about a half a bottle of hairspray for my half-updo. I put on the salmon colored knit tunic (NOT at all my favorite color, but it was matched with accessories that I chose!) and I am instructed to walk and skip in a swingy way through a field while the photographer's assistant walks beside me with a screen filling in shadows and the photographer shoots picture after picture after picture.
I remove the tunic, leggings (which fit perfectly and I got to keep!), and boots, and change into a loose cotton dress and a silky periwinkle cardigan (again, so not my color). We went to set up the shoot while Ondine was putting on a beautiful green lacy cardigan for her next shoot. Apparently the photographer was so happy with the look of our practice shoot that she decided to shoot it for real, in between the make-up artist running in and spraying my hair again and again. I had to hold some flowers, flirt with the assistant, play with my hair...
It was all so surreal. I was a model! For realz! Apparently I did so well the photographer had no idea it was my "first" time (I say that in parentheses because--as if I am going to become a model!) And I got paid good money for it! Of course, I will post some photos when I get them.
Heh. Maine.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
seasons and change and me feeling blue about it
Can it really be? The chill in the air...hot in the sun, cold in the shade...is summer really coming to an end? Did we even have a summer?
I love fall. But this year, I am not ready for it. Not yet, and I will go down fighting. On top of the usual Maine winter, we had a pretty crappy spring. Then, after a glorious start to summer's immortal days of sun and breeziness and wildflowers and limey drinks, it started to rain. For, um, a month or so? Many of us die hard ocean dippers even became wussified.
And I start to ask myself: why in the world do I live here? Where it's cold 8 months out of the year and summer, if you're lucky, lasts maybe 2. Where you even have to wait till May for daffodils and then it all goes so fast.
When I go home for the all-too-rare visit to the hot hot south, it seems as if I've waited my whole lifetime for one bite of that juicy,ripe peach; for that one encompassing whiff of sweet magnolia breeze.
I love fall. But this year, I am not ready for it. Not yet, and I will go down fighting. On top of the usual Maine winter, we had a pretty crappy spring. Then, after a glorious start to summer's immortal days of sun and breeziness and wildflowers and limey drinks, it started to rain. For, um, a month or so? Many of us die hard ocean dippers even became wussified.
And I start to ask myself: why in the world do I live here? Where it's cold 8 months out of the year and summer, if you're lucky, lasts maybe 2. Where you even have to wait till May for daffodils and then it all goes so fast.
When I go home for the all-too-rare visit to the hot hot south, it seems as if I've waited my whole lifetime for one bite of that juicy,ripe peach; for that one encompassing whiff of sweet magnolia breeze.
Monday, August 11, 2008
O.M.G.
The fabulous blog thingsyoungerthanmccain.com has a video on which McCain refers to "Vladimir Putin, president of Germany."
OH MY GOD!!!!
How...oh, forget it, I've said it before.
OH MY GOD!!!!
How...oh, forget it, I've said it before.
Monday, July 28, 2008
I love Maine food
Sigh...For years I have wanted to rid my life of plastic. Cloth bags are easy. Many foods are not. Try finding yogurt and cottage cheese in glass! Well, after years of longing, I finally found local yogurt in glass jars! Smith Family Farm, on Mount Desert Island, makes the most delicious organic yogurt. If you're used to the over-sugared (or aspartamed) glorified candy that most grocery-store yogurt is (27 grams of sugar in yogurt!) it will taste different: it is not pasteurized and has not traveled to New Jersey and back. But once you get used to that tangy taste (which is amazing mixed with a bit of Jon's parents homemade rhubarb jam!), you will not want to eat that store stuff again.
The best part about this is that my friend ordered it from the buying club for me and so it was only $3 a quart--about the same as what I used to buy in the store.
Yay for local foods. Yay for Maine for supporting this kind of stuff. We are so lucky to have lots of glass-jar milk around (I love you Smiling Hill Farm!) Yay for glass jars that can be returned and used again!
The best part about this is that my friend ordered it from the buying club for me and so it was only $3 a quart--about the same as what I used to buy in the store.
Yay for local foods. Yay for Maine for supporting this kind of stuff. We are so lucky to have lots of glass-jar milk around (I love you Smiling Hill Farm!) Yay for glass jars that can be returned and used again!
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
GET A BIKE!
Carpooled to work today. Biked home.
-Saved 1/2 gallon of gas on round trip commute: $2.05 saved
-Calories burned: 426.
-Time spent biking: 40 minutes. In a car, it takes 20 minutes to get there, so I spent a net time of 20 minutes. Time usually spent going to gym to burn 426 calories (including transit): 1.5 hours.
So, I saved money, time, and auto emissions today. By the way, biking to work wakes you up more than coffee.
GET A BIKE!
-Saved 1/2 gallon of gas on round trip commute: $2.05 saved
-Calories burned: 426.
-Time spent biking: 40 minutes. In a car, it takes 20 minutes to get there, so I spent a net time of 20 minutes. Time usually spent going to gym to burn 426 calories (including transit): 1.5 hours.
So, I saved money, time, and auto emissions today. By the way, biking to work wakes you up more than coffee.
GET A BIKE!
Would someone give McCain a map?
John McCain claims to be the candidate with foreign affairs experience. But, he needs a lesson in geography! In one video posted to thingsyoungerthanmccain.com, he mentions the "Iraq-Pakistan border!" In another he refers to, in present tense, Czechoslovakia!
Now, if I go to an doctor who claims to have experience in eyes (i.e., an eye doctor), I would certainly want him to know where my iris is.
Just a thought.
Oh, by the way, don't vote for this guy.
Now, if I go to an doctor who claims to have experience in eyes (i.e., an eye doctor), I would certainly want him to know where my iris is.
Just a thought.
Oh, by the way, don't vote for this guy.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Farm Camp
This summer I am working at Farm Camp. Here are some highlights and things I have learned:
-Pigs are extremely loud and will risk shock by electric fence just to get some new scenery. I recently re-read Animal Farm and the pigs now disturb me. However, they are just as afraid of large bugs as people are.
-Chickens are disgusting. But their eggs are so tasty they are worth it.
-I gave a five year old boy a time out. He got upset and started looking around the forest floor to find something to poison me with. Originally he wanted to poison me for 3 years but upon second thought he settled for 3 days. I really wanted him to find a mushroom to see how he might trick me into eating it.
-extra cool things found in the pond:
salamander larva
black-crowned night herons
and hog dragonfly nymphs that eat everything in sight. I could spend the whole day watching the violence! Today two dragonfly nymphs were fighting over the same prey and one tried to eat a frog!
(Dragonfly nymphs are a young stage in metamorphosis that live in water. They can extend their lower jaw about a third the length of their body and can eat things bigger than themselves!)
-Lambs are amazing. They instinctively know that if they say "Baaa" when we leave them it makes the kids very happy. One kid told me he spoke sheep, so he translated for me. Apparently when we leave the lambs and they say Baaa they are actually saying "Bye." In Sheep.
-And lambs' lips tickle your hand when they eat grain out of it.
-If you give a little girl a big flower her face will light up and make you feel like a million bucks. All for one flower.
-Some kids just seem to know when you are about to lose your mind. Then they run up to you, throw their arms around you and kiss you and say, "I yuv you!" Yay.
-Pigs are extremely loud and will risk shock by electric fence just to get some new scenery. I recently re-read Animal Farm and the pigs now disturb me. However, they are just as afraid of large bugs as people are.
-Chickens are disgusting. But their eggs are so tasty they are worth it.
-I gave a five year old boy a time out. He got upset and started looking around the forest floor to find something to poison me with. Originally he wanted to poison me for 3 years but upon second thought he settled for 3 days. I really wanted him to find a mushroom to see how he might trick me into eating it.
-extra cool things found in the pond:
salamander larva
black-crowned night herons
and hog dragonfly nymphs that eat everything in sight. I could spend the whole day watching the violence! Today two dragonfly nymphs were fighting over the same prey and one tried to eat a frog!
(Dragonfly nymphs are a young stage in metamorphosis that live in water. They can extend their lower jaw about a third the length of their body and can eat things bigger than themselves!)
-Lambs are amazing. They instinctively know that if they say "Baaa" when we leave them it makes the kids very happy. One kid told me he spoke sheep, so he translated for me. Apparently when we leave the lambs and they say Baaa they are actually saying "Bye." In Sheep.
-And lambs' lips tickle your hand when they eat grain out of it.
-If you give a little girl a big flower her face will light up and make you feel like a million bucks. All for one flower.
-Some kids just seem to know when you are about to lose your mind. Then they run up to you, throw their arms around you and kiss you and say, "I yuv you!" Yay.
bikes bikes bikes
I think people should ride bikes way more often. Let's put the environmental, economic, and health benefits aside, and talk about fun. Riding a bike makes you feel like a kid again. Seriously! Try it! and then try with no hands! Ride to somewhere fun like the beach or the movies or the sprinkler park or the bar. To maximize kid-feeling-ness, wear flip-flops or cowboy boots and even a skirt. (I vouch that it is entirely possible to ride across town comfortably in cowboy boots.) Also, riding with lots of friends in a bike gang is pretty rad and you feel like you should be in an after-school special where you make fun of some kid, calling him "King of the Flots" until you learn that he's pretty cool after all.
I'll tell you what makes me feel damn cute: when I ride my bike to my garden, fill my bike basket with beets and collards and sunflowers and daisies, and then ride home with the basket overflowing. I would post a picture but I have not figured out how to safely take a picture of myself whilst riding a bike. Someone should take a picture, though: Munjoy Hill--are you listening??
Friday, July 4, 2008
John McCain's so hip
This video was posted on the blog ThingsyoungerthanMccain.com. It's a great blog. And the guy is right, the video starts getting funny around 2:30, so you might as well just skip ahead.
On another note, it has been a month since my last entry. June was a crazy month, but there is a lot to write about. More soon.
On another note, it has been a month since my last entry. June was a crazy month, but there is a lot to write about. More soon.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Thank you!
Thank you America. I am very excited. For the first time in my life, I will fill in that circle in November with a smile on my face, knowing that I am voting for a candidate that has a strong chance of winning and that will be able to take our country in a positive direction. It's been a while since we went in a positive direction.
On a less serious note, I got so many lovely, thoughtful, fun, handmade or at least hand-chosen gifts for my birthday and it was one of the best birthdays ever!
On a less serious note, I got so many lovely, thoughtful, fun, handmade or at least hand-chosen gifts for my birthday and it was one of the best birthdays ever!
Saturday, May 31, 2008
birthday!!
So far, I have had an amazing birthday weekend! And it's only halfway over! My lovely friend Daisy came in town and we got to spend some good QT together watching Sex in the City with a theater full of ooh-ing and ah-ing women. Plus my brother and niece are coming in town this week! Plus this morning I got flowers from the mum and pop. But the best part was the birthday gift left in my living room this morning from Jon. True to form, he got me something extremely practical, something he knew I would use every day, something I really needed. True to form, he didn't wrap it. With a nod to my recent wishes for something sparkly and expensive...he got me a gold sparkly BIKE!!! I feel like I'm 12 again! I got a bike for my birthday!
I love it. Love love love. Summer is here and I am gonna be a super fast bike riding machine!
I love it. Love love love. Summer is here and I am gonna be a super fast bike riding machine!
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Obama and McCain - The Art of Speech
I wish they had commented on Hilary Clinton's speech. Not only do I like Barack Obama's political stance, but I just love listening to him speak. It's time we had a president who can deliver a great speech, one that will be remembered not for its grammatical errors, mispronunciations, or half-truths, but for its inspirational quality.
Plus, come on, it's funny.
Monday, May 12, 2008
My new favorite blog:
http://www.thingsyoungerthanmccain.com
Also, if you haven't yet, check out stuffwhitepeoplelike.com
Also, if you haven't yet, check out stuffwhitepeoplelike.com
Sunday, May 11, 2008
glasses
Some of you might have heard that I broke my glasses down the middle recently. Apparently wiping them off was a hazard. Anyway, it's time for a new pair. I guess I could superglue them, but I have wanted a new pair for a while anyway. As I have no insurance and am low on flow, I am going to try the online thing. My friend Amanda did it and she was very pleased with the results. Plus, the online thing doesn't require a current prescription! I know my vision hasn't changed in about 10 years, so why do i need to pay a doctor $180 for her to tell me that! Anyway, what do you think of these?
Friday, May 9, 2008
oh, love!
There is a lot in my life that's exciting right now, not the least of which is my new garden plot! I have been waiting for SIX YEARS for a plot in this community garden, across the street from the East End Community School (the country's first public Expeditiary Learning Elementary School, where I would be very excited to send my kids someday.) So, finally, I get not just any plot, but apparently the guy before me was the best gardener in there. That might mean I have a lot to live up to, considering it's my first garden ever, but it also means that the soil is amazing, chock fulls of shells and worms, well-tilled, and hardly any weeds from the winter compared to my neighbor gardens. Also, I inherited sunflowers, onions, chives, and some squash! I would love to wait and see what else comes up, but there is a rule that we have to plant by May 15. And with this gorgeous weather we've been having, and with the view from my garden of the Back Cove (I've seen several bald eagles soaring over the cove), I can't stay away!
There's one fly in the ointment, though--my garden neighbor has to be the single most annoying gossipy person in the city. I try to avoid her like the plague, but she's like Visa-everywhere I want to be. Guess I'll be wearing headphones to my garden!
Pictures to come!
There's one fly in the ointment, though--my garden neighbor has to be the single most annoying gossipy person in the city. I try to avoid her like the plague, but she's like Visa-everywhere I want to be. Guess I'll be wearing headphones to my garden!
Pictures to come!
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Derby Derby
Quite possibly one of my favorite pictures ever--except for the Derby ladies from several years ago. Can we please bring hats back into fashion? They create such a nice mood of glamour. I love it.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Derby!
Oh, joy! This Saturday, two days from now, is the day that everyone wishes, for a few minutes at least, that they were from Kentucky.
What could be bad about Derby Day?
Here's what is lovely:
pie
mint juleps
grits casserole
Benedictine sandwiches
hats
sundresses
winning money
cheering
"My Old Kentucky Home"
Dan Fogherty
roses
What could be bad about Derby Day?
Here's what is lovely:
pie
mint juleps
grits casserole
Benedictine sandwiches
hats
sundresses
winning money
cheering
"My Old Kentucky Home"
Dan Fogherty
roses
Sunday, April 20, 2008
10 new things I love
or at least 10 things i haven't said before
1. Battlestar Galactica. There, I frackin' said it. Am I embarrassed? A little, but you're missing out if you don't watch it as well. I even dreamt last night that there was a Cylon attack!
2. birdies singing
3. Jon's nephew David's big huge cheeks
4. the Derby is in 2 weeks and I have the best Derby outfit yet!
5. Wilco's latest album Sky Blue Sky
6. BBC Planet Earth
7. www.purlbee.com
8. the cannonball stuck in building above Wyler Gallery on Upper Exchange: original cannonball from Brit. Cap. Mowatt who bombed Portland around the time of the Revolution.
9. There is a tree on my way home at night whose twigs and ever-enlarging buds (it bloomed overnight!) cast a shadow down on the sidewalk from the streetlight above. It is so strange to see shadows at night, after 6 months of seeing this several nights a week, it still stops me.
10. I am joining a women's field hockey league!
1. Battlestar Galactica. There, I frackin' said it. Am I embarrassed? A little, but you're missing out if you don't watch it as well. I even dreamt last night that there was a Cylon attack!
2. birdies singing
3. Jon's nephew David's big huge cheeks
4. the Derby is in 2 weeks and I have the best Derby outfit yet!
5. Wilco's latest album Sky Blue Sky
6. BBC Planet Earth
7. www.purlbee.com
8. the cannonball stuck in building above Wyler Gallery on Upper Exchange: original cannonball from Brit. Cap. Mowatt who bombed Portland around the time of the Revolution.
9. There is a tree on my way home at night whose twigs and ever-enlarging buds (it bloomed overnight!) cast a shadow down on the sidewalk from the streetlight above. It is so strange to see shadows at night, after 6 months of seeing this several nights a week, it still stops me.
10. I am joining a women's field hockey league!
spring springgity spring springitty spring spring spa-ring
The sun has shined and shined and shined for a straight week now. Short sleeves even! Tulips and daffydils bloomed overnight. Jon and I saw the greenest of snakes and a kestrel at Kettle Cove today. We also saw some fox doody and rubbed milkweed down on our faces. If you have forgotten how silky and soft milkweed down on your cheek is (because you are old and do not rub nature's things on your face anymore), I suggest you find a field tomorrow. Find that whitest of white things inside, and rub it on your cheek liberally. Then go home and ride your bike in cowboy boots and put on your baseball glove and throw the ball. Because spring is here.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
in the future
I was really in the mood today to come home and write some blogs. There has been such great material lately, which you will of course see in the near future: riot police all over Munjoy Hill, Battlestar Galactica, a cannonball stuck in a building on Exchange St., new antics from Mabel and Etienne, shoe shopping, cute nieces and nephews, and dressing to the nines for cheap sushi. However, I was swallowed by the Old Port today (the sun was shining nicely) and have no time left.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
wite out adds to the fun of my day
What can i say...it's a bloggy day.
So, I saved some wite-out for years, knowing that someday i would need it. That day was today. However, the tip got clogged, as one might imagine, and the plastic apparently became brittle. What do you get when you squeeze something with a clogged tip and a brittle case? That's right, wite-out all over your hands and in your hair and all in the wrong places on your job applications. (Luckily, though, not on my favorite Rogues Gallery t-shirt! Phwew!)
So, i looked online for ways to get it off, cause that shit's sticky. Here is a run-down of the suggestions:
1. Scrub with a green scrubby: My skin is too delicate. Didn't try.
2. Mineral or baby oil: In the days of sunscreen who the heck has this in their house?
3. Rubbing alcohol: didn't work.
4. Suncreen: I used the oldest, grossest bottle of Banana Boat in the house. You know that bottle, you buy better stuff cause you hate it but then you don't throw it away cause you hate to waste. Didn't work, my skin smells nasty.
5. Olive oil: no.
6. Nail polish remover: yes! Ouch! Stingy and stinky!
My hands are now crispy and wite-out free.
Moral: just cross a line through it and get on with your life.
So, I saved some wite-out for years, knowing that someday i would need it. That day was today. However, the tip got clogged, as one might imagine, and the plastic apparently became brittle. What do you get when you squeeze something with a clogged tip and a brittle case? That's right, wite-out all over your hands and in your hair and all in the wrong places on your job applications. (Luckily, though, not on my favorite Rogues Gallery t-shirt! Phwew!)
So, i looked online for ways to get it off, cause that shit's sticky. Here is a run-down of the suggestions:
1. Scrub with a green scrubby: My skin is too delicate. Didn't try.
2. Mineral or baby oil: In the days of sunscreen who the heck has this in their house?
3. Rubbing alcohol: didn't work.
4. Suncreen: I used the oldest, grossest bottle of Banana Boat in the house. You know that bottle, you buy better stuff cause you hate it but then you don't throw it away cause you hate to waste. Didn't work, my skin smells nasty.
5. Olive oil: no.
6. Nail polish remover: yes! Ouch! Stingy and stinky!
My hands are now crispy and wite-out free.
Moral: just cross a line through it and get on with your life.
bathroom reviews
The new Hilltop Coffee Shop has my favorite restaurant bathroom ever. I want to bring my coffee in there and hang out. This is very important. It sucks to go to a beautiful restaurant only to find that they have not paid any attention to the bathroom. It makes you wonder what else they don't pay attention to.
Best ever personal bathroom: Kristen Penny's mom's house for having the coolest vintage frog wallpaper ever. Cory Lockhart's parents' house (dad is artist Bob Lockhart) ties for having wallpaper of art-naked-lady paintings.
Best ever personal bathroom: Kristen Penny's mom's house for having the coolest vintage frog wallpaper ever. Cory Lockhart's parents' house (dad is artist Bob Lockhart) ties for having wallpaper of art-naked-lady paintings.
cupcakes, sewing, and non-normal moms
On Cupcakes
1. Cupcakes, when dropped, always land frosted-side down. I suppose it's because that size weighs more, so it falls faster. Or because of some karmic retribution for not sharing our cupcakes when we were kids.
2. Cupcakes are not usually my favorite thing. Cakes need to be so very moist to interest me at all. Cupcakes usually aren't. (Too much edge.) However, while it feels really strange to make a cake for no reason at all, cupcakes for no reason seem acceptable. Even though the recipe was the same.
3. Mocha chocolate vanilla marble with chocolate coconut frosting is not at all too many flavors.
On sewing:
I tried to get some friends to help me make a custom dressmakers' dummy (in exchange for some cupcakes?) and then help each other sew dresses. I was told that's what mothers are for. Sigh.
Some moms live far away. Sigh.
And also, there are those moms who don't make things, and yet are awesome in other ways. So, my mom never taught me how to make a dress. Did YOUR mom ride her bike in the Senior Olympics where she pantsed an 86 year old? I doubt it.
I did just finish taking in a skirt. Wanting to avoid the zipper issue, I only took in one side seam. I sorta forgot the butt seam. So now the butt seam is a little to the right. Or a lot. Well, it works OK.
1. Cupcakes, when dropped, always land frosted-side down. I suppose it's because that size weighs more, so it falls faster. Or because of some karmic retribution for not sharing our cupcakes when we were kids.
2. Cupcakes are not usually my favorite thing. Cakes need to be so very moist to interest me at all. Cupcakes usually aren't. (Too much edge.) However, while it feels really strange to make a cake for no reason at all, cupcakes for no reason seem acceptable. Even though the recipe was the same.
3. Mocha chocolate vanilla marble with chocolate coconut frosting is not at all too many flavors.
On sewing:
I tried to get some friends to help me make a custom dressmakers' dummy (in exchange for some cupcakes?) and then help each other sew dresses. I was told that's what mothers are for. Sigh.
Some moms live far away. Sigh.
And also, there are those moms who don't make things, and yet are awesome in other ways. So, my mom never taught me how to make a dress. Did YOUR mom ride her bike in the Senior Olympics where she pantsed an 86 year old? I doubt it.
I did just finish taking in a skirt. Wanting to avoid the zipper issue, I only took in one side seam. I sorta forgot the butt seam. So now the butt seam is a little to the right. Or a lot. Well, it works OK.
Friday, March 21, 2008
cutest job ever
I just accepted a very part time job as Assistant Site Manager of the Portland Observatory. I am very excited about it!
My first task of the day will be to climb to the top and raise the flags. Also, I get to chat with customers from all over the place waiting to take a tour. Which is a great job for me, as I enjoy talking. A lot.
My first task of the day will be to climb to the top and raise the flags. Also, I get to chat with customers from all over the place waiting to take a tour. Which is a great job for me, as I enjoy talking. A lot.
Mabel update
I also think Mabel is depressed. She just sits in the same corner of her tank every day looking very depressed. Either she is lonely or she overheard me saying she was losing her color, but it is making me very sad! Anyone know any good goldfish psychiatrists?
Friday, March 14, 2008
Mabel is really getting old!
Seriously, I know I have mentioned that my fish has lost her color, but compare these pictures!
From 2-3 years ago?
And this one from the past 6 months (posted earlier on my blog, courtesy of Maggie Carey. Weird!
I am beginning to wonder if someone switched her on my surreptitiously.
From 2-3 years ago?
And this one from the past 6 months (posted earlier on my blog, courtesy of Maggie Carey. Weird!
I am beginning to wonder if someone switched her on my surreptitiously.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
I'm feeling hateful
so here's what i hate:
-raw tomatoes
-Annie's Mac and cheese (it has never been creamy enough for me, sorry to all my earth saving friends, but i'm going back to the neon orange stuff)
-Miami airport
-non-dairy creamer
-people on airplanes who bathe in perfume
-that sound when people cough that sounds like they're dying, common in smokers, old men, and little children
-hangnails
-our government's lack of systems-thinking when it comes to education (resulting in a lack of funding)
-violent movies and tv shows
-long scary curvy fingernails
-people who can't use spell check in professional documents
-raw tomatoes
-Annie's Mac and cheese (it has never been creamy enough for me, sorry to all my earth saving friends, but i'm going back to the neon orange stuff)
-Miami airport
-non-dairy creamer
-people on airplanes who bathe in perfume
-that sound when people cough that sounds like they're dying, common in smokers, old men, and little children
-hangnails
-our government's lack of systems-thinking when it comes to education (resulting in a lack of funding)
-violent movies and tv shows
-long scary curvy fingernails
-people who can't use spell check in professional documents
oh the wind and rain
Back from the Virgin Islands. Will write more about vacation when I have recovered from the 13 hour journey and cleared my mind a bit. But, what I am wondering, is: why in the world would anyone want to live in this godforsaken state they call Maine? When I left, it was rainy. When i returned, it was rainy. It is supposed to snow. There are no jobs. Companies think $8.50 an hour is a good salary.
Argharghargharghargh.
Coming back from vacation is hard.
Argharghargharghargh.
Coming back from vacation is hard.
Friday, February 22, 2008
tropical passions!
I leave for St. John in 5 days! (Don't worry Jon, this isn't me, just another redhead. )
If I were that kind of girl, it would just make me the
I just came across the best website, www.bookscans.com. Some of you may know that I like to make artful collages and cards with old romance and sci-fi book covers. (see blog "Help Wanted" on Sept. 22 for pictures.) This website has a huge collection of scanned covers. If only I could search on things like "nurse" or "robot" it would be amazing. It's still pretty awesome, though. I particularly like the lesbian (gasp!) ones and the weird sci-fi romance ones. I wish I had scanned the ones I've cut up first. Here are some of my other favorites:
Three sexes!
I don't think this one is actually marketed to woman of any orientation...
This is cute and would be good for that dorky-cool boy in many of our lives.
And, lastly, the WHAT?!?!
Sometimes it's the illustrations (whether so sexist it's silly or so stylishly mod), sometimes, the titles, sometimes the text, but I can't get enough. This will save me some trips to the Salvation Army, though.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
"and I mean fair."
I couldn't let this one go by without a comment. I don't really have time to expound (don't worry, it will come...if you know me you know I can talk about Cuba for hours) but is George Bush really telling someone else that it is time they have fair elections?
Pot...kettle...eh, forget it.
Pot...kettle...eh, forget it.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Valentines
Here is what I love:
-the Valentine bandit
-splooshing, splashing, and jumping in slush puddles
-waterproof boots
-fabulous haircuts
-cute dogs
-how dark is is when I walk home at night along the water (so dark that I almost walked right into a skunk!)
-1980's REM and B-52's
-cookies
-My goldfish Mabel
-vintage valentines from my dad
-fantastic coffee
-rosemary
-smiles
-my cozy robe that Jon gave me for Christmas two years ago
-sunshine
-the Valentine bandit
-splooshing, splashing, and jumping in slush puddles
-waterproof boots
-fabulous haircuts
-cute dogs
-how dark is is when I walk home at night along the water (so dark that I almost walked right into a skunk!)
-1980's REM and B-52's
-cookies
-My goldfish Mabel
-vintage valentines from my dad
-fantastic coffee
-rosemary
-smiles
-my cozy robe that Jon gave me for Christmas two years ago
-sunshine
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Thank you Maine!
This weekend I felt very proud to be a Mainer. 43,000 people caucused on Sunday. That's only the Democrats and Greens. That number is almost one and a half times the previous record for caucus attendees, and it there were snowstorms to boot! Yes we can!
I am so fired up right now. Mainers spoke overwhelmingly in support of change. I even called one of my state representatives yesterday about the proposed changes to the education funding, then signed a petition to ask our Congressional Delegates to fund mass transit options instead of further widening of 295 (and forwarded it to all the Mainers I know--you can sign it at the League's website .)
I am so fired up right now. Mainers spoke overwhelmingly in support of change. I even called one of my state representatives yesterday about the proposed changes to the education funding, then signed a petition to ask our Congressional Delegates to fund mass transit options instead of further widening of 295 (and forwarded it to all the Mainers I know--you can sign it at the League's website .)
Friday, February 8, 2008
Monday, February 4, 2008
giving blood
I got started on my New Year's Resolution finally today!
I finally went to donate blood. It is ridiculous that I haven't done this since 9/11/2001. I have the kind of blood that anyone can use. I used to get those letters from the Red Cross saying they need my blood. I guess they gave up on me.
Anyway, I finally went and I have to say this time it kinda hurt and I was very weak and woozy afterward. But you know, someone who needs blood was probably hurt a lot worse. I love how nice nurses can be when you tell them you are nervous or scared, which I was kinda even though I have done it before. (I guess it had been so long.) The nurse had a pretty smile and she walked me through what she was doing, and even gave me a hand-warmer when I was cold. The volunteers were so nice, too. They really went out of their way to make me feel better, offering me a blanket, pizza, sandwich, chips, cake, bread, juice, cookies, and even a sourdough sweetbread starter!
The Red Cross seems like a great organization. Once I went to a first aid class at the American Heart Association building and I kid you not, this is what they had in their lunch room: red meat, fried chicken, french fries, and cake. I guess they need to keep themselves in business.
I finally went to donate blood. It is ridiculous that I haven't done this since 9/11/2001. I have the kind of blood that anyone can use. I used to get those letters from the Red Cross saying they need my blood. I guess they gave up on me.
Anyway, I finally went and I have to say this time it kinda hurt and I was very weak and woozy afterward. But you know, someone who needs blood was probably hurt a lot worse. I love how nice nurses can be when you tell them you are nervous or scared, which I was kinda even though I have done it before. (I guess it had been so long.) The nurse had a pretty smile and she walked me through what she was doing, and even gave me a hand-warmer when I was cold. The volunteers were so nice, too. They really went out of their way to make me feel better, offering me a blanket, pizza, sandwich, chips, cake, bread, juice, cookies, and even a sourdough sweetbread starter!
The Red Cross seems like a great organization. Once I went to a first aid class at the American Heart Association building and I kid you not, this is what they had in their lunch room: red meat, fried chicken, french fries, and cake. I guess they need to keep themselves in business.
little moments of love, part two
when the sky and the ocean are black and the ferry is all light up and I see it move steadily across the water, getting smaller and smaller the closer I get to home.
when I leave the house and Jon is still asleep. His world seems so still at that moment.
when the little kiddos in your life leave messages on your phone, like the following:
Mom: (to special kiddo) "Tell her you love her."
special kiddo: (to me into the phone) "I love her."
special kiddo: "I hope you have a sooper dooper burfday."
as much as I really dislike it when the alarm goes off at 6:30 on Saturday mornings, I do get to catch glimpses of the sunrise, and I know that few others are catching it. It kinda feels like my secret with the ocean.
the bus driver pointed out a rainbow to me. Rainbows have a way of making everyone stop and point them out. And making everyone smile.
jon saw a red-tailed hawk nab a pigeon at our neighbor's feeder the other day.
when I leave the house and Jon is still asleep. His world seems so still at that moment.
when the little kiddos in your life leave messages on your phone, like the following:
Mom: (to special kiddo) "Tell her you love her."
special kiddo: (to me into the phone) "I love her."
special kiddo: "I hope you have a sooper dooper burfday."
as much as I really dislike it when the alarm goes off at 6:30 on Saturday mornings, I do get to catch glimpses of the sunrise, and I know that few others are catching it. It kinda feels like my secret with the ocean.
the bus driver pointed out a rainbow to me. Rainbows have a way of making everyone stop and point them out. And making everyone smile.
jon saw a red-tailed hawk nab a pigeon at our neighbor's feeder the other day.
Sunday, February 3, 2008
the Mall
Remember those 80s movies where an non-human object comes to life and walks around cities all fascinated and confused? Like Mannequin or Splash? That about describes me at the mall today. I went to Macy's to try to score some samples of Chanel Coco Mademoiselle to take to Daisy when i go see her in St. John. No dice. I am also on a search for tights. I actually went into Hot Topic--rad--and the girl working there was really nice and extremely helpful. They did not have the tights I was hoping to find despite their large selection of "novelty tights" which include black and purple striped, hot pink, fishnet, etc. The girl recommended I buy some kids' tights.
So I went to Claire's. It is a very bright store. It made my eyes hurt. There were a lot of people in the mall. There was a woman trying to entice me into buying a swimming pool. There is a store where little boys go in and their brains get sucked out while they stare blankly, mass-muderer-y, at a screen playing some game where they blow up things for fun.
I can't believe I actually hung around the mall on purpose as a pre-teen.
I did get the most beautiful dress ever. I can't figure out where I am going to wear it, as it is kinda fancy. But it was on sale for $17.80 and it is from Nine West and it made me very happy.
So I went to Claire's. It is a very bright store. It made my eyes hurt. There were a lot of people in the mall. There was a woman trying to entice me into buying a swimming pool. There is a store where little boys go in and their brains get sucked out while they stare blankly, mass-muderer-y, at a screen playing some game where they blow up things for fun.
I can't believe I actually hung around the mall on purpose as a pre-teen.
I did get the most beautiful dress ever. I can't figure out where I am going to wear it, as it is kinda fancy. But it was on sale for $17.80 and it is from Nine West and it made me very happy.
Friday, January 25, 2008
politics as usual
I tend to write more about fluffy things like music and my favorite fashion, as opposed to politics, mostly because of my love-hate relationship with politics. I love politics. I find it fascinating. I could discuss politics for hours. I get very caught up in the debates when I actually sit down to watch them. I volunteered on campaigns and discovered the adrenaline rush of being in a campaign office in the last few nights before election. I fed on that collective energy, and felt the exaltation when we were successful. Then I won my own campaign, and I discovered the side of politics that I hate. I will not get into that. I am trying not to be too negative! (Besides, I think I really love to hate it, and that is just bad.)
Today, however, I read the New York Times endorsements and I am going to make some of my own comments. I need something to keep my brain from turning as mushy as the stuffing I use to make Thanksgiving sandwiches at my incredibly intellectually demanding job.
I will offer a disclaimer that I have not read a great deal about the candidates yet. I watched the New Hampshire Democratic Debates. (By the way, I can't stomach even the idea of watching a group of Republicans debate. Watching a group of people discuss the "appropriate" ways to reduce the freedom of Americans, one example being the ability of gays to marry--I'm sorry, what happened to separation of church and state?!? Who has the right to say who can get married and who can't!?!) The reason I have not followed this closely is that I can't vote in the primaries, as I am not a registered Democrat.
Yes, Virginia, there is a third party, and it's called the Green Party. I believe very strongly that this country needs a third party. Think about it: the candidates have to be centrist in order to achieve any success. Then we liberals all complain about the left moving too much to the right. But how can you win a primary and a national campaign without being centrist? Say you are a Democrat hoping to win the nomination. You have to say things that appeal to the Dems, i.e., liberal things; but, you cannot be too liberal, because once you get the nomination and then have to win Republican votes, you can't change your mind. Then you would be accused of Bush's favorite campaign term, "flip-flopping." (Thanks, George, for lifting the intellectual capacity of our nation.)
So we are left with two candidates sitting in the middle of a seesaw. The seesaw goes nowhere.
Anyway, as my dream of a viable third candidate for president is far from being fulfilled, I offer my thoughts on the candidates. First, I respect the New York Times' explanation of their endorsement of Hilary Clinton. I agree that she would do a fine job. Those people that like to call her a bitch need to learn that women can be just as strong as men. Do people refer to male candidates (other than Bush, Guliani, or Romney) as assholes because they speak strongly to each other? No, they roll their eyes and say, "politics as usual." So, Clinton is not going to roll over and let a man walk all over her: I think that's a prerequisite quality of a politician and commander in chief.
However, what worries me about Clinton is that she is more of the same. I just worry that her hands are too tied to corporations. Her husband got this country in a good place economically, I'll give him that, but he supported NAFTA and the FTAA, and I cannot deal with that. I know she is not her husband, but we can't separate any politician too much from their politician family members. If we are not going to do it for George and Jeb, we shouldn't do it for Hilary, feminist or not.
Maybe Barack Obama is more of the same as well. Let's face it, all the candidates have accepted campaign contributions from the same group of investment firms, most with some interesting ties to Enron and interest in privatizing social security, but I would like to believe Obama is more honest than the others. I agree with the New York Times that Clinton has more experience and that Obama might just be a hopeful voice without much to back it up, but right now, I'd like to go with hope. Call me youthful, call me idealistic, but I think this country needs some hope. When was the last time we had a presidential candidate that the country felt energized by and hopeful about? When was the last time this energy was created by someone not youthful and idealistic?
Don't you think it's time this country returned to idealism? Isn't that what our country was founded on?
Today, however, I read the New York Times endorsements and I am going to make some of my own comments. I need something to keep my brain from turning as mushy as the stuffing I use to make Thanksgiving sandwiches at my incredibly intellectually demanding job.
I will offer a disclaimer that I have not read a great deal about the candidates yet. I watched the New Hampshire Democratic Debates. (By the way, I can't stomach even the idea of watching a group of Republicans debate. Watching a group of people discuss the "appropriate" ways to reduce the freedom of Americans, one example being the ability of gays to marry--I'm sorry, what happened to separation of church and state?!? Who has the right to say who can get married and who can't!?!) The reason I have not followed this closely is that I can't vote in the primaries, as I am not a registered Democrat.
Yes, Virginia, there is a third party, and it's called the Green Party. I believe very strongly that this country needs a third party. Think about it: the candidates have to be centrist in order to achieve any success. Then we liberals all complain about the left moving too much to the right. But how can you win a primary and a national campaign without being centrist? Say you are a Democrat hoping to win the nomination. You have to say things that appeal to the Dems, i.e., liberal things; but, you cannot be too liberal, because once you get the nomination and then have to win Republican votes, you can't change your mind. Then you would be accused of Bush's favorite campaign term, "flip-flopping." (Thanks, George, for lifting the intellectual capacity of our nation.)
So we are left with two candidates sitting in the middle of a seesaw. The seesaw goes nowhere.
Anyway, as my dream of a viable third candidate for president is far from being fulfilled, I offer my thoughts on the candidates. First, I respect the New York Times' explanation of their endorsement of Hilary Clinton. I agree that she would do a fine job. Those people that like to call her a bitch need to learn that women can be just as strong as men. Do people refer to male candidates (other than Bush, Guliani, or Romney) as assholes because they speak strongly to each other? No, they roll their eyes and say, "politics as usual." So, Clinton is not going to roll over and let a man walk all over her: I think that's a prerequisite quality of a politician and commander in chief.
However, what worries me about Clinton is that she is more of the same. I just worry that her hands are too tied to corporations. Her husband got this country in a good place economically, I'll give him that, but he supported NAFTA and the FTAA, and I cannot deal with that. I know she is not her husband, but we can't separate any politician too much from their politician family members. If we are not going to do it for George and Jeb, we shouldn't do it for Hilary, feminist or not.
Maybe Barack Obama is more of the same as well. Let's face it, all the candidates have accepted campaign contributions from the same group of investment firms, most with some interesting ties to Enron and interest in privatizing social security, but I would like to believe Obama is more honest than the others. I agree with the New York Times that Clinton has more experience and that Obama might just be a hopeful voice without much to back it up, but right now, I'd like to go with hope. Call me youthful, call me idealistic, but I think this country needs some hope. When was the last time we had a presidential candidate that the country felt energized by and hopeful about? When was the last time this energy was created by someone not youthful and idealistic?
Don't you think it's time this country returned to idealism? Isn't that what our country was founded on?
Thursday, January 24, 2008
two things
1. There is still music I listen to after all these years. Pre-1992 REM, for example, is my all-time favorite music, and Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd is my favorite album of all time. But that's not all i ever want to listen to!
2. Speaking of going to the Caribbean, what in the heck do I wear when I am gonna board the plane in Boston (i.e. COLDCOLDCOLD) and get off in the tropics? Suggestions are welcome, I have never flown cross-climate zones in such a drastic way.
2. Speaking of going to the Caribbean, what in the heck do I wear when I am gonna board the plane in Boston (i.e. COLDCOLDCOLD) and get off in the tropics? Suggestions are welcome, I have never flown cross-climate zones in such a drastic way.
brief rant re: music
Why, oh why, are we forced to listen to "adult contemporary"?
I am an adult, yes.
One might even call me contemporary.
However, "Pocket Full of Kryptonite" was not that good of a song when it came out, so why is it still on the radio? And, can Natalie Merchant get over the weather already? And, come on, "Fast Car" was a great song when it came out in 1988, but in the past 20 years, some other really great music has come out as well. Not that I mind listening to it every once in a while--but that stuff is all they ever play on the non-country, non-oldies, non-top 40 radio stations! How about some Arcade Fire? Iron and Wine? Cat Power for cryin' out loud?
Now, if I still read the same books I read in 1988, people would assume I were really unintelligent, unintellectual, and unchallenged. If I still read YM Magazine everyone would laugh. But I am still supposed to listen to the same music that has been on the radio for the past 20 years?
I am happy to make a list of suggestions that I would think appropriate for the radio. But I have to go watch Saved By the Bell. I mean, that show rocked the 80s, right?
I am an adult, yes.
One might even call me contemporary.
However, "Pocket Full of Kryptonite" was not that good of a song when it came out, so why is it still on the radio? And, can Natalie Merchant get over the weather already? And, come on, "Fast Car" was a great song when it came out in 1988, but in the past 20 years, some other really great music has come out as well. Not that I mind listening to it every once in a while--but that stuff is all they ever play on the non-country, non-oldies, non-top 40 radio stations! How about some Arcade Fire? Iron and Wine? Cat Power for cryin' out loud?
Now, if I still read the same books I read in 1988, people would assume I were really unintelligent, unintellectual, and unchallenged. If I still read YM Magazine everyone would laugh. But I am still supposed to listen to the same music that has been on the radio for the past 20 years?
I am happy to make a list of suggestions that I would think appropriate for the radio. But I have to go watch Saved By the Bell. I mean, that show rocked the 80s, right?
A little fairy tale
I have always been rich, but have never been wealthy. If I were wealthy, of course i'd donate lots of money and travel the world and yada yada yada.
But, having been not wealthy most of my life, i would think it would be OK to treat myself to a couple of things. Like season tickets to UL men's basketball. Dinner at Fore Street. Anarchy wine on a regular basis. And the following things from J Crew. (Who knew?)
I can't decide whether i like the red or the teal better. Not that it matters. The teal matches this cute necklace that I can't afford either:
And not that I need a new bathing suit, but of course I want a new one since I am heading to the bright blue waters of the Virgin Islands soon:
I think that this is cute as it has little sea critters on it. I could point to my parts and say, "This is an echinoderm. It is called that because it has spiny skin. All echinoderms have pentaradial symmetry, meaning 5 equal parts coming from the middle, like a star. This is a crustacean. Animals in the crustacean family have jointed appendages, like shrimp and crabs and lobsters, which I eat for dinner regularly as I am so wealthy" And then people would realize that even though I have lots of money, I am still a big, big dorkus melorkus.
But, having been not wealthy most of my life, i would think it would be OK to treat myself to a couple of things. Like season tickets to UL men's basketball. Dinner at Fore Street. Anarchy wine on a regular basis. And the following things from J Crew. (Who knew?)
I can't decide whether i like the red or the teal better. Not that it matters. The teal matches this cute necklace that I can't afford either:
And not that I need a new bathing suit, but of course I want a new one since I am heading to the bright blue waters of the Virgin Islands soon:
I think that this is cute as it has little sea critters on it. I could point to my parts and say, "This is an echinoderm. It is called that because it has spiny skin. All echinoderms have pentaradial symmetry, meaning 5 equal parts coming from the middle, like a star. This is a crustacean. Animals in the crustacean family have jointed appendages, like shrimp and crabs and lobsters, which I eat for dinner regularly as I am so wealthy" And then people would realize that even though I have lots of money, I am still a big, big dorkus melorkus.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
update
on the coat vote. I pulled out my old coat to wear to Mandy Sabine's New Year's Eve party. I decided it was not so bad after all, in fact, it's kind of fun. Plus, just bought a ticket to the Caribbean. So, I think i will save my money for things like fruity rum drinks and cab fares. Besides, who needs a coat in the Caribbean?
Monday, January 7, 2008
best names ever
I really love cemeteries. In addition to the quirky or charming epitaphs, lovely statues, peacfulness, trees, and birds, you can see some really cool names. Like Mehetable Coolbroth, (West End Cemetary in Portland,) Fitzhugh McGrew (Evergreen Cemetary, Portland), and Hester Sylvester (Upper Mast Landing Rd, Freeport.) I also just learned that Lassie's trainer's name was Rudd Weatherwax.
Friday, January 4, 2008
Love/Hate
I love basketball. And Love and Basketball.
I hate Franklin Arterial, especially in snow.
I love Hershey the Dog.
I hate shopping in the Mall area (because you have to listen the Sarah McLaughlin or the band that won the key to the City of Portland about 8 years ago.)
I love Matt's Bird Dog Coffee, which is available at Rosemont.
I hate wearing pants.
I love the foccacia at Micucci's.
I hate raw tomatoes.
I love Champagne.
I hate Franklin Arterial, especially in snow.
I love Hershey the Dog.
I hate shopping in the Mall area (because you have to listen the Sarah McLaughlin or the band that won the key to the City of Portland about 8 years ago.)
I love Matt's Bird Dog Coffee, which is available at Rosemont.
I hate wearing pants.
I love the foccacia at Micucci's.
I hate raw tomatoes.
I love Champagne.
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
2008
I think New Year's Eve is my favorite holiday. Here's why:
1. A great excuse to dress up and wear sparkles.
2. A great excuse to kiss people.
3. A great excuse to drink champagne.
But what is silly, is that we shouldn't need an excuse to do any of those things. I discovered a great Prosecco last night, Sacchetto. It was $12.99 at Fat Baxter's, and is nice and sweet and very drinkable. Meaning I could very easily drink a lot of it. So, it went quickly.
Other reasons to love New Year's:
it's a great time to reflect on accomplishments (NOT failures!) and look forward to a fresh new start.
So, my New Year's Resolutions:
-give blood 3 times. I know it could be more, but that is a very accomplishable number. I always forget to donate blood and haven't done it in ages, and my blood type is the one that is universal.
-visit people far away more often.
-draw something once a week. I used to be very into art and when you get out of practice, i becomes very daunting. I am also very hard on myself if things are not perfect and it becomes crippling. So, I would like to become more fluid and use drawing as a way of recording.
-play music with Jon more instead of watching dumb movies. We sound so good together! It just takes a little more work.
What are your resolutions?
1. A great excuse to dress up and wear sparkles.
2. A great excuse to kiss people.
3. A great excuse to drink champagne.
But what is silly, is that we shouldn't need an excuse to do any of those things. I discovered a great Prosecco last night, Sacchetto. It was $12.99 at Fat Baxter's, and is nice and sweet and very drinkable. Meaning I could very easily drink a lot of it. So, it went quickly.
Other reasons to love New Year's:
it's a great time to reflect on accomplishments (NOT failures!) and look forward to a fresh new start.
So, my New Year's Resolutions:
-give blood 3 times. I know it could be more, but that is a very accomplishable number. I always forget to donate blood and haven't done it in ages, and my blood type is the one that is universal.
-visit people far away more often.
-draw something once a week. I used to be very into art and when you get out of practice, i becomes very daunting. I am also very hard on myself if things are not perfect and it becomes crippling. So, I would like to become more fluid and use drawing as a way of recording.
-play music with Jon more instead of watching dumb movies. We sound so good together! It just takes a little more work.
What are your resolutions?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
