It's funny how little things make me feel so successful sometimes. And looking back, I'm noticing a pattern. Post offices and buses. (See post 6 Oct 2005 - Chile)
See, today I took used the city bus system for the first time here in Costa Rica. Until now I've been walking most everywhere, with an occasional cab ride. I had no real need to take the bus, I just huffed and puffed my way around telling myself, "Hey, suck it up. It's good for you" while that irritating little voice in the back of my head whispered You actually are too scared to try to take the bus. You are afraid you'll do it wrong and get lost. You're chicken.
Today, there was no avoiding the bus. I had to get from Hatillo #1 to Universidad Santa Paula and the only logical way was by bus. Today was the day. With the help of Xiomara, a mother of a beautiful 5 year old with an implant, I hopped 3 buses and ended up right where I needed to be. And with the help a USP student and a Tica named Lidia, I made it back home safely ... on the bus!
And you see, this weekend I took a 5 hour bus ride to Puerto Viejo, a gorgeous beach town on the Caribbean, and I didn't get lost, robbed, molested ... only a little cold because I didn't bring a jacket.
And last week, I found the post office. I sent 2 letters and I opened my very own Post Office Box here in Escazú. And I bought an envelope.
I know this all seems trivial, but for me, these small things mean big success. They mean I am learning how to live independently in Costa Rica. And the funniest thing is, living independently here has meant asking and asking and asking for help. Swallowing my big fat pride, telling myself that asking for help doesn't mean I'm a failure and meeting the nicest Costa Rican person who is willing to get off the bus early just to make sure I catch the next one I need. Megyn, you would be so proud. I'm getting bold in asking for help. Is this the bus stop for Manzanillo? Where can I buy an envelope? (You'd be surprised ... it sure isn't the post office) Can I throw my toilet paper in the trash can?
You might never know if you don't ask. And you might do it wrong or take the long way forever, when you could just ask and learn to do it right from the start. This is quite a new concept for me. But asking isn't so bad.
And who would've thought I could learn all this from a PO box and a bus ride.
My address/PO box here:
Mamie Knight
Apartado Postal 1614-1250
Escazú, San Jose, Costa Rica
I'll post pictures of Puerto Viejo/Manzanillo later ... awesome!
26 May 2008
15 May 2008
Bienvenidos a Costa Rica
I would like to issue a warning at the beginning of this blog: If you thought I took excessive amounts of pictures before, prepare to have your mind blown. You have no idea what I'm capable of.
By the time the wheels hit the San Jose runway, I was no longer nervous or scared, just tired and hungry and really ready for a bed. The plane food was surprisingly good (it included black beans so I was satisfied) but they are a little stingy on the portions and I was about 3 hours past that meal. I followed the line of people gushing from our plane down the carpeted corridor of San Jose's airport. I spotted the silhouette of a proper lady in a dress and ducked into the bathroom. For the first time in a really long time, I had to flush a public toilet myself. Is that sad or what? I am so accustomed to those little sensor flusher things that when I stood up, I was very confused as to why the toilet did not start flushing. Same with washing my hands ... I physically had to touch something to get soap, water and paper towels. And I'm not saying that's a bad thing ... just a thing that says a lot about our American lives.
To make a long night into a short story, I made it easily through immigration, baggage claim, money changing and customs, hopped an orange airport taxi and landed at Adventure Inn 200 meters east of the main gates of Los Arcos (that's how addresses and directions go here).
I'm currently sitting on one of the double beds in my room, happy as a pig in mud.
My beds in Adventure Inn.
My hotel dresser/TV , which I did not take advantage of.
The rest of the room, complete with a coffee maker, which I also did not take advantage of.
This morning I rolled over at 6:15 am wide awake. Blast that time difference.
Proof of my early rise.
So I took a shower in my very lovely tile shower, which I am pleased to say has functioning hot water. Not warm water, but real hot water. I learned in Chile that my definition of warm and hot are not the same as some south-of-the-border definitions. But, alas, Adventure Inn and I use the same dictionary. I have so kindly documented all of this, especially the (pardon my French) bode. Those hold great fascination for me, although I rarely try them out. I can wash my own poto in the shower.
The toilet and butt washer
The shower ... aaahhh hot water on tile!
The receptionist who refused to speak Spanish to me, even if I did to her, had given me a breakfast ticket so about 7:30 I walked to the MoonGlow Café and Bar to have my first meal. The menu boasted a choice of pancakes, omelets, eggs over potatoes with fresh fruit, toast and a choice of rice and beans (gallo pinto it’s called here) and something else that was not worth remembering after I saw rice and beans. I elected to have the veggie omelet with gallo pinto and fruta. I snagged a glass and poured some pink juice, which looked much prettier then the foggy yellow juice. Sitting alone with my Pat Conroy book while I waited for my food, I decided the pink juice was not the best choice, and since I don’t really drink all that much juice at home, I opted for a glass of water with no ice in true latin style. I heard the tapwater was safe to drink and I was thirsty enough to take my chances.
Breakfast arrived fast and hot, the gallo pinto looking like something out of a food dream of mine. The omelet was packed with broccoli, cauliflower, onions, and mushrooms. And the fruit – I didn’t know what half of it was. Some pineapple and orange, a slice of starfruit, a fleshy pink fruit which tasted suspiciously like my juice and a little slice of something that I have yet to discover the name of, but that has to be somehow related to a lime.
I wasn’t expected at my host home until around 12 or 1, so I decided to take a walk to find an ATM so I could pay my cab fare. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was in a section of San Jose called Heredia and the houses on my walk were gorgeous and huge.
I loved this house ... the picture doesn´t do it justice but it is the perfect way to mix the big white columns and the spanish style home. (Thomas this is the one I was telling you about) and if you can see there´s this great outside porch where the columns are.
Another beautiful house on the walk with gorgeous plants sprouting everywhere.
Only having to stop for directions one time after getting them from the desk guy at the Adventure Inn, I arrived at the AM/PM supermercado complete with an ATM willing to give me dollars or colones. Let me pause a second to explain about directions here. As far as I can tell there are really no “addresses” really, more landmarks. For example, my hotel is 200 meters to the east of the main gates of Los Arcos. Ok who seriously knows how long a meter is? And where east is? My directions to the supermercado sounded something like this:
Desk guy: “Ok do you know where Country Inn is?”
Me: “No”
Desk guy: “Well you go out here to the right and you’ll see a little lake and a bridge and you’ll go toward the right and then you’ll see the bridge and the highway and you’ll go left for about 100 meters and there will be this little road on the left. The Country Inn is there and you’ll see the AM/PM.”
Me to myself: I will never remember all that. To him: “Thank you.”
Ducks by the lake
Thank goodness Thomas gave me a compass before I left … now if only I had a ruler… Needless to say, I have been and will continue to be getting lost a lot. And it was smoking hot already at 9:30. I had to break down and use the air conditioner in the room ... but only for a few minutes. Gotta live like a Tica.
The AC under the window.
See it was off most of the time ... but when it was on it really worked well.
By the time the wheels hit the San Jose runway, I was no longer nervous or scared, just tired and hungry and really ready for a bed. The plane food was surprisingly good (it included black beans so I was satisfied) but they are a little stingy on the portions and I was about 3 hours past that meal. I followed the line of people gushing from our plane down the carpeted corridor of San Jose's airport. I spotted the silhouette of a proper lady in a dress and ducked into the bathroom. For the first time in a really long time, I had to flush a public toilet myself. Is that sad or what? I am so accustomed to those little sensor flusher things that when I stood up, I was very confused as to why the toilet did not start flushing. Same with washing my hands ... I physically had to touch something to get soap, water and paper towels. And I'm not saying that's a bad thing ... just a thing that says a lot about our American lives.
To make a long night into a short story, I made it easily through immigration, baggage claim, money changing and customs, hopped an orange airport taxi and landed at Adventure Inn 200 meters east of the main gates of Los Arcos (that's how addresses and directions go here).
I'm currently sitting on one of the double beds in my room, happy as a pig in mud.
My beds in Adventure Inn.
My hotel dresser/TV , which I did not take advantage of.
The rest of the room, complete with a coffee maker, which I also did not take advantage of.This morning I rolled over at 6:15 am wide awake. Blast that time difference.
Proof of my early rise.So I took a shower in my very lovely tile shower, which I am pleased to say has functioning hot water. Not warm water, but real hot water. I learned in Chile that my definition of warm and hot are not the same as some south-of-the-border definitions. But, alas, Adventure Inn and I use the same dictionary. I have so kindly documented all of this, especially the (pardon my French) bode. Those hold great fascination for me, although I rarely try them out. I can wash my own poto in the shower.
The toilet and butt washer
The shower ... aaahhh hot water on tile!The receptionist who refused to speak Spanish to me, even if I did to her, had given me a breakfast ticket so about 7:30 I walked to the MoonGlow Café and Bar to have my first meal. The menu boasted a choice of pancakes, omelets, eggs over potatoes with fresh fruit, toast and a choice of rice and beans (gallo pinto it’s called here) and something else that was not worth remembering after I saw rice and beans. I elected to have the veggie omelet with gallo pinto and fruta. I snagged a glass and poured some pink juice, which looked much prettier then the foggy yellow juice. Sitting alone with my Pat Conroy book while I waited for my food, I decided the pink juice was not the best choice, and since I don’t really drink all that much juice at home, I opted for a glass of water with no ice in true latin style. I heard the tapwater was safe to drink and I was thirsty enough to take my chances.
Breakfast arrived fast and hot, the gallo pinto looking like something out of a food dream of mine. The omelet was packed with broccoli, cauliflower, onions, and mushrooms. And the fruit – I didn’t know what half of it was. Some pineapple and orange, a slice of starfruit, a fleshy pink fruit which tasted suspiciously like my juice and a little slice of something that I have yet to discover the name of, but that has to be somehow related to a lime.
I wasn’t expected at my host home until around 12 or 1, so I decided to take a walk to find an ATM so I could pay my cab fare. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was in a section of San Jose called Heredia and the houses on my walk were gorgeous and huge.
I loved this house ... the picture doesn´t do it justice but it is the perfect way to mix the big white columns and the spanish style home. (Thomas this is the one I was telling you about) and if you can see there´s this great outside porch where the columns are.
Another beautiful house on the walk with gorgeous plants sprouting everywhere. Only having to stop for directions one time after getting them from the desk guy at the Adventure Inn, I arrived at the AM/PM supermercado complete with an ATM willing to give me dollars or colones. Let me pause a second to explain about directions here. As far as I can tell there are really no “addresses” really, more landmarks. For example, my hotel is 200 meters to the east of the main gates of Los Arcos. Ok who seriously knows how long a meter is? And where east is? My directions to the supermercado sounded something like this:
Desk guy: “Ok do you know where Country Inn is?”
Me: “No”
Desk guy: “Well you go out here to the right and you’ll see a little lake and a bridge and you’ll go toward the right and then you’ll see the bridge and the highway and you’ll go left for about 100 meters and there will be this little road on the left. The Country Inn is there and you’ll see the AM/PM.”
Me to myself: I will never remember all that. To him: “Thank you.”
Ducks by the lakeThank goodness Thomas gave me a compass before I left … now if only I had a ruler… Needless to say, I have been and will continue to be getting lost a lot. And it was smoking hot already at 9:30. I had to break down and use the air conditioner in the room ... but only for a few minutes. Gotta live like a Tica.
The AC under the window.
See it was off most of the time ... but when it was on it really worked well.
03 March 2008
Procrastination is my first Priority
Today at work I am proofreading faxes. This is what that means.
I grab a blue folder full of English and/or Spanish faxes for the Department of Social Services. Today I was proofreading faxes from Friday. I open the virtual Friday folder on the computer. I choose a fax. I find it in the list of faxes on the computer. I open it. I turn to the first page of the paper fax. I read the first few lines on paper, then on the computer screen. One is in English, the other in Spanish. I make sure it's right. Sometimes I consult the dictionary. It's pretty straightforward because most faxes are just fill-in-the-blank templates, so mostly I only have to check what's been filled in ... names, numbers, lists of forms still needed, etc. So as you might imagine, it can get a little monotonous. Every once in a while I get a particularly hard one or even a sort of funny one ... usually when people write letters this happens.
Today I grabbed the next fax in the pile. A Request for Social Security Number form. Basic. Like 3 blanks to check. I get to the last blank. This is what I see.
A social security number is still needed for the following person: Jesus.
Haha. I'd like to get my hands on his social security number too.
I think it is so entertaining how many Spanish names revolve around Mary (María), Joseph (José) and Jesus (Jesús). It makes my job much more fun.
I finished proofreading all the faxes waiting in all the folders. I had time to fill until my contracted work hours for the day were over. I made a to do list. That took about 10 minutes.
On the list:
1. Study for tonight's AVT midterm
2. Write a therapy note
3. Study for tonight's AVT midterm
4. Write a lesson plan for tomorrow's therapy
5. Study for tonight's AVT midterm
6. Call GA's License board for info
7. Study for tonight's AVT midterm
8. Call Costa Rica to get address for internship site
9. Study for tonight's AVT midterm
10. Start AVT project
11. Study for tonight's AVT midterm
12. Fill out graduation application
13. Study for tonight's AVT midterm
Looking over the list, I weighed my priorities. Then I texted Thomas, Dad and Giovanna. Not on the list, but very important ... relationship building and maintaining is a definite priority of mine. Then I checked my email and facebook accounts ... being well informed and up-to-date is another priority of mine. Then, since I was already online, I decided to fill out my graduation application ... graduating is definite priority of mine. Finally, I decided to get down to business and get on the phone with Kinder Papillón in Costa Rica. I found the number, got out my Kroger calling car and dialed away.
Beep. (Other countries phones don't make a ring sound in your ear, just a beep)
Beep. Beep.
About 8 beeps later I was beginning to think the personnel of Kinder Papillón did not prioritize answering their phone, when a lady came on.
Lady: Kinder Papillón. Buenos días (Kinder Papillón, good morning)
Me: Umm yes ma'am good morning. what is the address of your school?
Lady: Ok it is in Escazu (Escazu is sort of like a sect or neighborhood of San Jose) and blah blah blah Shell blah.
Me: What?
Lady: In Escazu, by the Shell station ... you know a gas station .. the one that burned down. It's in the 800-900 block on the left hand side.
Me: (Did she really just say the address had something to do with a Shell station??) Oh gracias.
Lady: De nada
We hung up. And I still have no idea how I'm going to get to my internship site. Oh well at least I know about the burnt Shell station ... I'll just wander around until I find that. Megyn, if you're reading this, I'm thinking of you and Chile. How did we ever survive? You can see a map of San Jose below. Escazu is in the lower left corner ... do you see a burnt shell station?? Yeah, me either.
P.S. I did end up doing some studying for my midterm ... after I tried to write a therapy note and realized I didn't have what I needed and then stopped, looked up apartments in Costa Rica, emailed a few people, joined a Yahoo!Group about Costa Rica, used the bathroom twice, tried to look up a map of Escazu and called the GA license board and talked to a very disgruntled lady.
P.P.S. I just finished taking my midterm. I thought it was going to kill me before I went in there ... it ended up not being so bad. But I'll know for sure next week I guess.
I grab a blue folder full of English and/or Spanish faxes for the Department of Social Services. Today I was proofreading faxes from Friday. I open the virtual Friday folder on the computer. I choose a fax. I find it in the list of faxes on the computer. I open it. I turn to the first page of the paper fax. I read the first few lines on paper, then on the computer screen. One is in English, the other in Spanish. I make sure it's right. Sometimes I consult the dictionary. It's pretty straightforward because most faxes are just fill-in-the-blank templates, so mostly I only have to check what's been filled in ... names, numbers, lists of forms still needed, etc. So as you might imagine, it can get a little monotonous. Every once in a while I get a particularly hard one or even a sort of funny one ... usually when people write letters this happens.
Today I grabbed the next fax in the pile. A Request for Social Security Number form. Basic. Like 3 blanks to check. I get to the last blank. This is what I see.
A social security number is still needed for the following person: Jesus.
Haha. I'd like to get my hands on his social security number too.
I think it is so entertaining how many Spanish names revolve around Mary (María), Joseph (José) and Jesus (Jesús). It makes my job much more fun.
I finished proofreading all the faxes waiting in all the folders. I had time to fill until my contracted work hours for the day were over. I made a to do list. That took about 10 minutes.
On the list:
1. Study for tonight's AVT midterm
2. Write a therapy note
3. Study for tonight's AVT midterm
4. Write a lesson plan for tomorrow's therapy
5. Study for tonight's AVT midterm
6. Call GA's License board for info
7. Study for tonight's AVT midterm
8. Call Costa Rica to get address for internship site
9. Study for tonight's AVT midterm
10. Start AVT project
11. Study for tonight's AVT midterm
12. Fill out graduation application
13. Study for tonight's AVT midterm
Looking over the list, I weighed my priorities. Then I texted Thomas, Dad and Giovanna. Not on the list, but very important ... relationship building and maintaining is a definite priority of mine. Then I checked my email and facebook accounts ... being well informed and up-to-date is another priority of mine. Then, since I was already online, I decided to fill out my graduation application ... graduating is definite priority of mine. Finally, I decided to get down to business and get on the phone with Kinder Papillón in Costa Rica. I found the number, got out my Kroger calling car and dialed away.
Beep. (Other countries phones don't make a ring sound in your ear, just a beep)
Beep. Beep.
About 8 beeps later I was beginning to think the personnel of Kinder Papillón did not prioritize answering their phone, when a lady came on.
Lady: Kinder Papillón. Buenos días (Kinder Papillón, good morning)
Me: Umm yes ma'am good morning. what is the address of your school?
Lady: Ok it is in Escazu (Escazu is sort of like a sect or neighborhood of San Jose) and blah blah blah Shell blah.
Me: What?
Lady: In Escazu, by the Shell station ... you know a gas station .. the one that burned down. It's in the 800-900 block on the left hand side.
Me: (Did she really just say the address had something to do with a Shell station??) Oh gracias.
Lady: De nada
We hung up. And I still have no idea how I'm going to get to my internship site. Oh well at least I know about the burnt Shell station ... I'll just wander around until I find that. Megyn, if you're reading this, I'm thinking of you and Chile. How did we ever survive? You can see a map of San Jose below. Escazu is in the lower left corner ... do you see a burnt shell station?? Yeah, me either.
P.S. I did end up doing some studying for my midterm ... after I tried to write a therapy note and realized I didn't have what I needed and then stopped, looked up apartments in Costa Rica, emailed a few people, joined a Yahoo!Group about Costa Rica, used the bathroom twice, tried to look up a map of Escazu and called the GA license board and talked to a very disgruntled lady.
P.P.S. I just finished taking my midterm. I thought it was going to kill me before I went in there ... it ended up not being so bad. But I'll know for sure next week I guess.
12 February 2008
The Big Day of Love
So that favorite February holiday is fast approaching. This Día de San Valentín will be mildly distinct due to the fact that I apparently have a "Valentine" on Valentine's Day for the first time since ... oh... about 10th grade. I'm pretty glad about it and bought lots of cheesy items like lacy doilies and pink tissue paper and sparkly heart shaped confetti. But no worries, I haven't gone completely soft yet. I'm still celebrating The Big Day by babysitting and then probably meeting my fellow classmates out to enjoy their company. Singles Awareness Day is not dead yet, nor will it ever be ... continue to thrive satisfied single people!!
I don't think Thomas is a huge fan of Valentine's Day either so it will be interesting to see how we mesh our Valentine's Day theories ... I'm actually still not sure he knows it's coming hahaha!
Mainly I am concerned about the state of Valentine's Day this year. I will tell you why. I have not heard Martina McBride's extremely outlandishly deathly cheesy song "Valentine" one single time on the radio yet! This, my friends, is alarming! And to be honest, I haven't really heard that many cheesy love songs - apart from the ones that are just popular right now and get played over and over. Truly this has dampened my Valentine spirit.
I have searched for an mp3 track to load to the ol' blog of Outkast's "Happy Valentine's Day" which I think should start being that song that gets overplayed around Valentine's Day but to no avail so you should just look it up yourself because it's pretty entertaining.
I don't think Thomas is a huge fan of Valentine's Day either so it will be interesting to see how we mesh our Valentine's Day theories ... I'm actually still not sure he knows it's coming hahaha!
Mainly I am concerned about the state of Valentine's Day this year. I will tell you why. I have not heard Martina McBride's extremely outlandishly deathly cheesy song "Valentine" one single time on the radio yet! This, my friends, is alarming! And to be honest, I haven't really heard that many cheesy love songs - apart from the ones that are just popular right now and get played over and over. Truly this has dampened my Valentine spirit.
I have searched for an mp3 track to load to the ol' blog of Outkast's "Happy Valentine's Day" which I think should start being that song that gets overplayed around Valentine's Day but to no avail so you should just look it up yourself because it's pretty entertaining.
05 February 2008
Mi batería
Probably you've read or heard about Orlando and Cecilia my neighbors and their adorable son Gabriel. Well, now you can see how cute he is for yourself. He got a new drumset (which I learned the word for in Spanish - batería) for Christmas. Now you will know why I am always talk about his insane cuteness. I mean really.
Gabrielito y su batería nueva - Gabriel and his new drumset!!
False start ... cute laugh.
What a rockstar. Check out his final bow.
Also I just got news that I have a placement for my internship this summer in Costa Rica working in a kindergarten for deaf children. yyyyyyyyyyyyyiiiiiiiiiiiiippppppppppppppppppppeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! My ticket has officially been purchased as of yesterday so there's no turning back now ... not that I was planning on turning back ... but I should remind my professors of that.
Gabrielito y su batería nueva - Gabriel and his new drumset!!
False start ... cute laugh.
What a rockstar. Check out his final bow.
Also I just got news that I have a placement for my internship this summer in Costa Rica working in a kindergarten for deaf children. yyyyyyyyyyyyyiiiiiiiiiiiiippppppppppppppppppppeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! My ticket has officially been purchased as of yesterday so there's no turning back now ... not that I was planning on turning back ... but I should remind my professors of that.
23 January 2008
For the world's information
Dear World,
This is my last semester of graduate school. Does that make me happy? Why, yes, it does.
Will I miss all my fellow classmates when I'm done? Why, yes, very much so. Very very much so.
Will I miss my classes and studying at night? Why, no. No I will not.
Thanks for asking.
Love,
Mamie
This is my last semester of graduate school. Does that make me happy? Why, yes, it does.
Will I miss all my fellow classmates when I'm done? Why, yes, very much so. Very very much so.
Will I miss my classes and studying at night? Why, no. No I will not.
Thanks for asking.
Love,
Mamie
30 December 2007
The Grand 3rd Annual Book List
"If you have never said "Excuse me" to a parking meter or bashed your shins on a fireplug, you are probably wasting too much valuable reading time." Sherri Chasin Calvo
This is so true!! I really like to go walking around campus during spring and summer and take a paperback to read while I walk. But you do get some funny looks and, yes, on occasion, I have had some near misses with random roads signs and/or other walkers. Here is a list of things I filled my valuable reading time with this year.
1.) "Real luxury is time and opportunity to read for pleasure.” Jane Brody
2.) "You know you've read a good book when you turn the last page and feel a little as if you have lost a friend." Paul Sweeney
3. “When something can be read without effort, great effort has gone into its writing.” Enrique Jardiel Poncela
4.) "Beware of the man of one book." Thomas Aquinas
5.) "Reading is a basic tool in the living of a good life." Mortimer J. Adler
6.) “Reading is a means of thinking with another person's mind; it forces you to stretch your own.” Charles Scriber, Jr.
7.) "Never judge a book by its movie." J.W. Eagan
8.) "My test of a good novel is dreading to begin the last chapter." Thomas Helm
9.) “A wonderful thing about a book, in contrast to a computer screen, is that you can take it to bed with you.” Daniel J. Boorstin
10.) "To feel most beautifully alive means to be reading something beautiful, ready always to apprehend in the flow of language the sudden flash of poetry." Gaston Bachelard
11.) “Always read something that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.” P. J. O'Rourke
Checked out but never read (I have a bad habit of checking out more books than I can read at one time):
Once Upon a Quinceañera: Coming of Age in the USA by Julia Alvarez - I heard about this on NPR and thought it sounded really interesting. It's about the quinceañera tradition and how it is being done here in the US and it's impact on hispanic women/girls. Sadly I ran out of time and was only able to finish a few pages before the library starting charging me.
Knots by Nuruddin Farah - I heard that "this book does for Somalia what the Kite Runner did for Afghanistan." That made me want to read it. I still do, I just need to check it out again.
Divisadero by Michael Ondaatje - same guy who wrote the English Patient ... I did actually start this one, but again the library fines and school work caught up with me. Plus it was kind of slow.
To Read:
any of the aforementioned (love that word) "Checked out but not read" books
any unread Pat Conroy book (Lords of Discipline, Beach Music, his cookbook, My Losing Season, Prince of Tides ... so basically most of them)
The Deep End of the Ocean by Jacquelyn Mitchard
The Road by Cormac McCarthy - I got this and the previous books from Santa so I they're on my list because Santa usually has good taste.
Anything you might suggest to me that is good!
And two last quotes on books and reading:
Books can be dangerous. The best ones should be labeled "This could change your life." Helen Exley
Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested: that is, some books are to be read only in parts, others to be read, but not curiously, and some few to be read wholly, and with diligence and attention.
Francis Bacon
This is so true!! I really like to go walking around campus during spring and summer and take a paperback to read while I walk. But you do get some funny looks and, yes, on occasion, I have had some near misses with random roads signs and/or other walkers. Here is a list of things I filled my valuable reading time with this year.
1.) "Real luxury is time and opportunity to read for pleasure.” Jane Brody
The Mermaid Chair by Sue Kidd Monk
The Last Summer of Me and You by Anne Brashares
Both of these books I read very quickly. They were smooth reads and entertained me a lot. Good old messed-up-and-needs-to-be-fixed love stories
2.) "You know you've read a good book when you turn the last page and feel a little as if you have lost a friend." Paul Sweeney
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
So call me a loser if you will, but I really did have to mourn the end of the Harry Potter series. I've looked forward to every single book, and even though I loved the last book, I almost didn't want to finish it because I knew there wouldn't be anymore new ones once I stopped.
3. “When something can be read without effort, great effort has gone into its writing.” Enrique Jardiel Poncela
The Water is Wide by Pat Conroy
Pat Conroy is just an amazing author and this book definitely makes a person want to make a difference ... and maybe be a little rebellious. Oh and it makes you laugh.
4.) "Beware of the man of one book." Thomas Aquinas
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
But if he's only going to have one book, this one is a great choice. By the same author of The Kite Runner, this book continued to open my eyes to life in the middle east and made me very thankful for me life here. It is a must-read for sure.
5.) "Reading is a basic tool in the living of a good life." Mortimer J. Adler
Through Painted Deserts by Donald Miller
Ol' Don lives on my annual booklists - he always gives a funny and honest account of his spiritual ponderings. This particular book made me want to take a road trip out west so badly I still haven't gotten over it, which is scaring some people I know.
6.) “Reading is a means of thinking with another person's mind; it forces you to stretch your own.” Charles Scriber, Jr.
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby
Jean-Dominique Bauby was the editor-in-chief of Elle magazine in Paris, France (which basically means he was a big shot there ... French people are all about fashion magazines). At age 43 he had a brain-stem stroke, which left him with "locked-in syndrome," meaning his mind was functioning perfectly but his body was basically like a vegetable, to put it not very eloquently. His only means of communication is by blinking his left eye ... and using that he wrote this (as you might imagine) short book about his experience. It is so interesting! And he calls his speech pathologist a guardian angel, which didn't make me like it any less. A quick read that packs that punch as far as making you appreciate your life. Oh yeah, and they're making a movie out of it.
7.) "Never judge a book by its movie." J.W. Eagan
The Other Boleyn Girl by Phillipa Gregory
Speaking of making movies, this book is being made into a movie because as my roommate Tiffany says "they keep having to use books because they can't write anything good on their own anymore." I haven't seen this movie, so I really can't tell you not to judge the book by the movie ... but I can definitely understand why they are choosing to make it into a movie. It's got it all -sex, lust, royalty, drama, betrayal, secrets, lies. I did enjoy it and definitely got into it, but it was pretty long so I have to admit by the end I was sort of thinking ok can there seriously be MORE??
8.) "My test of a good novel is dreading to begin the last chapter." Thomas Helm
The Dante Club by Matthew Pearl
It took me awhile to really get into this book, but once I did I was hooked and didn't want it to end. It's a really intricately written literary mystery/thriller. I sort of wish I had read Dante because I bet if you have you would REALLY appreciate all the allusions the author includes.
9.) “A wonderful thing about a book, in contrast to a computer screen, is that you can take it to bed with you.” Daniel J. Boorstin
My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Piccoult
Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Piccoult
Both of these books I definitely took to bed with me. These novels take a controversial issue (sister's keeper - organ donor kids, 19 mins - school shootings) and really take you into all the people involved and give you all the angles so you sort of get a chance to understand all sides of the story. You find your self rooting for all sides, even the ones you might normally not. I like being able to make myself look at both sides so I liked these books ... plus they have good twists. Pretty same format for both though. (And laptops sort of made this quote "obsolete" ... I take my computer to bed all the time ... did that sound dirty??
10.) "To feel most beautifully alive means to be reading something beautiful, ready always to apprehend in the flow of language the sudden flash of poetry." Gaston Bachelard
Motorcycle Diaries by Ernesto "Che" Guevara
Che writes really beautifully and some of his descriptions of South America really are poetic. And he was a very forward thinker, and pretty funny too. So many of the places he was I have been and that was really cool to read and say "Ooooh I know exactly where he's talking about!" This is definitely one of those books you could judge by the movie ... I loved both.
11.) “Always read something that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.” P. J. O'Rourke
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
HAHA! I thought that quote was really funny! Well I've been trying to get through this book for ages and for some reason I just can't get that into it. I think if I could make it through a few more chapters, I'd really like it, but these first few just aren't grabbing me. But if all else fails, at least if I die, someone will say, "hmmm reading an Oprah's Book Club pick about a hermaphrodite ... not too shabby." hahaha.
Checked out but never read (I have a bad habit of checking out more books than I can read at one time):
Once Upon a Quinceañera: Coming of Age in the USA by Julia Alvarez - I heard about this on NPR and thought it sounded really interesting. It's about the quinceañera tradition and how it is being done here in the US and it's impact on hispanic women/girls. Sadly I ran out of time and was only able to finish a few pages before the library starting charging me.
Knots by Nuruddin Farah - I heard that "this book does for Somalia what the Kite Runner did for Afghanistan." That made me want to read it. I still do, I just need to check it out again.
Divisadero by Michael Ondaatje - same guy who wrote the English Patient ... I did actually start this one, but again the library fines and school work caught up with me. Plus it was kind of slow.
To Read:
any of the aforementioned (love that word) "Checked out but not read" books
any unread Pat Conroy book (Lords of Discipline, Beach Music, his cookbook, My Losing Season, Prince of Tides ... so basically most of them)
The Deep End of the Ocean by Jacquelyn Mitchard
The Road by Cormac McCarthy - I got this and the previous books from Santa so I they're on my list because Santa usually has good taste.
Anything you might suggest to me that is good!
And two last quotes on books and reading:
Books can be dangerous. The best ones should be labeled "This could change your life." Helen Exley
Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested: that is, some books are to be read only in parts, others to be read, but not curiously, and some few to be read wholly, and with diligence and attention.
Francis Bacon
27 November 2007
Dreams=Dejavu=Thomas
I think I've written on here how I feel about dejavu. If not, quick recap: I don't know where I got this from exactly but I've always sort of felt like dejavu is God's way of letting me know that I'm right where I'm supposed to be. Probably I'll get to ask God about this one day and he'll laugh at me and say something like, "No Mamie that was just your neurons connecting a new memory with an old one and overlapping them (reference: most recent Time magazine)." But I still think that. So you might've heard that I've been dating a fellow - I feel pretty safe to write that down on the blog at this point without too much risk - and his name is Thomas. I like to call him Tomás sometimes so if you'd like you can refer to him either way. Anyway, Thomas and I were talking the other day and he was telling me he had had a good dream the night before and it was encouraging to him. Conversation followed:
"Why? It was just a dream." Skeptical, debbie-downer me.
"I don't know. I just think that dreams reflect things in your life, maybe not the exact situation or scenario or details but there is something in a dream that comes from all the things in your life stored up in your brain and it comes out in your dream in some way." Maybe that's not exactly what he said, but basically as well as I can remember.
"Oh, so you sort of feel about dreams the way I feel about dejavu? You know how I feel about dejavu."
"Yeah sort of."
I had a dream about Thomas last night. After that dream, I agree with him about dreams. It reminded me of one of the reasons I really like him. And that I don't need to be so mean and spiteful when I'm mad.
I was at this big sleepover. In the dream it almost felt like a youth lock-in or something because there were a lot of people, except we were all sleeping in the same bed, which was really huge and had maroon sheets, which I don't necessarily think is important. I just remember that they were maroon and that, in my opinion, is a very dark and odd color for sheets. So Thomas and I are at this sleepover and Thomas is in the bed to my left and Mandy McManus is to my right and there is a guy, I can't remember who, on the other side of Thomas. And I'm mad at Thomas. For some unknown reason, I'm really mad and I want to be mean to him so I roll over to face Mandy and cross my arms to go to sleep and won't let him touch me and won't talk to him. Then I wake up, in the dream I wake up, and we're holding hands. When I realize it, I remember I'm mad at him so I yank my hand away and he says to please not to but I say, "No, I'm mad at you! I don't want to hold your hand!" Then I roll back over and cross my arms and pull up my knees to my chest and go to sleep. The next thing I know, I wake up again and Thomas is sneaking his hand back into mine. And I say, "But Thomas I'm MAD at you! I told you not to hold my hand!" and I yank it away again. The third time I wake up and he has taken my hand again and I finally give up and realize I'm not really mad and say I'm sorry and hold his hand. We fall back asleep and then I really wake up.
"Why? It was just a dream." Skeptical, debbie-downer me.
"I don't know. I just think that dreams reflect things in your life, maybe not the exact situation or scenario or details but there is something in a dream that comes from all the things in your life stored up in your brain and it comes out in your dream in some way." Maybe that's not exactly what he said, but basically as well as I can remember.
"Oh, so you sort of feel about dreams the way I feel about dejavu? You know how I feel about dejavu."
"Yeah sort of."
I had a dream about Thomas last night. After that dream, I agree with him about dreams. It reminded me of one of the reasons I really like him. And that I don't need to be so mean and spiteful when I'm mad.
I was at this big sleepover. In the dream it almost felt like a youth lock-in or something because there were a lot of people, except we were all sleeping in the same bed, which was really huge and had maroon sheets, which I don't necessarily think is important. I just remember that they were maroon and that, in my opinion, is a very dark and odd color for sheets. So Thomas and I are at this sleepover and Thomas is in the bed to my left and Mandy McManus is to my right and there is a guy, I can't remember who, on the other side of Thomas. And I'm mad at Thomas. For some unknown reason, I'm really mad and I want to be mean to him so I roll over to face Mandy and cross my arms to go to sleep and won't let him touch me and won't talk to him. Then I wake up, in the dream I wake up, and we're holding hands. When I realize it, I remember I'm mad at him so I yank my hand away and he says to please not to but I say, "No, I'm mad at you! I don't want to hold your hand!" Then I roll back over and cross my arms and pull up my knees to my chest and go to sleep. The next thing I know, I wake up again and Thomas is sneaking his hand back into mine. And I say, "But Thomas I'm MAD at you! I told you not to hold my hand!" and I yank it away again. The third time I wake up and he has taken my hand again and I finally give up and realize I'm not really mad and say I'm sorry and hold his hand. We fall back asleep and then I really wake up.
26 September 2007
Cheers
I could see Mrs. Yarding sitting in a little metal chair near the doorway before we got in the room. She had her ankles crossed and her hands tucked neatly between her legs, rocking back and forth as she talked. Suppressed anxiety was written all over that rock. She startled a little when we walked in.
"Hello, you must be Mr. Yarding's wife. I'm the speech pathologist working with him and today he's going to get to eat a little!" Carrie, my supervisor, had only seen Mr. Yarding once before so introductions were still necessary.
Mrs. Yarding smiled with her mouth, not her eyes, which flickered over to me. My smile back reflected hers, nervous and unsure.
"My name is Mamie. I'm a graduate student studying to be a speech pathologist like Carrie." I always say 'my name is' instead of 'I'm' because the 'm' in I'm mixes with the 'm' at the beginning of Mamie and then I get called Amy. She nodded and I busied myself helping Carrie get things ready.
Not many people know that speech pathologists work outside of schools and 'wabbits' and stuttering. We feed. We give people who haven't been able to eat a diet that won't make them choke to death or get infections from food in their lungs. You would think that's a happy job.
After draping a towel around Mr. Yarding like an oversized bibb, we wheeled the hospital room table right up to his wheezing chest and placed the tray down in front of him. Carrie uncovered the lid revealing his first meal in two weeks.
"Ok Mr. Yarding we've got you some food here. There's some fish." Carrie pointed to the first white pureed blob, sprinkled with paprika, making a perfectly rounded mound in it's compartment. All his food had to be pureed like baby food to keep him safe. "And we have some mashed potatoes and some ..." she pointed to the green puree in the third compartment. "Well, I'm not exactly sure what it is ... a vegetable, I think brussel sprouts."
She gave him his first bite. A little dribbled from the left corner of his mouth. Carrie wiped it off. He heaved every breath and the food sat in the side of his mouth. His eyes moved from the food on the tray up to Carrie's face real slow. Then he fixed his eyes on me. Mr. Yarding was slumped to the left in his wheel chair, mouth slightly open but his blue eyes pierced me even though his gaze was tired and dull. You could see all that he had been through and all that he used to be in his sharp and heavy eyes. "You don't want to work with people like me. It's silly isn't it? Having to do this with an old man like me?"
I hoped he would look away and I wouldn't have to respond, but he held my gaze strong. "No it's not silly. It's what we're here for and it's not silly if you need it." I hoped my answer sounded strong and reassuring. I felt silly. Carrie saved me by talking.
"Ok Mr. Yarding now I want you to try feeding yourself. Here take the spoon. Take the spoon. No, no the food's already on it you just have to put it up to your mouth."
His good arm still moved slowly and it was immediately evident that the spoon wasn't going to make it into his mouth. It was like watching a slow motion video of a plane crashing. I kept hoping the spoon full of food wouldn't slam into the side of his face but would go into his mouth like it should. It didn't. Carrie grabbed his hand and pulled it over to his mouth just as his daughter walked in.
"Hey Dad! Look who's eatin! Man, that's gotta be good ... you gotta be lovin' that! Somethin' other than water!" She talked, almost shouted, and wore bright red with heels, all full of smiles and energy and encouragement.
He moved his slow eyes over to her voice. "The fish is too salty. They ruined it down there with the salt."
"Well why don't you try some of those potatoes. Yeah, try some of those potatoes. They sure smell good. You GOTTA be lovin' this!"
A few missed bites later, Mr. Yarding looked around at the four women's eyes glued to his mealtime progress. He stopped on me. "I should charge admission."
Shortly after, Mrs. Yarding and Sarah - "My name is actually Sarah Lane. Everyone calls me Lane except him .. he calls me Sarah." - left the room.
Feeling uncomfortable being the only bystander staring down on this old man eating his meal, I glanced out into the hall. Mrs. Yarding had her hands to her face and her shoulders had slumped in toward her chest. She wasn't tight and neat anymore. In the hall she looked tiny and vulnerable next to Sarah in her tall heels. I could barely hear them whispering and the little gasps of breath between Mrs. Yardings tears.
"Don't be upset. This is good. He's eating. Eating will help him get better." Sarah bent her knees to get to Mrs. Yarding's eyeline as she rubbed one hunched shoulder. "Here let's go get a drink from the machine."
They walked away to soothe away the tears with a soda. I looked back at Mr. Yarding, who was struggling get the cup of thickened tea to his lips.
"Everything's a chore now. Everything." He sighed as he set the tea back down, never taking a sip.
***************
A few visits later Mr. Yarding was wheeled into the speech therapy room by a scrub-clad lady. Carrie had told me he hadn't been eating much because he was on new medicine which made him sleepy. "You can't eat and you definitely can't swallow safely if you're asleep." she said.
"Hey Mr. Yarding. It's been awhile. I wasn't here on Friday." I had gotten comfortable with this gruff, feisty man and secretly looked forward to the 45 minutes we spent with him. Beneath his slumped weary shell, he had a strong personality - a stark contrast to many of the hollow patients with cognitive deficits we saw normally. We had some yogurt, thickened tea and pureed vegetables, that looked more like pea soup than anything, waiting for him. I fed him the first bite, dabbing away any dribbles that escaped his lips.
He raised his tiny cup of thickened tea toward me and his mouth formed a weak smile. His eyes beamed, "Cheers."
I laughed and raised an empty hand. He set the tea back down. Maybe he decided it was too much work to get it in his mouth.
"I haven't had a beer in 2 months. Two months. And you know what, I don't miss it."
I didn't really know what to say back so I just half-laughed, "Maybe you should try that tea again."
He looked at me. "You don't drink do you?"
"Not when I don't have a drink in my hand." I pointed at his tea and smiled. He cracked a grin and gave a little cackle.
"I like a smart alec. You and me, we're gonna get along."
***************
Carrie and I had just come up onto the hospital floor to visit a brain injury patient in his room. We passed Mr. Yarding's door. She had been whispering to someone about him earlier and she shook her head as we went by. When we got to the nurse's station she stopped and started talking really low, like she was about to tell me a secret.
"I told you Mr. Yarding's insurance is about to run out and the family was just going to pay for him to stay. Well they did some tests and found out that on top of everything else he has leukemia. They're telling the family today."
I thought I had felt my heart break before over some boy or a hunger ad on TV, but this time was different. It dropped down to my stomach and threatened to come back up again. I couldn't say a word or move my mouth from the open position it was hanging in.
I thought of Mrs. Yarding with her tightly tucked hands, guarded smile and sobbing shoulders. I thought about Sarah and her almost forceful, loud optimism. 'This is good. He's eating. Eating is going to help him get better.' She believed that. Mrs. Yarding believed that.
I believed that.
I wasn't cut out for the medical setting. I'm a smart alec. I get attached. I can't seem to remember that I might walk back in on Monday morning and Mr. Yarding will be gone. Not gone home. Gone. Forever. It's hard to realize that for the first time. It's hard to know that his family won't be gone and that they thought that me spooning pureed fish into his drooping mouth was going to make him better. It's hard to not believe that myself.
I hope writing this somehow keeps him around a little longer, even if it's just for me.
Next time I have a beer I'm going to raise my glass to Mr. Yarding. You should do the same.
"Hello, you must be Mr. Yarding's wife. I'm the speech pathologist working with him and today he's going to get to eat a little!" Carrie, my supervisor, had only seen Mr. Yarding once before so introductions were still necessary.
Mrs. Yarding smiled with her mouth, not her eyes, which flickered over to me. My smile back reflected hers, nervous and unsure.
"My name is Mamie. I'm a graduate student studying to be a speech pathologist like Carrie." I always say 'my name is' instead of 'I'm' because the 'm' in I'm mixes with the 'm' at the beginning of Mamie and then I get called Amy. She nodded and I busied myself helping Carrie get things ready.
Not many people know that speech pathologists work outside of schools and 'wabbits' and stuttering. We feed. We give people who haven't been able to eat a diet that won't make them choke to death or get infections from food in their lungs. You would think that's a happy job.
After draping a towel around Mr. Yarding like an oversized bibb, we wheeled the hospital room table right up to his wheezing chest and placed the tray down in front of him. Carrie uncovered the lid revealing his first meal in two weeks.
"Ok Mr. Yarding we've got you some food here. There's some fish." Carrie pointed to the first white pureed blob, sprinkled with paprika, making a perfectly rounded mound in it's compartment. All his food had to be pureed like baby food to keep him safe. "And we have some mashed potatoes and some ..." she pointed to the green puree in the third compartment. "Well, I'm not exactly sure what it is ... a vegetable, I think brussel sprouts."
She gave him his first bite. A little dribbled from the left corner of his mouth. Carrie wiped it off. He heaved every breath and the food sat in the side of his mouth. His eyes moved from the food on the tray up to Carrie's face real slow. Then he fixed his eyes on me. Mr. Yarding was slumped to the left in his wheel chair, mouth slightly open but his blue eyes pierced me even though his gaze was tired and dull. You could see all that he had been through and all that he used to be in his sharp and heavy eyes. "You don't want to work with people like me. It's silly isn't it? Having to do this with an old man like me?"
I hoped he would look away and I wouldn't have to respond, but he held my gaze strong. "No it's not silly. It's what we're here for and it's not silly if you need it." I hoped my answer sounded strong and reassuring. I felt silly. Carrie saved me by talking.
"Ok Mr. Yarding now I want you to try feeding yourself. Here take the spoon. Take the spoon. No, no the food's already on it you just have to put it up to your mouth."
His good arm still moved slowly and it was immediately evident that the spoon wasn't going to make it into his mouth. It was like watching a slow motion video of a plane crashing. I kept hoping the spoon full of food wouldn't slam into the side of his face but would go into his mouth like it should. It didn't. Carrie grabbed his hand and pulled it over to his mouth just as his daughter walked in.
"Hey Dad! Look who's eatin! Man, that's gotta be good ... you gotta be lovin' that! Somethin' other than water!" She talked, almost shouted, and wore bright red with heels, all full of smiles and energy and encouragement.
He moved his slow eyes over to her voice. "The fish is too salty. They ruined it down there with the salt."
"Well why don't you try some of those potatoes. Yeah, try some of those potatoes. They sure smell good. You GOTTA be lovin' this!"
A few missed bites later, Mr. Yarding looked around at the four women's eyes glued to his mealtime progress. He stopped on me. "I should charge admission."
Shortly after, Mrs. Yarding and Sarah - "My name is actually Sarah Lane. Everyone calls me Lane except him .. he calls me Sarah." - left the room.
Feeling uncomfortable being the only bystander staring down on this old man eating his meal, I glanced out into the hall. Mrs. Yarding had her hands to her face and her shoulders had slumped in toward her chest. She wasn't tight and neat anymore. In the hall she looked tiny and vulnerable next to Sarah in her tall heels. I could barely hear them whispering and the little gasps of breath between Mrs. Yardings tears.
"Don't be upset. This is good. He's eating. Eating will help him get better." Sarah bent her knees to get to Mrs. Yarding's eyeline as she rubbed one hunched shoulder. "Here let's go get a drink from the machine."
They walked away to soothe away the tears with a soda. I looked back at Mr. Yarding, who was struggling get the cup of thickened tea to his lips.
"Everything's a chore now. Everything." He sighed as he set the tea back down, never taking a sip.
***************
A few visits later Mr. Yarding was wheeled into the speech therapy room by a scrub-clad lady. Carrie had told me he hadn't been eating much because he was on new medicine which made him sleepy. "You can't eat and you definitely can't swallow safely if you're asleep." she said.
"Hey Mr. Yarding. It's been awhile. I wasn't here on Friday." I had gotten comfortable with this gruff, feisty man and secretly looked forward to the 45 minutes we spent with him. Beneath his slumped weary shell, he had a strong personality - a stark contrast to many of the hollow patients with cognitive deficits we saw normally. We had some yogurt, thickened tea and pureed vegetables, that looked more like pea soup than anything, waiting for him. I fed him the first bite, dabbing away any dribbles that escaped his lips.
He raised his tiny cup of thickened tea toward me and his mouth formed a weak smile. His eyes beamed, "Cheers."
I laughed and raised an empty hand. He set the tea back down. Maybe he decided it was too much work to get it in his mouth.
"I haven't had a beer in 2 months. Two months. And you know what, I don't miss it."
I didn't really know what to say back so I just half-laughed, "Maybe you should try that tea again."
He looked at me. "You don't drink do you?"
"Not when I don't have a drink in my hand." I pointed at his tea and smiled. He cracked a grin and gave a little cackle.
"I like a smart alec. You and me, we're gonna get along."
***************
Carrie and I had just come up onto the hospital floor to visit a brain injury patient in his room. We passed Mr. Yarding's door. She had been whispering to someone about him earlier and she shook her head as we went by. When we got to the nurse's station she stopped and started talking really low, like she was about to tell me a secret.
"I told you Mr. Yarding's insurance is about to run out and the family was just going to pay for him to stay. Well they did some tests and found out that on top of everything else he has leukemia. They're telling the family today."
I thought I had felt my heart break before over some boy or a hunger ad on TV, but this time was different. It dropped down to my stomach and threatened to come back up again. I couldn't say a word or move my mouth from the open position it was hanging in.
I thought of Mrs. Yarding with her tightly tucked hands, guarded smile and sobbing shoulders. I thought about Sarah and her almost forceful, loud optimism. 'This is good. He's eating. Eating is going to help him get better.' She believed that. Mrs. Yarding believed that.
I believed that.
I wasn't cut out for the medical setting. I'm a smart alec. I get attached. I can't seem to remember that I might walk back in on Monday morning and Mr. Yarding will be gone. Not gone home. Gone. Forever. It's hard to realize that for the first time. It's hard to know that his family won't be gone and that they thought that me spooning pureed fish into his drooping mouth was going to make him better. It's hard to not believe that myself.
I hope writing this somehow keeps him around a little longer, even if it's just for me.
Next time I have a beer I'm going to raise my glass to Mr. Yarding. You should do the same.
19 September 2007
Extreme doesn't even start to describe it
ok first of all Tickle Me Elmos were freaky to begin with. This is downright terrifying. I have nightmares about it.
The New Tickle-Me-Elmo Extreme
The New Tickle-Me-Elmo Extreme
11 September 2007
Coming soon to a blog near you
I've got tons of brain blogs stored up that I haven't had time to get down. They're coming for ya, just you wait. All in good time.
28 August 2007
Quick recap
I know it's been about 2 months (a real record for me) so I'l try to fill in the blanks of July and August for you.
Weekends spent in Columbia: not many
Miles on my car now: 100,462
Places/people visited: Myrtle Beach, SC - Knight family vacay
Charlotte, NC - Elizabeth Dyar and fam
Fort Mill/Rock Hill, SC - Jimmy and Lauren wedding festivities with Nick and Mel and Bo and Adam
Macon, GA - Tomás Enrico
Knoxville, TN - Chrissy
Kingsport, TN - Orlando, Cecilia and Gabrielito
Conway, SC - Erin Weaver birthday celebrations
Charleston, SC - Ashley and Bowe wedding fun with Brooke, Megyn, Liz and many other long time no see friends AND a delicious lunch date with Ellie and Mattster
Milledgeville, GA - Thomas and his crazy friends for lake madness - I hit 100,000 miles on the way back
Favorite quotes from said time:
"Mamie, they're professional baseball players. They don't get snacks!" - Thomas explaining to me that, No there is no half-time in baseball and NO, there is no set time for snacks.
"Thomas thought Sam was going to be there for like 6 months ... I told him, no 6 weeks... he's not building the fence alone." -Yeah I'm funny and I know it.
"Curse word. Curse word. Dammit." -Erin .. yeah I know it's recycled but it never fails to make me laugh.
I'm sure Brooke said lots of funny things too because I distinctly remember laughing with her a lot, especially in the grocery store buying dinner and Timmy the bath gel stingray ... but I can't remember specifics right now. Yeah and Chrissy said funny stuff too but again ... it was a long long month and some.
New apple computers purchased: 1 (yesssssssss)
Spray tans gotten: embarrassingly 1 ... and the most embarassing part is, I totally loved it!
I really have been crazy busy ending the summer therapy and classes and being gone practically every weekend. And even though it was really tiring, I really did have a such a fun time seeing all my friends. Now I'm settling into my new fall routine and waiting for YOU to come visit ME! I know Columbia isn't that alluring, but let's be honest ... I'm pretty darn alluring. That should keep your inquiring minds satisfied for now. I'll be more diligent in the days to come ... it's feeling good to write again...
Weekends spent in Columbia: not many
Miles on my car now: 100,462
Places/people visited: Myrtle Beach, SC - Knight family vacay
Charlotte, NC - Elizabeth Dyar and fam
Fort Mill/Rock Hill, SC - Jimmy and Lauren wedding festivities with Nick and Mel and Bo and Adam
Macon, GA - Tomás Enrico
Knoxville, TN - Chrissy
Kingsport, TN - Orlando, Cecilia and Gabrielito
Conway, SC - Erin Weaver birthday celebrations
Charleston, SC - Ashley and Bowe wedding fun with Brooke, Megyn, Liz and many other long time no see friends AND a delicious lunch date with Ellie and Mattster
Milledgeville, GA - Thomas and his crazy friends for lake madness - I hit 100,000 miles on the way back
Favorite quotes from said time:
"Mamie, they're professional baseball players. They don't get snacks!" - Thomas explaining to me that, No there is no half-time in baseball and NO, there is no set time for snacks.
"Thomas thought Sam was going to be there for like 6 months ... I told him, no 6 weeks... he's not building the fence alone." -Yeah I'm funny and I know it.
"Curse word. Curse word. Dammit." -Erin .. yeah I know it's recycled but it never fails to make me laugh.
I'm sure Brooke said lots of funny things too because I distinctly remember laughing with her a lot, especially in the grocery store buying dinner and Timmy the bath gel stingray ... but I can't remember specifics right now. Yeah and Chrissy said funny stuff too but again ... it was a long long month and some.
New apple computers purchased: 1 (yesssssssss)
Spray tans gotten: embarrassingly 1 ... and the most embarassing part is, I totally loved it!
I really have been crazy busy ending the summer therapy and classes and being gone practically every weekend. And even though it was really tiring, I really did have a such a fun time seeing all my friends. Now I'm settling into my new fall routine and waiting for YOU to come visit ME! I know Columbia isn't that alluring, but let's be honest ... I'm pretty darn alluring. That should keep your inquiring minds satisfied for now. I'll be more diligent in the days to come ... it's feeling good to write again...
29 June 2007
99 (Billion) Bottles of Water on the Wall
Call me a hippy, a tree-hugger, a liberal or anti-big company but I couldn't help but be more than a little shocked and appalled when I heard this piece about bottles water on All Things Considered. It was just a 5 minute spot but it was packed full of crazy facts and statistics. There is a quite lengthy accompanying article linked on NPR's website. I'll post the links for them all but if you are just can't make it to read or listen I'll give you a synopsis.
- In America we happen to have a perfectly good water system that cleans and provides us with clean drinking water (contrary to many or most places in the world) but we choose to drink bottled water.
- Americans alone consume 1 billion bottles of water (get this) A WEEK!!
- We currently drink more bottled water than we do coffee, milk, or alcohol. (Which would make you wonder why people are still consistently whining about hangovers...)
- Dasani (Coke product) and Aquafina (Pepsi product) make up for a fourth of bottle water sales ... and guess what. All they do is have local plants that take tap water, resend it through a purifier, bottle it and ship it to stores. IS THAT CRAZY OR WHAT!
- Over 70% of the plastic bottles in which water is sold are NEVER recycled.
Does that information blow your mind because my is officially blown. Don't get me wrong, I like a good cold bottle of water as much as the next guy and if I weren't so darn cheap I might be a regular purchaser of bottled water (as for now I just have lots of old bottles that I refill everyday ...) but I can definitely say now that I am much more aware of 1)how utterly ridiculous it is to purchase botteled water and 2)how little we (I) recycle and how we (I) should.
Check it out for yourself - The link:
To read the blurb go here - Bottled Water Link
To listen click on the link above and hit the "Listen" button
To read the full article click the link above and find the link to the article "Message in a Bottle" on the left side.
- In America we happen to have a perfectly good water system that cleans and provides us with clean drinking water (contrary to many or most places in the world) but we choose to drink bottled water.
- Americans alone consume 1 billion bottles of water (get this) A WEEK!!
- We currently drink more bottled water than we do coffee, milk, or alcohol. (Which would make you wonder why people are still consistently whining about hangovers...)
- Dasani (Coke product) and Aquafina (Pepsi product) make up for a fourth of bottle water sales ... and guess what. All they do is have local plants that take tap water, resend it through a purifier, bottle it and ship it to stores. IS THAT CRAZY OR WHAT!
- Over 70% of the plastic bottles in which water is sold are NEVER recycled.
Does that information blow your mind because my is officially blown. Don't get me wrong, I like a good cold bottle of water as much as the next guy and if I weren't so darn cheap I might be a regular purchaser of bottled water (as for now I just have lots of old bottles that I refill everyday ...) but I can definitely say now that I am much more aware of 1)how utterly ridiculous it is to purchase botteled water and 2)how little we (I) recycle and how we (I) should.
Check it out for yourself - The link:
To read the blurb go here - Bottled Water Link
To listen click on the link above and hit the "Listen" button
To read the full article click the link above and find the link to the article "Message in a Bottle" on the left side.
11 June 2007
The little things
A few unimportant things that excite me to think about.
1) Eventually getting the new Feist album
2) The 7th Harry Potter book coming out
3) The 5th Harry Potter movie coming out
4) Having unlimited verizon-to-verizon text messaging
5) Getting a full-size bed and revamping my room
6) The recipes in my new Rachel Ray magazine
7) Figuring out a way to get to the beach for some portion of the week of July 4th
Just had to throw those out there.
1) Eventually getting the new Feist album
2) The 7th Harry Potter book coming out
3) The 5th Harry Potter movie coming out
4) Having unlimited verizon-to-verizon text messaging
5) Getting a full-size bed and revamping my room
6) The recipes in my new Rachel Ray magazine
7) Figuring out a way to get to the beach for some portion of the week of July 4th
Just had to throw those out there.
06 June 2007
Batter up
Someone was talking about baseball the other day. Did you know it's baseball season? I didn't. For me, it's wedding season. Instead of attending a sporting event each month, I will be attending a wedding pretty much every month.
I started the season off right with my sister's wedding. As of May 26, 2007 Ellen Knight became Ellen Virtue (oxymoron of the century?? you decide...) and officially lost her right to ever utter the phrase "IIIIII AM THE BUH-RIIIDE."
A few weeks before the wedding, Ellen asked, "Are you gonna cry?"
"I don't know. Probably not," I said, shrugging my shoulders. If you know me, you know I wasn't being mean, I'm just not much of a crier for things like this.
"I want you to cry!" Only Ellen would request of someone that they cry at her wedding.
"Ellen I'm pretty sure that you wouldn't want me to cry just to cry. That's not very genuine."
"You better cry," she replied.
As I started down the aisle trying to walk just slow enough, the way we practiced, and not wobble on my heels, I tried to remember to smile ... I always hate to see those wedding pictures where the bridesmaids forget to smile and come scowling down the aisle. So I had plastered on my face this big goofy smile when the music swelled around me in the blazing heat and I realized my only sister was getting married. And then came the tears. It was weird because I didn't know why I was crying really. I was really happy for Ellen and Matt ... I mean, I actually like Matt and wanted them to get married which is a miracle in itself considering there are few guys in Ellen's life that have garnered my affections. Maybe it was the realization of change and aging, of all the childhood memories of me and Ellen being officially filed in the "past" folder. Or the thought that there wouldn't be any more Christmas Eves in the bed with Ellen resisting her attempts to snuggle -- the realization that Matt would always be a part of Ellen now, even if it was just me and her, there would be a Matt-ness. Or maybe it was just that right before I walked out I turned around and saw her behind me looking beautiful and happy and just the way you would imagine.
So now I've officially entered wedding season, which I imagine, at my age, will be lasting for quite some time. Very weird. This season of life has started a wave of different ponderings in my overactive mind about marriage and commitments and age and adulthood. I won't be posting those now or maybe ever. But it is interesting.
So Congratulations to Ellen (who for the time being goes by Mrs. Matt Virtue) and Matt (who still goes by Matt ... I think) who kicked off the wedding season for me in high style! More to come ...
Pre-wedding family fun time with the sibs
I got my wedding game face on
Ellen, looking beautiful and classy in her wedding dress
Me and the buh-ride
Ellen and all her bridesmaids
Did I mention that I had a really cool wedding date?
I started the season off right with my sister's wedding. As of May 26, 2007 Ellen Knight became Ellen Virtue (oxymoron of the century?? you decide...) and officially lost her right to ever utter the phrase "IIIIII AM THE BUH-RIIIDE."
A few weeks before the wedding, Ellen asked, "Are you gonna cry?"
"I don't know. Probably not," I said, shrugging my shoulders. If you know me, you know I wasn't being mean, I'm just not much of a crier for things like this.
"I want you to cry!" Only Ellen would request of someone that they cry at her wedding.
"Ellen I'm pretty sure that you wouldn't want me to cry just to cry. That's not very genuine."
"You better cry," she replied.
As I started down the aisle trying to walk just slow enough, the way we practiced, and not wobble on my heels, I tried to remember to smile ... I always hate to see those wedding pictures where the bridesmaids forget to smile and come scowling down the aisle. So I had plastered on my face this big goofy smile when the music swelled around me in the blazing heat and I realized my only sister was getting married. And then came the tears. It was weird because I didn't know why I was crying really. I was really happy for Ellen and Matt ... I mean, I actually like Matt and wanted them to get married which is a miracle in itself considering there are few guys in Ellen's life that have garnered my affections. Maybe it was the realization of change and aging, of all the childhood memories of me and Ellen being officially filed in the "past" folder. Or the thought that there wouldn't be any more Christmas Eves in the bed with Ellen resisting her attempts to snuggle -- the realization that Matt would always be a part of Ellen now, even if it was just me and her, there would be a Matt-ness. Or maybe it was just that right before I walked out I turned around and saw her behind me looking beautiful and happy and just the way you would imagine.
So now I've officially entered wedding season, which I imagine, at my age, will be lasting for quite some time. Very weird. This season of life has started a wave of different ponderings in my overactive mind about marriage and commitments and age and adulthood. I won't be posting those now or maybe ever. But it is interesting.
So Congratulations to Ellen (who for the time being goes by Mrs. Matt Virtue) and Matt (who still goes by Matt ... I think) who kicked off the wedding season for me in high style! More to come ...
Pre-wedding family fun time with the sibs
I got my wedding game face on
Ellen, looking beautiful and classy in her wedding dress
Me and the buh-ride
Ellen and all her bridesmaids
Did I mention that I had a really cool wedding date?
13 May 2007
Future 6.11 XP
I've been thinking and talking a lot lately with other people and to myself about enjoying life. About all different things like how sometimes a place doesn't really matter as much as the people in it, but also how your own perspective on life can really affect how you view everything and everyone. And then too about how good of lives we have, especially here in America, and how much we take our lifestyles for granted. I had a particularly frustrating start to the weekend, and it restarted me thinking about all these things, just about how really good my life is but how sometimes I let these little tiny things affect me and ruin all the good stuff. It's so funny the little things individual people are particular about, the little things that grate on our nerves and change our moods.
These things for me include (among many things):
1. Locking myself out - car, house, apartment. I hate to be locked out, especially when I can see the keys from the other side.
2. When someone asks me a question and then doesn't listen to the answer or doesn't wait for an answer.
3. When my nails are all the same length and then one breaks right down to the quick.
4. When I get out the door or in my car or down the street and then realize that I have forgotten something I need. Which is unfortunate because as Tiffany can verify this happens to me pretty much every time I walk out the door.
5. When technology doesn't work properly .... or as fast as I think it should.
6. When people act like they care about you, but you have this knowledge in the back of your head that they really don't ... or if they do, it's because of an ulterior motive. It drives me nuts when a person says "I've been thinking so much about you" and automatically a voice in the back of my head goes "Yeah somehow I don't believe that." because there are just those people that you know are lying about it.
Also, off topic, but not really. Aaron, Chrissy and I were sitting around pretending to study for our aphasia final a few Thursdays ago and we kept veering off topic ... if we ever were even on topic. Anyway, I was having dejavu ... or maybe Aaron or Chrissy was. Or maybe we were just talking about dejavu, I can't remember now. But I started talking about my opinion of dejavu. See, for some reason as long as I can remember, I have thought that dejavu is a sign that I am exactly where I am supposed to be doing what I am supposed to be doing. I know that might sound kind of weird but I have the most vivid dejavu sometimes and I just feel like it is a confirmation from God I guess that I'm not so far off track, that this was planned for me and I am doing alright. Maybe that's just me needing a little reassurance, but hey I'll take it where I can get it. Anyway, it was funny because as I'm telling Aaron and Chrissy this, I look over at Aaron and his mouth is open and he was looking at me funny and it was actually starting to creep me out how he was staring and Chrissy was noticing too. So we're like, "Aaron, stop it you freak. Why are you giving me that weirdo look?"
"I have never heard anyone else say that before."
"Yeah I know Aaron. I told you it was a weird theory."
"No, I think that too. I can't believe you just said that because it is exactly what I think about dejavu."
We had a mini freak out session, took pictures of the freakout session and the creepy Aaron face and then moved on.
Anyway, I still think that about dejavu and it was even cooler to find out that someone else thinks the same thing, especially Aaron because I respect him a lot. I'd be interested to know what whoever is reading this thinks about dejavu. Maybe I'll do some internet research ... real official stuff.
Anyway, I'm rambling. But I like life a lot. I'm going to try not to let little things annoy me so much. It's life. Might as well enjoy it while it's here.
............................................
As I was in the process of writing the above post, my Skype icon popped up. Message from Orlando Yepez. I clicked over, excited to catch up with my long-lost friend. I started telling him about some stuff I am currently freaking out over, really just looking for some reassurance. Funny because I was just writing about needing reassurance. It's crazy how fast you become attached to certain people and come to love and trust them. A clip (that helped me) about life from our conversation. Please note that Orlando is a freaking English genius. I don't know how he does it.
Me: *freak out, freak out, freak out*
Orlando: You see.. all our lifes.. we tend to think that we are sooo smart
Me: haha yeah i like to think that
Orlando: that we have our whole life completly figured out in some areas like.. our friends... our work/career..a lot of choices that we easily can plan out ahead of time... that is our naive version of the future lets say its... future 1.0
Me: haha
Orlando: so.. somthing comes up...
Me: so you're telling me i can't be a control freak with my life, huh?
Orlando: no ... it happens to all of us but not everyone admits it ... then something comes up and we feel it will change future 1.0 so we walk away from that something and future 1.0 is still ok. At some point we voluntarily make the choice of changing and make an upgrade to future 1.2 but now... that is definite.. we are not changin the plans again. Then... somewhere along the way we came up with diffeent versions of our future but we alwasy think its the last version but it never is so... you futire is going to change .. and your goals are going to change also no matter what are your plans right now just let the present unfold..b/c you might just be at the uploading future 6.11 XP !!!
These things for me include (among many things):
1. Locking myself out - car, house, apartment. I hate to be locked out, especially when I can see the keys from the other side.
2. When someone asks me a question and then doesn't listen to the answer or doesn't wait for an answer.
3. When my nails are all the same length and then one breaks right down to the quick.
4. When I get out the door or in my car or down the street and then realize that I have forgotten something I need. Which is unfortunate because as Tiffany can verify this happens to me pretty much every time I walk out the door.
5. When technology doesn't work properly .... or as fast as I think it should.
6. When people act like they care about you, but you have this knowledge in the back of your head that they really don't ... or if they do, it's because of an ulterior motive. It drives me nuts when a person says "I've been thinking so much about you" and automatically a voice in the back of my head goes "Yeah somehow I don't believe that." because there are just those people that you know are lying about it.
Also, off topic, but not really. Aaron, Chrissy and I were sitting around pretending to study for our aphasia final a few Thursdays ago and we kept veering off topic ... if we ever were even on topic. Anyway, I was having dejavu ... or maybe Aaron or Chrissy was. Or maybe we were just talking about dejavu, I can't remember now. But I started talking about my opinion of dejavu. See, for some reason as long as I can remember, I have thought that dejavu is a sign that I am exactly where I am supposed to be doing what I am supposed to be doing. I know that might sound kind of weird but I have the most vivid dejavu sometimes and I just feel like it is a confirmation from God I guess that I'm not so far off track, that this was planned for me and I am doing alright. Maybe that's just me needing a little reassurance, but hey I'll take it where I can get it. Anyway, it was funny because as I'm telling Aaron and Chrissy this, I look over at Aaron and his mouth is open and he was looking at me funny and it was actually starting to creep me out how he was staring and Chrissy was noticing too. So we're like, "Aaron, stop it you freak. Why are you giving me that weirdo look?"
"I have never heard anyone else say that before."
"Yeah I know Aaron. I told you it was a weird theory."
"No, I think that too. I can't believe you just said that because it is exactly what I think about dejavu."
We had a mini freak out session, took pictures of the freakout session and the creepy Aaron face and then moved on.
Anyway, I still think that about dejavu and it was even cooler to find out that someone else thinks the same thing, especially Aaron because I respect him a lot. I'd be interested to know what whoever is reading this thinks about dejavu. Maybe I'll do some internet research ... real official stuff.
Anyway, I'm rambling. But I like life a lot. I'm going to try not to let little things annoy me so much. It's life. Might as well enjoy it while it's here.
............................................
As I was in the process of writing the above post, my Skype icon popped up. Message from Orlando Yepez. I clicked over, excited to catch up with my long-lost friend. I started telling him about some stuff I am currently freaking out over, really just looking for some reassurance. Funny because I was just writing about needing reassurance. It's crazy how fast you become attached to certain people and come to love and trust them. A clip (that helped me) about life from our conversation. Please note that Orlando is a freaking English genius. I don't know how he does it.
Me: *freak out, freak out, freak out*
Orlando: You see.. all our lifes.. we tend to think that we are sooo smart
Me: haha yeah i like to think that
Orlando: that we have our whole life completly figured out in some areas like.. our friends... our work/career..a lot of choices that we easily can plan out ahead of time... that is our naive version of the future lets say its... future 1.0
Me: haha
Orlando: so.. somthing comes up...
Me: so you're telling me i can't be a control freak with my life, huh?
Orlando: no ... it happens to all of us but not everyone admits it ... then something comes up and we feel it will change future 1.0 so we walk away from that something and future 1.0 is still ok. At some point we voluntarily make the choice of changing and make an upgrade to future 1.2 but now... that is definite.. we are not changin the plans again. Then... somewhere along the way we came up with diffeent versions of our future but we alwasy think its the last version but it never is so... you futire is going to change .. and your goals are going to change also no matter what are your plans right now just let the present unfold..b/c you might just be at the uploading future 6.11 XP !!!
09 May 2007
El Cinco
As many of you know, there was an excellent holiday (one of my favorites ... like most holidays) that occurred this past weekend by the little name of CINCO DE MAYO!! And you might also happen to know that I love Cinco de Mayo. Last year around this time I was getting ready to graduate (YAY) and I am pretty sure I met up with some friends (Brooke, Bo, Chuck) at Coast to hear Nick and Toca Toca play. I remember it was kind of rainy that evening, but the music and company was really good. Good memories.
This year I had a particularly fun 5 de mayo, passing the evening with new and old friends. I had a "primera cita" on cinco de mayo ... a first date, which is something that I haven't had in ... let's just chalk it up to a while. And normally I hate first dates with a passion because I think they are overrated, awkward and sucky all around. But to my surprise, I actually had a superfun firstdate/cincodemayo. I mean I got to salsa dance and wear a sombrero... what more could I ask for?? Gracias a cinco de mayo for the good date vibes. It turned out to be not awkward or sucky at all! Plus I got to spend the weekend+ seeing some of my best friends, some of whom are like me last 5 de mayo - graduating (YAY)!
The fabulous sombrero that I got to sport until it got confiscated haha. Thomas borrowed it from somebody for 30 seconds so I could take this picture and then one of the waiters confiscated it .. oops!
Las mamacitas del cinco de mayo
You can't not enjoy some sun for the Cinco de Mayo!
Also in honor of the Cinco de Mayo-ness and because Tiffany and Matt are both currently doing this making me want to do it too for fun, I will be compiling a list of my "Top 5" which I will rename "The Cinco." The Cinco are the five people (like off the Friends episode) that you can choose as your people that you would, as Matt put it, "woo" (which I think we all know was not what he meant) regardless of relationship status and without penalties. So, as my last attempt to honor Cinco de Mayo, I will join in the trashy fun.
1) Johnny Depp - hands down. Seriously, the man looks good clean, dirty, wearing makeup, as a pirate and as a scissorhanded freak. And he's mysterious. His only downfall is that he loves France ... now if he loved Spain or South America, he really would be the perfect man.
2) Gael Garcia Bernal - He is my #1 latin lover and I'm pretty sure if he met me, he would agree. He seems supercool and artsy and I like that. I do not penalize Gael for being extremely short, because I am also short so it works well. And I like his movies, although this list should NOT under any circumstances be mistaken for a favorite actors list.
3) Jay Hernandez - Jay is my #2 Latin Lover. He is the yang of Gael ... meaning he's not so much artsy guy as a little more thug/hardcore or something. And I can handle that.
4) Luke Wilson - Two words. Hilarious. Jaw. hahahaha Luke Wilson cracks me up and he has a very nice jawline ... is that weird?
5) Gary Dourdan - I hope I made the right decision here. It was a tough fight for this final cut spot. But ol' Gary has killer eyes and hair ... and skin ... and teeth. But Taye Diggs definitely gave him a run for his money.
Those who almost made it, but not quite:
Taye Diggs - Do I need to explain?
Joaquin Phoenix - Love the first name, love the singing, think he's cute ...just couldn't fit him in the Cinco
Mos Def - he mos def is up there ... just not top 5
Cristian de la Fuente - again, hispanic was already well represented ... although his chilean roots give him an edge
So now you know who to watch out for
This year I had a particularly fun 5 de mayo, passing the evening with new and old friends. I had a "primera cita" on cinco de mayo ... a first date, which is something that I haven't had in ... let's just chalk it up to a while. And normally I hate first dates with a passion because I think they are overrated, awkward and sucky all around. But to my surprise, I actually had a superfun firstdate/cincodemayo. I mean I got to salsa dance and wear a sombrero... what more could I ask for?? Gracias a cinco de mayo for the good date vibes. It turned out to be not awkward or sucky at all! Plus I got to spend the weekend+ seeing some of my best friends, some of whom are like me last 5 de mayo - graduating (YAY)!
The fabulous sombrero that I got to sport until it got confiscated haha. Thomas borrowed it from somebody for 30 seconds so I could take this picture and then one of the waiters confiscated it .. oops!
Las mamacitas del cinco de mayo
You can't not enjoy some sun for the Cinco de Mayo!
Also in honor of the Cinco de Mayo-ness and because Tiffany and Matt are both currently doing this making me want to do it too for fun, I will be compiling a list of my "Top 5" which I will rename "The Cinco." The Cinco are the five people (like off the Friends episode) that you can choose as your people that you would, as Matt put it, "woo" (which I think we all know was not what he meant) regardless of relationship status and without penalties. So, as my last attempt to honor Cinco de Mayo, I will join in the trashy fun.
1) Johnny Depp - hands down. Seriously, the man looks good clean, dirty, wearing makeup, as a pirate and as a scissorhanded freak. And he's mysterious. His only downfall is that he loves France ... now if he loved Spain or South America, he really would be the perfect man.
2) Gael Garcia Bernal - He is my #1 latin lover and I'm pretty sure if he met me, he would agree. He seems supercool and artsy and I like that. I do not penalize Gael for being extremely short, because I am also short so it works well. And I like his movies, although this list should NOT under any circumstances be mistaken for a favorite actors list.
3) Jay Hernandez - Jay is my #2 Latin Lover. He is the yang of Gael ... meaning he's not so much artsy guy as a little more thug/hardcore or something. And I can handle that.
4) Luke Wilson - Two words. Hilarious. Jaw. hahahaha Luke Wilson cracks me up and he has a very nice jawline ... is that weird?
5) Gary Dourdan - I hope I made the right decision here. It was a tough fight for this final cut spot. But ol' Gary has killer eyes and hair ... and skin ... and teeth. But Taye Diggs definitely gave him a run for his money.
Those who almost made it, but not quite:
Taye Diggs - Do I need to explain?
Joaquin Phoenix - Love the first name, love the singing, think he's cute ...just couldn't fit him in the Cinco
Mos Def - he mos def is up there ... just not top 5
Cristian de la Fuente - again, hispanic was already well represented ... although his chilean roots give him an edge
So now you know who to watch out for
25 April 2007
freeloaders for life
If I ever get a house of my own here (in the US) or anywhere else for that matter, I have every intention in becoming a Global Freeloader.
You should think about it too.
And now a good news list:
1. Orlando gets back from Europe tomorrow!!! I will have my friend back for 2 days before he goes to Tennessee. I can't wait! (I only wish that Cecilia and Gabriel could be with him too.)
2. I have officially finished and turned in all my projects/papers/presentations for class and have also finished 2 finals. Only 2 more to go.
3. I am totally finished with my elementary school practicum. Which I am sadder about than I thought.
4. It has been very warm and sunny here lately and I have gotten to spend lots of time by various pools. And that just makes me happy ... and a little sunburned. I think I might have lots of wrinkles and skin cancer one day (although I do always wear sunscreen) but I can't help it ... that vitamin d just makes me smile.
5. Tomorrow is officially my last day of therapy at the clinic for the semester.
6. The Office and Grey's Anatomy are both new this week. So lame I know ... but if you have seen the clip for this week's Office, you'll know why I'm excited. It's too good to be true. Of course I will be taping it so I can hang out with Orlando while he's here ... nobody ditches a friend for TV.
7. I did sing/rap in front of my class this week and it went swimmingly. And I have it on video. sweeeeeet.
I'm pretty sure there is more to be added to the list but I am tired of thinking, so we'll just leave it at that. After all, I should save some good news for another day when there isn't as much.
You should think about it too.
And now a good news list:
1. Orlando gets back from Europe tomorrow!!! I will have my friend back for 2 days before he goes to Tennessee. I can't wait! (I only wish that Cecilia and Gabriel could be with him too.)
2. I have officially finished and turned in all my projects/papers/presentations for class and have also finished 2 finals. Only 2 more to go.
3. I am totally finished with my elementary school practicum. Which I am sadder about than I thought.
4. It has been very warm and sunny here lately and I have gotten to spend lots of time by various pools. And that just makes me happy ... and a little sunburned. I think I might have lots of wrinkles and skin cancer one day (although I do always wear sunscreen) but I can't help it ... that vitamin d just makes me smile.
5. Tomorrow is officially my last day of therapy at the clinic for the semester.
6. The Office and Grey's Anatomy are both new this week. So lame I know ... but if you have seen the clip for this week's Office, you'll know why I'm excited. It's too good to be true. Of course I will be taping it so I can hang out with Orlando while he's here ... nobody ditches a friend for TV.
7. I did sing/rap in front of my class this week and it went swimmingly. And I have it on video. sweeeeeet.
I'm pretty sure there is more to be added to the list but I am tired of thinking, so we'll just leave it at that. After all, I should save some good news for another day when there isn't as much.
18 April 2007
We can't choose our race, but we can choose not to be ignorant
I will have to post more on this once I get over the shock of how ignorant and ridiculous people continue to be despite all my naive beliefs to the contrary.
This weekend in Columbia, SC, the capitol of our state, there will actually be a rally of "The National Socialist Movement: America's Nazi Party" promoting Presidential Candidate John Bowles.
I originally thought this had to be some kind of joke ... but the more I investigate, the sadder I am to realize that it is indeed a reality. There should be lots of protestors ... with any luck you and I can be among them.
Who are these people? How do they complete everyday tasks when they obviously have very very limited brain function? I simply can not believe this. No, I really can't. My mouth is still hanging open.
Between the devastating things that happened at Virginia Tech and this craziness that is emerging, I really am bewildered. I am sorry to America about all of this ... it makes me wonder who we have become?
Related link:
State Newspaper article
This weekend in Columbia, SC, the capitol of our state, there will actually be a rally of "The National Socialist Movement: America's Nazi Party" promoting Presidential Candidate John Bowles.
I originally thought this had to be some kind of joke ... but the more I investigate, the sadder I am to realize that it is indeed a reality. There should be lots of protestors ... with any luck you and I can be among them.
Who are these people? How do they complete everyday tasks when they obviously have very very limited brain function? I simply can not believe this. No, I really can't. My mouth is still hanging open.
Between the devastating things that happened at Virginia Tech and this craziness that is emerging, I really am bewildered. I am sorry to America about all of this ... it makes me wonder who we have become?
Related link:
State Newspaper article
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)