Busy Bullets

Well, I've been a bit absent, and I apologize. I don't have much time because I have a few things yet to finish up for school, but here is what my life has been like, bulleted below for you!

• Monday, Dec. 8th -- read my screenplay in class, got some awesome constructive critcism from my classmates and trudged home in the beautiful falling snow to watch The Take (see FilmAching).
• Tuesday, Dec. 9th -- went to work, came home and met with the contractor who was there for something...can't remember what though since there has been so much! A new sink, new pipes, new outlets (ah, that must have been it) and tomorrow he'll be back for a working dryer!
• Tuesday, Dec. 9th: Night -- Slept for two hours in the afternoon, watched some TV and then a second viewing of The Take and then writing...writing...till about 2am when I finished! One down, three to go!
• Wednesday, Dec. 10th -- work, school - last Documentary History class of the semester - hand in the paper, discuss the merits of sound effects and music in documentary and film in general after viewing Koyaanisqatsi, get home, watch Jackie Brown and pretty much go to bed.
• Thursday, Dec. 11th -- work, home, sleep for three hours, TV, start second Jackie Brown viewing around 10pm, write Jackie Brown paper. 1:30am, start finishing Burn After Reading paper. 2:30am start writing Final Coen Brother's paper -- Finish at 3:30am!! (yes, I wrote an entire paper in one hour, but it was pretty short and I had outlined it already)
• Friday, Dec. 12th -- school, hand in three papers!! Watch Kill Bill Vol. 2, go to screen writing pitch practice for feature length screen-writing students (yawn) go home, watch some tele. Asleep at 5:30pm...
• Saturday, Dec. 13th -- wake up at 8 after 14 and half glorious hours of sleep, start cleaning like crazy for a cookie baking party that only two people show up to - which is fine cause it was fun anyway and there are more cookies for me!
• Saturday, Dec. 13th: Night -- go to a fancy dress potluck that was really fun until I (apparently) got some sort of migraine which has never happened before and felt really icky!
• Sunday, Dec. 14th -- church, lit the advent candle, watched the Christmas Pageant ("Moo! Moo! Mooove over and make room for the Christ Child!" so cute!), go to Herberger's for the first time(not impressed), go to lunch, take a nap in the car while Annalee got a Christmas present for Comrade Landlord's (which means me, too!), go home, sleep for a few hours, go to the Cedar Cultural Center and see the Neal and Leandra Christmas Concert! (more on this later when I get the pictures up, hopefully tomorrow), trudge home through the very swiftly falling snow and bitter cold.

And that brings us to today, trudging back to the bus stop, just missing my bus, almost freezing off my thighs to get to work.

I have one little thing to do for screen-writing, and then I'm done for the semester!! Woot woot!!

MommyKnickers comes on Wed., CordeliaKnits on Saturday and DaddyHankiePants next Tuesday! EEEEEE!!!!

Sad (Christmas) Day

If you follow MommyKnickers blog (see my blog roll for the link) than you know of the Advent stories she records for me, which she has been, and will be, posting about throughout Advent. Many of my Christmas favorites are sad, and I even added another one to that list just this past weekend.

SONGS: My favorite song (possibly out of all songs, but definitely of Christmas songs) is Neal and Leandra's Mary's Lullaby (sometimes performed by Neal, and then changed to Joseph's Lullaby). It is so beautiful and so sad...Mary is singing and knows Jesus' fate -- "Hush now, don't cry every heart must break sometimes. I'll hold you tight until the world has broken mine." -- I literally just got tears in my eyes typing that.

BOOKS: There are many Christmas/Winter stories that make me cry, some from a kind of empathetic joy, but many from sadness. To name a few...The Little Match Girl, The Clown of God (btw, you should totally go to that link because it links to a Clown Ministry website - my worst hated thing!), and my most recent acquisition, The Birds' Christmas Carol, about a little girl who is born on Christmas (just like me). She brings great happiness to her family and those who know her, but she becomes ill, and, well, it is set in the 1880's and was written at the turn of the 20th century, so I think you can guess what happens there.

But really, the story of little Carol Bird is an allegory for Christ, albeit a bit watered down. At one point Carol's parents decide that she is not entirely of this place, and that, when she has done what God sent her to do, God will take her back. Surprisingly, I didn't cry when I read it. But then, I usually don't cry on Black Friday.

Why not? I cry all the time during Advent and Christmastide. Here's my theory: At Christmas we celebrate a birth. This tiny new, innocent, weak creature comes into our midst wanting to love and be loved. But we know that the world will crush him. The world will break his mother's heart and refuse to learn the things he has to teach us. We cry because we are thinking of that baby and his family and their pain.

But then Lent comes. What can I do to change my habits? What do I need to be forgiven for? And then Jesus breaks the bread and offers the wine...for us. He offers up his body and soul for us that we may live*...and so Lent and Easter become about us. We don't take the time to mourn the death of our teacher.

Imagine this: The Youth Pastor at your church just had a birthday - the church threw him a party where they told him how much they appreciate his work, as well as just liking him as a person. He's gay, which is a.o.k. by your congregation, but apparently not o.k. with the thugs who beat him up one night, leaving him in a bloody heap to die. People from all over have opinions about it, and people from your own community and denomination are saying that maybe God wanted it that way.

The day of his funeral comes and no one shows. The church is empty and cold and he has no mourners...except his mother.

But it wouldn't happen like that, would it? There would be candlelight vigils and benefits to raise money so his partner could pay for the funeral. Hot dishes and pans of bars would find their way to his mother's house with cards of sympathy attached. It would be standing room only at his memorial service, crying - no, sobbing, for this lost blessed soul would abound, and no one would ever forget him, or deny knowing him.

So why don't we treat Jesus this way? Why don't we scream and sob at the injustice of his death?

Anyone who has loved a baby knows that when you hold that sleeping/squirming/squealing thing in you hands...nothing else matters. You would do anything for that baby and your wants and needs are the last thing on your mind.

I plan on trying to think about this more this lent and Easter season, so please check back to see what I come up with!



*Just a side note that I don't actually know if I buy into the whole 'dying to save my sins' stuff...but that's the common theology, so that's what I am going on.

Session 2: Joy. To: The World

Right on the heels of Session 1 - my response to Session 2!

For Reflection
1. What demands your attention in this Advent season? Schoolwork! One of the worst things about being in school for me is that finals coincide with TMWTY (see previous post). I got behind this semester, let's face it, as usual. I now have four papers to write and a 12 page screenplay to finish. The papers are all due before the 12th, and the screenplay is due the 15th - two days before MommyKnickers arrives! It is so hard to tear myself away from Advent celebrations to write boring papers (especially since they are on violent movies). My screenplay takes place at Christmas, but is also rather depressing.

2. What in your life needs to be scattered by God's arm? Hmmm...that's hard. Worry. Stress. Being uptight about little things. And, as hard as this is, I think a few good friends and I have already been scattered - though hopefully the purpose is the journey back to each other.

3. What brings you joy? Singing. Children. Family.

Yesterday I sang in church, a wonderful Advent song I fell in love with last year. I received the usual thanks and "good job" comments that are always appreciated (but make me feel uncomfortable). But a few people mentioned that it made them cry. Honestly, it was all I could do to not say, "Oh, I'm so glad!" With a song like Koppangen, one that tells a little story and fits my voice pretty well, my hope is always that someone will be moved, like really moved. I think "tears of joy" represent that disturbing kind of joy that Songbird talks about. You can hear a song and not be sure why you are crying, especially when it is one that talks about happy things.

Children also bring me great joy. And sometimes it is a little disturbing, like when children make comments that ring so true - and then they go back to playing with their play-dough. This Friday I get to baby-sit two of my favorite little people, a brother and sister who always make me laugh and often make me think disturbingly deep thoughts. I am sure they will be in full crazy-town mode - children tend to be more visibly affected my the unseen energies in the air than we bottled up adults - and I can't wait!

I am a family kind of person, and am therefore lucky to live with two family members and go to church with another all year round. But this Christmas will bring me a special kind of joy when my mom dad and sister come to MPLS for Christmas. I am especially excited to visit with my sister. CordeliaKnits makes me laugh like no one else can, and I honestly wouldn't mind a tickle fight or two. That kind of Joy is hard for me to find in someone outside my family, outside of someone who knows all my joys and sadness and can laugh with me anyway.

Advent Retreat: Session 1 Reflection

Over at RevGalBlogPals they are having an all day Virtual Advent Retreat. They will post three reflections from bona-fide theologians, and the rest of us get to read, and hopefully reflect. I am a little late in getting started, since Session 2 is already up, but here it goes:

For reflection:
You might like to consider where and why you protest about building a highway for God.
Which hills need to become valleys...or which mountains are really molehills?
Listen again to the reassurance "Do not fear...Here is your God."
God is speaking into the situation of your greatest anxiety. Where your fear is most deeply seated, there God is already waiting.

I am interested in the mountains-which-are-really-molehills concept. At first I thought, "I don't do that!" And this is why - When my friends start freaking about this, that, and the other, I try to be a voice of calm and reason. For instance, the stress level in my own home has gone down a bit since I took control of organizing the upcoming plumbing project. The Comrade Landlords really complement me in some ways because they tend to take things pretty seriously - such as the complicated nature of getting plumber, contractor and dweller's schedules to align - whereas I try to take it one step at a time, trusting that everything will end happily, since that has been the majority of my experience these last 24 years. But sometimes, I don't make a big enough deal out of things, and that can leave me unprepared, whereas Comrade Landlords are very prepared people.

But, Comrade Landlord #1 would say I make a mountain out of a mole hill at Christmas.

A little background - Out of 23 Christmas celebrations (not including the day I was born) I have avoided crying twice. The anticipation that we have, the excitement we build up to during Advent just overwhelms me and I end up crying (in my defense, two of the most recent years had good excuses - missing CordeliaKnits and having a panic attack at a movie). Every year I try not to get quite as pumped up, to save myself the agony, but how can I not?

As I believe I have stated before, it is my belief that Christmas is the
MOST. WONDERFUL. TIME. OF. THE. YEAR.

People are a little happier. Streets seem a little cleaner. Music is 99% less melancholy. Families come together.

And all of us, young or old, GLB or T, single or committed, with children or without, get to anticipate the arrival of a new baby. A baby who wants to help us smooth our mountains and make our highways straight.

SO, there's this mole hill, and its name is Christmas Preparation, and I make a big deal. I bake cookies. I decorate. I listen to Christmas music almost exclusively. I go overboard with presents (many hand-made, more on that later). And I try to get others excited to. I want their molehills to be mountains too.

Is that so bad?

Trying this again...hope this works!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Here's a funny thing of me, MommyKnickers and DaddyHankiePants doing a dance for you!!!

You asked for it!

Christmas is Coming...

Here is a picture of the gloves I bought myself yesterday. These are to hold me over until I get the ones I want from L.L. Bean (they are on my wish list for Christmas/Birthday, but if I don't get them then, I will order them after said holidays, especially since I want the hat on my wish list more...*hint*hint*).

I really like these gloves because:
a. They are convertible to mittens so my fingers can keep each other warm!
b. Even the thumbs are convertible! This allows me to pop just a thumb out to play with my iPod at the bus stop, something I couldn't do last winter and so resorted to using my nose!
and...
c. They were cheap! Well, for Target gloves at least - they were $9.99, which is pretty good considering all the features!


Yes, it has become obvious here in the Twin Cities that Christmas is indeed coming, and how! On Sunday as I waited for the bus to take me to church the streets were quiet and the only things rushing were the little snowflakes. I could just imagine them, flying around in a frenzy, singing "I'm late, I'm late, for a very important date!"

Later on Sunday I saw an ad for the Macy's Minneapolis 46th Annual Animated Holiday Show and Santa Claus at Macy's SantaLand!, which is of course actually the Dayton's 8th Floor Show, but since the Macy's takeover has been re-named...but don't get me started on that! Still, it is always a wonderful show and this year the story is A Day in the Life of an Elf, so I am sure there will be some spectacular displays. If you have never been, have no fear, it is a tradition for me to go every year, so I will post something really good about it closer to Christmas (I think going before Thanksgiving is a bit much).

Yesterday the snow actually stayed on the ground in the morning! It's funny how gray wet weather makes me gloomy-- unless there is snow involved, and then I get happy and excited!

Three numbers run through my head today:
34
41
42

34 days till MommyKnickers arrives! 41 days till Christmas Eve! 42 days till my birthday!

Of course, one reader in particular should note that it is also only 17 days till the first day of Advent...*hint*hint*nudge*nudge*

I played the wrong one!

Wow, two posts in one day! This is what getting used to internet at home and then its absence does to a person! Celeste out and out tagged me for this meme, so I thought I better play, since that rarely happens!



1. It is always hard for me to come up with facts not widely known about myself...at least ones I care to share with people!

2. I dream of working in the film industry, as an editor and/or director, but I am scared of having to live in L.A.!

3. I have always thought it would be fun to work as an entertainer on a cruise ship! Sleep all day by a pool in the middle of the ocean and then sing in a cocktail lounge all night!

4. I realize #3 is highly unlikely and that most jobs like this are really hard work and offer little compensation. And I also realize that with my skill set and looks I would be likely to get cast as Mrs. Potts from Beauty and the Beast on a Disney cruise and have to wear an unbearable costume all the time!

5. I have great disdain for academics.

6. I fantasize about living in a small house and getting rid of a lot of my crap. And truly, I would rather have animals and children running around then books and knick-knacks laying about, but that's just where I am right now.

7. I have to pretend all winter to complain and commiserate over our weather, but truly, I love every snow-flake! The slush, not so much, but I don't see that as weather, that's just what happens because of cars and such...but I ask you, what is more beautiful than a riverbank in January after a snowfall? (note, I said more. I think there are many things in nature AS beautiful, but they are all equal, if you see what I'm saying)

Thanks for tagging me Celeste!

One Word Meme

It's been an up and down kind of week, culminating in a good sermon on anger (which I needed!) and the remembering of homework I needed to do! So, after church today I got myself to a computer and typed up my bit for a scene my group is writing for screenwriting. Soon I am going to head to my fav lil theatre to watch at least one movie, but maybe two, just to make up for lost time! I can't wait for popcorn!!

And now, Celeste invited me to play along with this meme from her blog! Here it goes!

Where is your mobile phone? Window-sill
Where is your significant other? missing
Your hair colour? auburn
Your mother? storyteller
Your father? dreamer
Your favourite thing? singing
Your dream last night? unnerving
Your dream goal? film-maker
The room you're in? dinning room
Your hobby? refurbishing
Your fear? loss
Where do you want to be in 6 years? home
Where were you last night? play
What you're not? risk-taking
One of your wish-list items? mittens
Where you grew up? CityofLakes
The last thing you did? wrote
What are you wearing? layers
Your TV? unplugged
Your pets? bestever
Your computer? not mine
Your mood? peaceful
Missing someone? always
Your car? shared
Something you're not wearing? mittens
Favourite shop? target
Your summer? short
Love someone? love many
Your favourite colour? green
When is the last time you laughed? monday, screenwriting
When is the last time you cried? thursday, car ride

Music Meme

Mommyknickers did this meme over at her blog and I thought I would give it a shot too! (Note: My advice is to do number 3 first as you can otherwise be influenced greatly by the band name and album title!)

1. Band Name: Random Wikipeda Link

2. Album Title: Random quote generator (take the last four words from the first quote on the page)

3. Album Art: Flickr Interesting Photo (pick one)


My new bands name is State Road 261 and our breakthrough album is titled Shall They be Saved. The album cover is below. Our music is mainly Old-Timey, but we like to do covers of non-old-timey stuff, if you know what I mean. Our big hit single is an old-timey version of 'Ode to Billy Joe,' originally by Bobbie Gentry.

One Singular Sensation

There is nothing like the feeling you get when your candidate has won. Nothing. It is a singular sensation.

Yesterday I had this feeling like I hadn't found my song. Some days have songs, and there were a lot of songs running through my head, but none of them was 'the' song, ya know? But it hit me this morning...



...that's how I felt all day yesterday--so excited at the possibilities that lay in front of us, but so scared of the possibility that it could all blow up in our faces.

Then this morning I woke up and I thought, "there's my song!" I had it on the tip of my tongue when I woke up, but it quickly slipped away. I worked at finding it again as I got ready for work..."Woot! Woot! Said he's leaving..." no, that's obviously not it, I just like the 'woots'. "Morning glow, by your light..." nope, that's not it either. hmmm...

wait! I've got it!



(side note: I wish you could hear the young man I went to school with in New York sing this song...Beautiful, tall, dancer, African-American man who was still discovering his voice...he was having a difficult time connecting with the emotion of the song...until the teacher asked him to imagine the way he felt at the end of a dance. Breath taking.)

So, if you have a song to sing today, let me know! It is definitely a day for singing from the rooftops!

a single tear

I got up this morning at 6:22 --- about 14 minutes later then I meant to --- to accompany Comrade Landlord to the polls. We got to the site a few minutes before 7 as planned and waited in line with our neighbors. Sleepy but excited, the line had a visible bounce to it as we waited for the doors to open.

When we got inside Comrade Landlord vouched for me (I was a little lazy in getting my address change made official, but luckily being vouched for is incredibly easy). He was the 37th person to cast his vote in our district, and I was the 39th.

Standing in line, looking at the people who make up my incredibly diverse neighborhood, tears came to my eyes. Voting is this amazing thing that so many take for granted, but I knew standing there that no one here was taking it for granted. Not today. Even in the 5th District of Minneapolis, which is historically about as liberal as it gets, all the washed out hippies, first time voters, Little Earth residents* and hipsters, saw this as a chance to have our voices heard, to make an impact, to take a stand.

When I got to work early I spent some time on facebook. A lot of my friends had used their status updates to say things like, "I voted, did you?" and "last chance! Vote Obama!"

again, tears in my eyes. I was saying to a friend, I think some of us younger committed liberal voters were really damaged by the 2000 and '04 elections. These were our first chances to vote and it felt like we couldn't make the impact we wanted to. Our eyes were opened in a very real and serious way to how much of an impact individuals can have. We don't want another victory to slip through our hands.

My friend, Singing Twin P., participated in Midnight Madness last night where, from 11pm to 2am, a group of young citizens went around the University campus posting signs, talking to bar hoppers about where and how to vote and doing what they could to get out the vote at the last minute. He has been working really hard this past few months to make sure that college students make their voices heard.

A cousin posted a video on her blog which I will paste here as well.



once again, little miss water works over here.

Then I watched Obama on the daily show from a few days ago. This is what we need, I thought. My stomach flipped. I've done what I can do, what anyone can do. I voted. Tears.
(*Little Earth is a community for Native peoples in Minneapolis and the school that houses many of their programs is where the polls were, right across the street from the Little Earth housing development. For a short time I worked as a sub for one of the child care center's that works out of the building)

Updated a Little

Hello, just to let you know, I have updated my "side-lines" on the blog...in case you were getting bored with them!

Thanks for checking in!

Who Knew?

I guess I'm surprised, but then again, I don't know much about Marilyn, so I guess if you believe this quiz we had a lot in common!

Your result for Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz...

You Are a Marilyn!

You are a Marilyn -- "I am affectionate and skeptical."

Marilyns are responsible, trustworthy, and value loyalty to family, friends, groups, and causes. Their personalities range broadly from reserved and timid to outspoken and confrontative.

How to Get Along with Me

• * Be direct and clear


• * Listen to me carefully


• * Don't judge me for my anxiety


• * Work things through with me


• * Reassure me that everything is OK between us


• * Laugh and make jokes with me


• * Gently push me toward new experiences


• * Try not to overreact to my overreacting.

----these are all so true it's creepy!----

What I Like About Being a Marilyn

• * being committed and faithful to family and friends


• * being responsible and hardworking


• * being compassionate toward others


• * having intellect and wit


• * being a nonconformist


• * confronting danger bravely


• * being direct and assertive

What's Hard About Being a Marilyn

• * the constant push and pull involved in trying to make up my mind


• * procrastinating because of fear of failure; having little confidence in myself


• * fearing being abandoned or taken advantage of


• * exhausting myself by worrying and scanning for danger


• * wishing I had a rule book at work so I could do everything right---this only lasts for the first few months to a year of a job for me----
  


• * being too critical of myself when I haven't lived up to my expectations---this is true, and even more so when they are expectations I set for myself without anyone else knowing. strange, I know----
  

Marilyns as Children Often

• * are friendly, likable, and dependable, and/or sarcastic, bossy, and stubborn


• * are anxious and hypervigilant; anticipate danger


• * form a team of "us against them" with a best friend or parent----I don't remember this past the little "girl vs. boy" wars of 5th grade. In jr. High I was somewhat of a uniter---
  


• * look to groups or authorities to protect them and/or question authority and rebel


• * are neglected or abused, come from unpredictable or alcoholic families, and/or take on the fearfulness of an overly anxious parent

Marilyns as Parents

• * are often loving, nurturing, and have a strong sense of duty


• * are sometimes reluctant to give their children independence---I don't think this one will be a problem---
  


• * worry more than most that their children will get hurt


• * sometimes have trouble saying no and setting boundaries

Take Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz at HelloQuizzy

the weather outside is frightful...

...but it's warm inside, so I'm happy! Yes, my 'landlords' finally turned on the heat! I am actually happy to have the "nasty" weather too, since I really like winter and this is a prelude to that. Coming out of church this morning it was sleeting a little, and by the time I got to the car it was snowing a tiny little bit!! Yay!!

Halloween is only a week away and I am stressing out because I am organizing the haunted house and activities for the Fall Fling at our church on Sat. the 1st. Have I ever told you how much I dislike working with type A personalities? It's true. We need to draw a line over which they can not cross. Why can't everyone go with the flow like me?

OK, I don't always go with the flow, and sometimes when I do it ends up being bad. But I think mostly I know when to hang in there or when to cut my losses, and either way, I try not to bring others down with me; to take responsibility for my own actions; to respect others need for details, and lie to them in order to give them the illusion of details... ;)

So, anyway. I chaperoned the lock-in for the high school kids at church last night. It was pretty fun actually, aided by the fact that my crazy best friend (whom I have known forever and grew up with me at church) came and hung out with us after she got off work.

It was good to hang with the kids and fun to get to know some of them a little better. They are all a little too old for me to have baby sat (well, not quite, as one of the seniors was my first charge, but he wasn't there) but too young to have been in youth group with me, which would have been awkward I think. I was still a little nervous, since I didn't know these kids. Would they be rowdy? Would they be disrespectful? What about just plain boring? Luckily they were none of these things.

My favorite story of the night: The youth leader pulled some stuff out of the freezer when I started to make the frozen pizza and said we could make those, too. They were little petite cheese things and some deep fried shrimp. I was thinking, Oookay... interesting choice of snakes to buy for a bunch of teens, but whatev. so I made them and put them out and the kids ate them...and then the youth leader said he had just FOUND them in the freezer. Someone went and checked on the expiration date...over a year ago.

OK, so that's pretty funny right? Everyone was all "eewww!!" and "Your trying to poison us!" and we laughed and it was all good.

Then a few hours later everyone was playing rock band and I thought, these kids need some popcorn. So I went and found the box of microwave pop corn I had purchased that day for them and made some. I brought it in and told them it was there with bowls.

The youngest kid there, the 8th grade friend of a youth group member, turned to me and said, "well, like, how long has it been here?" and I said, "about a minute, I just made it now," thinking to myself that he seemed a little dense. And he said, "no, I mean like here, in the kitchen here...like a year?" I almost started laughing hysterically! But I held it together and said "No, no, I bought it today!" And then I called out to everyone that it was fresh, just bought today!

Now, no one had yet moved to take any, and I thought it was because they were wrapped up in rock band. But sure enough, as soon as I told them it wasn't a year old, there was a rush of kids to get at the bag!

Oh, I laughed and laughed!

(btw, as I was re-reading that for glaring mistakes, I had said "poop" instead of "pop" twice! perhaps I should've left them in!)

OK, I should get to bed even though I took a four hour nap to recover from last night.

Oh, and have I told you I have the cutest/smartest cat EVER? It's tru, and sometime tomorrow you will see that it's true if you check her blog!

FRIDAY FIVE: Coin Toss

Songbird at RevGalBlogPals writes: Well, Gals and Pals, this weekend we'll be rendering unto Caesar what is Caesar's, and that has me thinking about coinage.

1) When was the last time you flipped a coin or even saw one flipped in person?

I think it has been a very long time since I flipped a coin. And I can't recall seeing it in person recently either. However, I have seen two films recently that had coin flipping. The first was the Dark Knight in which TwoFace is born. Before he becomes evil he is a do-gooder who flips a coin his father gave him because he believes in fate. The other one I am having a hard time remembering at the moment, though I feel it must have been a Coen brother's film...any ideas?

2) Do you have any foreign coins in your house? If so, where are they from?

Daddy Hankie pants gave me some of the Iraqi money he brought back from his time there. I am also sure I have some Canadian coins about that the change machines never take.

3) A penny saved is a penny earned, they say. But let's get serious. Is there a special place in heaven for pennies, or do you think they'll find a special place in, well, the other place?

I feel bad for pennies. I have to admit that I don't chase after them if they fall from my purse...on the other hand, I will stop to pick one up, since that is considered good luck and I need all the help I can get! I also save them when I am cleaning out my purse, because they do add up if you have enough!

4) How much did you get from the tooth fairy when you were a child? and if you have children of your own, do they get coins, or paper money? (I hear there may be some inflation.)

As Mommy Knickers points out, we started with quarters. I think my belief in the tooth fairy was shattered earlier then anything else (i.e. Santa, the Easter Bunny, democracy...), but I still always looked forward to it because of the notes she would write me in squiggly handwriting, like there was this ethereal being out there who took an interest in me, even past my oral health.

When I was in high school I had to have a major amount of dental work done, including having my upper wisdom teeth out (the lower ones came out a few years later). I seem to recall getting a kind of under the pillow bonus that night of about $25...yes, I am the youngest, and yes, I am spoiled.

5) Did anyone in your household collect the state quarters? And did anyone in your household manage to sustain the interest required to stick with it?

No one in my household, but a kid I babysat for did. I babysat every Saturday morning, and every week he would want to show it to me, even though there was almost never any new ones! I generally don't have the patience for things that involve big pieces of cardboard, ya know?

A Promise of New Life

I just found out that a Dog Blogger whose blog I lurked on occasionally has died. I don't know, really, anything about his family or the dog. I have no reason to mourn the passing, and yet I do.

For me, mourning is really about mourning a part of our lives that has left and can never return. For the Person (be they human or furry friend) who has left, we as Christians, can be comforted in knowing that they are with the Creator, safe and happy in Her hands, in a way unachievable to those of us still here...

But in my personal theology it doesn't stop there, in that loving embrace. God asks us to return, to do more good works, to make this world a better place.

Jesus promises us all a chance to redeem ourselves through him. He himself is reincarnated when he raises from the dead, and when we take Communion we experience the way in which Jesus/God is part of everything, from the wheat in the fields and grapes in the vines to our worshiping mouths taking in the holy spirit. But where does it say that we are only given this one body to take our journey with?

I came to this belief for myself after many years of feeling I had been here before, and that there is just too much I need to accomplish spiritually in the next 60 to 70 years.

So, I'm thinking about Grendel and how much he is missed and I am thinking that his soul must have gone through some tough times and done some good things to have been lucky enough to come back as Grendel, to such a loving home.

a quick little post

I have to make this quick because I amcatsitting for a friend and so tryng out the indian restraunt by her house that I have always wanted to visit. So, I have to go pick up my order shortly!

This week has been crazy! I had to mmove out of my house for a few days while the floors are sanded so I am jumping between catsitting jobs and then back to y aunts until wednesday when it should all be done!

Oh and the reason my typos are worse then usual is because my friend's computer is a laptop and I am super bad at tping on laptop computers!

wow, this looks like a lol post!

It's been a while. My life has been pretty darned crazy in the last two months, so here's a quick recap:

July, decide not to go to Mich Fest this year :( , find out I can't live with Hugo Buffo and The Collector, and subsequently don't know where I will live come September, then find out I can because they are buying a house. Yay! Finish up my English class...with an A!! Double Yay!

Early August, after returning from a Boundary Waters Trip I get to packing. This shouldn't take so much work in a studio, but it does. HB and C find a house and make an offer, they get it and we start making plans.


Mid-August, start cleaning the house. Filled with the smells of nicotine, dog and dying people, this takes about 10 paid helpers, a weekend and a week of a lot of painting with Kilz. And, p.s., it still smells pretty rank in some places.

BUT...the wood work is beautiful, the outside was redone recently so there is no work to be done there, and now Winifred T. Katt has an awesome big house to play in and catch mice in! Oh, had I left out the mice?

Late August, we move in, but can't unpack because we are having the floors redone at the end of September, so most of my stuff sits on the porch while the dining room, living room, study, extra living room and front room are filled almost to the ceilings with boxes and furniture! We all moved from smaller spaces, so why does it seem like our stuff takes up more space? Probably because we all have a fair amount of books (I have the least of my family, and I have about 3 book cases worth). Quit my job at the mall because I don't have the time for it. Classes start. I have been randomly selected by the government to have my taxes, FAFSA, and other stuff compared to make sure I'm not lying. This will take 4-6 weeks, and I can't get any financial aid till then. So, it looks like I will be dirt poor until the end of October. No Soup for You!

Early September, life is a whirl-wind of new bus schedules, digging out warm clothes, remembering how to do homework and adjusting to a new work schedule. Also, mourning the loss of my good friend from last semester, who moved to NY and got a job in the industry right away...no. fair.

So, hopefully, I will get back to blogging more, and I will try to post some pictures of my crazy life.

(The first picture is one of the two "staging areas I had in my apartment - I had over 40 boxes and lots of loose ends. The second picture is from when I was cleaning the base boards in The Collector's room, by far the worst smelling of the bedrooms. It has since been primed and painted a lovely shade of blue (but a different blue than it was already))

Friday Five: Labor Day

At RevGalBlogPals:

Here in the USA we are celebrating the last fling of the good ol' summertime. It is Labor Day weekend, and families are camping, playing in the park, swimming, grilling hotdogs in the backyard, visiting amusement parks and zoos and historical sites and outdoor concerts and whatever else they can find to help them extend summer's sun and play just a little bit longer.

It is supposed to also be a celebration of the working man and woman, the backbone of the American economy, the "salt-of-the-earth nieces and nephews of Uncle Sam. With apologies to those in other countries, this is a Friday Five about LABOR. All can play. Put down that hammer, that spoon, that rolling pin, that rake, that pen, that commentary, that lexicon, and let's have some fun.

1. Tell us about the worst job you ever had.

Ok, it's time for the truth here...I've only had, like, three jobs if you role all the nannying and babysitting and child care related stuff into one. So, yeah there were definitely babysitting clients I didn't care for, but it isn't really appropriate to discuss those online...overall I have been very lucky, with bosses, co-workers, companies, the whole sha-bang...get back to me in 10 years!

2. Tell us about the best job you ever had.

I realize in the last question I rolled all the child care into one, but I have to single out my work for the Norwegian and the Dutch-ess as being the best job I have ever had. The parents are freelance artists and the two boys are awesome free spirits who have really good morals even at 3 and 5. Besides being a great family by any standards, I think our philosophies on child-rearing really meshed better then with all my other clients. They would actually tell me not to play with the kids constantly, that they need to learn how to play on their own, which I completely agree with. I miss those little guys!

3. Tell us what you would do if you could do absolutely anything (employment related) with no financial or other restrictions.

Right now, I think I would like to be employed as an assistant to an editor. I know I don't have the skillz yet to be a full-blown editor, but working along side a really cool, knowledgeable easy-going editor would be super awesome!

4. Did you get a break from labor this summer? If so, what was it and if not, what are you gonna do about it?

My trip to the Boundary Waters was my only break, which was great and I am sure would be long to most people, but the past three years I had scheduled my work around a three week trip to Michigan which I couldn't do this year, so it doesn't really feel like I have had any break at all...especially now that I am back in school already!

5. What will change regarding your work as summer morphs into fall? Are you anticipating or dreading?

Well, I like to think that part of my "job" right now is school, and I just realized that my two Film Theory classes have a few papers due the same weeks, so that will be a new challenge for me! Also, we are starting a new announcement system at the church I work for and I am really excited, but a little nervous that people won't like it (even though they should, but their church folk and sometimes they don't see what's best for them!)

Bonus question: For the gals who are mothers, do you have an interesting story about labor and delivery (LOL)? If you are a guy pal, not a mom, or you choose not to answer the above, is there a song, a book, a play, that says "workplace" to you? This is one of my absolute favorite songs of all time! We used to sing it in elementary school and I would sing down the octave from where everyone else was singing...then I would be told not to do that...but how could I help myself!? This song sounds the best being sung in a big, deep man voice! The best line is, "If you see me coming, better step aside, a lot of men didn't, and a lot of men died." Classic.

Friday Five: What's in a Name?

RevHRod at RevGalBlogPals writes:

If you are a regular reader of Songbird's blog, you know that "The Princess" has requested a new name. Her older brother changed his "secret identity" a while back and now this lovely young lady is searching for a new name on her mother's blog. This got me to thinking. How do we come up with all of these names? There must be at least a few good stories out there.


1. So how did you come up with your blogging name? And/or the name of your blog? My original blogging name was SisterKnits. This came from a conversation my sister, Cordeliaknits, and I had about the yarn store we would someday own together where I would be the business end and she would pick the yarn to buy...it was to be called SisterKnits. I recently changed it because I really don't have time to knit much, so I don't. I don't have time because I am usually doing film related things in my spare time, hence, SisterFilms.

Last summer I was dogsitting for my friend who is a Children's Book Editor and didn't have anything to read. So I went rummaging through her vintage collection of 1970s young-adult novels and found Judy Blume's Are You There God, It's me, Margaret. I loved the book and happened to be starting this blog at the same time, so it seemed like a good match(click the link to read my first ever post about why I chose the title!). My other blog, FilmAching, is a play on the words film making -- I often slur my words together so that when I was getting a "Self Loan" people always thought I was saying "Cell Phone," so this seemed like a good fit. Anyway, it's based on the idea that you can love something so bad it hurts.

2. Are there any code names or secret identities in your blog? Any stories there? Well, check out Mommyknickers site, to see an explanation of that. Hugo Boffo...I am not really sure because he picked it himself and I can't remember, maybe he will chime in with that info.

3. What are some blog titles that you just love? For their cleverness, drama, or sheer, crazy fun? I really like a lot of the knitting blogger's titles, like dolly dimple knits, and yarn harlot

4. What three blogs are you devoted to? Other than the RevGalBlogPals blog of course! Well, obviously Cordeliaknits and one she recently introduced me too, the Pioneer Woman - warning! that site is addictive! I also really like Subway Knitter.

5. Who introduced you to the world of blogging and why? Cordeliaknits, definitely. I kind of knew what a blog was, but to hear the news talk about them, they were this weird thing for politicos and tabloid journalists, so I wasn't all that interested. But, as usual, Cordeliaknits opened my eyes to something I now can't live without...it's a really good thing she isn't into drugs, or she would have gotten me hooked, too!

Bonus question: Have you ever met any of your blogging friends? Where are some of the places you've met these fun folks? I have met the blogger of StoneSoupArt when I visited Berkeley last spring and then, obviously, the ones I've known all my life!

Random thoughts Running around in my head today...

...wishing i was there not here...and by "there" i mean anywhere but here...

it's really past time to get rid of that car...

..."if the fish swam out of the water, and grew legs and they started walking"...

...why does this denomination need so many rules?...why does my denomination not have a lot of rules?

...why aren't women's studies classes mandatory for high school and college students?...
why is "aren't" grammatically acceptable in the sentence above, but "are not" in its place would sound stupid?

...how about I not be so shy anymore? you know, around strangers...

why can't I spend my days watching movies and writing instead of working and commuting?

..."if the apes climbed down from the trees, and grew tall and they started talking"...

...I hope winifred is OK...

...is it weird that I want it to be september now when I won't have anytime anymore? at least I wouldn't have so much time to THINK...

..."and the stars fell out of the sky, and my tears fell into the ocean"...

...why do we have to rent space to crazy people?

..."and now I'm looking for a reason why you even set my world into motion"...

Friday Five: Summer Camp!

Mother Laura at RevGalBlogPals says:

We're settling into our new new apartment, and after a lifetime at Montessori Katie is having a fantastic summer at YMCA day camp. Meanwhile, Nicholas is packing up for a week at Camp Julian, shared by the Episcopal dioceses of Los Angeles and San Diego. His lists of supplies and rules--except for the ropes course available to the teenagers and the ban on IPODs and cell phones--bring back memories of my own happy times weeks at Y camp Ta Ta Pochon, funded by selling countless cases of butter toffee peanuts. So, in celebration of summer, please share your own memories and preferences about camp.

1. 1. Did you go to sleep away camp, or day camp, as a child? Wish you could? Or sometimes wish you hadn't?

I attended one summer camp at Pilgrim Point, the Minnesota UCC camp in Alexandria when I was in third grade. I got terribly sick and they were mean about letting me call my mom, which I was mad about. So, I didn't have the greatest experience there.

But I also went on many Brownie trips and had lots of fun on those. My favorite place was Camp Locksly because it was like a really secluded lodge that we usually had all to ourselves.


2. How about camping out? Dream vacation, nightmare, or somewhere in between?

I love camping! We did a lot of it when I was little, though not as rough as some might have it…we had a trailer because of my p-rents back problems. Of course, usually I attend the Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival where we camp in tents for three weeks (those of us who work). Some of it is roughing it, but it’s mostly just nice. This summer I will not be going to Michigan, L, but I am going to the Boundary Waters for a weekend and that should be really fun! I haven’t been since I was about 7 or 8 I think, so I am hoping I will be up for the challenge!

3. Have you ever worked as a camp counselor, or been to a camp for your denomination for either work or pleasure?

At Michigan I work as a counselor for the boy’s camp. It is child care for mom’s attending the fest, but we run it like a day camp. I also once substituted at the JCC day camp in St. Louis Park. I had the kids write and produce a little play…I think it was about mice who solve a crime…big success!

4. Most dramatic memory of camp, or camping out?

I guess the thing I liked most about our Brownie trips was the way our troop was so rebellious! One trip, a big one with several troops all at the same camp, our troop leader snuck a tv/vcr into our cabin and we watched Cool Runnings! It was so against the rules that we didn't even tell one of our own troop members who was a total tattle-tale (before you judge my leader, let me just say that it was a very stressful year for us in which we had way less fun then Brownies should ever have!) That was such a great trip!

5. What is your favorite camp song or songs? Bonus points if you link to a recording or video.

This is a hard one! I love Make New Friends from brownies – as a Capricorn who still has friends from Kindergarten (who were in Brownies with me), this idea is an important one to me. But also I love the Danish Hiking Song we sing at West Denmark Family Camp!

Here is a different camping song I found on YouTube - High-larious!

And here is another song I remember from camp days at..Lake Barbra?...but I think these girls have way more attitude then we ever did! Look how the leader keeps flipping her hair! It reminds me of one of my favorite movies growing up...Troop Beverly Hills!!

God's Pottery is just about the funniest thing I have seen recently, and I am kind of sad they were kicked off Last Comic Standing, but happy I learned about their blog!

Here is a pretty funny video, but caution, subject matter is not for sensitive viewers!

Friday Five: Summer Reading

Woah, its been a while, huh? Well, here is a little Friday Five, brought to you by Songbird from the RevGalBlogPals:

Song Bird Writes:

Back in the day, before I went to seminary, I worked in the Children's Room at the Public Library, and every year we geared up for Summer Reading. Children would come in and record the books read over the summer, and the season included numerous special and celebratory events. As a lifelong book lover and enthusiastic summer reader, I find I still accumulate a pile of books for the summer.

This week, then, a Summer Reading Friday Five.

1) Do you think of summer as a particularly good season for reading? Why or why not?

Yes and no. As an older child (I couldn't really read on my own until 3rd grade) I loved to lay around with a book, fan positioned right in front of me, on a hot summer day. And leisurely trips to the air conditioned library were always welcome. Now, working two jobs and taking a summer class, I don't really find much time for it I'm afraid...or at least, no more time then I have the rest of the year!

2) Have you ever fallen asleep reading on the beach?

I can't say that I have. For one thing, I don't fall asleep that easily, especially not in public. Plus, if I am at the beach, I am either in the water or keeping an eye on children, as I am usually there in an official capacity as nanny or camp counselor. I did have a child fall asleep at the beach while I was reading to him though!

3) Can you recall a favorite childhood book read in the summertime?

I am one of those people who re-reads books on a regular basis, but some books are just better in one season or another. The book I re-read every summer or two is The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis. This is the least favorite of the Narnia books of many I have spoken with, but I think somehow the characters resonate with me. They are all lost throughout most of the book, but in each other they find a piece of the home they have been looking for. It is good for summer because it begins in a hot country.

4) Do you have a favorite genre for light or relaxing reading?

If I need something to breeze through I like to either re-read a Tamora Pierce book (fantasy) or pick up a not too trashy romance novel, like the ones by Julie Kenner

5) What is the next book on your reading list?

Right now I am reading A Wrinkle in Time and so the next logical step would be A swiftly Tilting Planet, right? My mom kind of read these to me, but I think she must have tried it about a year to soon, because I remember it going straight over my head and not wanting to tell her I didn't get what was happening. As a more mature reader, I now see that you aren't always supposed to know what is happening, which I actually like.

Agape

I have mentioned before that I am taking a summer course for English 1110, which is College English 1. Because it is a summer course, and therefore only 8 weeks long vs. the usual 16, we have to fit a weeks worth of studying and coursework into each class. This "week" one of our assignments is to write about a time, recently, that we practiced Agape. The focus of the class is the Civil Rights Movement and we have begun reading essays written by King, Rustin and Baldwin as well as looking at quotes and background about Gandhi.

In his essay, Pilgrimage to Nonviolence, King rights that Agape is a Greek term for love. And this particular kind of love is the kind that God has for us and that we must strive to have for our "enemies." A love which is not romantic, but which takes another person's humanity into consideration. Agape is at the heart of nonviolent resistance because it is through Agape that we understand and are able to keep ourselves from violence.

So, how do I write about having agape when there is no one I can think of that I hate? Hate is a really strong word, one I try to stop myself from using. Words have to much strength to use them lightly- "starving", "lame", "retarded" - these are terms my peers use constantly, many not giving a second thought to their use of words that debilitate people's minds.

But I digress.

So, I don't feel like I have a really strong argument, but here is the story I plan to write about for my assignment:

I was going to ride the bus to school last Tuesday, and I ended up having to run for the bus, which was, surprisingly, more or less on time (very rare for that particular route). Anyway, I was paying in change, and as I began to put the money in the slot, the bus driver jerked out of his stopped position and began driving down University. Well, although I was holding on, it was unexpected and I ended up dropping a dime. The bus driver, in a rather snarky tone, said, "I guess that would have been easier of you had gotten it ready on the side walk, huh?", to which I replied (equally snarky, I must admit), "well, I would have if I had the time, but I just got there when you pulled up!"

So, I am slightly annoyed already. The bus is pretty full, as it always is, and I begin to move towards the back where there seems to be a disproportionate number of seats open. As I reach the rear side-facing seats the group sitting in back calls out to me to watch out, because someone has vomited on a seat. I move to sit in the last row of forward facing seats instead, and see that the vomit is running under the seats on the floor. But what can I do? Somebody will need to sit there so there will be enough room, and better it be me then someone who doesn't notice and gets it on their shoes. So I sit down and gingerly place my feet on either side of the vomit-stream. I can see it is already drying.

I watch as the bus pulls into the next stop where a young white woman and an elderly Muslim gentleman are waiting. As the bus stops they both gesture to one another to board first. As they stand in that awkward yet pleasant moment when these sorts of oddities of respect occur, the bus driver yells out to them, "well, one of you get on already!" in an exasperated tone. Exasperation after a second of waiting, really? I pay close attention to the interaction between the bus driver and these new riders, and observe what I expect to see from him, based on my limited observance of his personality. He does not tell them of the vomit in the back.

In fact, for the entire 20 min. ride, he does not tell a single person about it. The only thing that saves anyone from sitting in it are the people near by who let them know. This is a public health concern! a small child could easily sit there or put there hand in it, and we all know where a child's hand ends up eventually! This is why the driver is supposed to take care of this as soon as possible!

I think of calling and reporting him. It would not be hard - I have my cell phone out, I see that the bus number is 502 and I have metro transit on speed-dial, I could call and report him while I am riding! Oh the joys of modern convenience!

But wait, who is this man? Why is he so unkind, and why is he neglecting to do his job? Does he have a family? My first thought is for his hypothetical children who may not have enough to eat or be able to go to the doctor...but I know that is unlikely. Bus drivers make good wages here, especially veteran ones, which this man appears to be.

Still, it has made me think...what else could be going on in this man's life right now that he is so distracted that his sense of common decency has escaped him, as well as his understanding of his job? Maybe his mother just died or his wife left him. Maybe he really wants go to Pride, but can't find the courage to come out to his friends (just kidding!)

I don't know. All I know is that he was disrespectful to me and to the other riders on that bus. I had an opportunity to report it. He would have been reprimanded. If I had been upset enough, he would have been forced to call and apologize (yeah, that's right, I live in Minnesota).

I had no reason to like this man, and I don't.

But by putting my phone away, I practiced Agape, the act of loving someone who does not show you any love in return.

Here Comes Summer and a New Blog

It is hot and muggy today so my brother and I went to see Iron Man (more on this in a moment) thinking to perhaps escape the heat, as well as celebrate his birthday (Happy Birthday, Bro!) Well, one out of two ain't bad...the AC in the the theater was out! Oh well.

Now, on to the New Blog business. This summer I plan on watching a lot of movies and, to keep my skills up, I will be blogging about many of them on my new blog, FilmAching.

So head on over to read what the term FilmAching means as well as read a post about my thoughts on Iron Man.

Auntieknickers (henceforth known to my readers and I as Mommyknickers) has tagged me for a meme. Pretty exciting as this never happens to me!

Rules: The rules of the game get posted at the beginning. Each player answers the questions/statements about himself or herself. At the end of the post, the player then tags five people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

Ten years ago:
I had just finished 7th grade, my first year of Bel Canto Voices and was I believe begining rehersals for the children's chorus in Tosca with the MN Opera.

Five things on today's "to do" list:
finish watching my movies before 8pm
return said videos
go to work and finish the stuff I forgot to do yesterday (oops)
go to hang with Sonshinein and friends at the Bedlam

Things I'd do if I was a billionaire:
pay off my student loans as well as my parents, sister's and brother's
buy a house
buy a hybrid vehicle (or an electric one)
invest in films to make more money to make my own films

Three bad habits:
computer games
not doing my homework when I should
not putting away clean clothes right away

Five places I've lived:
Minneapolis - Soutwest
New York - Hayden Hall Hotel
New York - 63rd and West End Ave
Minneapolis - Powderhorn
Minneapolis - Steavens Square Park


Five jobs I've had:
retail
secretary
nanny
singer for funerals
that's it!!

More Pictures From My Trip

Well, here's what you've all been waiting for: pictures of the trailer that Cordelia and Leslie (and Asha, Peanut and Deacon) are now residing in! (something tells me it is probably not this neat anymore, as moving day was yesterday!)

Here is an outside view. As you can see, there is a pop out extension which is where the spacious dinning room table is. In this picture is also a sneak peek at some of the potted garden that Leslie has planted around the lot (more on that to come)

Here is a shot of the happy couple on their sofa. As you can see it fits two "comfortably" (Cordelia is not a fan of the sofa which is a bit firm for her taste) To the right you can see a bit of the kitchen counter and to the left there is the dining space.

Here is the bedroom. The bed is a full size, though not quite as long as a regular full size. Above the bed is the wooden plaque Leslie had made at six flags. Now, I think the picture makes it look way tackier then it is. In person it is just the right amount of kitch+love!


And back to that garden...
Leslie found this abelskiver pan (before she met Cordelia) thinking it was for making cornbread muffins in! It was already in the shape you see here, and she has plans to use it as a planter for succulents. How cute!! And imagine Cordelia's surprise when she came to visit the trailer for the first time, stepped out of the car and saw an abelskiver pan on the ground! Can we say Kismet boys and girls?

First Class All the Way

So, on to California. First off: how did I get there? I am broke! Well, a co-worker of Cordelia's at her church is, simply put, a saint. He used to work at a church in Minneapolis, and when Cordelia asked if anyone knew of a way she could find money to fly her little sister out to graduation, he stepped up and said he could donate his frequent flyer miles! What a guy! But wait, that's not all. He also managed to get me first class seats all the way!! This was my first time flying first class, and I loved it! I would have taken pictures but I didn't know if I was allowed and also didn't want to look like some hick who thought real plates and cutlery on a plane was something like a fairy tale (which, of course, I did). They showed Sea Biscuit on the way out and The Great Debaters on the way home. (I recommend both) They gave us warm towels which I used to wipe my hands, per what I saw others doing, but it was only later from one of Cordelia's friends that I learned I could have used it for my face as well (which is what I wanted to do).

OK, on to the fun stuff! Here are some pictures with captions:


A fun one: this is Les and Cordelia in the sumo vs. Godzilla cut out. Apparently, in this film, the hero tries to defeat Godzilla by wooing her...stay tuned to see how successful it was!!

This was taken before the Graduation ceremony, hence the absence of hoods. This is the Pacific School of Religion Class of 2008. Cordelia was awarded the Master of Divinity, as was her roommate Gail, also visible in this photo. Gail is off to Winamuka (sp?), Nevada soon for her placement. Those lucky United Methodists have job placement for life!

Here is my favorite before the 'show' shot I took. It seems so fitting that she should be posing while everyone else is getting ready to move!

Here is my favorite of the day! You can just see the PSR colors on the hood, green and gold, and the red shows she has her masters in Divinity. You can also see Les standing below holding Cordelia's purse. HA!

And now for the finale - and the answer to whether or not that Sumo Wrestler succeeded in wooing the Godzilla....apparently it worked!

Soybeans and Paprika

On my trip to Iowa I saw lots of Soybean fields. I did not take any pictures, because, quite frankly, I am not used to taking pictures and although beautiful, soybeans do not excite my imagination. I didn't get to take many pictures because of the rush rush of things. This is one of the many things Lydia and I are different in. She is tall, I am short. I have big hips, she, well, not so much. And, she seems to need to do everything at the speed of light, whereas I am very chill, often late and pretty sure there will always be enough time for everything. I like to think we balance each other a bit.

At the restaurant (which was called Rubaiyat) I spoke of in my earlier post seemed to have a thing for paprika. Each plate came with paprika "decorating" the edges. This was amusing, but as they say, "it's all fun and games till someone stains their shirt" which is what happened when some of the red powder got on Lydia's shirt.

Here is a picture of Lydia on her graduation day with her Swedish mother and Scottish father. The Purple cord is for Women's Studies which she minored in and she is also wearing a little Social Work pin which was her major. Congratulations Lyd!!

RE: Re-Cap

OK, I have been very remiss in my blogging and I apologize! I am going to try and start being better (and I may even start another blog with more of a theme, which will hopefully be more interesting, but we shall see)

So here is a quick re-cap of what's been going on before I get in to any more detail. Plus...Pictures!!


1) I got my grades back: I got a B in both my film classes and a C in my Child Development class. I also took an incomplete for my English class and will be taking a real live sit down version this summer to get a grade without having to pay for the class again (and without having to have an F on my transcript!).

2) I went to Decorah, Iowa for my BFF's graduation from Luther College. I drove down on Saturday with her parents, who bought us dinner at a fancy restaurant (See photo below), and stayed over night in her dorm room. I quickly remembered why it is a VERY good thing I didn't go, and do not plan to go, to a private liberal arts college! But I am VERY proud of my friend and all she accomplished there.



3) I worked my butt off for half a week, trying to get everything that needed to be done, done,- including everything from organizing people to work my retail shifts to getting a letter out about the new boss I will soon have- in preparation for my trip to Berkeley, California for my sister's Graduation from Seminary!!

4) California. Need I say more? Of course. But I will do that in my next post. I will simply say now that it was a wonderful journey with lots of laughs that came right out of my gut and good times with friends, new and old!

(Me and one of my new friends, Leslie, outside Ichi Ban Kan (Different Thimgs) in Japan Town.)

.11% Makes ALL the difference

OK, so I was in a bit of a mood yesterday. Here's why:

Reason 1) I looked at my bank account and realized I would be scrapping by until my paycheck comes, which unfortunately has been mailed already (instead of dropped off) and won't arrive until this afternoon or tomorrow. If you have known me for any amount of time, I am sure you are shaking your head, thinking, "Oh, Elinor, when will you learn to be conservative with your money?"

But I have been! That is the most frustrating part! The problems really stem from my teeth (which my dental hygienist said were very well cared for by me), which I am having $4000 worth of work done on. And did I mention I have to pay out of my own pocket?

The gist is this: Where I once had over $900 in my savings (which is a HUGE amount for me) I now have $25 . And where I once had over $1000 in my checking, I will soon have about $100 (and that's hoping my paycheck goes through before the dental bill!)

Reason 2) My grades. I have been struggling balancing everything this spring...new major with a lot of technical aspects, two part-time jobs, two of my classes online...and there's the key. I really should not have taken ANY online courses. I thought I was ready to be that self-disciplined, but I am just not. At least not when I have to be in every other part of my life. I need a professor, standing in front of me every week, discussing, in person, the topics and my work.

So, yesterday, I was done with classes, I couldn't submit anything more. But looking at my grade for my Child Development course was making my stomach hurt. I was at 57% That, my friends, is real bad. But my professor was not done grading yet, and the grades from the final that I took, through mind blowing tooth pain, on Saturday weren't up yet, so I still had hope, but not much. 57 is hard to come back from.

BUT I DID IT!!!!

I was going to wait until after work to check my grade because I thought I could work better if I put it out of my mind. Of course, about 10:30 I realized that was pure fallacy, and I had to look.

I was so happy I thought I would pee my pants. Seriously.

I got 70.11%...that's .11% more then I needed in order to pass the class (my school does not pass you with a D)

I told my boss, who knew of my woes, and she screamed (something I do not do readily, but she is inclined to do. I enjoy it, because I can't make my voice do it). She wrote - ".11% Makes All the difference!"- on a piece of poster paper and ran around trying to find a place to hang it.

So, that's how I feel today. My grade problems are gone, but my money ones remain.

I am feeling .11% better, but that makes ALL the difference.

Things that bother me...

Knowing that I will soon have to go back to fretting over every receipt after my root canal

Actually being excited about a root canal (no more soft food! Yay!)

Knowing I am done with this semester, but not really feeling like it

Knowing I didn't do as well as I could/should have this spring

Not having the energy to clean my apartment

My apartment being messy, therefore sapping my energy

Wanting it to be this weekend and then next weekend...

Knowing that when I get to Berkley I will have to clean

Wanting to go out and celebrate, but not having the $$$

Even more then celebrating, wanting to sleep and sleep and sleep...

Pets dieing (other's, not mine, but still too sad)

Nosey non-members who should try not being so rude

Again, money...

Mr. Bush: 'nough said...

but here's some more;

Why am I, poor, voting, tax paying, good citizen that I am, only getting $300 from the stimulus, and people who are NOT below the poverty line getting $600 or more...? I feel punished for being young, working hard, going to school and not having gotten myself pregnant!


OK, that was my bit of a rant. I havn't had a real one for a while, so I think it's good to get it out. Seriously though, how do you go from $1000 in your bank account to $100 in two weeks? I've got two words for you people: school. bills.