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.