Neil and me with Zozobra in the background.
Monday, September 13, 2004
Saturday, September 11, 2004
Oh, My Goodness ... Politics
Ok, so it's Saturday and I have spent the bulk of my day so far e-mailing friends about politics. I love politics, and I love political debate. I find great value in hearing other peoples' opinions and in expressing my own, as each time I make a political argument, it helps me to further clarify where I stand on issues. But right now I am exhausted.
I have one friend who was a liberal in every sense of the word, right down to vegetarianism and use of things like organic soap, who has now decided she supports Bush. We have lately been e-mailing each other articles we seem to think will convince the other person to switch sides... no luck so far. Then, I have two friends from other states who do my job for their states (we met at a conference) One of the friends thinks like I do and the other doesn't. They have consumed the bulk of my morning with witty political banter. Finally, I have a good friend who has found herself on the fence due to a lack of any good candidates but she is worried I might be mad or disapprove of her current political dilemma.
These three conversations probably caused me to write about 20 e-mails today alone about politics. While I am a little exhausted from it all... and I sometimes get frustrated when people don't see things the way I do, mostly, I am really thankful that I have such smart, inquisitive people in my life who can discuss politics in a civilized and intelligent way. And, I am invigorated by all of the great debate.
This morning’s manifesto – an incomplete, hastily typed out snippet of my politics:
I was just discussing this with a friend over dinner last night who said she doesn't like either candidate. While I don't think Kerry is the best thing ever, I do know a few things:
1) He will protect our environment more than the current administration
2) He will protect my rights as a woman
3) He won't make any federal laws outlawing equal rights for different groups (e.g. a law banning gay marriage)
4) He has good ideas about ways to improve both education and health care
So, in essence, Kerry is, or purports to be, the candidate who has my top priorities at heart and who thinks more like I do.
As for safety from terrorists, I am for it. I don't like terrorists. I don't want to be attacked. But, I have not seen, heard or read any compelling evidence that a Bush administration will do anything better than a Kerry administration in terms of protecting our nation. If we're going to be attacked, we'll be attacked. As for Iraq, I am not at all convinced that overthrowing Sadam made us any safer in terms of terrorists. In fact, it may have only increased the ire of people in that part of the world and inspired more people previously on the edge to lean toward fanaticism. I DO think that Sadam is evil and that eventually that country will be better off without him, but I am angry at the president and his team for misleading us and congress and our allies into starting that war and I strongly believe that our nations resources could have been better spent finishing what we started in Afghanistan and working on finding Osama Bin Laden and others like him who would do harm to our country.
Additionally, I think it's so sad that the U.S. went from being so well-loved internationally to having our athletes repeatedly booed at the Olympics last month and I believe that Kerry can help repair our international image... the stronger the international community, the better off we will be combating terrorism here and abroad.
Ok, so it's Saturday and I have spent the bulk of my day so far e-mailing friends about politics. I love politics, and I love political debate. I find great value in hearing other peoples' opinions and in expressing my own, as each time I make a political argument, it helps me to further clarify where I stand on issues. But right now I am exhausted.
I have one friend who was a liberal in every sense of the word, right down to vegetarianism and use of things like organic soap, who has now decided she supports Bush. We have lately been e-mailing each other articles we seem to think will convince the other person to switch sides... no luck so far. Then, I have two friends from other states who do my job for their states (we met at a conference) One of the friends thinks like I do and the other doesn't. They have consumed the bulk of my morning with witty political banter. Finally, I have a good friend who has found herself on the fence due to a lack of any good candidates but she is worried I might be mad or disapprove of her current political dilemma.
These three conversations probably caused me to write about 20 e-mails today alone about politics. While I am a little exhausted from it all... and I sometimes get frustrated when people don't see things the way I do, mostly, I am really thankful that I have such smart, inquisitive people in my life who can discuss politics in a civilized and intelligent way. And, I am invigorated by all of the great debate.
This morning’s manifesto – an incomplete, hastily typed out snippet of my politics:
I was just discussing this with a friend over dinner last night who said she doesn't like either candidate. While I don't think Kerry is the best thing ever, I do know a few things:
1) He will protect our environment more than the current administration
2) He will protect my rights as a woman
3) He won't make any federal laws outlawing equal rights for different groups (e.g. a law banning gay marriage)
4) He has good ideas about ways to improve both education and health care
So, in essence, Kerry is, or purports to be, the candidate who has my top priorities at heart and who thinks more like I do.
As for safety from terrorists, I am for it. I don't like terrorists. I don't want to be attacked. But, I have not seen, heard or read any compelling evidence that a Bush administration will do anything better than a Kerry administration in terms of protecting our nation. If we're going to be attacked, we'll be attacked. As for Iraq, I am not at all convinced that overthrowing Sadam made us any safer in terms of terrorists. In fact, it may have only increased the ire of people in that part of the world and inspired more people previously on the edge to lean toward fanaticism. I DO think that Sadam is evil and that eventually that country will be better off without him, but I am angry at the president and his team for misleading us and congress and our allies into starting that war and I strongly believe that our nations resources could have been better spent finishing what we started in Afghanistan and working on finding Osama Bin Laden and others like him who would do harm to our country.
Additionally, I think it's so sad that the U.S. went from being so well-loved internationally to having our athletes repeatedly booed at the Olympics last month and I believe that Kerry can help repair our international image... the stronger the international community, the better off we will be combating terrorism here and abroad.
Tuesday, September 07, 2004
Overly Ambitious
This past Labor Day weekend was a weekend of over-inflated ambition. Allow me to elaborate:
On Saturday, Neil and I went on an anniversary hike. Ever since we moved here almost two years ago I have been wanting to hike with him in the Santa Fe Mountains. So I decided I would pick a hike and we'd finally do it. We woke up early, drove to Santa Fe and dropped the dogs off at my parents' house. Then we drove another 30 minutes to the top of the ski basin where the trail started. Our goal: get to an alpine meadow called Puerto Nambe and have a picnic... then possibly continue another mile or so to Spirit Lake. The distance to the lake: 5 miles. The altitude: 10,300 feet to 11,070 feet. Heh. The twist: it was a rare cloudy and drizzly day in Santa Fe.
So, we started the hike which kicks off with half a mile of
Finally, we got to the meadow which was huge and beautiful and brought back memories of my childhood when I camped there on a backpacking trip. But right as we sat down on a rock for a picnic it started pouring. Neil was wearing shorts and a t-shirt with his rain jacket and I wasn't doing much better in my thin pants and damp sweatshirt, so we started to be really cold and after scarfing our peanut butter sandwiches (mine had jelly, too) we quickly abandoned plans to go to the lake and headed back to the car. It rained nearly the entire way back and we were slightly miserable, especially since we really didn't get to rest at all before turning back. We got to the car about 4.5 hours after starting our journey and we had walked 8.5 miles and climbed about 750 feet. I definitely felt badass for making it...but we both agreed that it may have been smart to choose a slightly less serious hike for our pleasant anniversary celebration.
Sunday: The excess continues. After a fun time at the state fair where we saw baby goats and visited the petting zoo and almost bought another rabbit and ate some junk food and saw some junk-peddlers demonstrating things like salsa makers and magic mops, we went home and had a nap. When we woke up, we decided it was time to go to the grocery store and buy some green chile. It's chile season and most grocery stores are selling burlap sacks of chile and roasting it for free in the parking lot. A bag of chile only costs $9.99 and Neil and I decided we needed the large bag since the idea is to get all the chile you will need for the year, have it roasted, take it home, peel it and then freeze it for later use. So, we had the high school kid in the parking lot toss our chile into the big round roaster and watched as he fired it up and then turned the crank, rolling our chile around and around until it was scorched and smelled amazing. He threw it all into a big plastic garbage bag and we took it home in the back of the pickup truck. Then, we spent the next 3 and a half hours peeling and slicing the chile. It is not an easy process as some chiles are roasted better than others and the ones that are only partially roasted are nearly impossible to peel. You also have to be careful not to touch your eyes or nose or anything else sensitive while peeling because you will burn yourself. We peeled and peeled and the pile of chile in our sink didn't shrink until about midnight when we finally saw a glimpse of the sink's stainless steel at the bottom. By then our feet and backs hurt and our finger tips were burning like they were being held in flames. Around 12:30 we finished the job. I put all the freezer bags of chile in the bottom drawer of our freezer and we laughed hysterically because we probably have enough chile for three years. Neil remarked that he now understood why one woman in line for roasting only had a small plastic produce bag full of chile and the two of us went to sleep gripping ice packs in our hands to stop the burning.
On Monday, we continued our tradition. We went on a bike ride that was long but not too long but it involved a large hill-climb at the end and...we forgot our water bottles and it was hot. I was convinced I'd be walking up the big hill at the end, but other than about ten paces at the beginning when I was trying to get into my toe clips after getting off the bike at the stoplight, I made it up the whole hill... I was a bit slow, but I made it. And we got home and felt like we'd accomplished something.
I am not sure if there are any lessons to be learned from this weekend's excess... something like my eyes are bigger than my stomach or don't bite off more than I can chew.... but not related to eating??? Or maybe the real lesson is that I should continue to try to do things that are a little beyond what I think I can do because this weekend that strategy worked perfectly for me and Neil and I felt more alive than I have in quite a while.
This past Labor Day weekend was a weekend of over-inflated ambition. Allow me to elaborate:
On Saturday, Neil and I went on an anniversary hike. Ever since we moved here almost two years ago I have been wanting to hike with him in the Santa Fe Mountains. So I decided I would pick a hike and we'd finally do it. We woke up early, drove to Santa Fe and dropped the dogs off at my parents' house. Then we drove another 30 minutes to the top of the ski basin where the trail started. Our goal: get to an alpine meadow called Puerto Nambe and have a picnic... then possibly continue another mile or so to Spirit Lake. The distance to the lake: 5 miles. The altitude: 10,300 feet to 11,070 feet. Heh. The twist: it was a rare cloudy and drizzly day in Santa Fe.
So, we started the hike which kicks off with half a mile of
Finally, we got to the meadow which was huge and beautiful and brought back memories of my childhood when I camped there on a backpacking trip. But right as we sat down on a rock for a picnic it started pouring. Neil was wearing shorts and a t-shirt with his rain jacket and I wasn't doing much better in my thin pants and damp sweatshirt, so we started to be really cold and after scarfing our peanut butter sandwiches (mine had jelly, too) we quickly abandoned plans to go to the lake and headed back to the car. It rained nearly the entire way back and we were slightly miserable, especially since we really didn't get to rest at all before turning back. We got to the car about 4.5 hours after starting our journey and we had walked 8.5 miles and climbed about 750 feet. I definitely felt badass for making it...but we both agreed that it may have been smart to choose a slightly less serious hike for our pleasant anniversary celebration.
Sunday: The excess continues. After a fun time at the state fair where we saw baby goats and visited the petting zoo and almost bought another rabbit and ate some junk food and saw some junk-peddlers demonstrating things like salsa makers and magic mops, we went home and had a nap. When we woke up, we decided it was time to go to the grocery store and buy some green chile. It's chile season and most grocery stores are selling burlap sacks of chile and roasting it for free in the parking lot. A bag of chile only costs $9.99 and Neil and I decided we needed the large bag since the idea is to get all the chile you will need for the year, have it roasted, take it home, peel it and then freeze it for later use. So, we had the high school kid in the parking lot toss our chile into the big round roaster and watched as he fired it up and then turned the crank, rolling our chile around and around until it was scorched and smelled amazing. He threw it all into a big plastic garbage bag and we took it home in the back of the pickup truck. Then, we spent the next 3 and a half hours peeling and slicing the chile. It is not an easy process as some chiles are roasted better than others and the ones that are only partially roasted are nearly impossible to peel. You also have to be careful not to touch your eyes or nose or anything else sensitive while peeling because you will burn yourself. We peeled and peeled and the pile of chile in our sink didn't shrink until about midnight when we finally saw a glimpse of the sink's stainless steel at the bottom. By then our feet and backs hurt and our finger tips were burning like they were being held in flames. Around 12:30 we finished the job. I put all the freezer bags of chile in the bottom drawer of our freezer and we laughed hysterically because we probably have enough chile for three years. Neil remarked that he now understood why one woman in line for roasting only had a small plastic produce bag full of chile and the two of us went to sleep gripping ice packs in our hands to stop the burning.
On Monday, we continued our tradition. We went on a bike ride that was long but not too long but it involved a large hill-climb at the end and...we forgot our water bottles and it was hot. I was convinced I'd be walking up the big hill at the end, but other than about ten paces at the beginning when I was trying to get into my toe clips after getting off the bike at the stoplight, I made it up the whole hill... I was a bit slow, but I made it. And we got home and felt like we'd accomplished something.
I am not sure if there are any lessons to be learned from this weekend's excess... something like my eyes are bigger than my stomach or don't bite off more than I can chew.... but not related to eating??? Or maybe the real lesson is that I should continue to try to do things that are a little beyond what I think I can do because this weekend that strategy worked perfectly for me and Neil and I felt more alive than I have in quite a while.
This is the funniest picture taken of me this summer. I wanted to post it in my Blogger profile but cannot, for the life of me, figure out how to do that....Britten and I are jumping up and down because we were barefoot and the bricks on the ground were really hot. It's shortly before Rachel's wedding.
Thursday, September 02, 2004
Devil Duckies
I have five tiny little rubber duckies with horns on their heads lining the top of my flat screen monitor at work. They're called Devil Duckies... and they come in assorted colors. I have purple, red, blue, yellow and green. I gave orange to my dad because he likes ducks. I keep these little ducks in my office because they make me laugh and they're cute in that mischievous way that little evil things are....
Sometimes when we have important people come into the office, I take the ducks down just in case they might offend someone who is deeply religious... or something. But things with the duckies got a little more complicated when my co-worker’s children started visiting the office frequently and talking about religion...
Flash back to two weeks ago...My newest co-worker and I were working on a children's newsletter and she included an activity in the newsletter that gave instructions for making slime. We thought we should test them out to make sure they worked so she bought various supplies including Elmer's glue and laundry detergent and we prepared to make the concoction when, two of our other co-workers children showed up. They were just back from camp (church camp) and were very excited to help us make slime. We were thrilled to have real kids to test out our slime recipe and we started the project... Sometime toward the end of our slime-making experiment (it really worked, by the way) the little girl asked us if we were Christians.
Whenever this type of question is aimed directly at me I get very uncomfortable. I am not exactly sure why I feel ashamed to be Jewish, or that it is something to hide, but I do. I suppose I have had enough people look at me strangely or act uncomfortable upon receiving the news that I have learned not to volunteer the information. But what do you do when you are blatantly asked: Are you a Christian? So, I said no and told the kids that I am Jewish. You could see little gears churning in their heads and the little girl started talking about how Jesus was Jewish and so on. I had to explain that I believe in the Old Testament, not the new one. She said, "Well, I believe in the whole bible." Then she started saying things like, "I know another JEW. We live next to a JEW." Later, when I was back in my office feeling slightly uncomfortable by her unwitting prejudice, she came back in and invited me to her birthday party that weekend. "Let's see, there will be one other JEW there," she said, as if that was very important to me, as if I couldn't socialize with people who weren't Jewish. I knew that she didn't mean anything she was saying maliciously, but it didn't help make me any more comfortable with the way she kept screaming JEW when she was around me. I went home and told Neil about it and we both agreed that perhaps this experience with me would help my co-worker's daughter to be more understanding later in life.
Flash forward to this week when our office received another visit from the same kids. The little girl came straight into my office (home of the devil duckies) and started raiding my drawer. She had done this before and somehow talked me into giving her half of my pens so today I was prepared. She picked up a purple pen that I really like and I said, "That's my favorite pen," in an effort to deter her from asking for it.
"What? That's your HEBREW pen?" she said.
My stomach sank. "No, that's my favorite pen."
"Oh, I thought you said HEBREW pen."
Awkward pause.
Little girl: "Those ducks are evil!"
Me: mind racing. Oh no, now they are going to think all Jews are devil worshipers or something... Aaak what do I say... "Oh, no, they're not evil; they're just cute little mischievous ducks."
The older brother, who was also in my office, sort of looked at me sideways and left my office. The little girl stayed and asked if she could braid my hair. I said OK since it was the end of the work day. But instead of braiding my hair, she gave me two pig tails on the very top of my head. Some coworkers walked by and laughed and as soon as she left my office, I took them out and didn't think anything of it... but when I related the story to Neil he got a concerned look, "Jodi, she gave you horns."
I don't think the horn imagery was deliberate... but I do wonder if I have failed to do my part as one of two Jewish people this little girl knows. It is difficult to suddenly become the spokesperson for a religion you barely practice...a culture you know you're a part of, but would be hard-pressed to accurately explain. I am not qualified to be one of two Jewish people that little girl has met. I have devil duckies in my office. She probably thinks I am going to hell…and I keep wondering if I have failed her by not setting a better example.
I have five tiny little rubber duckies with horns on their heads lining the top of my flat screen monitor at work. They're called Devil Duckies... and they come in assorted colors. I have purple, red, blue, yellow and green. I gave orange to my dad because he likes ducks. I keep these little ducks in my office because they make me laugh and they're cute in that mischievous way that little evil things are....
Sometimes when we have important people come into the office, I take the ducks down just in case they might offend someone who is deeply religious... or something. But things with the duckies got a little more complicated when my co-worker’s children started visiting the office frequently and talking about religion...
Flash back to two weeks ago...My newest co-worker and I were working on a children's newsletter and she included an activity in the newsletter that gave instructions for making slime. We thought we should test them out to make sure they worked so she bought various supplies including Elmer's glue and laundry detergent and we prepared to make the concoction when, two of our other co-workers children showed up. They were just back from camp (church camp) and were very excited to help us make slime. We were thrilled to have real kids to test out our slime recipe and we started the project... Sometime toward the end of our slime-making experiment (it really worked, by the way) the little girl asked us if we were Christians.
Whenever this type of question is aimed directly at me I get very uncomfortable. I am not exactly sure why I feel ashamed to be Jewish, or that it is something to hide, but I do. I suppose I have had enough people look at me strangely or act uncomfortable upon receiving the news that I have learned not to volunteer the information. But what do you do when you are blatantly asked: Are you a Christian? So, I said no and told the kids that I am Jewish. You could see little gears churning in their heads and the little girl started talking about how Jesus was Jewish and so on. I had to explain that I believe in the Old Testament, not the new one. She said, "Well, I believe in the whole bible." Then she started saying things like, "I know another JEW. We live next to a JEW." Later, when I was back in my office feeling slightly uncomfortable by her unwitting prejudice, she came back in and invited me to her birthday party that weekend. "Let's see, there will be one other JEW there," she said, as if that was very important to me, as if I couldn't socialize with people who weren't Jewish. I knew that she didn't mean anything she was saying maliciously, but it didn't help make me any more comfortable with the way she kept screaming JEW when she was around me. I went home and told Neil about it and we both agreed that perhaps this experience with me would help my co-worker's daughter to be more understanding later in life.
Flash forward to this week when our office received another visit from the same kids. The little girl came straight into my office (home of the devil duckies) and started raiding my drawer. She had done this before and somehow talked me into giving her half of my pens so today I was prepared. She picked up a purple pen that I really like and I said, "That's my favorite pen," in an effort to deter her from asking for it.
"What? That's your HEBREW pen?" she said.
My stomach sank. "No, that's my favorite pen."
"Oh, I thought you said HEBREW pen."
Awkward pause.
Little girl: "Those ducks are evil!"
Me: mind racing. Oh no, now they are going to think all Jews are devil worshipers or something... Aaak what do I say... "Oh, no, they're not evil; they're just cute little mischievous ducks."
The older brother, who was also in my office, sort of looked at me sideways and left my office. The little girl stayed and asked if she could braid my hair. I said OK since it was the end of the work day. But instead of braiding my hair, she gave me two pig tails on the very top of my head. Some coworkers walked by and laughed and as soon as she left my office, I took them out and didn't think anything of it... but when I related the story to Neil he got a concerned look, "Jodi, she gave you horns."
I don't think the horn imagery was deliberate... but I do wonder if I have failed to do my part as one of two Jewish people this little girl knows. It is difficult to suddenly become the spokesperson for a religion you barely practice...a culture you know you're a part of, but would be hard-pressed to accurately explain. I am not qualified to be one of two Jewish people that little girl has met. I have devil duckies in my office. She probably thinks I am going to hell…and I keep wondering if I have failed her by not setting a better example.
Wednesday, September 01, 2004
Mid-Week Anniversary Rambling
It's my second anniversary today... (And Neil's too, of course). It feels strange that we've been married for two years already. I have no idea how that is possible... but here we are on Sept. 1 again, so it must be true.
Neil is, thank goodness, flying away from New York and the Republican Convention as I type...Interestingly; his journalistic non-partisan assessment of the RNC compared to the DNC is that the RNC was infinitely more lame. I, of course, was pleased to hear that. But it looks like Bush is still going to get the post-convention bounce in the polls... I have no idea what's going to happen in 62 days on Election Day, but it promises to be exciting.
Tonight we're going to eat sushi and then I might take Neil to see Garden State, my new favorite movie. I saw it last weekend with my mom and grandma and cousin Pam and we all loved it. Neil doesn't always love the same movies I do... in fact, he doesn't often love any movies, but I have a feeling he'll like this one... It is by far the best movie I have seen in a long long time...
I'm off to celebrate!
It's my second anniversary today... (And Neil's too, of course). It feels strange that we've been married for two years already. I have no idea how that is possible... but here we are on Sept. 1 again, so it must be true.
Neil is, thank goodness, flying away from New York and the Republican Convention as I type...Interestingly; his journalistic non-partisan assessment of the RNC compared to the DNC is that the RNC was infinitely more lame. I, of course, was pleased to hear that. But it looks like Bush is still going to get the post-convention bounce in the polls... I have no idea what's going to happen in 62 days on Election Day, but it promises to be exciting.
Tonight we're going to eat sushi and then I might take Neil to see Garden State, my new favorite movie. I saw it last weekend with my mom and grandma and cousin Pam and we all loved it. Neil doesn't always love the same movies I do... in fact, he doesn't often love any movies, but I have a feeling he'll like this one... It is by far the best movie I have seen in a long long time...
I'm off to celebrate!
Monday, August 30, 2004
Because I Am Too Lazy To Type It All Out Again
Jodi says:
so i got woken up before 6 by the fire alarm beeping for low battery
and we just changed the battery last week
and neil's gone
and it was the alarm at the top of our living room ceiling...(very high)
Britten says:
ugh.
what did you do?
call your landlord? hee hee.
Jodi says:
and the dogs were shaking and whining... sensitive ears..
Jodi says:
yeah... i actually did and they were no help...
but i got the ladder out of the garage (heavy dirty icky)
Britten says:
did you get a ladder?
Britten says:
oh -- yeah.
Jodi says:
and took the battery out
Britten says:
fun
Jodi says:
and it kept beeping
Britten says:
yuck.
Britten says:
ARGH!
Jodi says:
and we didn't have any more batteries
and i was late for a staff meeting
Britten says:
oh my.
sounds like a not-so-fun morning.
Jodi says:
so i got the dogs, put them in their crate and put the crate in the closet and shut all three doors between the closet and the living room
Jodi says:
and shut boo boo's room
Britten says:
poor boo boo!
Jodi says:
and then went to work... and after my lunch meeting i went home and got the ladder out AGAIN
Britten says:
oh my
Jodi says:
and put a new battery in that i bought on my way home (even thought the previous battery had been new too)
Britten says:
geepers.
Jodi says:
so, please cross your fingers that it stops and I don't have to collect my pets and move to a hotel.
Britten says:
My fingers are crossed.
Jodi says:
oh, and because of all the chaos, i forgot to wear my wedding ring for the first time in two years!
Britten says:
ACK!
Jodi says:
and my watch and earrings
and i felt naked
and i didn't eat breakfast either
Jodi says:
it sucked SOOO much.
Britten says:
my goodness.
Jodi says:
i can't wait to start over tomorrow morning.
Jodi says:
so i got woken up before 6 by the fire alarm beeping for low battery
and we just changed the battery last week
and neil's gone
and it was the alarm at the top of our living room ceiling...(very high)
Britten says:
ugh.
what did you do?
call your landlord? hee hee.
Jodi says:
and the dogs were shaking and whining... sensitive ears..
Jodi says:
yeah... i actually did and they were no help...
but i got the ladder out of the garage (heavy dirty icky)
Britten says:
did you get a ladder?
Britten says:
oh -- yeah.
Jodi says:
and took the battery out
Britten says:
fun
Jodi says:
and it kept beeping
Britten says:
yuck.
Britten says:
ARGH!
Jodi says:
and we didn't have any more batteries
and i was late for a staff meeting
Britten says:
oh my.
sounds like a not-so-fun morning.
Jodi says:
so i got the dogs, put them in their crate and put the crate in the closet and shut all three doors between the closet and the living room
Jodi says:
and shut boo boo's room
Britten says:
poor boo boo!
Jodi says:
and then went to work... and after my lunch meeting i went home and got the ladder out AGAIN
Britten says:
oh my
Jodi says:
and put a new battery in that i bought on my way home (even thought the previous battery had been new too)
Britten says:
geepers.
Jodi says:
so, please cross your fingers that it stops and I don't have to collect my pets and move to a hotel.
Britten says:
My fingers are crossed.
Jodi says:
oh, and because of all the chaos, i forgot to wear my wedding ring for the first time in two years!
Britten says:
ACK!
Jodi says:
and my watch and earrings
and i felt naked
and i didn't eat breakfast either
Jodi says:
it sucked SOOO much.
Britten says:
my goodness.
Jodi says:
i can't wait to start over tomorrow morning.
Friday, August 27, 2004
Far far away...
My little brother Dustin (who is actually quite a bit bigger than me at this stage in our lives, but used to be small -- see photo below) is flying away from me right now. He's somewhere on his way to Europe where he'll meet up with a group of college students and begin his nine-month adventure in Italy. I am really excited for him. But at the same time I'm a little sad that he's going to be so far away for so long.
I am not sure why it is better when he's in California at school. Maybe it's because I know he'll be coming home for holidays, or because I know it only takes a day or part of a day to get to him? And the time difference is only an hour instead of eight. There's something about the knowledge that if I really need to, I can get to him for a hug without major inconvenience and delay... because sometimes the best thing in the world is a hug from my little brother, or a shared laugh -- in person.
He was supposed to come by my house at 4:30 this morning to say goodbye, but was running late and called instead. I mumbled some incomprehensible stuff...the regular have fun, be safe, e-mail me as soon as you get there... and he said to have fun with my dogs and say bye to Neil and we hung up. I'm a little sad that I didn't get to see him -- get a few hugs to tide me over until next summer.
But mostly, I am thrilled about the experience he's going to have and the things he's going to learn. I am envious of him because I always wanted to study abroad and didn't because I was too afraid of missing out on something... and I admire him for taking the brave step and going.
So, I might worry a little. And I'll probably have a few times that I want to call him and can't because of the time difference and I'll certainly miss him a lot, but mostly, I am proud of him.
I always know this, but I suppose the reality of nine months without him just made me feel it more than usual: I have a really incredible little brother.
My little brother Dustin (who is actually quite a bit bigger than me at this stage in our lives, but used to be small -- see photo below) is flying away from me right now. He's somewhere on his way to Europe where he'll meet up with a group of college students and begin his nine-month adventure in Italy. I am really excited for him. But at the same time I'm a little sad that he's going to be so far away for so long.
I am not sure why it is better when he's in California at school. Maybe it's because I know he'll be coming home for holidays, or because I know it only takes a day or part of a day to get to him? And the time difference is only an hour instead of eight. There's something about the knowledge that if I really need to, I can get to him for a hug without major inconvenience and delay... because sometimes the best thing in the world is a hug from my little brother, or a shared laugh -- in person.
He was supposed to come by my house at 4:30 this morning to say goodbye, but was running late and called instead. I mumbled some incomprehensible stuff...the regular have fun, be safe, e-mail me as soon as you get there... and he said to have fun with my dogs and say bye to Neil and we hung up. I'm a little sad that I didn't get to see him -- get a few hugs to tide me over until next summer.
But mostly, I am thrilled about the experience he's going to have and the things he's going to learn. I am envious of him because I always wanted to study abroad and didn't because I was too afraid of missing out on something... and I admire him for taking the brave step and going.
So, I might worry a little. And I'll probably have a few times that I want to call him and can't because of the time difference and I'll certainly miss him a lot, but mostly, I am proud of him.
I always know this, but I suppose the reality of nine months without him just made me feel it more than usual: I have a really incredible little brother.
Tuesday, August 24, 2004
Catching Up
The Big News of the day:
After weeks of worrying about my teeth and imagining that I had at least eight cavities and would be needing serious gum surgery, I went to the dentist today and not only was everyone there really nice (unlike previous dentists) but they also said I have great teeth with no cavities! Strange how a good dentist visit made me so elated...
Where I have been:
Portland.
We visited Neil's family and friends for nine days which was a bit too long. We had at least four different social engagements daily and came home thoroughly exhausted and it was a tough trip at times because we were spread so thin... but overall, it was successful. We saw at least 50 relatives and 20 friends (including three of my personal friends). We spent a day on the Oregon Coast with Neil's mom and Grandma and Aunt. We went to the COOLEST dog store ever www.lexidog.com. We spent six hours biking and kayaking with Neil's dad in a self-made biathlon (semi-torturous at the time, but rewarding in the end). And, we met Neil’s best friend's baby, possibly the cutest baby I've ever met.
We got home Sunday and my parents were at our house with our dogs, who we missed a ton. Apparently, the dogs had a great socialization experience while we were away. They bonded with my parents (mostly my mom) and then went to a kennel for five days where they charmed all the employees (and didn't bite anyone).
Last night was the much-anticipated Dave Matthews Band concert. My fan club membership got us sixth row seats and it was amazing. Also amazing is how little sleep I have had over the last 12 days. Oregon consisted of about 6 hours of sleep a night on an air mattress and since then, I have not been doing much better. I thought I was going to fall asleep while having my teeth cleaned. But the chalkboard-esque scraping ensured that I didn't.
The concert brought up those pesky feelings that I should quit my job and follow my every whim in an effort to live the most fulfilling/authentic/quality life I can. Something about being surrounded by and filled with really good live music makes me feel more alive than I do in my day to day life... Other things bring about this feeling too: using my body (the biking and kayaking biathlon for example) being in nature, being with friends and family, reading something really well-written and thought-provoking, writing something I feel proud of (most recently my John Kerry essay, even if NPR didn't want it), traveling, seeing new things, meeting new people...I think there are some more... but at the moment, the exhaustion is taking over.
The Big News of the day:
After weeks of worrying about my teeth and imagining that I had at least eight cavities and would be needing serious gum surgery, I went to the dentist today and not only was everyone there really nice (unlike previous dentists) but they also said I have great teeth with no cavities! Strange how a good dentist visit made me so elated...
Where I have been:
Portland.
We visited Neil's family and friends for nine days which was a bit too long. We had at least four different social engagements daily and came home thoroughly exhausted and it was a tough trip at times because we were spread so thin... but overall, it was successful. We saw at least 50 relatives and 20 friends (including three of my personal friends). We spent a day on the Oregon Coast with Neil's mom and Grandma and Aunt. We went to the COOLEST dog store ever www.lexidog.com. We spent six hours biking and kayaking with Neil's dad in a self-made biathlon (semi-torturous at the time, but rewarding in the end). And, we met Neil’s best friend's baby, possibly the cutest baby I've ever met.
We got home Sunday and my parents were at our house with our dogs, who we missed a ton. Apparently, the dogs had a great socialization experience while we were away. They bonded with my parents (mostly my mom) and then went to a kennel for five days where they charmed all the employees (and didn't bite anyone).
Last night was the much-anticipated Dave Matthews Band concert. My fan club membership got us sixth row seats and it was amazing. Also amazing is how little sleep I have had over the last 12 days. Oregon consisted of about 6 hours of sleep a night on an air mattress and since then, I have not been doing much better. I thought I was going to fall asleep while having my teeth cleaned. But the chalkboard-esque scraping ensured that I didn't.
The concert brought up those pesky feelings that I should quit my job and follow my every whim in an effort to live the most fulfilling/authentic/quality life I can. Something about being surrounded by and filled with really good live music makes me feel more alive than I do in my day to day life... Other things bring about this feeling too: using my body (the biking and kayaking biathlon for example) being in nature, being with friends and family, reading something really well-written and thought-provoking, writing something I feel proud of (most recently my John Kerry essay, even if NPR didn't want it), traveling, seeing new things, meeting new people...I think there are some more... but at the moment, the exhaustion is taking over.
Monday, August 23, 2004
Monday, August 09, 2004
The Touch
The following is an essay I wrote with the hopes of getting it on the radio...possibly as commentary on NPR's Morning edition. I submitted a shorter version to NPR and haven't heard anything back... so here it is in its entirety:
I am new to the role of political supporter. As a newspaper journalist, I met or was in the same room as many prominent politicians. I covered events with Bill and Hillary Clinton, Laura Bush and others and while I may have been more excited about reporting on certain events, I never let it show. Now that I no longer need to remain impartial and am free to support candidates of my choice, I have a little trouble getting into it. At rallies I can’t bring myself to cheer or even hold a sign up for very long. I remain uneasy about making political donations and posting political bumper stickers on my car. And so, when I waited outside a Catholic church in Albuquerque, New Mexico’s Old Town this Sunday and to catch a glimpse of Senator John Kerry, I really didn’t know what I was in for.
Supporters were cordoned off behind ropes across the street from the church, and as I stood in the crowd, I longed for a press pass and notebook so I could get a better seat and not have to be a part of this giddy group. Despite the oppressive heat, the Kerry supporters were oozing enthusiasm. Their dedication impressed me and I thought about how surreal it would be to emerge from mass to see a few hundred people who all wanted something from you – a smile, an autograph, a handshake.
As I stood there watching various gray-haired congregants exit the church, I wondered whether I might miss Senator Kerry. Maybe I wouldn’t recognize him. Or maybe he’d walk out and disappear before I could catch sight of him. But there was no missing the Senator. He emerged and the crowd started cheering, and even in person, he looked larger than life. The New Mexico sunshine was helping – casting perfect light down onto the candidate. It was the kind of lighting that makes everyone look great and he was basking in it as he walked across the street toward the crowd.
Senator Kerry works the crowd with both hands, his eyes, and his mouth. While he’s shaking with his right hand, he’s looking at someone else and talking to yet another person -- maximizing his impact on the crowd with the tools he has. Occasionally, his left hand reaches out as well, one more point of contact, one more way to please his public and possibly get some votes.
By the time he works his way down to our end of the street he’s sweating in the heat. His wife Teresa has stopped right in front of me and is talking with a family like she knows them. I overhear something about them having met in Arizona, business cards are exchanged and I unashamedly stare at the woman who could be the first lady. She is more beautiful in person than on television or in the various newspaper photographs I’ve seen.
Kerry is moving more slowly. As he gets closer, the crowd cheers louder. “Help is on the way! Help is on he way!” drowning out the handful of Bush supporters that have shown up and mixed in. I think about how at a Bush event in New Mexico, everyone attending has to sign a form saying they will vote for the president…so they probably don’t get many hecklers. And even though I don’t like what they’re saying, I’m glad the Bush supporters are here.
And then, Kerry is upon us. Despite protests from my intellect, my body kicks into adrenaline mode and I start panicking about what I’ll say if I get to shake his hand. I wipe my palm on my jeans to make sure it’s dry. And laugh at myself. I had been wondering why all these people wanted so badly to touch this man. But now as he is a few paces away, it becomes clear to me. Or at least as clear as it can be. I want to touch him for so many reasons: I want to wish him luck; I want to be able to tell my grandchildren someday that I shook hands with the president on a campaign stop in Albuquerque; and then on some other much more basic level, I want a piece of him, a moment of his attention. I want to have a few seconds in time that I share with this man who is carrying the hopes and dreams of so many – including myself – on his shoulders.
I take a deep breath, stick out my hand and make contact. He grasps my hand in less of a handshake and more of a thumb war grip, or the first in a series of short grips and touches making up a secret handshake.
“I really hope you win,” I say loudly, but probably not quite loud enough. I’m looking at him, but even though I’ve got his hand, his eyes have already moved on down the line. “Thank you!” he says, but he probably wasn’t talking to me, so I stop looking at his face, shift my eyes to his hand locked with mine and let go.
The following is an essay I wrote with the hopes of getting it on the radio...possibly as commentary on NPR's Morning edition. I submitted a shorter version to NPR and haven't heard anything back... so here it is in its entirety:
I am new to the role of political supporter. As a newspaper journalist, I met or was in the same room as many prominent politicians. I covered events with Bill and Hillary Clinton, Laura Bush and others and while I may have been more excited about reporting on certain events, I never let it show. Now that I no longer need to remain impartial and am free to support candidates of my choice, I have a little trouble getting into it. At rallies I can’t bring myself to cheer or even hold a sign up for very long. I remain uneasy about making political donations and posting political bumper stickers on my car. And so, when I waited outside a Catholic church in Albuquerque, New Mexico’s Old Town this Sunday and to catch a glimpse of Senator John Kerry, I really didn’t know what I was in for.
Supporters were cordoned off behind ropes across the street from the church, and as I stood in the crowd, I longed for a press pass and notebook so I could get a better seat and not have to be a part of this giddy group. Despite the oppressive heat, the Kerry supporters were oozing enthusiasm. Their dedication impressed me and I thought about how surreal it would be to emerge from mass to see a few hundred people who all wanted something from you – a smile, an autograph, a handshake.
As I stood there watching various gray-haired congregants exit the church, I wondered whether I might miss Senator Kerry. Maybe I wouldn’t recognize him. Or maybe he’d walk out and disappear before I could catch sight of him. But there was no missing the Senator. He emerged and the crowd started cheering, and even in person, he looked larger than life. The New Mexico sunshine was helping – casting perfect light down onto the candidate. It was the kind of lighting that makes everyone look great and he was basking in it as he walked across the street toward the crowd.
Senator Kerry works the crowd with both hands, his eyes, and his mouth. While he’s shaking with his right hand, he’s looking at someone else and talking to yet another person -- maximizing his impact on the crowd with the tools he has. Occasionally, his left hand reaches out as well, one more point of contact, one more way to please his public and possibly get some votes.
By the time he works his way down to our end of the street he’s sweating in the heat. His wife Teresa has stopped right in front of me and is talking with a family like she knows them. I overhear something about them having met in Arizona, business cards are exchanged and I unashamedly stare at the woman who could be the first lady. She is more beautiful in person than on television or in the various newspaper photographs I’ve seen.
Kerry is moving more slowly. As he gets closer, the crowd cheers louder. “Help is on the way! Help is on he way!” drowning out the handful of Bush supporters that have shown up and mixed in. I think about how at a Bush event in New Mexico, everyone attending has to sign a form saying they will vote for the president…so they probably don’t get many hecklers. And even though I don’t like what they’re saying, I’m glad the Bush supporters are here.
And then, Kerry is upon us. Despite protests from my intellect, my body kicks into adrenaline mode and I start panicking about what I’ll say if I get to shake his hand. I wipe my palm on my jeans to make sure it’s dry. And laugh at myself. I had been wondering why all these people wanted so badly to touch this man. But now as he is a few paces away, it becomes clear to me. Or at least as clear as it can be. I want to touch him for so many reasons: I want to wish him luck; I want to be able to tell my grandchildren someday that I shook hands with the president on a campaign stop in Albuquerque; and then on some other much more basic level, I want a piece of him, a moment of his attention. I want to have a few seconds in time that I share with this man who is carrying the hopes and dreams of so many – including myself – on his shoulders.
I take a deep breath, stick out my hand and make contact. He grasps my hand in less of a handshake and more of a thumb war grip, or the first in a series of short grips and touches making up a secret handshake.
“I really hope you win,” I say loudly, but probably not quite loud enough. I’m looking at him, but even though I’ve got his hand, his eyes have already moved on down the line. “Thank you!” he says, but he probably wasn’t talking to me, so I stop looking at his face, shift my eyes to his hand locked with mine and let go.
Friday, August 06, 2004
Exhaustion
I have noticed that some periods of time are more exhausting than others. This may sound incredibly obvious... but I am not so sure it is... For example, some weeks go by very quickly -- I go to work each day and come home and it's Monday morning and the next thing I know it it's Friday afternoon. Those types of weeks go too quickly to feel exhausting or boring or monotonous (though they probably are monotonous). But then there are weeks like this one during which each day feels like three or four days and by the time Friday afternoon rolls around all I want to do is crawl under the comforter and hibernate. It is one of those Friday afternoons right now... I am soooo tired.
In fact, while trying to type a letter here at work this afternoon, I started nodding off. This was a dire situation not even coffee could fix it. I think I arrived in this end-of-week stupor because I only got six or seven hours of sleep each night this week, I started the week off with my late-night speeding extravaganza, my days at work have been uninspiring and long, last night I went to Santa Fe with Neil and we didn't get home until midnight...and I am sure there must be other reasons... like my binging on sugar this week and my overuse of caffeine.
What bothers me is that this insane schedule and lifestyle are not at all what I am striving for... How do I slow things down long enough to make the changes necessary to live a more balanced life? Or will things just balance themselves out eventually?
I have noticed that some periods of time are more exhausting than others. This may sound incredibly obvious... but I am not so sure it is... For example, some weeks go by very quickly -- I go to work each day and come home and it's Monday morning and the next thing I know it it's Friday afternoon. Those types of weeks go too quickly to feel exhausting or boring or monotonous (though they probably are monotonous). But then there are weeks like this one during which each day feels like three or four days and by the time Friday afternoon rolls around all I want to do is crawl under the comforter and hibernate. It is one of those Friday afternoons right now... I am soooo tired.
In fact, while trying to type a letter here at work this afternoon, I started nodding off. This was a dire situation not even coffee could fix it. I think I arrived in this end-of-week stupor because I only got six or seven hours of sleep each night this week, I started the week off with my late-night speeding extravaganza, my days at work have been uninspiring and long, last night I went to Santa Fe with Neil and we didn't get home until midnight...and I am sure there must be other reasons... like my binging on sugar this week and my overuse of caffeine.
What bothers me is that this insane schedule and lifestyle are not at all what I am striving for... How do I slow things down long enough to make the changes necessary to live a more balanced life? Or will things just balance themselves out eventually?
Wednesday, August 04, 2004
Ticketed
Last week, my dad got tickets to the Ani Difranco concert in Santa Fe. And on Sunday, I attended the concert with my parents and little brother... Going to a concert of a bi-sexual folk singer may not seem like the conventional family bonding activity... and I'm sure it's not... but for some reason, it worked for us. My parents went early and got in line, my brother showed up late, but the concert started late, so it worked out. Other than some issues with people smoking, and a terrible opening act, the evening was fun. I loved the concert, but wished she'd played longer than an hour and 15 minutes... I think my parents liked it and I still have no clue what Dustin thought... After a summer when I thought about going to lots of different concerts and was disappointed by one concert (Los Lonely Boys at the Albuquerque Zoo), it was a joy to rediscover the magic of live music.
Another Kind of Ticket
But then.... I had to drive home to Albuquerque in the middle of the night and Neil had just gotten home from Boston and I couldn't wait to see him and to get to bed and on my way the worst thing happened... I got a stain on my once spotless driving record. I can no longer say that I've never been pulled over for speeding. I can no longer say I've never had a ticket... I went almost 11 years without ever being pulled over; except for once in Utah because of a broken tail light...(I got a warning.)
I would describe the evil way in which the officer pulled me over (basically he tailgated me and made me think that an evil person was trying to run me off the road and kill me and then he turned his siren on)but I really don't want to talk about it...
I've been told that I'm being idiotically sensitive about this whole thing...but I don't care. I'm upset. I didn't want that ticket. I may have been speeding a bit (the cop alleges I was going 89 in a 75) but I still contend that I didn't deserve the ticket. I only went that fast for a couple minutes.. then I caught myself and everyone else on that highway was going faster than me.
Getting caught sucks. Basically, I went too long without a ticket... and now that my perfect record is ruined, I'm devastated... It's like the old woman who never had a cavity on the day she finally gets one... It sucks.
Last week, my dad got tickets to the Ani Difranco concert in Santa Fe. And on Sunday, I attended the concert with my parents and little brother... Going to a concert of a bi-sexual folk singer may not seem like the conventional family bonding activity... and I'm sure it's not... but for some reason, it worked for us. My parents went early and got in line, my brother showed up late, but the concert started late, so it worked out. Other than some issues with people smoking, and a terrible opening act, the evening was fun. I loved the concert, but wished she'd played longer than an hour and 15 minutes... I think my parents liked it and I still have no clue what Dustin thought... After a summer when I thought about going to lots of different concerts and was disappointed by one concert (Los Lonely Boys at the Albuquerque Zoo), it was a joy to rediscover the magic of live music.
Another Kind of Ticket
But then.... I had to drive home to Albuquerque in the middle of the night and Neil had just gotten home from Boston and I couldn't wait to see him and to get to bed and on my way the worst thing happened... I got a stain on my once spotless driving record. I can no longer say that I've never been pulled over for speeding. I can no longer say I've never had a ticket... I went almost 11 years without ever being pulled over; except for once in Utah because of a broken tail light...(I got a warning.)
I would describe the evil way in which the officer pulled me over (basically he tailgated me and made me think that an evil person was trying to run me off the road and kill me and then he turned his siren on)but I really don't want to talk about it...
I've been told that I'm being idiotically sensitive about this whole thing...but I don't care. I'm upset. I didn't want that ticket. I may have been speeding a bit (the cop alleges I was going 89 in a 75) but I still contend that I didn't deserve the ticket. I only went that fast for a couple minutes.. then I caught myself and everyone else on that highway was going faster than me.
Getting caught sucks. Basically, I went too long without a ticket... and now that my perfect record is ruined, I'm devastated... It's like the old woman who never had a cavity on the day she finally gets one... It sucks.
Friday, July 30, 2004
Patriot?
Oh shit. It happened again. Just when I was certain that I wasn't a patriot, that the American flag held no emotionalism for me... that while I believe in the political process, I was somehow above feeling patriotic, a man named John Haber had to go comentating on NPR's All Things Considered last night. His piece was about being an advance man at the 1984 convention when the Democrats reclaimed the American flag at their San Francisco convention. The radio piece was only 3 minutes and 35 seconds and all Haber talked about was how he came up with the theme for the address at that convention and decided to wave American flags even though the Republicans had claimed the flag as their own. When the 40,000 flags arrived they all said Made in Taiwan and volunteers removed the words from each flag with rubbing alcohol and Q-tips and then passed the flags out on the convention floor for all the atendees to wave during Mondale's address...
When the commentary ended, I found that I had a little tear in my eye. Crying about the flag? This was almost as bad as my American flag purchase (which happened by cover of night at a Wal Mart about a week after the Sept. 11 attacks). I suppose my purpose in bringing this up is that I am wondering why I am so ashamed to be patriotic? I really don't know why I view any surge of patriotism I feel as an ugly wart or a personality defect. Was I like this when a president I approved of was in office? I don't remember...Back then, there weren't so many things that would evoke patriotism.. We weren't under attack, there wasn't a deep divide in the country between the parties, there wasn't a war.
I know that in Mrs. Garcia's fifth grade class, I LOVED U.S. History. I was obsessed with Abraham Lincoln and I memorized all of the presidents in order. Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe Adams, Jackson, Van Buren, Harrison, Tyler, Polk, Taylor, Filmore, Pierce...you get the picture. When my family visited Washington D.C. that year, I was awed by the monuments and the historic places we visited. I found it amazing to be in the same place George Washington once was. So what happened between the time I was 10 and now that has made me so cynical? I'm not sure, but I have some guesses... George Bush? Terrorism? Embarassing and needless wars? Prison scandals? International shame?
But John Kerry spoke last night and he seems to have made a good impression. Balloons and confetti fell from the ceiling, the delegates cheered. I hope it was a big enough launch. I hope something amazing happens. I hope the Johns win the election and that maybe then, I won't be afraid to be proud of my country.
Oh shit. It happened again. Just when I was certain that I wasn't a patriot, that the American flag held no emotionalism for me... that while I believe in the political process, I was somehow above feeling patriotic, a man named John Haber had to go comentating on NPR's All Things Considered last night. His piece was about being an advance man at the 1984 convention when the Democrats reclaimed the American flag at their San Francisco convention. The radio piece was only 3 minutes and 35 seconds and all Haber talked about was how he came up with the theme for the address at that convention and decided to wave American flags even though the Republicans had claimed the flag as their own. When the 40,000 flags arrived they all said Made in Taiwan and volunteers removed the words from each flag with rubbing alcohol and Q-tips and then passed the flags out on the convention floor for all the atendees to wave during Mondale's address...
When the commentary ended, I found that I had a little tear in my eye. Crying about the flag? This was almost as bad as my American flag purchase (which happened by cover of night at a Wal Mart about a week after the Sept. 11 attacks). I suppose my purpose in bringing this up is that I am wondering why I am so ashamed to be patriotic? I really don't know why I view any surge of patriotism I feel as an ugly wart or a personality defect. Was I like this when a president I approved of was in office? I don't remember...Back then, there weren't so many things that would evoke patriotism.. We weren't under attack, there wasn't a deep divide in the country between the parties, there wasn't a war.
I know that in Mrs. Garcia's fifth grade class, I LOVED U.S. History. I was obsessed with Abraham Lincoln and I memorized all of the presidents in order. Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe Adams, Jackson, Van Buren, Harrison, Tyler, Polk, Taylor, Filmore, Pierce...you get the picture. When my family visited Washington D.C. that year, I was awed by the monuments and the historic places we visited. I found it amazing to be in the same place George Washington once was. So what happened between the time I was 10 and now that has made me so cynical? I'm not sure, but I have some guesses... George Bush? Terrorism? Embarassing and needless wars? Prison scandals? International shame?
But John Kerry spoke last night and he seems to have made a good impression. Balloons and confetti fell from the ceiling, the delegates cheered. I hope it was a big enough launch. I hope something amazing happens. I hope the Johns win the election and that maybe then, I won't be afraid to be proud of my country.
Thursday, July 29, 2004
Tires, Rocks and Bitter Coffee
* I took Neil's truck in to Discount Tire for what I thought was going to be an expensive visit because his front right tire had a bulge in it that was not supposed to be there. The tire guy came out to take a look and said, "That's just great." I gasped and then he said, "I'll tell you what we're going to do for you, we're going to give you four brand new tires for the cost of the warranty because these tires have been defective and while nothing bad has happened with them, we want our customers to be safe." And so, I got four brand new tires for only $38.09. Best part, the tires I had would have only been good for one more year and to replace them would have cost about $400.
I realize that it is a little bit sad to be thrilled about getting free tires. It's a sign that I am, unfortunately, grown up. Back when I was cool, I would have laughed at the girl-woman opening her eyes wide, looking at Mr. Discount Tire and saying, "This is such good news! You made my day!" (OK I must not be entirely uncool, because it's still a little funny to me that I did that.)
* While I was waiting for my four new tires to be installed, I decided to go to the Walgreens that's right across the street from the tire store. It was hot out and I wanted a bottle of water. So, I headed out the door and started walking down the hill. (Discount Tire is situated on a big hill) To get to the sidewalk, I had to walk down a too-steep grassy slope and then traverse a field of boulders. Then once I crossed the street I had to use my best rock climbing skills to descend the steep rocky wall and get to Walgreens (which happens to be in a valley of sorts). All of this made me realize how completely non-pedestrian friendly American cities have become. The designers of that corner of commerce clearly didn't even think about the poor stranded driver waiting for new tires... they couldn't imagine why anyone would want to cross eight lanes of traffic and climb down two steep hills only to have to climb up again. This is a testament to a) bad planning and b) the laziness of our society... we're completely reliant on cars.
* I was going to write about the terribly bitter coffee I drank this afternoon at work.. but it makes my tongue hurt to think about it.
* I took Neil's truck in to Discount Tire for what I thought was going to be an expensive visit because his front right tire had a bulge in it that was not supposed to be there. The tire guy came out to take a look and said, "That's just great." I gasped and then he said, "I'll tell you what we're going to do for you, we're going to give you four brand new tires for the cost of the warranty because these tires have been defective and while nothing bad has happened with them, we want our customers to be safe." And so, I got four brand new tires for only $38.09. Best part, the tires I had would have only been good for one more year and to replace them would have cost about $400.
I realize that it is a little bit sad to be thrilled about getting free tires. It's a sign that I am, unfortunately, grown up. Back when I was cool, I would have laughed at the girl-woman opening her eyes wide, looking at Mr. Discount Tire and saying, "This is such good news! You made my day!" (OK I must not be entirely uncool, because it's still a little funny to me that I did that.)
* While I was waiting for my four new tires to be installed, I decided to go to the Walgreens that's right across the street from the tire store. It was hot out and I wanted a bottle of water. So, I headed out the door and started walking down the hill. (Discount Tire is situated on a big hill) To get to the sidewalk, I had to walk down a too-steep grassy slope and then traverse a field of boulders. Then once I crossed the street I had to use my best rock climbing skills to descend the steep rocky wall and get to Walgreens (which happens to be in a valley of sorts). All of this made me realize how completely non-pedestrian friendly American cities have become. The designers of that corner of commerce clearly didn't even think about the poor stranded driver waiting for new tires... they couldn't imagine why anyone would want to cross eight lanes of traffic and climb down two steep hills only to have to climb up again. This is a testament to a) bad planning and b) the laziness of our society... we're completely reliant on cars.
* I was going to write about the terribly bitter coffee I drank this afternoon at work.. but it makes my tongue hurt to think about it.
Tuesday, July 27, 2004
More Things
I am surviving my lonely days so far. I have made it through three nights at home alone with relative success and am on my fourth day... which means I'm almost halfway finished with this living alone business... It's strange, I never minded being alone until I found the person I wanted to spend the rest of my life with... Before, it was like there was the promise of finding that someone...so nights alone weren't so bad...Or maybe it was that I did not yet know what I was missing? But now, when Neil is away, I feel intensely lonely...and it's not just lonely for anyone.. I miss him. I want his company. I suppose all of this is good since we're married and all... but I hope we don't have too many more long stretches of time apart. It's very un-fun.
Wiley, one of my fabulous dogs, has been chewing on his foot for several weeks and in the last week, it has become red and puffy and he has started chewing the hair off his leg too. I got very worried and took him to a vet in Santa Fe while visiting my family on Saturday. They gave Wiley a steroid shot and an antibiotic shot and seven days worth of antibiotics that are nearly impossible for me to feed to him and they charged me something like $128, which I promptly put on my credit card since I'm very broke at the moment. I was promised that he would stop chewing his foot shortly and everything would be better. But, last night he was still chewing away. So, I called the friendly vet in Santa Fe this morning who has my money and talked to one of the doctors (not the one who saw Wiley) who told me that I definitly need to take Wiley back to the vet because he very possibly has something lodged in his foot like a cactus spike or fox tail and it needs to come out. I said ok, hung up and then realized that the doctor on Saturday didn't even LOOK at the foot to see if anything was stuck in it! Now I am mad... and I want my money back and an appology for giving my dog possibly unnecessary shots... but instead of driving an hour to demand this service, I am taking Wiley to our vet near home this afternoon. I just can't waste the time.
This past weekend, I rented Dirty Dancing Havanna Nights and while I was very wary of the movie and assumed it would suck, I love it. They should have given it a different name because, while similar, it is not just like the original Dirty Dancing...There's nothing like a happy movie with dancing and romance to cheer up a lonely night at home.
I am surviving my lonely days so far. I have made it through three nights at home alone with relative success and am on my fourth day... which means I'm almost halfway finished with this living alone business... It's strange, I never minded being alone until I found the person I wanted to spend the rest of my life with... Before, it was like there was the promise of finding that someone...so nights alone weren't so bad...Or maybe it was that I did not yet know what I was missing? But now, when Neil is away, I feel intensely lonely...and it's not just lonely for anyone.. I miss him. I want his company. I suppose all of this is good since we're married and all... but I hope we don't have too many more long stretches of time apart. It's very un-fun.
Wiley, one of my fabulous dogs, has been chewing on his foot for several weeks and in the last week, it has become red and puffy and he has started chewing the hair off his leg too. I got very worried and took him to a vet in Santa Fe while visiting my family on Saturday. They gave Wiley a steroid shot and an antibiotic shot and seven days worth of antibiotics that are nearly impossible for me to feed to him and they charged me something like $128, which I promptly put on my credit card since I'm very broke at the moment. I was promised that he would stop chewing his foot shortly and everything would be better. But, last night he was still chewing away. So, I called the friendly vet in Santa Fe this morning who has my money and talked to one of the doctors (not the one who saw Wiley) who told me that I definitly need to take Wiley back to the vet because he very possibly has something lodged in his foot like a cactus spike or fox tail and it needs to come out. I said ok, hung up and then realized that the doctor on Saturday didn't even LOOK at the foot to see if anything was stuck in it! Now I am mad... and I want my money back and an appology for giving my dog possibly unnecessary shots... but instead of driving an hour to demand this service, I am taking Wiley to our vet near home this afternoon. I just can't waste the time.
This past weekend, I rented Dirty Dancing Havanna Nights and while I was very wary of the movie and assumed it would suck, I love it. They should have given it a different name because, while similar, it is not just like the original Dirty Dancing...There's nothing like a happy movie with dancing and romance to cheer up a lonely night at home.
Friday, July 23, 2004
Things
It's almost the weekend, which, while normally exciting, is a little daunting this week for several reasons:
1) Neil is leaving for the Democratic Convention in Boston and I will be:
a) lonely
b) worried about him with the looming terrorism threats
c) lonely
2) I have a million errands to run and not a lot of money to complete the errands.
3) I have a ton of work to do at work and wish I could finish it before the weekend, but it
doesn't look likely...
That said, I AM hanging out with my brother on Saturday and I'm looking forward to that. No clue what we'll do, but I'm sure we'll find something fun.
Today was staff appreciation day at work. This day consists of each staff member recieving his or her favorite Starbuck's drink this morning, lunch from a good sandwich shop which is being delivered and ... BOWLING. Yup, from 2-5 we went bowling... it was fun, but the last thing I was excited about doing on a sunny summer afternoon is going to a dark, smoky bowling alley and putting my feet into those stinky shoes and my fingers into those dirty holes on the bowling ball... But we did have fun and in the end, i felt appreciated...
It's almost the weekend, which, while normally exciting, is a little daunting this week for several reasons:
1) Neil is leaving for the Democratic Convention in Boston and I will be:
a) lonely
b) worried about him with the looming terrorism threats
c) lonely
2) I have a million errands to run and not a lot of money to complete the errands.
3) I have a ton of work to do at work and wish I could finish it before the weekend, but it
doesn't look likely...
That said, I AM hanging out with my brother on Saturday and I'm looking forward to that. No clue what we'll do, but I'm sure we'll find something fun.
Today was staff appreciation day at work. This day consists of each staff member recieving his or her favorite Starbuck's drink this morning, lunch from a good sandwich shop which is being delivered and ... BOWLING. Yup, from 2-5 we went bowling... it was fun, but the last thing I was excited about doing on a sunny summer afternoon is going to a dark, smoky bowling alley and putting my feet into those stinky shoes and my fingers into those dirty holes on the bowling ball... But we did have fun and in the end, i felt appreciated...
Wednesday, July 21, 2004
The Universe
Not long ago I read about an interesting daily e-mail service on my friend Robbe's blog. It sounded a little hokey, but I thought it couldn't hurt to try it out... it was hokey but intriguing. The e-mails are "Notes from the Universe" and they arrive in my inbox every morning. They are usually entertaining and occasionally they seem very poignant. I enjoy reading them and don't always take them too seriously... but check out what I got today:
Once you make-up your mind, jodi, and start something; really commit to it; say "YES!", and never look back.... Do you have any doubt, any doubt whatsoever, that I will not rush to your side?
That legions won't be summoned? That players won't be drawn to your corner? Connections made? Circumstances crafted? Dots connected?
That the course of history won't be irrevocably changed?
Good, I didn't think so.
I'd say you're ready,
The Universe
Now, maybe I am being like those nut cases on that psychic show that believe they're talking to their dead grandparents because John Edward says the person he's channeling liked to wear plaid.... but this note from the Universe seems really relevant given the fact that I was pondering my next move and have been trying to think of ways to do more of what I want to do and less of what I don't without risking everything. And now I know the Universe will rush to my side and conspire to make me successful... Of course, really I should always assume this... I should always be under the assumption that I can succeed if I try... but it's nice to be reminded, even if it is just some new-age healer guy writing these notes and cranking them out on his automated e-mail system every morning...
Not long ago I read about an interesting daily e-mail service on my friend Robbe's blog. It sounded a little hokey, but I thought it couldn't hurt to try it out... it was hokey but intriguing. The e-mails are "Notes from the Universe" and they arrive in my inbox every morning. They are usually entertaining and occasionally they seem very poignant. I enjoy reading them and don't always take them too seriously... but check out what I got today:
Once you make-up your mind, jodi, and start something; really commit to it; say "YES!", and never look back.... Do you have any doubt, any doubt whatsoever, that I will not rush to your side?
That legions won't be summoned? That players won't be drawn to your corner? Connections made? Circumstances crafted? Dots connected?
That the course of history won't be irrevocably changed?
Good, I didn't think so.
I'd say you're ready,
The Universe
Now, maybe I am being like those nut cases on that psychic show that believe they're talking to their dead grandparents because John Edward says the person he's channeling liked to wear plaid.... but this note from the Universe seems really relevant given the fact that I was pondering my next move and have been trying to think of ways to do more of what I want to do and less of what I don't without risking everything. And now I know the Universe will rush to my side and conspire to make me successful... Of course, really I should always assume this... I should always be under the assumption that I can succeed if I try... but it's nice to be reminded, even if it is just some new-age healer guy writing these notes and cranking them out on his automated e-mail system every morning...
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