OK, we're going to try this and see what happens. First of all, for some reason, I was surprised to log on to Blogger and see everything in Russian, including my profile. Since I can't read Cyrillic, i'm just sort of clicking spaces by memory and figuring out what to do from the graphics I recognize.
I left Saturday and arrived here yesterday (Sunday). It was amazing to ride into St. Petersburg and see how different everything suddenly looked compared to everything on the outskirts. It's quite lovely here with amazing architecture. I haven't visited anywhere yet; I just took a walk with my husband at night in which he tried to orient me a bit, but between jet lag and general confusion I experience when I travel, that just wasn't happening yet.
In addition to the trip, I had just experienced the busiest week of my life. I had a group project including presentation due in my School Media Specialist class on Wednesday night. I had to prepare final exams for my grammar and reading classes, correct those, and calculate and turn in my final grades before I left. I also had to leave plans for Molly, the teacher who is subbing for me for two weeks, as well as syllabi for those courses because it's now the beginning of that session. That's in addition to preparations I had to make for the trip, including some items I had to round up for my husband (among them,half-inch sticky dots, which I thought would be the easiest thing...but no. Quarter-inch, three-quarters, no problem, but half-inch proved more elusive).
The biggest thing I noticed is that the majority of people walking about in the evening seemed young, fit, and very nicely dressed, so I was glad it was kind of dark because I was looking very travel-weary and not young, fit, nor particualarly nicely dressed (having pretty much been wearing the same thing for almost 24 hours and just too damn tired to change.)
The place we are staying is within walking distance of the Hermitage (I have now seen the exterior) and some historical churches. There were some people singing in the street when we took a walk, and my husband tells me that's not unusual. I heard some music playing as we passed one building. It was American: What a Wonderful World, which I had actually heard on the radio in the apartment earlier.
I am kind of proud of this: this is the second time I met my husband somewhere, flying on my own. This is the kind of thing that used to be very anxiety-provoking for me. It still is a bit, but not nearly as much as it used to be. I've discovered there are very predictable events in terms of the flight (although I made a point of selecting a flight that connected in Amsterdam rather than Paris since I have now been in that airport. That results in similar meals, etc.) once I have actually visited some places, I will update.
(About my last strange, out-of-context entry: I was trying to show my brother how to set up a blog so he will stop sending 10,000 e-mails a week. Someday I will modify and contextualize it).
Monday, October 22, 2007
Saturday, September 22, 2007
My brother's here!
My brother is visiting me today after his participation in the
Michigan Remembers Run.
Michigan Remembers Run.
Friday, August 10, 2007
My "American" need for water and space
I've been going through this identity process the past year or so of determining how I am "American." I found myself in the fall starting to become very frustrated (after having done this kind of work off and on for over 15 years) dealing with the cultural differences I encounter daily in my job, whereas in the past I had usually been delighted or charmed by them. My friend Pat, who has studied and still spends time examining intercultural communication, assured me this is a very normal part of the process and helps one to establish the values, customs, ideals, etc. that are truly held dear, rather than the ones just taken for granted because that's the way everyone else seems to operate.
Now I've just returned from a trip to Amsterdam which I loved, loved, loved. There were many international tourists there, as well as locals, of course. Because I enjoyed the trip so much, the things I didn't like stood out.
One was that I was so thirsty all the time. I was when I went to China several years ago as well. I'm not a Big Gulp-swilling American, but I do like to drink lots of water with my meals, perhaps along with another beverage. In most restaurants in Amsterdam they won't give you tap water but want you to buy bottled water. If you order something like iced tea (which, unless I'm in the south, I always drink unsweetened), it comes in a teeny-tiny (albeit adorable) bottle, often carbonated and sweetened. (And I know I'm lucky to be getting iced tea at all.) I found myself ordering beer more often just because it comes in more generous portions. (Unfortunately, I will too now.)
The other thing that makes me crazy (and did in China)is being jostled or bumped without the jostler/bumper saying "excuse me" or "sorry" or "pardon" (in whatever language). Intellectually, I understand this doesn't happen everywhere, for a variety of reasons. (And I should point out, it was accompanied from time to time with an apology.) But...but...it SHOULD. I understand my "bubble" and I understand that, being somewhat claustrophobic, this might bother me more than most. When it is accompanied by an apology, though, I can physically feel my agitation subside.
When my husband gets the photos loaded on our computer, I'll write about how truly fun it was. This American identity issue has really resonated for me these past several months, so I'll write about it more in other posts.
Now I've just returned from a trip to Amsterdam which I loved, loved, loved. There were many international tourists there, as well as locals, of course. Because I enjoyed the trip so much, the things I didn't like stood out.
One was that I was so thirsty all the time. I was when I went to China several years ago as well. I'm not a Big Gulp-swilling American, but I do like to drink lots of water with my meals, perhaps along with another beverage. In most restaurants in Amsterdam they won't give you tap water but want you to buy bottled water. If you order something like iced tea (which, unless I'm in the south, I always drink unsweetened), it comes in a teeny-tiny (albeit adorable) bottle, often carbonated and sweetened. (And I know I'm lucky to be getting iced tea at all.) I found myself ordering beer more often just because it comes in more generous portions. (Unfortunately, I will too now.)
The other thing that makes me crazy (and did in China)is being jostled or bumped without the jostler/bumper saying "excuse me" or "sorry" or "pardon" (in whatever language). Intellectually, I understand this doesn't happen everywhere, for a variety of reasons. (And I should point out, it was accompanied from time to time with an apology.) But...but...it SHOULD. I understand my "bubble" and I understand that, being somewhat claustrophobic, this might bother me more than most. When it is accompanied by an apology, though, I can physically feel my agitation subside.
When my husband gets the photos loaded on our computer, I'll write about how truly fun it was. This American identity issue has really resonated for me these past several months, so I'll write about it more in other posts.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Enjoying our visitors
Life has been very busy lately, but in a good way. On Friday night through Monday morning, I hosted two young Korean women for a weekend home stay. Our college just hosted eighteen visiting university students and their chaperone, and they were among those visitors.
We frequently have visitors from other countries in our department, but I haven't been involved with them before. In fact, usually I'm unaware or only vaguely aware of their presence. This time, though, I taught an ESL class for them, accompanied them on one of their field trips, and hosted the two young women. They also invited me to help judge a "food festival," a team cooking contest they had at their residential-style hotel.
It was so much fun for me that even though I've been very busy with my job, classes, and homework and holding down the fort while my husband is away (more about that in a future post) I feel like I've been on kind of a vacation. (Not one of the restful kinds, like lying on a Mexican beach--rather, one of the busy and stimulating kinds, like going to Washington D.C. or Disney World.)
They are flying home as I write this, and I will miss them. I hope they will send me some photos, since I didn't take any, and if they do, I will post them here. I'll also write about some of the things I did both with the young women and with the class, whether or not I get some photographs.
We frequently have visitors from other countries in our department, but I haven't been involved with them before. In fact, usually I'm unaware or only vaguely aware of their presence. This time, though, I taught an ESL class for them, accompanied them on one of their field trips, and hosted the two young women. They also invited me to help judge a "food festival," a team cooking contest they had at their residential-style hotel.
It was so much fun for me that even though I've been very busy with my job, classes, and homework and holding down the fort while my husband is away (more about that in a future post) I feel like I've been on kind of a vacation. (Not one of the restful kinds, like lying on a Mexican beach--rather, one of the busy and stimulating kinds, like going to Washington D.C. or Disney World.)
They are flying home as I write this, and I will miss them. I hope they will send me some photos, since I didn't take any, and if they do, I will post them here. I'll also write about some of the things I did both with the young women and with the class, whether or not I get some photographs.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Hipper librarians
This New York Times article has been circulated on several listservs I’m on, as well as e-mailed to me by my son. It discusses the "hipper" new librarians, and I guess that’s a good thing. I still find it concerning in terms of this being a mid-life career change for me. I couldn’t really pull off "hip" when I was young, so I doubt that’s going to get easier now.
I guess the age discrimination thing goes both ways, though. Here is a letter from a woman who feel she is experiencing age discrimination in the job market, and another from someone who feels she is having trouble because of her youthful appearance. I guess the thing to do would be to take the "do" advice from one of them, and interchange them in order to have "don’t" advice.
If all else fails, I guess I’ll have to get a tattoo, or at least get something besides my ears pierced. I always thought that eyebrow thing looked kind of cute.
I guess the age discrimination thing goes both ways, though. Here is a letter from a woman who feel she is experiencing age discrimination in the job market, and another from someone who feels she is having trouble because of her youthful appearance. I guess the thing to do would be to take the "do" advice from one of them, and interchange them in order to have "don’t" advice.
If all else fails, I guess I’ll have to get a tattoo, or at least get something besides my ears pierced. I always thought that eyebrow thing looked kind of cute.
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Still willing to learn
I had originally decided the theme of this blog was going to be issues of middle age, and had sort of let some of that go. I felt like I was sometimes looking for trouble where perhaps none existed in terms of age discrimination and stereotypes.
Now, though, with library school, I am making a significant investment of time and money, and I truly feel that some of the things I’m observing and hearing will be detrimental to me in tangible ways.
For example, in my Reference class on Saturday, the head of the library consortium in my state was a guest speaker. Although rather youthful looking, the references/dates he referred to indicated he is probably just a couple years older than me.
He referred to things such as blogs, wikis, Second Life, and social networking sites, and when he did, he mentioned that much younger colleagues were more involved in that. He would say things like "That’s not my demo." This is a person who has worked very hard and achieved great things in terms of libraries in our state. However, in addition to alluding that the aforementioned items were "young people" things, he also mentioned some things he wanted to do before he retired, went to the Caribbean, etc.
He certainly deserves that, but I’m not ready for that. I feel I have at least a good twenty years of working life left, God willing, if not more. I feel I’ve finally collected enough experiences in which to attach new knowledge. I meet many young people who, in addition to their very hard work, have lived much more privileged lives than my young life was. I had to collect some of their experiences later in life. Now I’m ready to use my collected experience and knowledge to latch onto some new experience and knowledge.
Also, I know what all of the things he mentioned are and try to involve myself in most of them at least minimally, just because I like to know what everybody’s talking about. I don’t like it when other people (of all ages) spread the misconception that people my age and older are doddering idiots who can’t press a few computer keys, ask a few questions, read a few articles and books and figure out what’s what.
I will also sometimes hear younger people talk about older people and attribute difficulties they experience with them in the workplace (or wherever) to their age. Uh, no…they were probably change-resistant, inflexible, domineering control freaks (or whatever their problem is) even when they were young.
More later.
Now, though, with library school, I am making a significant investment of time and money, and I truly feel that some of the things I’m observing and hearing will be detrimental to me in tangible ways.
For example, in my Reference class on Saturday, the head of the library consortium in my state was a guest speaker. Although rather youthful looking, the references/dates he referred to indicated he is probably just a couple years older than me.
He referred to things such as blogs, wikis, Second Life, and social networking sites, and when he did, he mentioned that much younger colleagues were more involved in that. He would say things like "That’s not my demo." This is a person who has worked very hard and achieved great things in terms of libraries in our state. However, in addition to alluding that the aforementioned items were "young people" things, he also mentioned some things he wanted to do before he retired, went to the Caribbean, etc.
He certainly deserves that, but I’m not ready for that. I feel I have at least a good twenty years of working life left, God willing, if not more. I feel I’ve finally collected enough experiences in which to attach new knowledge. I meet many young people who, in addition to their very hard work, have lived much more privileged lives than my young life was. I had to collect some of their experiences later in life. Now I’m ready to use my collected experience and knowledge to latch onto some new experience and knowledge.
Also, I know what all of the things he mentioned are and try to involve myself in most of them at least minimally, just because I like to know what everybody’s talking about. I don’t like it when other people (of all ages) spread the misconception that people my age and older are doddering idiots who can’t press a few computer keys, ask a few questions, read a few articles and books and figure out what’s what.
I will also sometimes hear younger people talk about older people and attribute difficulties they experience with them in the workplace (or wherever) to their age. Uh, no…they were probably change-resistant, inflexible, domineering control freaks (or whatever their problem is) even when they were young.
More later.
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Gascony Beef Stew
This stew will make you want to live again on a bitter, cold, gray day in Michigan in February (or March, or April, or May). I had misplaced the recipe, but found my Christmas folder in a half-hearted attempt at cleaning my desk. My husband likes to bake it, after it has been prepared on the stove top, in a covered cast-iron pan. Be very careful, though. There might be some leakage into your oven, and the lid might stick to the pan, so you must let it cool before you pry it off. It's also very heavy. Served over mashed potatoes, though, (the original recipe suggested egg noodles, but I like potatoes) this is the ultimate comfort food. (Stephanie, I hope you find this.)
Gascony Beef Stew
1/2 pound bacon, sliced
3 cups (about 3 medium) onions, chopped
3 cups (about 1 1/4 lbs.) carrots, cut into bite-sized pieces
4 garlic cloves, bruised
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon sage
2 bay leaves, crumbled
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
6 pounds beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups white wine
1/4 cup brandy
3 cups beef broth
2 cans diced tomatoes
Cook bacon in skillet over moderate heat until crisp. Drain and crumble. In large bowl combine bacon with onions, carrots, garlic, thyme, sage, bay leaves, salt and pepper.
Line bottom of 8 to 10 quart oven-proof casserole or Dutch oven with 1 cup vegetable mixture. Shake beef cubes in flour. layer half the beef over vegetables in casserole, placing cubes close together. Strew half the remaining vegetables over beef. Continue layering with remaining beef (adding all flour) and vegetables, and end with the vegetables.
Preheat oven to 325 F. pour wine, brandy, broth and tomatoes over stew. Add water, if necessary, to cover. Bring to a simmer on top of stove. Cover and place in oven; bake 3 hours. (Can be made ahead. Cool to room temperature; cover and freeze in freezer-proof container up to 4 weeks. Thaw at room temperature 4 hours. reheat in 350 F oven until bubbling, about 1 1/2 hours.) Makes 16 servings, about 435 calories each.
Gascony Beef Stew
1/2 pound bacon, sliced
3 cups (about 3 medium) onions, chopped
3 cups (about 1 1/4 lbs.) carrots, cut into bite-sized pieces
4 garlic cloves, bruised
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon sage
2 bay leaves, crumbled
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
6 pounds beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups white wine
1/4 cup brandy
3 cups beef broth
2 cans diced tomatoes
Cook bacon in skillet over moderate heat until crisp. Drain and crumble. In large bowl combine bacon with onions, carrots, garlic, thyme, sage, bay leaves, salt and pepper.
Line bottom of 8 to 10 quart oven-proof casserole or Dutch oven with 1 cup vegetable mixture. Shake beef cubes in flour. layer half the beef over vegetables in casserole, placing cubes close together. Strew half the remaining vegetables over beef. Continue layering with remaining beef (adding all flour) and vegetables, and end with the vegetables.
Preheat oven to 325 F. pour wine, brandy, broth and tomatoes over stew. Add water, if necessary, to cover. Bring to a simmer on top of stove. Cover and place in oven; bake 3 hours. (Can be made ahead. Cool to room temperature; cover and freeze in freezer-proof container up to 4 weeks. Thaw at room temperature 4 hours. reheat in 350 F oven until bubbling, about 1 1/2 hours.) Makes 16 servings, about 435 calories each.
Monday, March 26, 2007
"Read and release" your books
I just saw this website: I'm going to print some labels and do this before I donate my books.
What a great idea!
What a great idea!
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Web 2.0 ... The Machine is Us/ing Us
This is scary, poetic, hypnotic and informative...and a couple of lessons worth of Library and Information Science.
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Why I finally applied for library school
I applied to library school because of a Unitarian message from God. I had been thinking about this for a long time, had done some considerable checking online into the program I was interested in, and requested some materials to be mailed to me. This stuff was sitting around my house, and I would look at it from time to time and not do anything about it. Then I read Dana's blog one day and she had posted a list of Web comic links. One was Unshelved, which had a post that linked to Questionable Content, and there I saw it: a t-shirt that says "She blinded me with Library Science." And I thought, "I. Must. Have it." However, if I ordered this shirt, having no connection to library science, I would be a poseur. I, therefore, applied for the program. And now, ironically, I have no time to read books or visit libraries, unless as part of one of my many assignments.
Thursday, January 11, 2007
New beginnings (and I can finally blog again!)
I had been unable to post for several days after I switched to the new Blogger (after having simply neglected my blog for several months). Whenever I tried to post, I would get the "unable to complete your request" message. It looks as things have been repaired, though, and I'm looking forward to learning how to use the new features. The most exciting thing happening right now, is, after lo, these many years, I am starting graduate school! I will be studying for a Master's degree in Library and Information Science, so I plan to learn to actually use the wonderful technology that's available. I'm starting slowly, with one class which begins tonight, so I'm still enthusiastic. Once the actual work begins, I'm sure I will be less enthusiastic, but I am nevertheless committed. Next time I will write about the odd set of circumstances which actually inspired me to finally apply for the program.
Saturday, September 09, 2006
Home
While reading Dana's post about the relief of not having to fit in in foreign cultures, and then her discussion of exaggerating one’s “nativeness,” I started thinking again about something that has been on my mind for a while now. My husband and I have been exploring places to live when he retires, and when we visited one of them last summer, I just panicked when we were about to put an offer on some property there…I mean, a sleepless night and sobbing, weeping. It was awful.
It turns out there were some serious things at home that needed attention, but since then, things have calmed down (knock on wood). I continued the search for places to live through magazines, the Internet, etc. and I have come to this conclusion: I have fallen for my state like someone who is in an arranged marriage might fall in love with their spouse. I didn’t choose this state; I was born here. It was not my mother’s native state, so it’s not like there are generations who have been here
One of my clues was this: I have recently been something of an iTunes addict, and they have lists of songs relating to various themes. One was for my state and the major city in it. I looked at the list, and I thought, “My God, I love all of these songs.” It’s not something I can define or describe, but these songs, which span generations, touch me. I have wondered why I have never made popular culture choices that are “appropriate” to my age, and this is what I learned: it’s not about time for me, but place.
Then something else happened. I was researching another town online that had been recommended in a magazine, and I was reading Chamber of Commerce stuff, I think. It said that union membership in that state was low, and they said it like it was a good thing! What? I now live in a management family (although I belong to a union, and I recognize there are problems) but I just felt like I had experienced an insensitive attack on my religion. Yeah, they sometimes make life inconvenient, but they make it a little more fair. Do people really want to go back to the way it was before unions?
My state is also gorgeous. A lot of people I run into don’t know that because I live in one of the most geographically uninteresting parts of it. Some of the really stunning parts don’t have a lot of people living there permanently because tourism is the primary industry, or because you are more likely to live there if you are very well off. Nevertheless, I like it here, because this part of the state is one of the more integrated ones I’ve ever seen. People cross ethnic and racial and socioeconomic lines more deeply than I have seen in other places. I’ve had the opportunity in my life to hang out with people from a broad array of backgounds, particularly when I moved to my current home. I don’t agree with everybody here about everything, but I never feel like I have to.
I feel like when I move to a new state, I will have to spend a lot of time justifying and defending myself and the things I believe and value. I will have an accent (and I never thought I really had the accent of my home state until I listened to a message I had left on our home answering machine.) People won’t say “pop” or play euchre. (I don’t play euchre, either, but I need to be able to refuse to play it at a social gathering.)
I like to travel when I have the opportunity and hope I can do more of it. I like meeting new people and seeing different ways of doing things. This, though, is my home, and even though I will probably leave it someday, it will be one of the more difficult moments in my lfe.
It turns out there were some serious things at home that needed attention, but since then, things have calmed down (knock on wood). I continued the search for places to live through magazines, the Internet, etc. and I have come to this conclusion: I have fallen for my state like someone who is in an arranged marriage might fall in love with their spouse. I didn’t choose this state; I was born here. It was not my mother’s native state, so it’s not like there are generations who have been here
One of my clues was this: I have recently been something of an iTunes addict, and they have lists of songs relating to various themes. One was for my state and the major city in it. I looked at the list, and I thought, “My God, I love all of these songs.” It’s not something I can define or describe, but these songs, which span generations, touch me. I have wondered why I have never made popular culture choices that are “appropriate” to my age, and this is what I learned: it’s not about time for me, but place.
Then something else happened. I was researching another town online that had been recommended in a magazine, and I was reading Chamber of Commerce stuff, I think. It said that union membership in that state was low, and they said it like it was a good thing! What? I now live in a management family (although I belong to a union, and I recognize there are problems) but I just felt like I had experienced an insensitive attack on my religion. Yeah, they sometimes make life inconvenient, but they make it a little more fair. Do people really want to go back to the way it was before unions?
My state is also gorgeous. A lot of people I run into don’t know that because I live in one of the most geographically uninteresting parts of it. Some of the really stunning parts don’t have a lot of people living there permanently because tourism is the primary industry, or because you are more likely to live there if you are very well off. Nevertheless, I like it here, because this part of the state is one of the more integrated ones I’ve ever seen. People cross ethnic and racial and socioeconomic lines more deeply than I have seen in other places. I’ve had the opportunity in my life to hang out with people from a broad array of backgounds, particularly when I moved to my current home. I don’t agree with everybody here about everything, but I never feel like I have to.
I feel like when I move to a new state, I will have to spend a lot of time justifying and defending myself and the things I believe and value. I will have an accent (and I never thought I really had the accent of my home state until I listened to a message I had left on our home answering machine.) People won’t say “pop” or play euchre. (I don’t play euchre, either, but I need to be able to refuse to play it at a social gathering.)
I like to travel when I have the opportunity and hope I can do more of it. I like meeting new people and seeing different ways of doing things. This, though, is my home, and even though I will probably leave it someday, it will be one of the more difficult moments in my lfe.
Sunday, August 27, 2006
Monday, August 21, 2006
My Summer Vacation: Parties!
Most of my summers are pretty quiet, with a graduation open house or shower or wedding here or there, but this summer, I was involved in planning several celebrations. First, I planned a casual celebration (actually, two) the day my son graduated from his university. Then, along with my brother and sister and sister-in-law, I helped plan a surprise half-birthday party for my mom's 80.5 birthday. Her birthday is on Christmas Eve, and she has never had a proper party. A surefire way to surprise people is to have a party when it's not their actual birthday. A month or so later, a co-worker and I threw a baby shower at my house for our friend Sandra. We had a Princess theme. I borrowed a gold velvety tablecloth and lots of silver and silverplate from a friend, and we had little bouquets of flowers in tiny silvery vases, and tiny sandwiches and whatnot...and we all wore paper princess crowns, but Sandra's was a little fancier and foil/metal and multi-colored. Most recently, my husband and I threw ourselves a 25th Anniversary party (with lots of contributions of time and talent from various family members.) It was much fancier than our wedding; it was a luncheon for about 70 people at a country club (our wedding reception was a party in our backyard with a band, which was actually a lot of fun.)
One of the things I am happy about is that I sort of joined the 21st century in the planning of the anniversary party. I made mix CD's to give away (all legally and on the up-and-up) I had never even made a mix tape back in the old days, let alone burned a CD. We made labels for the tins and the CDs on the computer. I also am pretty much the last person on earth, according to my son, to have never made a PowerPoint slide show (until now.) Of course, my husband and stepson had to put the music I had chosen with the slides I had made and get it into a usable condition, and my granddaughter informed me, with the self-assurance that only a fourteen-year-old girl can muster, that I should have used Moviemaker. (I don't have Moviemaker!)
There is one more little surprise party to go (and I know that person won't be reading my blog) but my only job is to buy some balloons. Otherwise, I just need to get a gift and card and eat at Old Country Buffet (a secret, guilty pleasure that I only engage in when someone else has planned an event there.)
Although I have enjoyed every party, I'm ready to settle down and begin the real New Year...the beginning of the school year. (Even though I worked in the summer, I always consider the fall semester the beginning...and I will spend this week in the ritual cleaning of my sock drawer.) Good times!
One of the things I am happy about is that I sort of joined the 21st century in the planning of the anniversary party. I made mix CD's to give away (all legally and on the up-and-up) I had never even made a mix tape back in the old days, let alone burned a CD. We made labels for the tins and the CDs on the computer. I also am pretty much the last person on earth, according to my son, to have never made a PowerPoint slide show (until now.) Of course, my husband and stepson had to put the music I had chosen with the slides I had made and get it into a usable condition, and my granddaughter informed me, with the self-assurance that only a fourteen-year-old girl can muster, that I should have used Moviemaker. (I don't have Moviemaker!)
There is one more little surprise party to go (and I know that person won't be reading my blog) but my only job is to buy some balloons. Otherwise, I just need to get a gift and card and eat at Old Country Buffet (a secret, guilty pleasure that I only engage in when someone else has planned an event there.)
Although I have enjoyed every party, I'm ready to settle down and begin the real New Year...the beginning of the school year. (Even though I worked in the summer, I always consider the fall semester the beginning...and I will spend this week in the ritual cleaning of my sock drawer.) Good times!
Monday, May 22, 2006
There is a commercial for the local cable company featuring two turtles (tortoises?) called the Slowskys. They are apparently a married turtle couple, and they talk about how they prefer the slower cable company rather than the fast connection of the company being advertised. "Where's the fire?" Mrs. Slowsky asks.
Although I love a fast cable connection, her attitude sort of expresses my love/hate relationship with technology. I love the fact that a few years ago, friends/ old roommates I hadn't heard from in twenty years started to e-mail me, and I them. I enjoy having my blog, although I really don't know how to use it to its full potential. I like being able to keep in contact with my family, even if I'm a world away.
There are some things that have gotten lost, though. When I was a teenager and a college student, buying an album was kind of special. I would take it home for the first time, and when I had my own stereo system (my first major independent purchase), I would open up the record, carefully put it on the turntable, and clean it with the special wiper that came with it. I would sit down and study the cover art and liner art, and I would read the lyrics on the liner note and try to learn as many songs as I could. When I played the album subsequent times, I always enjoyed putting an album on the turntable and feeling anticipation as I heard that subtle "scritch."
I guess the thing that comes closest now is seeing what's new on iTunes every Tuesday, which is a little more satisfying than just loading up and starting a CD cartridge. It's fun to browse around and see people's various comments about the songs and albums, and see what kind of mixes people have made. Still, it would be fun to get a hold of a turntable and play my old albums someday.
Although I love a fast cable connection, her attitude sort of expresses my love/hate relationship with technology. I love the fact that a few years ago, friends/ old roommates I hadn't heard from in twenty years started to e-mail me, and I them. I enjoy having my blog, although I really don't know how to use it to its full potential. I like being able to keep in contact with my family, even if I'm a world away.
There are some things that have gotten lost, though. When I was a teenager and a college student, buying an album was kind of special. I would take it home for the first time, and when I had my own stereo system (my first major independent purchase), I would open up the record, carefully put it on the turntable, and clean it with the special wiper that came with it. I would sit down and study the cover art and liner art, and I would read the lyrics on the liner note and try to learn as many songs as I could. When I played the album subsequent times, I always enjoyed putting an album on the turntable and feeling anticipation as I heard that subtle "scritch."
I guess the thing that comes closest now is seeing what's new on iTunes every Tuesday, which is a little more satisfying than just loading up and starting a CD cartridge. It's fun to browse around and see people's various comments about the songs and albums, and see what kind of mixes people have made. Still, it would be fun to get a hold of a turntable and play my old albums someday.
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
Recent developments
I have not posted on my blog for a long time, primarily because my home computer is out of commission. It is being fixed (hopefully) by an acquaintance of my husband who is doing it in his spare time, which apparently has not been much lately. I'm posting this at my workplace, but I'm not really "at work" right now. The very best news of late is this: my son has graduated from college! Woo-hoo! I had a lot of fun on his graduation day; I hope he did too. The graduation speaker (Christiane Ahmanpour!!) was excellent. It was a beautiful and only slightly chilly morning, and warmed up nicely later. Of course, I was very proud. Eleven of us had a lovely brunch at the student union, then we visited the university's botanical gardens at his girlfriend's suggestion. I was pretty impressed with my son's knowledge of the place. He also pointed out an old growth forest on the way to the gardens. he explained that this forest is off limits to visitors, which one of his professoers felt was a mistake, because people are more inclined to protect what they are familiar with. Apparently my son had spent some time in these parts for a class, and later visited on his own. Later more family members joined us at a restaurant/saloon for food, beer, etc. It was a great day.
Monday, March 27, 2006
My Rider
I was reading about Dick Cheney's and John Kerrey's "riders" as published in
The Smoking Gun--the stuff people want waiting in their hotel rooms for them. Not that I'll ever have the kind of fame, money, etc. that gets you that kind of thing, but I like to fantasize about it, the same way that I fantasize about my Oscar gown, what I'll wear to my husband's presidential inauguration, etc. So here's what I want:
*A fluffy pair of flannel pajamas and one of those nice fluffy hotel robes, and some booty slippers
*A selection of herbal and green teas in one of those sectioned tea boxes, and hot water in a ceramic pot, and a big, chunky mug, preferably with an art print on it
*A bowl of lemon slices
*Two bottles of Shiraz and half a dozen crystal wine glasses
*Magazines: People, Atlantic Monthly,Newsweek, Time, and the daily newspaper of whatever city I'm in
*Pepperidge Farm Mint Milano cookies
*Videos--The first season of Lost,or any of the Six Feet Under seasons
*An elliptical trainer
Wow, I'm really disappointed. These are pretty much things I can easily provide for myself. I guess that's why people want these things, though...the comforts of home.
The Smoking Gun--the stuff people want waiting in their hotel rooms for them. Not that I'll ever have the kind of fame, money, etc. that gets you that kind of thing, but I like to fantasize about it, the same way that I fantasize about my Oscar gown, what I'll wear to my husband's presidential inauguration, etc. So here's what I want:
*A fluffy pair of flannel pajamas and one of those nice fluffy hotel robes, and some booty slippers
*A selection of herbal and green teas in one of those sectioned tea boxes, and hot water in a ceramic pot, and a big, chunky mug, preferably with an art print on it
*A bowl of lemon slices
*Two bottles of Shiraz and half a dozen crystal wine glasses
*Magazines: People, Atlantic Monthly,Newsweek, Time, and the daily newspaper of whatever city I'm in
*Pepperidge Farm Mint Milano cookies
*Videos--The first season of Lost,or any of the Six Feet Under seasons
*An elliptical trainer
Wow, I'm really disappointed. These are pretty much things I can easily provide for myself. I guess that's why people want these things, though...the comforts of home.
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
The things I'm going to do "someday"
I have so many things in my head I think I will do when I get a big chunk of time, but then when I do, I forget what they were and just take a nap. Therefore, I'm going to document them here.
* figure out how to do cool things on my blog, and to find out why I can't create links although I'm following the instructions I used to.
*scan all my photos to the computer, put them on disks, and get them all scrapbooked
*clean my entire house (including closets) and gather and price items for a garage sale
*get a Master's Degree, which would involve a series of smaller tasks to initiate the process
*exercise on a regular basis
*watch the Godfather movies (I have never seen a Godfather movie in its entirety)--also Apocalypse Now and Citizen Kane
*read the boxed set of tiny Shakespeare books that I asked for and got several Christmases ago
*find my Christmas recipe folder!!! It's missing and I must have it!
*put photos in my dozens of empty frames
* buy some proper clothes (Goddess clothes, as my friend Susan would say)
* get a mammogram and make an eye doctor appointment
* read the manual that came with my car
* figure out how to use all the features on my cell phone
Well, I guess that's enough to keep me off the streets for the next few breaks.
* figure out how to do cool things on my blog, and to find out why I can't create links although I'm following the instructions I used to.
*scan all my photos to the computer, put them on disks, and get them all scrapbooked
*clean my entire house (including closets) and gather and price items for a garage sale
*get a Master's Degree, which would involve a series of smaller tasks to initiate the process
*exercise on a regular basis
*watch the Godfather movies (I have never seen a Godfather movie in its entirety)--also Apocalypse Now and Citizen Kane
*read the boxed set of tiny Shakespeare books that I asked for and got several Christmases ago
*find my Christmas recipe folder!!! It's missing and I must have it!
*put photos in my dozens of empty frames
* buy some proper clothes (Goddess clothes, as my friend Susan would say)
* get a mammogram and make an eye doctor appointment
* read the manual that came with my car
* figure out how to use all the features on my cell phone
Well, I guess that's enough to keep me off the streets for the next few breaks.
Wednesday, February 22, 2006
Hospitals
Fortunately, she seems to be doing better now, but about two weeks ago my stepdaughter had a serious car accident on her way home from work, resulting in a badly broken hip, among other things. After the initial surgery, another surgery at another hospital a little over an hour from here,was required. Although she is still in the hospital, she sounded great when my husband spoke to her on the phone today and seems to be recovering nicely, although there is some more healing and rehab ahead of her.
(Update: I was interrupted when writing this Saturday. She will be returning to our hometown hospital tomorrow for rehab.)
Since early May of last year, I have had three family members in the hospital for some pretty serious stuff. That was preceded by two years where someone was in the hospital at least once for other serious stuff. I am happy to report that they are, if not necessarily all completely healthy, better off than they would have been without surgical/medical intervention.
It’s strange how you can go years and years without this stuff going on and then it becomes a weirdly normal part of your life—not the illness or injury that results in the hospital stay, but how the language of hospitals and getting around starts to become familiar: NPO, clear tray, rating pain on a scale of 1 to 10, etc.
But thank God for the hospitals, doctors, nurses, and other medical personnel that have made life better, safer, and healthier for my loved ones when they have been in some kind of trouble.
(Update: I was interrupted when writing this Saturday. She will be returning to our hometown hospital tomorrow for rehab.)
Since early May of last year, I have had three family members in the hospital for some pretty serious stuff. That was preceded by two years where someone was in the hospital at least once for other serious stuff. I am happy to report that they are, if not necessarily all completely healthy, better off than they would have been without surgical/medical intervention.
It’s strange how you can go years and years without this stuff going on and then it becomes a weirdly normal part of your life—not the illness or injury that results in the hospital stay, but how the language of hospitals and getting around starts to become familiar: NPO, clear tray, rating pain on a scale of 1 to 10, etc.
But thank God for the hospitals, doctors, nurses, and other medical personnel that have made life better, safer, and healthier for my loved ones when they have been in some kind of trouble.
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