A little anecdote to start this off. This afternoon, Abigail started begging her daddy to put on some music. Specifically The Cars. Kid loves her some Cars. And when I went home for dinner, what was on the stereo? The Cars. She wouldn't leave Daddy alone until he put it on. So at my house, the listening options include and are limited to The Cars and Bob the Builder.
On a sweeter note, Abigail came stumbling into our room very early one morning last week. A little "Mommy" alerted me to her presence, and I skooched over a bit so she could climb up next to me. I was so tired, I didn't even roll over to see what time it was. Abbey laid down on my arm with her blankies cuddled up to her face and promptly dosed back off. I just laid there watching her through half-closed eyes, feeling her twitch slightly each time sleep started to take over. She even cried out quietly once, fighting the sleep. I enjoyed the moment for a few minutes -- the first time she's ever crawled into bed with me and not immediately started kicking and telling me to get up -- before mustering the energy to pick her up and put her back in her own bed. Thankfully, she slept another couple of hours, but wasn't a bad early wake up call after all.
The overwhelming flood of love for my child still sometimes surprises me. This will sound horrible, but I really didn't connect to her very quickly. For months she was a responsibility that was sometimes cute, but I really didn't have a strong emotion toward her. I left her that first day in the NICU without tears. I visited her twice a day for those five weeks, but I mainly got bored and sleepy. I was incredibly guilty about this for a long time. I think part of it was post-partum depression, if that can kick in two months after the fact, and part was how small Abbey was, just sleeping for months. And I'm sure not knowing a soul in Charlotte didn't help. The early baby months were extremely difficult emotionally, up until about 6 months when she started to get responsive. I loved her, but it wasn't this consuming desire to squeeze her tight and kiss her. Well, when she's not tired and grumpy, when I then want to hand her over to Nana and happily wave good-bye!
Sunday, July 31, 2005
Sunday, July 24, 2005
A big plate of pasketti
A question for my linguistic connections. It seems that every small child calls spaghetti pasketti. My sister did, Abbey does, it's a common joke about small children. What is this word so universally bungled? Is sp a late-developing phonetic combination? And the real question, do Italian children do the same thing? Or does the accent and gesturing preserve them from that fate?
Friday, July 22, 2005
A budding musician?
When you're nearly 3, there are many things you want to try. And though you may watch Mommy blow across the mouthpiece, heck if you can figure out quite how she does it. Somehow, the whole "blow across a bottle" analogy doesn't work, either.
"Hmm, I think this is how she was holding it. Let's see ..."
"Maybe if I flip it around this way, Alpine style."
"Here, Pink Duckie, let me show you."
"Hmm, I think this is how she was holding it. Let's see ..."
"Maybe if I flip it around this way, Alpine style."
"Here, Pink Duckie, let me show you."
Keepin' it in the family
Well, fresh London bombings mean a fresh link to Ayzair's family. This time, it was my sister's work tube stop that was involved, Warren Street. Obviously, she's fine. But if you know me, watch your back! You never know what new catastrophe will somehow be connected to me and mine!
Tuesday, July 19, 2005
Behind the scenes of history
While many of you may have seen what appeared to be a suppressed smile or laugh by John Roberts, the Supreme Court nominee, I doubt many news outlets showed you why. I initially though it was just an effort not to grin like an idiot thinking, "I'm nominated to the Supreme Court! I'm nominated to the Supreme Court!" But no, it was little Jack. Frankly, I'm surprised there wasn't more commotion. Though I did notice they never panned to the kids when Roberts was talking about them later -- no doubt they'd been yanked out of the room long before ...
President Bush introduces his nominee for the Supreme Court, John G. Roberts Jr., left, as his son John, dances, and wife Jane and daughter Josephine, look on in the State Dining Room at the White House, Tuesday, July 19, 2005, in Washington. President Bush chose federal appeals court judge John G. Roberts Jr. on Tuesday as his first nominee for the Supreme Court, selecting a rock solid conservative whose nomination could trigger a tumultuous battle over the direction of the nation's highest court. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
President Bush introduces his nominee for the Supreme Court, John G. Roberts Jr., left, as his son John, dances, and wife Jane and daughter Josephine, look on in the State Dining Room at the White House, Tuesday, July 19, 2005, in Washington. President Bush chose federal appeals court judge John G. Roberts Jr. on Tuesday as his first nominee for the Supreme Court, selecting a rock solid conservative whose nomination could trigger a tumultuous battle over the direction of the nation's highest court. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
Monday, July 18, 2005
The behemoth is done!
I have finally finished "The Mists of Avalon," all nearly 900 pages of it. Now, there were lots of parts that I really liked, but no doubt what I'm going to say will tick off my closest mommy friend and fantasy readers in general.
First, this book was incredibly hard to get into. I read at least 50 pages before I actually wanted to keep reading. I almost put it down after the first two pages, when the adjective shaken was used at least three times for the same character. Variety, please! If I weren't reading it in a group, I doubt I would have kept going. But I figured surely something had to be there since so many people loved it.
And something was there. The Arthur story is always compelling, and it was interesting to read about old pagan ways for a while. There wasn't much else to learn about Beltane after a bit, but it was still interesting. But around page 600, I was just plain ready to read a different story. I knew pretty much who was going to kill who in the end, and I was tired of reading the fantasy style. I've never been big on fantasy, and as I kept going, the characters just blended. Gwenhwyfar could have been Morgain or Igraine or Morgause half the time. Yes, they said very different things, but every single character flew into rages at the drop of a hat, went from religious ecstasy to complete doubt in paragraphs, etc. I'm sorry, but not every person is that dramatically emotional. The religious Druids and priestesses were always self-righteous, but you only rarely saw them being actually religious, other than Beltane. And the characters seemd to have very poor hearing and/or memory, because characters would say things in a large crowd, and a few chapters later, it was brand new again -- like Lancelet not knowing Nimue was in Avalon. Duh, Morgaine said that. I just got very irritated with inconsistencies.
And what the heck was up with Raven and Morgaine? Where did that come from? They'd earlier been saying how gay men were denying the Goddess and life tides and so forth, but then lesbianism is fine? A higher expression of the Goddess, no less? That was probably the most obnoxious contradiction.
The character of Gwenhwyfar (heck if I can spell that) was maddening, and I know she was supposed to be, but I pains me when Christianity is so skewed. She was always saying God was punishing her, which reminded me of a girl I knew in high school. I found out a couple years ago that she had become Wiccan, largely because of the incredible guilt trip she had be given by her mother, a devout Eastern Orthodox. Her mother was dying of cancer and actually told her perhaps 15-year-old daughter that it was her fault, God hated her, she wasn't praying hard enough, etc. So now, understandably, this woman doesn't trust Christians in the slightest. She was quoted in an article on Wicca, and the scorn in her words was incredible. It just amazes me when a religion that is about a God of LOVE can be so thwarted. And I'm sure that woman has read this book and had her stereotypes reinforced tenfold.
Of course, I don't doubt this book was a fairly accurate representation of fourth century Christianity. And I say all of this as a liberal protestant, and I'm sure there are many still today that would disagree with me. But it was still irritating.
That said, overall it was a pretty good book. Overdone in spots, long winded, but a good story (how could it not be) and interesting historical perspective. There were days in the middle when I didn't want to put it down. But I was slogging at the end and would recommend Mary Stewart's take on the legend, "The Crystal Cave" and sequals, instead.
Still speaking to me, Amber? Don't tell Janet! :)
First, this book was incredibly hard to get into. I read at least 50 pages before I actually wanted to keep reading. I almost put it down after the first two pages, when the adjective shaken was used at least three times for the same character. Variety, please! If I weren't reading it in a group, I doubt I would have kept going. But I figured surely something had to be there since so many people loved it.
And something was there. The Arthur story is always compelling, and it was interesting to read about old pagan ways for a while. There wasn't much else to learn about Beltane after a bit, but it was still interesting. But around page 600, I was just plain ready to read a different story. I knew pretty much who was going to kill who in the end, and I was tired of reading the fantasy style. I've never been big on fantasy, and as I kept going, the characters just blended. Gwenhwyfar could have been Morgain or Igraine or Morgause half the time. Yes, they said very different things, but every single character flew into rages at the drop of a hat, went from religious ecstasy to complete doubt in paragraphs, etc. I'm sorry, but not every person is that dramatically emotional. The religious Druids and priestesses were always self-righteous, but you only rarely saw them being actually religious, other than Beltane. And the characters seemd to have very poor hearing and/or memory, because characters would say things in a large crowd, and a few chapters later, it was brand new again -- like Lancelet not knowing Nimue was in Avalon. Duh, Morgaine said that. I just got very irritated with inconsistencies.
And what the heck was up with Raven and Morgaine? Where did that come from? They'd earlier been saying how gay men were denying the Goddess and life tides and so forth, but then lesbianism is fine? A higher expression of the Goddess, no less? That was probably the most obnoxious contradiction.
The character of Gwenhwyfar (heck if I can spell that) was maddening, and I know she was supposed to be, but I pains me when Christianity is so skewed. She was always saying God was punishing her, which reminded me of a girl I knew in high school. I found out a couple years ago that she had become Wiccan, largely because of the incredible guilt trip she had be given by her mother, a devout Eastern Orthodox. Her mother was dying of cancer and actually told her perhaps 15-year-old daughter that it was her fault, God hated her, she wasn't praying hard enough, etc. So now, understandably, this woman doesn't trust Christians in the slightest. She was quoted in an article on Wicca, and the scorn in her words was incredible. It just amazes me when a religion that is about a God of LOVE can be so thwarted. And I'm sure that woman has read this book and had her stereotypes reinforced tenfold.
Of course, I don't doubt this book was a fairly accurate representation of fourth century Christianity. And I say all of this as a liberal protestant, and I'm sure there are many still today that would disagree with me. But it was still irritating.
That said, overall it was a pretty good book. Overdone in spots, long winded, but a good story (how could it not be) and interesting historical perspective. There were days in the middle when I didn't want to put it down. But I was slogging at the end and would recommend Mary Stewart's take on the legend, "The Crystal Cave" and sequals, instead.
Still speaking to me, Amber? Don't tell Janet! :)
Sunday, July 17, 2005
Jumping Little Children coming to a venue near you!
Okay, the following could be your last chances to see Jump in concert!
9/17 Variety Playhouse in Atlanta
9/22 and 23 Tremont Music Hall in Charlotte
9/24 Georgia Theater in Athens
9/26 Headliners in Columbia
No Florida dates as yet.
This pubilc service announcement brought to you by an Opium addict.
9/17 Variety Playhouse in Atlanta
9/22 and 23 Tremont Music Hall in Charlotte
9/24 Georgia Theater in Athens
9/26 Headliners in Columbia
No Florida dates as yet.
This pubilc service announcement brought to you by an Opium addict.
Thursday, July 14, 2005
I actually love these things, call me crazy
1. First Name:Heather
2. Were you named after anyone? My parents had a dear friend Heather in Australia before I was born, but they say they just liked the name
3. Do you wish on stars? No, but I do wish on green and yellow M&Ms and the clasp of my necklace when it's down at the pendant
4. When did you last cry? I teard up one day when Abbey was at the beach with her Nana when I said something she says a lot, though I don't think I actually cried.
5. Do you like your handwriting? I used to hate it, but now it reminds me of my dad's
6. What is your favorite lunch meat? Depends. Virginia baked ham or roast beef
7. What is your birth date? 23 July 1977 -- still enough time for shipping!
8. What is your most embarrassing CD? One of the first CDs I bought at 13 was Mariah Carey. I don't think I ever listened to it all the way through.
9. If you were another person, would YOU be friends with you? I think so, though I'd be really hard to meet since I'm so shy at first
10. Are you a daredevil? not really
11. Who is your favorite cartoon character? There's this incredibly cute PBS show about an Irish pig named Piggly Winks
12. Do looks matter? Yeah, but a guy has to live up to the looks when he opens his mouth
13. How do you release anger? I throw a tantrum. Sad but true. I jump up and down and yell. Or throw spatulas at college roommates.
14. Where is your second home? Clemson, SC
15. Do you trust others easily? Very
16. What was your favorite toy as a child? Barbies and Cabbage Patch Kids
17. What class in high school do you think was totally useless? My biology class. My teacher curved the grades so much I got 125% one quarter. And she was crazy, got her hair done once a week in a giant beehive, which she would scratch a lot as the week drew to an end. And very creepy cultures were growing in the room, and I'm not sure they were all intentional.
18. Do you have a journal? Did until junior year of college, when I realized I was only repeating what I'd already told my girlfriends
19. Do you use sarcasm a lot? Noooo, never.
20. What are your nicknames? Don't really have any now, but I used to be Buxton, Bucky, Yasmine, H (hated that one), Yazz, Heather Feather, and the cruel middle school boys called me Bob
21. Would you bungee jump? No, but I'd parasail
22. Do you untie your shoes when you take them off? Only my sneakers
23. Do you think that you are strong? Emotionally, very
24. What is your favorite ice cream flavor? Cassis or dark chocolate with raspberries
25. Shoe Size? 8.5 or 9
26. Red or pink? dark red
27. What is your least favorite thing about yourself? way way way too shy
28. Who do you miss most? Daddy
30. What color pants and shoes are you wearing? Blue jeans and brown sandals
31. What are you listening to right now? the police scanner and the whir of a very loud computer
32. Last thing you ate? a blueberry muffin from the vending machine
33. If you were a color what would you be? a dark green or blue
34. What is the weather like right now? humid, not too hot, smoky from the fireworks the city just set off -- happy Bastille Day! -- er belated Fourth!
36. The first thing you notice about the opposite sex? eyes, height, coloring
37. Do you like the person who sent this to you? Smitty's been one of my closest friends for a decade now -- awwwww
38. Favorite Drink? cappuccino
39. Favorite Sport? hiking
40. Hair Color? dark brown
41. Eye Color? brown with moments of hazel
42.Do you wear contacts? used to
43. Favorite Food? Bread. Pain. Brot. Did I mention bread? Oh, and chocolate.
44. Last Movie You Watched? Luther -- a bit disappointing
45. Favorite Day of the Year? Christmas Eve
46. Scary Movies or Happy Endings? I like to cry
47. Summer or Winter? Winter
48. Hugs or Kisses? Hugs and kisses on the neck
49. What Is Your Favorite Dessert? Chocolate anything
52. Living Arrangements? two-story townhouse shared with husband and daughter and lots of books
53. What Books Are You Reading? Mists of Avalon and many, many kids books
54. What's On Your Mouse Pad? tonight's computer features the Marine Corps -- I rotate work desks
55. What Did You Watch Last night on TV? might have checked the 24-hour weather radar channel
56. Favorite Smells? freshly ground coffee, fresh baked bread, tobacco, Abbey's hair after her bath, 6-month-old babies
57. Favorite Flower? daffodils, daffodils, daffodils -- and some narcissus thrown in there
58. Rolling Stones or Beatles? Beatles.
59. Do you believe in Evolution or Creation? Evolution caused by God
60. What's the furthest you've been from home? Prague, Czech Republic
61. What made you spend all of your time filling this damn thing out? Waiting, waiting, waiting for a story at work
2. Were you named after anyone? My parents had a dear friend Heather in Australia before I was born, but they say they just liked the name
3. Do you wish on stars? No, but I do wish on green and yellow M&Ms and the clasp of my necklace when it's down at the pendant
4. When did you last cry? I teard up one day when Abbey was at the beach with her Nana when I said something she says a lot, though I don't think I actually cried.
5. Do you like your handwriting? I used to hate it, but now it reminds me of my dad's
6. What is your favorite lunch meat? Depends. Virginia baked ham or roast beef
7. What is your birth date? 23 July 1977 -- still enough time for shipping!
8. What is your most embarrassing CD? One of the first CDs I bought at 13 was Mariah Carey. I don't think I ever listened to it all the way through.
9. If you were another person, would YOU be friends with you? I think so, though I'd be really hard to meet since I'm so shy at first
10. Are you a daredevil? not really
11. Who is your favorite cartoon character? There's this incredibly cute PBS show about an Irish pig named Piggly Winks
12. Do looks matter? Yeah, but a guy has to live up to the looks when he opens his mouth
13. How do you release anger? I throw a tantrum. Sad but true. I jump up and down and yell. Or throw spatulas at college roommates.
14. Where is your second home? Clemson, SC
15. Do you trust others easily? Very
16. What was your favorite toy as a child? Barbies and Cabbage Patch Kids
17. What class in high school do you think was totally useless? My biology class. My teacher curved the grades so much I got 125% one quarter. And she was crazy, got her hair done once a week in a giant beehive, which she would scratch a lot as the week drew to an end. And very creepy cultures were growing in the room, and I'm not sure they were all intentional.
18. Do you have a journal? Did until junior year of college, when I realized I was only repeating what I'd already told my girlfriends
19. Do you use sarcasm a lot? Noooo, never.
20. What are your nicknames? Don't really have any now, but I used to be Buxton, Bucky, Yasmine, H (hated that one), Yazz, Heather Feather, and the cruel middle school boys called me Bob
21. Would you bungee jump? No, but I'd parasail
22. Do you untie your shoes when you take them off? Only my sneakers
23. Do you think that you are strong? Emotionally, very
24. What is your favorite ice cream flavor? Cassis or dark chocolate with raspberries
25. Shoe Size? 8.5 or 9
26. Red or pink? dark red
27. What is your least favorite thing about yourself? way way way too shy
28. Who do you miss most? Daddy
30. What color pants and shoes are you wearing? Blue jeans and brown sandals
31. What are you listening to right now? the police scanner and the whir of a very loud computer
32. Last thing you ate? a blueberry muffin from the vending machine
33. If you were a color what would you be? a dark green or blue
34. What is the weather like right now? humid, not too hot, smoky from the fireworks the city just set off -- happy Bastille Day! -- er belated Fourth!
36. The first thing you notice about the opposite sex? eyes, height, coloring
37. Do you like the person who sent this to you? Smitty's been one of my closest friends for a decade now -- awwwww
38. Favorite Drink? cappuccino
39. Favorite Sport? hiking
40. Hair Color? dark brown
41. Eye Color? brown with moments of hazel
42.Do you wear contacts? used to
43. Favorite Food? Bread. Pain. Brot. Did I mention bread? Oh, and chocolate.
44. Last Movie You Watched? Luther -- a bit disappointing
45. Favorite Day of the Year? Christmas Eve
46. Scary Movies or Happy Endings? I like to cry
47. Summer or Winter? Winter
48. Hugs or Kisses? Hugs and kisses on the neck
49. What Is Your Favorite Dessert? Chocolate anything
52. Living Arrangements? two-story townhouse shared with husband and daughter and lots of books
53. What Books Are You Reading? Mists of Avalon and many, many kids books
54. What's On Your Mouse Pad? tonight's computer features the Marine Corps -- I rotate work desks
55. What Did You Watch Last night on TV? might have checked the 24-hour weather radar channel
56. Favorite Smells? freshly ground coffee, fresh baked bread, tobacco, Abbey's hair after her bath, 6-month-old babies
57. Favorite Flower? daffodils, daffodils, daffodils -- and some narcissus thrown in there
58. Rolling Stones or Beatles? Beatles.
59. Do you believe in Evolution or Creation? Evolution caused by God
60. What's the furthest you've been from home? Prague, Czech Republic
61. What made you spend all of your time filling this damn thing out? Waiting, waiting, waiting for a story at work
Wednesday, July 13, 2005
Nobody puts Baby in a corner
Dear God, someone save me from myself! For about an hour now, I've had the stupid resort song from "Dirty Dancing" stuck in my head. You know, "At Kellerman's the friendships last long as the mountain stands." It's driving me crazy! -- and no, I haven't seen the movie in years. But if I ever did, I bet I'd still be able to quote about half of it. I'm sure any female about my age reading this can relate -- or if you can't, you sure didn't go to many slumber parties in, what, 1987, 1988, 1989. Though I think by '89 or '90, I'd switched my favorite movie to a lesser-known Molly Ringwald flick, "For Keeps?" Don't ask me why that appealed to a 12-year-old. Thankfully, that one only lasted a summer before I was introduced to the wonders of "Ferris Beuler's Day Off" and then "The Princess Bride."
Okay, girls, how many others are there that tried to do the big "Dirty Dancing" dance lift from the end of the movie? A friend and I spent what seems like an entire summer at Centennial Beach mastering that move(much easier underwater where you can lift 100 pounds with ease and it doesn't matter if your friend falls).
Okay, girls, how many others are there that tried to do the big "Dirty Dancing" dance lift from the end of the movie? A friend and I spent what seems like an entire summer at Centennial Beach mastering that move(much easier underwater where you can lift 100 pounds with ease and it doesn't matter if your friend falls).
Sunday, July 10, 2005
Out of the eye
Well, Mom came through Dennis relatively unscathed, just with the loss of a small tree, and considering the eye went directly over her, not bad! She said there was a half an hour that was truly frightening, when she and her neighbors lay on the floor in a sheltered hallway. She could hear tornadoes all around her -- as evidenced by the many twisted trees in her neighborhood. She said she even felt the walls vibrating from the wind. But compared to Ivan, the damage isn't bad. Thankfully, this storm was very compact and fast. And she swears this is the last one she'll ride out. Of course, she said this after Opal in 1995 and Ivan last year, but now I've got it in writing for the Web world to see, so I'll hold her to it.
Some interesting images:
Boats and debris litter Florida State Route 399 leading into Pensacola Beach, Fla., following Hurricane Dennis Sunday, July 10, 2005. The bay side restaurant The Palace was also damaged. (AP Photo/The Times-Picayune, Alex Brandon)
HURRICANE DENNIS US
Originally uploaded by HFBW.
Dan Thomas, of WEAR-TV in Pensacola, Fla., retrieves equipment from his station's satellite truck in Navarre Beach, Fla., Sunday, July 10, 2005, after Hurricane Dennis came ashore. (AP Photo/The Times-Picayune, Scott Threlkeld)
AYZAIR SAYS: Can't you just imagine it? A melodramatic reporter in hooded slicker saying, "Well, Bob, the wind's really picking up out here! It's getting harder and harder to stand up! You can really understand how this force can just pick up huge objects and turn them into projectiles -- THE TRUCK!!!!!!"
TOPIX HURRICANE DENNIS US
Originally uploaded by HFBW.
Eighty-year-old Alfreda Donze watches the waves of Lake Pontchartrain, pushed by winds from Hurricane Dennis, come crashing in at the municipal boat launch at West End Park in New Orleans, Sunday July 10, 2005.(AP Photo/The Times-Picayune, Eliot Kamenitz)
AYZAIR SAYS: "The family promised they'd come back for me. Surely they wouldn't just leave me out here all alone ..."
HURRICANE DENNIS US
Originally uploaded by HFBW.
Some interesting images:
Boats and debris litter Florida State Route 399 leading into Pensacola Beach, Fla., following Hurricane Dennis Sunday, July 10, 2005. The bay side restaurant The Palace was also damaged. (AP Photo/The Times-Picayune, Alex Brandon)
HURRICANE DENNIS US
Originally uploaded by HFBW.
Dan Thomas, of WEAR-TV in Pensacola, Fla., retrieves equipment from his station's satellite truck in Navarre Beach, Fla., Sunday, July 10, 2005, after Hurricane Dennis came ashore. (AP Photo/The Times-Picayune, Scott Threlkeld)
AYZAIR SAYS: Can't you just imagine it? A melodramatic reporter in hooded slicker saying, "Well, Bob, the wind's really picking up out here! It's getting harder and harder to stand up! You can really understand how this force can just pick up huge objects and turn them into projectiles -- THE TRUCK!!!!!!"
TOPIX HURRICANE DENNIS US
Originally uploaded by HFBW.
Eighty-year-old Alfreda Donze watches the waves of Lake Pontchartrain, pushed by winds from Hurricane Dennis, come crashing in at the municipal boat launch at West End Park in New Orleans, Sunday July 10, 2005.(AP Photo/The Times-Picayune, Eliot Kamenitz)
AYZAIR SAYS: "The family promised they'd come back for me. Surely they wouldn't just leave me out here all alone ..."
HURRICANE DENNIS US
Originally uploaded by HFBW.
Saturday, July 09, 2005
Six degrees of Ayzair
Well, after my sibling's close call with the London terror attacks, we now have Hurricane Dennis bearing down on dear ol' mom. A few hours ago, it was a 2 and she was just going to ride it out (she bought a generator, did laundry, rented a movie, curled up with the cat). And now, after the 11 p.m. fly-through, it's just a few mph off of a 4. And mom is pretty much stuck in lovely Bagdad now. Florida, not Iraq. I guess she could leave in the morning still, but with her evacuation points being Gulfport, Miss., and Dothan, Ala., I'm not sure how much better off she'd be! Everyone, watch the Weather Channel and pray!
Can't wait to see what the next major news event will be. Bet it'll take less that six moves to reach me.
Can't wait to see what the next major news event will be. Bet it'll take less that six moves to reach me.
Thursday, July 07, 2005
London bombings
Just an update for whoever knows my sister. Amanda and David, my brother-in-law, are fine. David works just around the corner from where the bus blew up and had just arrived, but thankfully he just heard the boom and nothing else. Amanda was on the Underground at the time of the bombings but didn't know a thing. Her train didn't stop until after her station, and she proceeded blissfully unaware to work, where she checked her e-mail until David called her and said "Do you know what's going on?" Ah, my big sister, always in the know! This makes the second bombing in her London tenure that Amanda has been clueless about .. But the worst that happened to them was the hour-plus walk home since transit was stopped, and they're quite non-plussed by the whole thing. More British than they realized, perhaps.
Check out the Dunce for his first-hand account.
Check out the Dunce for his first-hand account.
Saturday, July 02, 2005
ACK! But I need my Licorice Tea!
NO! NO!!!!! My favorite band in the WORLD may be calling it quits! NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!! If Jump dies, that means my youth really IS over!
All JLC fans, watch this space for tour dates -- it could be your last chance!
NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
All JLC fans, watch this space for tour dates -- it could be your last chance!
NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And now for something completely different
Do you ever feel like today is just not your day? Like your life is stuck, that you have no direction, no momentum? Well, at least you're not this poor gal.
Your cause here
As the rainbow of rubber bracelets grows -- today's addition, white from Live 8 -- I can't help but wonder how sincere people's charitable intentions are. Obviously, something like the Live 8 bracelet is a status symbol, showing you went to the concert. Will politicians actually notice or care how many people are wearing them? Will it affect policies toward Africa? Somehow I doubt it. Call me callous.
It seems to me that Americans, while I'm sure we have wonderful intentions, have a great fear of poverty and catastrophe. The church we currently attend is a wonderful example. They collect money for this and that, those generous blue-bloods of my little town, but heck if they'll dirty their hands actually building a Habitat house. Not that I'm much better, of course. I try to give money to the food banks whenever I get a request in the mail, an effort to give back what we've been given these past few years, but I don't serve at a soup kitchen. I didn't sign up for the one Habitat work day our church had (though of course I was scheduled to work, as always, which hampers actual activity). And like so many people, when I saw the images of the tsunami in Asia, I responded quickly with a donation to Doctors Without Borders.
And that donation got me thinking. We see this great, incomprehensible disaster, and of course we respond. We send our hundred dollars or so off, and then forget about the problem. Throw money at it and subconsciously hope the scary boogeyman of suffering will go away. Make that tax-deductible gift and go back to your comfortable life in the suburbs. Or the city, or the country, or just about anywhere in this country other than perhaps the Mississippi Delta. Suffering scares us. It shows us how vulnerable we are, and that just can't happen in America. We're perfect, we're invincible, we're wrapped in our materialistic coccoon so tightly that we don't realize how fragile it is. There's a reason the poor are generally the most charitable, they understand what the people are actually feeling. They aren't living in a happy little bubble. A couple hundred years ago, death featured prominantly even in childrens toys. It was understood that children would have lost a few siblings, many other relatives. Not that I'm advocating a higher infant mortality rate, of course, just a bit of a reality check. We need to respond with true empathy and action, not just slip a bracelet on our wrist, wave some money in the general direction of tragedy and then run as quickly as possible in the other direction.
That said, I would have loved to have been at the Live 8 in London ...
It seems to me that Americans, while I'm sure we have wonderful intentions, have a great fear of poverty and catastrophe. The church we currently attend is a wonderful example. They collect money for this and that, those generous blue-bloods of my little town, but heck if they'll dirty their hands actually building a Habitat house. Not that I'm much better, of course. I try to give money to the food banks whenever I get a request in the mail, an effort to give back what we've been given these past few years, but I don't serve at a soup kitchen. I didn't sign up for the one Habitat work day our church had (though of course I was scheduled to work, as always, which hampers actual activity). And like so many people, when I saw the images of the tsunami in Asia, I responded quickly with a donation to Doctors Without Borders.
And that donation got me thinking. We see this great, incomprehensible disaster, and of course we respond. We send our hundred dollars or so off, and then forget about the problem. Throw money at it and subconsciously hope the scary boogeyman of suffering will go away. Make that tax-deductible gift and go back to your comfortable life in the suburbs. Or the city, or the country, or just about anywhere in this country other than perhaps the Mississippi Delta. Suffering scares us. It shows us how vulnerable we are, and that just can't happen in America. We're perfect, we're invincible, we're wrapped in our materialistic coccoon so tightly that we don't realize how fragile it is. There's a reason the poor are generally the most charitable, they understand what the people are actually feeling. They aren't living in a happy little bubble. A couple hundred years ago, death featured prominantly even in childrens toys. It was understood that children would have lost a few siblings, many other relatives. Not that I'm advocating a higher infant mortality rate, of course, just a bit of a reality check. We need to respond with true empathy and action, not just slip a bracelet on our wrist, wave some money in the general direction of tragedy and then run as quickly as possible in the other direction.
That said, I would have loved to have been at the Live 8 in London ...
Monday, June 27, 2005
One ... two ... three four five
It's often a wonderful asset having a sister in England. It makes travel (theoretically) very affordable and stress-free and generally means we get cool presents. Especially Abigail, who has a plethora of lovely English books and an alphabet board with an English accent. Most recently, Abbey has been able to cash in on the British adoration of Bob the Builder.
Now, I'm quite proud that my daughter's not too girly and loves a show about a construction worker (though her favorite game by far is pretending to be a ballerina) and she looks incredibly cute in her recently acquired hard hat and tool belt. But as a parent, you know that at some point, your child will receive a gift that might just be intended to drive you crazy more than entertain her. My lovely sister just sent us Bob the Builder The Album. A CD full of remakes of British pop tunes, complete with lyrics all about construction and cameo appearances by the various characters. Now, I listened to the first few songs with Abbey before I put her down for her nap, and by far the most hilarious was "Mambo No. 5." That song stalked me everywhere I went during my year abroad, and I found it incredibly entertaining to hear it turned on its head. The line "a little bit of you makes me your man" became "a little bit of Bob the Builder-man." Abbey was very concerned by my guffaws of laughter.
But now, hours and hours later, I have that (*&(#^(*%@$#%^ song stuck in my head!! And I know that my relationship with that CD has only just begun ... and I haven't even heard tracks 4 through 12 yet!
Now, I'm quite proud that my daughter's not too girly and loves a show about a construction worker (though her favorite game by far is pretending to be a ballerina) and she looks incredibly cute in her recently acquired hard hat and tool belt. But as a parent, you know that at some point, your child will receive a gift that might just be intended to drive you crazy more than entertain her. My lovely sister just sent us Bob the Builder The Album. A CD full of remakes of British pop tunes, complete with lyrics all about construction and cameo appearances by the various characters. Now, I listened to the first few songs with Abbey before I put her down for her nap, and by far the most hilarious was "Mambo No. 5." That song stalked me everywhere I went during my year abroad, and I found it incredibly entertaining to hear it turned on its head. The line "a little bit of you makes me your man" became "a little bit of Bob the Builder-man." Abbey was very concerned by my guffaws of laughter.
But now, hours and hours later, I have that (*&(#^(*%@$#%^ song stuck in my head!! And I know that my relationship with that CD has only just begun ... and I haven't even heard tracks 4 through 12 yet!
Sunday, June 05, 2005
Gettin' jiggy wid it
One of the local stations has been playing an all-'90s weekend, which I was at first unabashedly delighted about since they dug out many songs I enjoyed in high school and college.
Than I realized that many of these same songs were at least 10 years old -- ACK!!!
But it was still quite enjoyable strolling down my musical memory lane. My reactions covered a range of memories and times in my life.
"Losing My Religion" instantly transports me back to freshman year of high school, when I would walk to school from the apartment we lived in before moving to Pittsburgh. I'm walking along a little connector road in my stylin' orange and blue, nylon band jacket, thinking I'm so much better than my contemporaries because I listened to R.E.M. before they became huge -- thanks, big sister. "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?" was also played, which zoomed me up to the night after my high school graduation, when Marie and I went to a very muddy R.E.M. concert and spent something like four hours on the highway trying to get home, which was normally an hour away. Never did find out what was up with that traffic, though it was entertaining playing cards in my car with the drunk guy who just sort of invited himself in on our game. And what's better than singing "Meet James Ensor" and dancing around your car at 1 a.m.? He's Belgium's famous painter, you know ...
A few other songs were more of the college era -- which started 10 years ago this August, I can't believe it! "You Outta Know" reminded me of the other I-hate-men female singers of the time, like Fiona Apple, which was always a good CD to play in the dark when ticked off. Side note, Alanis was inducted into the Canadian walk of fame today -- didn't know such a thing existed, much less that the stars were flanked by royal mounties when the got their stars! I hadn't heard "Sex and Candy" in years, always cranked the radio up on that one. And then, as I headed home for dinner, Will Smith came on in all his glory "Gettin' Jiggy With It." Now, never liked that song, hated it in fact, but the image of a certain 6 foot, 2 inch friend of mine dancing to that song in his dorm room almost had me in tears of laughter! This same friend was later my swing dance partner, and though we had a blast when I wasn't taking out his bum knee, I'm sure we weren't exactly the most graceful pair!
Ah, the ability of the senses to revive vivid memories -- almost Proustian, though I don't plan to lock myself in my bedroom for years.
Now if that station would just stop playing Jesus Jones' "Right Here, Right Now" on a regular basis, I'd be happy. Come on people, the song is all about how great 1990 is going to be -- move on!
Than I realized that many of these same songs were at least 10 years old -- ACK!!!
But it was still quite enjoyable strolling down my musical memory lane. My reactions covered a range of memories and times in my life.
"Losing My Religion" instantly transports me back to freshman year of high school, when I would walk to school from the apartment we lived in before moving to Pittsburgh. I'm walking along a little connector road in my stylin' orange and blue, nylon band jacket, thinking I'm so much better than my contemporaries because I listened to R.E.M. before they became huge -- thanks, big sister. "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?" was also played, which zoomed me up to the night after my high school graduation, when Marie and I went to a very muddy R.E.M. concert and spent something like four hours on the highway trying to get home, which was normally an hour away. Never did find out what was up with that traffic, though it was entertaining playing cards in my car with the drunk guy who just sort of invited himself in on our game. And what's better than singing "Meet James Ensor" and dancing around your car at 1 a.m.? He's Belgium's famous painter, you know ...
A few other songs were more of the college era -- which started 10 years ago this August, I can't believe it! "You Outta Know" reminded me of the other I-hate-men female singers of the time, like Fiona Apple, which was always a good CD to play in the dark when ticked off. Side note, Alanis was inducted into the Canadian walk of fame today -- didn't know such a thing existed, much less that the stars were flanked by royal mounties when the got their stars! I hadn't heard "Sex and Candy" in years, always cranked the radio up on that one. And then, as I headed home for dinner, Will Smith came on in all his glory "Gettin' Jiggy With It." Now, never liked that song, hated it in fact, but the image of a certain 6 foot, 2 inch friend of mine dancing to that song in his dorm room almost had me in tears of laughter! This same friend was later my swing dance partner, and though we had a blast when I wasn't taking out his bum knee, I'm sure we weren't exactly the most graceful pair!
Ah, the ability of the senses to revive vivid memories -- almost Proustian, though I don't plan to lock myself in my bedroom for years.
Now if that station would just stop playing Jesus Jones' "Right Here, Right Now" on a regular basis, I'd be happy. Come on people, the song is all about how great 1990 is going to be -- move on!
All I want for Christmas
I am normally quite good at Trivial Pursuit and enjoy flaunting that fact almost as much as my prowess at Scattergories, and so I find myself ridiculously excited about Trivial Pursuit for Book Lovers! For a hysterical review -- or at least an understanding of what English geeks find funny -- go here.
Of no particular importance or relation to the above, please remember that both my anniversary and birthday are next month ...
Of no particular importance or relation to the above, please remember that both my anniversary and birthday are next month ...
Tuesday, May 31, 2005
The Throat unmasked
One of the country's most fascinating mysteries has been solved: we know who Deep Throat was. As a journalist, you'd think I'd be incredibly excited by this revelation, when actually I'm more annoyed I hadn't yet gotten around to reading "All the President's Men." Now I won't be able to enjoy all the speculation! Of course, that won't keep me from reading every different angle on the story tonight and probably starting the book soon, despite the behemoth my Bible study/book club friends have foisted on me for next week ...
Another book
A friend recently wrote something very powerful about faith. I encourage everyone to read it, though most people that would read my blog probably already agree. But what he wrote got me thinking about another book I'd like to read: "God's Politics: Why the Right Gets it Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It," by Jim Wallis. I'm very socially progressive in my faith, though I seldom act on it other than donations. Maybe this book would help give me the kick I need to find a cause to devote myself to and really make a difference. A lot to ask of a book, but then I at least need to be asking more of myself.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Welcome to my odditorium, a collection of curiosities made up of snippets about my life and occasional machinations on deeper subjects.
