Saturday, December 6, 2008
My New Favorite Place
In the National Gallery of Art building, in the concourse between the East and West buildings, there is a new light installation that I have fallen in love with. This project was designed by Leo Villareal and has 40,000 LED nodes. The lights "move" in random patterns. The randomness is the best part. Sometimes it's really dark with a few lights twinkling and you feel like you're watching a night sky out in the country; other times all the lights are on at full capacity and you're walking through a tunnel of bright light like in a futuristic sci-fi movie; other times the lights create a wave illusion that sweeps over you. I stayed there for the longest time just watching all the different light patterns. It was so beautiful.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Maryland
In my quest to lean more about the state, I figured I would write an entry on information I have gathered about Maryland. This search worked out perfectly for me because I really love state trivia. One of my favorite books is State by State: A Panoramic Portrait of America. Each state is taken on by a different writer (usually, but not always the case, the writer lived in that state). It has a really impressive list of writers (including Sarah Vowell, John Hodgman, Dave Eggers, David Rakoff, Myla Goldberg, Susan Orlean, Jonathan Franzen, S.E. Hinton, Jhumpa Lahiri...). And I just loved that book. It was so great hearing about states' little quirks, trivia, history, and what that state means to the writer. And you learn so much about regional differences within the state that you didn't realize. It's great. Furthermore, this past weekend the history channel had a marathon of programs called "The States", where in each series they looked at 5 states. It was another perfect opportunity to hear interesting trivia and history about the states. I couldn't get enough!
Maryland has 8 U.S. representatives (which translates into 10 electoral college votes). Maryland is pretty much a Democratic (with a capital D) state. Democrats have largely controlled politics in the state for many, many years. That's because the most populous areas are the liberal ones. As a result, Baltimore, Montgomery County, and Prince George's County often decide statewide elections. Both senators are Democrats, the governor is a Democrat, and six of the eight U.S. representative are Democrats. In 1980, it was one of just six states to vote for Jimmy Carter. Maryland is often among the Democratic candidates' best states. In 1992, Bill Clinton fared better in Maryland than any other state except his home state of Arkansas. In 1996, Maryland was Clinton's 6th best, in 2000 Maryland ranked 4th for Gore and in 2004 John Kerry showed his 5th best performance in Maryland. Barack Obama won Maryland by a margin of 23 percentage points with 61.4% of the vote.
Seafood is really huge here. Especially crabs (and especially crab cakes). There's even a picture of a crab on the state drivers' licenses. I heard that in the 1940s, crabs were so plentiful that bars in Baltimore offered them for free. One important staple of Maryland cuisine, and a Maryland icon, is Old Bay Seasoning (known for its yellow can) 
Assateague Island (about 3 hours from here) has herds of wild horses. 
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Maryland has the highest median household income of any state at $68,000 in 2007.
Maryland has two professional sports teams: The Baltimore Ravens (NFL) and the Baltimore Orioles (MLB). Though my "loyalties" (that just started) are for DC teams. Though I live in Maryland, I live in the D.C. metro area. I'm about 30 minutes from Baltimore and 5 minutes from D.C. I can't go against the "home" team. In fact, I watched, with disappointment, the Redskins-Cowboys game. They are long-time rivals and the Cowboys won (despite the Redskins starting out stronger). It's still so weird watching Chris Cooley play for the Redskins (Chris Cooley is from Logan High School and Utah State University. His mom was even one of my high school teachers.) 
Maryland has a lot of famous residents. Too many to name, in fact. Some notables include Frederick Douglass, Thurgood Marshall, Nancy Pelosi, Upton Sinclair, Babe Ruth, Billie Holiday, Ira Glass, Spike Jonze, Frank Zappa, Lisa Loeb, Tori Amos, John Waters, Michael Phelps, Cal Ripken Jr, and David Hasselhoff. Edgar Allan Poe was not born in Maryland, but he lived here. He married his 13 year old cousin here, died here, and is buried here. Lewis Black and Ben Stein actually grew up in Silver Spring. Furthermore, Goldie Hawn, Connie Chung, and journalist Carl Bernstein went to the local high school here in Silver Spring. Sylvester Stallone also attended law school in Silver Spring for a semester.
Finally, the state sport is jousting.
So without further ado, I present you Maryland:
Capital: Annapolis (where the Naval Academy is)
Entered Union: 1788 (7th)
Nickname: Free State or Old Line State
State Bird: Baltimore Oriole
State Flower: Black-eyed Susan
State Tree: White Oak
State Song: "Maryland! My Maryland!"
Largest City: Baltimore (I hear Silver Spring is the second most populous)
Population: 5.6 Million. Ranked 19th in the U.S. (which makes sense that our Maryland license plate has 7 letters/numbers. The state has run out of letter/number combinations for 6 character license plates. The "old" license plates had 3 characters on one side, the seal of the state in the middle, and then three more characters on the other side. 
Elevation: Lowest point, sea level (0 ft) at the Atlantic Ocean. Highest point is Hoye Crest at 3,360 ft (Toto, I don't think we're in the West anymore...).
Maryland is considered part of the "mid-Atlantic" region (between the South and New England). It borders Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington D.C. to the south and the west; Pennsylvania to the north; and Delaware to the east.
Maryland has a very distinct shape (it's not as easy to draw as, say, Utah, Wyoming, or Colorado) and the Chesapeake Bay nearly bisects the state. .......
We live in Montgomery county. You see that almost diamond shape chunk taken out of Montgomery and Prince George's county? That's DC. That land was originally part of Maryland. We live at the top point of the diamond.
It's history as a border state had led Maryland to exhibit both Northern and Southern culture/characteristics. It borders Pennsylvania and Delaware (Northern states) and West Virginia and Virginia (Southern states -- well, excluding northern Virginia, which is not part of "real" Virginia, according to some people, including a McCain adviser). Maryland is actually south of the Mason-Dixon line (the Mason-Dixon line makes up the northern border of Maryland). And people have popularly considered the Mason-Dixon line as the line that separates the North and the South -- but that's not what the real purpose of the line is.
Maryland's history also exhibits both Southern and Northern elements. Maryland was part of the Chesapeake Colonies and grew tobacco and relied on slave labor. But Maryland fought for the Union during the Civil War. But they had southern sympathizers, including Marylander John Wilkes Booth (who assassinated Abraham Lincoln). In fact, the state song "Maryland! My Maryland!" (to the tune of "O Christmas Tree") was written in 1861 by a southern sympathizer. The lyrics express hatred towards Abraham Lincoln and a call to join the Confederacy. Here are some lyrics "The despot's heel is on thy shore, Maryland! My Maryland. His torch is at the temple door, Maryland! My Maryland...She is not dead, nor deaf, nor dumb - Huzza! She spurns the Northern scum! She breaths! She burns! She'll come! She'll come! Maryland! My Maryland!" There has been an effort to change the state song, but as of yet it still is the same.
Generally, the Western (Appalachia), Southern, and Eastern Shore regions of Maryland (which tend to be more rural) reflect Southern culture (including speaking in southern accents). And densely-populated central Maryland (where we live) exhibits characteristics of the Northeast.
As Myla Goldberg wrote:
"Picturing Maryland as a gun pointing west, I lived in the suburban portion of its trigger, along with most of the state's population. This area lies sandwiched between the rural areas that form Maryland's barrel and handle. The result is our national red-state/blue-state division writ in miniature. Montgomery County recently approved a school sex-ed curriculum that includes homosexuality, while forty miles north of Baltimore, Cecil County parents recently protested the adoption of a biology textbook that didn't include creationism. Someone driving north from Washington, D.C., to Philadelphia on Interstate 95 will traverse these cultural poles in about ninety minutes"
.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Out With the Old, In With the New
I got my Maryland driver's license today. Up to this point in time, I've only ever had a Utah driver's license. The same driver's license I got on my 16th birthday. It was one of those old school licenses with an actual picture laminated on a card. I felt a certain sadness when I had to give up my Utah license in place of a Maryland one. I kind of felt like I was selling away my loyalty to the state I grew up in. I felt I was losing a token of my youth. And as I'm a big "keepsake" person, I was sad to lose my license. My Utah license had the picture of my sixteen year old self, excited to finally be able to drive my friends around in the family mini-van and to have the "independence" -- or the closest thing to independence for a teenager of sixteen -- that comes with having a driver's license. That license also had my sixteen year old signature, which is not the same signature I have now. My sixteen year old signature was pretty much my name in cursive. Now my signature is quick, less legible. The former was naive, the latter was embittered by the world. Kidding.
And now I have one of those digital driver's license. Where the picture isn't as clear or crisp as an actual photograph. Where the signature appears on your card as a result of writing your signature on a computer screen (which never turns out the way your signature really is). Where holograms cover the license. And the girl in the picture is older than she was in the previous license. It doesn't seem like my license.
It also doesn't seem like my license because I don't feel like a Marylander yet. I love it here and I'm really excited to live here, but it's still so new. I get a weird feeling of homesickness when I look down at my license and it no longer says Utah. Instead it says Maryland and there's an outline of a state I don't know too much about. I don't know the state tree (nor did I play the part of the state tree in an elementary school play), the state song, the state flower, the state bird, the name of all the counties (thanks to a song), the history of the state... And that's not to say these are important facts or even that most people in Maryland know this stuff anyway. I know it's trivial stuff. My point is just that I did know this stuff with Utah. I had a history with Utah. Moving to a new place requires that building up of local knowledge and familiarity. And that process can be very exciting and adventurous and I do enjoy it, but it just takes time. So it doesn't quite seem real yet that I have a Maryland driver's license, a Maryland address, that I'm registered to vote in Maryland. And that, all in all, I have a new home.
And now I have one of those digital driver's license. Where the picture isn't as clear or crisp as an actual photograph. Where the signature appears on your card as a result of writing your signature on a computer screen (which never turns out the way your signature really is). Where holograms cover the license. And the girl in the picture is older than she was in the previous license. It doesn't seem like my license.
It also doesn't seem like my license because I don't feel like a Marylander yet. I love it here and I'm really excited to live here, but it's still so new. I get a weird feeling of homesickness when I look down at my license and it no longer says Utah. Instead it says Maryland and there's an outline of a state I don't know too much about. I don't know the state tree (nor did I play the part of the state tree in an elementary school play), the state song, the state flower, the state bird, the name of all the counties (thanks to a song), the history of the state... And that's not to say these are important facts or even that most people in Maryland know this stuff anyway. I know it's trivial stuff. My point is just that I did know this stuff with Utah. I had a history with Utah. Moving to a new place requires that building up of local knowledge and familiarity. And that process can be very exciting and adventurous and I do enjoy it, but it just takes time. So it doesn't quite seem real yet that I have a Maryland driver's license, a Maryland address, that I'm registered to vote in Maryland. And that, all in all, I have a new home.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Silver Spring
There's a perfect balance where we live. South of our apartment is the urban, downtown area with all the shops and restaurants. North of our apartment is a residential area with lots of homes, parks, and open space.
The view to the west
The residential area northeast of our apartment. Walking around the neighborhood reminded me of North Haven
Sligo Creek Park. Two blocks north of our apartment
Cityplace at Silver Spring. 1 block south of our apartment. On the weekend, they shut down Ellsworth drive to cars for 3 blocks so that people can walk around the shops/restaurants freely. On Saturday mornings they have a farmer's market here
Thursday, November 6, 2008
And Now When the Rain Comes We Can Be Thankful
How amazing was Tuesday night? It's so amazing to think I was part of the election that resulted in the first African-American president of the United States. What a historical moment. Tuesday night was filled with cheering, dancing, and crying (good crying. "I'm so completely moved" crying. Especially during Obama's speech).
Yesterday at the grocery store I saw a huge line-up of people by the customer service desk. I was confused what the line was for -- because no one was going up to the service desk, they were just standing by the service desk. When I checked out, the cashier asked if I was waiting for a newspaper. I said, confused, no. Then it clicked. I asked if the line was waiting for newspapers. She said they were, that they had run of newspapers and they were waiting for the Washington Post guy to bring over some more. It was such an historic day that everyone wanted newspapers to commemorate this day. Amazing.
Yesterday at the grocery store I saw a huge line-up of people by the customer service desk. I was confused what the line was for -- because no one was going up to the service desk, they were just standing by the service desk. When I checked out, the cashier asked if I was waiting for a newspaper. I said, confused, no. Then it clicked. I asked if the line was waiting for newspapers. She said they were, that they had run of newspapers and they were waiting for the Washington Post guy to bring over some more. It was such an historic day that everyone wanted newspapers to commemorate this day. Amazing.
I was thinking today of all that we have seen in the past couple of months. We left Vancouver in August and since then we have driven through Washington, Oregon, Idaho. Visited California. Then drove through Idaho, Montana, North Dakota (and visited Fargo), Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Maryland.
Since being here we have explored areas in Washington D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. We have explored different neighborhoods in D.C. and the various surrounding cities in the D.C. metro area (e.g., Greenbelt, MD; Silver Spring, MD; College Park, MD; Chevy Chase, MD; Arlington, VA; Alexandria, VA.) We also took a day trip out to Annapolis, Maryland and the Chesapeake Bay.
In D.C. we have visited many monuments, museums, and galleries. We have found lots of good shopping and good restaurants. We have taken advantage of the many free events that happen in D.C. And even still, I feel that it would be impossible to see everything this place has to offer.
And after all this traveling, we have finally found a place to unpack our suitcases and call home. Or learn to call home. It always takes time, right? Regardless, we now are Marylanders. We live in Silver Spring, Maryland -- which is just north of the D.C. border. We live by the top point of the diamond that is D.C.
We love our apartment and the area (downtown Silver Spring). Our apartment has hardwood floors, big windows, a big kitchen, and lots of closet space. The apartment complex has a pool and a fitness center. We're about three blocks from the metro station. We live next door to the library and a park. We're just two blocks away from several restaurants/eateries and shops (e.g., Pier 1, DWS shoes, Marshall's, Nine West, New York and Company). It seems like for every style of food, there's a restaurant/eatery within two blocks of our apartment. Whether we want Lebanese or Chik-Fil-A, Thai or Noodles & Company, pizza or burgers, Moroccan or Mexican -- it's all here. There's even a cupcake shop called Cake Love -- you can't go wrong with that. We're also two blocks away from a Borders and two movie theatres. One of the theatres is an American Film Institute theatre that plays independent movies, old movies, and film festivals. It's a really great neighborhood.
Since being here we have explored areas in Washington D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. We have explored different neighborhoods in D.C. and the various surrounding cities in the D.C. metro area (e.g., Greenbelt, MD; Silver Spring, MD; College Park, MD; Chevy Chase, MD; Arlington, VA; Alexandria, VA.) We also took a day trip out to Annapolis, Maryland and the Chesapeake Bay.
In D.C. we have visited many monuments, museums, and galleries. We have found lots of good shopping and good restaurants. We have taken advantage of the many free events that happen in D.C. And even still, I feel that it would be impossible to see everything this place has to offer.
And after all this traveling, we have finally found a place to unpack our suitcases and call home. Or learn to call home. It always takes time, right? Regardless, we now are Marylanders. We live in Silver Spring, Maryland -- which is just north of the D.C. border. We live by the top point of the diamond that is D.C.
We love our apartment and the area (downtown Silver Spring). Our apartment has hardwood floors, big windows, a big kitchen, and lots of closet space. The apartment complex has a pool and a fitness center. We're about three blocks from the metro station. We live next door to the library and a park. We're just two blocks away from several restaurants/eateries and shops (e.g., Pier 1, DWS shoes, Marshall's, Nine West, New York and Company). It seems like for every style of food, there's a restaurant/eatery within two blocks of our apartment. Whether we want Lebanese or Chik-Fil-A, Thai or Noodles & Company, pizza or burgers, Moroccan or Mexican -- it's all here. There's even a cupcake shop called Cake Love -- you can't go wrong with that. We're also two blocks away from a Borders and two movie theatres. One of the theatres is an American Film Institute theatre that plays independent movies, old movies, and film festivals. It's a really great neighborhood.
Some more good news, Eagan got a job at the Government Accountability Office as a health care analyst. The office he's working for researches health care issues, suggests policy to congress, and evaluates congressional policies. Eagan's really excited and it's a great fit for him.
And I'm still looking. The job process takes a long time here (the period in between applying and interviewing takes forever), so things move slowly. But hopefully soon enough I'll get a job. I was already offered a research position at a research firm, but it wasn't a great fit for me and I don't feel I'm in a place where I need to settle for something that isn't right for me.
And I'm still looking. The job process takes a long time here (the period in between applying and interviewing takes forever), so things move slowly. But hopefully soon enough I'll get a job. I was already offered a research position at a research firm, but it wasn't a great fit for me and I don't feel I'm in a place where I need to settle for something that isn't right for me.
Living in D.C., you have to take advantage of all the free events that go on. Eagan and I have gone to two really great book readings so far. The first was Sarah Vowell discussing her latest book The Wordy Shipmates. She is just as nerdy in person as I was hoping. And just as sarcastic. It was great.
After her book reading we got to chat with her a little bit. We expressed our love for her past works and talked with her about Montana/Bozeman (she lived in Bozeman, where Eagan grew up). She seemed really glad to talk about Montana, the way people are glad to talk about places they've called home with others that know exactly what they're talking about
The second reading was John Hodgman discussing his latest book More Information Than You Require. You probably know who John Hodgman is whether you realize it or not. He's the PC guy (that kind of looks like Bill Gates) in those Mac ads. He's also on the Daily Show. He was so amazingly hilarious. He read from his book, but he also just told a bunch of random, funny stories. He talked about being a "famous minor TV personality". He said now he's rich enough to buy a tux. He said most of us common folk have to rent a tux, but he owns a tux. He said this is in direct contrast to when he was just a lowly book agent and he had to rent regular pants because he couldn't afford clothes. And he just ate Ramen -- but he couldn't afford water so he just ate the noodle cake and snorted the powder.
We also got to chat with John Hodgman for a little bit after his book reading. And on top of being hilarious, he's a really, really nice guy. I don't even remember how it came up, but we started talking about Simon Fraser University and how excited he was that Battlestar Gallactica was filmed there. How many people have that trivia floating around in their head? Needless to say, I developed a mild crush on him after that night (and not because of his love of Battlestar Gallactica).
Walking down the street, a black homeless man said to me aghast, "What, do you have no melanin?!?" I have to say I was quite impressed with his technical vocabulary, but, really, I would have accepted a "Damn, girl, you pale." He didn't need to try and impress me like that...
I will conclude with these...in case you have forgotten what we look like since the last time you saw us:
Saturday, October 4, 2008
An Introduction to D.C.
We have arrived in our nation's capital. The compromise built on a swamp. The district, not state, that has one representative who cannot vote and no senators. Residents weren't allowed to vote for the president until 1961. "Taxation Without Representation" decries D.C. license plates.
Politics are abuzz, as they should be. Political commercials are aired. Full newspaper pages are dedicated to politics. Protests of any size, subject, or nature are staged. Politicians are the celebrities here. There's such excitement during an election year -- though I imagine it never really dissipates. Politics is a beast that never sleeps.
The city, it bustles. And the metro train, it whistles while it carries its patrons home. The rock and hum of the train soothes me as every Best Song to Listen to on a Train randomly comes up on my ipod. Random acts of kindness humble me and overheard conversations entertain me. And I'm breathless when the train goes over the Potomac River.
It's beautiful to peek out at the city through the Grecian-style columns of what seems like ancient buildings. The capitol. The supreme court. The library of congress. Etc.
The city brings people from all over. Very few people that are in D.C. actually grew up here. A city of transplants and visitors. All the different languages you hear on the street meld together like instruments in a symphony.
So much to do and see. A National Book Festival and an economic bail-out protest going on at the same time -- just a reflecting pool separating them. The possibilities of things to do and see are endless. Perhaps a garden of sculptures and installations to stroll through -- particularly intriguing is the Lichtenstein optical illusion.
Perhaps a gallery full of paintbrush strokes from the likes of Van Gogh, Monet, Manet, Degas, Gauguin -- they beg for you to get up close and really look; taunting you to touch the ridges, the texture, the oil, the colors.
Perhaps the cobblestone streets of Old Town Alexandria with the quaint little shops, galleries, cafes, and restaurants with perfect little awnings to tuck yourself under, away from the rain. Past the dog-friendly shops, down by the water there is an old torpedo factory that has been converted into art studios/galleries for local artists. These artists produce their pieces of art in the same space weapons of war were produced.
Perhaps a sporting event or two. D.C. is one of the few cities with five professional sports teams. They have an NFL team (Washington Redskins), NBA team (Washington Wizards), NHL team (Washington Capitals), MLB team (Washington Nationals), and MLS team (DC United). On game days, the metro is full of fans wearing their team's colors.
The humidity hasn't been too bad. Most days it feels quite nice. Only one day thus far did it feel really muggy. But that humidity brings gorgeous thunder storms. A storm the other night lasted over 2 hours. I cannot complain there.
The job search is underway as we take advantage of our free month here. Hopefully only good things come out of the job/apartment search. If not, I suppose we'll join the ranks of those with Master's and PhDs that are working at FedEx-Kinkos and on road work crews. Kidding.
It's hard to feel settled right now. We can feel acquainted, but not settled. This is a result of being in D.C., but not in the place where we're going to end up. Where will our apartment be? What will be our neighborhood? What will be our grocery store? What will be our metro stop? We can get familiar with the city in general, but it's not quite yet our city. That will come with "permanent" residence. Despite that, I'm loving it here and I'm really happy to be here.
Politics are abuzz, as they should be. Political commercials are aired. Full newspaper pages are dedicated to politics. Protests of any size, subject, or nature are staged. Politicians are the celebrities here. There's such excitement during an election year -- though I imagine it never really dissipates. Politics is a beast that never sleeps.
The city, it bustles. And the metro train, it whistles while it carries its patrons home. The rock and hum of the train soothes me as every Best Song to Listen to on a Train randomly comes up on my ipod. Random acts of kindness humble me and overheard conversations entertain me. And I'm breathless when the train goes over the Potomac River.
It's beautiful to peek out at the city through the Grecian-style columns of what seems like ancient buildings. The capitol. The supreme court. The library of congress. Etc.
The city brings people from all over. Very few people that are in D.C. actually grew up here. A city of transplants and visitors. All the different languages you hear on the street meld together like instruments in a symphony.
So much to do and see. A National Book Festival and an economic bail-out protest going on at the same time -- just a reflecting pool separating them. The possibilities of things to do and see are endless. Perhaps a garden of sculptures and installations to stroll through -- particularly intriguing is the Lichtenstein optical illusion.
Perhaps a gallery full of paintbrush strokes from the likes of Van Gogh, Monet, Manet, Degas, Gauguin -- they beg for you to get up close and really look; taunting you to touch the ridges, the texture, the oil, the colors.
Perhaps the cobblestone streets of Old Town Alexandria with the quaint little shops, galleries, cafes, and restaurants with perfect little awnings to tuck yourself under, away from the rain. Past the dog-friendly shops, down by the water there is an old torpedo factory that has been converted into art studios/galleries for local artists. These artists produce their pieces of art in the same space weapons of war were produced.
Perhaps a sporting event or two. D.C. is one of the few cities with five professional sports teams. They have an NFL team (Washington Redskins), NBA team (Washington Wizards), NHL team (Washington Capitals), MLB team (Washington Nationals), and MLS team (DC United). On game days, the metro is full of fans wearing their team's colors.
The humidity hasn't been too bad. Most days it feels quite nice. Only one day thus far did it feel really muggy. But that humidity brings gorgeous thunder storms. A storm the other night lasted over 2 hours. I cannot complain there.
The job search is underway as we take advantage of our free month here. Hopefully only good things come out of the job/apartment search. If not, I suppose we'll join the ranks of those with Master's and PhDs that are working at FedEx-Kinkos and on road work crews. Kidding.
It's hard to feel settled right now. We can feel acquainted, but not settled. This is a result of being in D.C., but not in the place where we're going to end up. Where will our apartment be? What will be our neighborhood? What will be our grocery store? What will be our metro stop? We can get familiar with the city in general, but it's not quite yet our city. That will come with "permanent" residence. Despite that, I'm loving it here and I'm really happy to be here.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Our Endless Numbered Days
The end is in sight (and not in the apocalyptical sense). We have one more month here. I am happy that the end is approaching because that means I will be done with my thesis/grad school. I am not happy about the end approaching because that means I have to defend my thesis and then move.
Right now I'm kind of in a weird "calm". The calm between the storms. I have been really busy for such a long stretch of time -- collecting data, analyzing data, writing up my thesis (and revising thesis drafts). That's been my life, non-stop, for the past months. Now I'm pretty much done with my thesis. I just have a few minor things to change for my final thesis draft; but I have more than a week until it's due, so I'm kind of taking my time with it. Especially since the weather has been so great lately. So I'm actually trying to enjoy my time before I have to start packing up stuff and preparing for my defense. We've gone on walks, we've played tennis, we've played soccer, we've been cooking and baking all kind of great stuff, we've been enjoying our awesome movie collection, we've been watching soccer games (Yay Spain!), I've been playing guitar and Eagan has been an attentive audience. It's been nice.
Earlier this week was my and Eagan's two year anniversary (our wedding anniversary. We've been together for almost eight years now). Anniversaries aren't really a big deal to us, instead we just use that day as a reason to do something fun. It was a good excuse to drop all our work and just head to the beach. And it was a gorgeous day. Too many sunny, gorgeous days pass by while I'm sitting inside getting cataracts from staring at computer screens all day. [Note: I don't actually have cataracts. I feel it's important to disclose my faux medical conditions because I was just thinking of the time I said something was awesome and I said "This rocks! This rocks the scoliosis right off my spine!!" and Kayelyn laughed and then a couple of seconds later paused and said, "Wait...do you really have scoliosis?"]
The beach was wonderful. We were going to dinner afterward, so we couldn't do any swimming. But I was so tempted to just dive in with my clothes on. My love of water and swimming was barely restrained. I loved swimming so much as a kid. When I was growing up my parents used to say I was always first in the water and the last one out. I swam so much despite the fact it turns my hair green. And though I don't swim as often as I did when I was younger (excluding when I lived in Salt Lake City, when we actually had a pool), I find that my absolute love of swimming is still there. I said to Eagan that I always want to live by water.
Instead of swimming, Eagan and I walked along the shore with our feet in the water. We played in the sand. We lounged on the beach reading light, summer reading (well, I did. Eagan's "light" reading is Blame Welfare, Ignore Poverty and Inequality). We listened to music. I took pictures. It was a really nice day. Then, to top it off we had a great dinner and enjoyed fried bananas for dessert. Mmmhm, fried bananas.
Here's a panoramic picture of Vancouver that I took at the beach. I really am going to miss Vancouver a lot.
Right now I'm kind of in a weird "calm". The calm between the storms. I have been really busy for such a long stretch of time -- collecting data, analyzing data, writing up my thesis (and revising thesis drafts). That's been my life, non-stop, for the past months. Now I'm pretty much done with my thesis. I just have a few minor things to change for my final thesis draft; but I have more than a week until it's due, so I'm kind of taking my time with it. Especially since the weather has been so great lately. So I'm actually trying to enjoy my time before I have to start packing up stuff and preparing for my defense. We've gone on walks, we've played tennis, we've played soccer, we've been cooking and baking all kind of great stuff, we've been enjoying our awesome movie collection, we've been watching soccer games (Yay Spain!), I've been playing guitar and Eagan has been an attentive audience. It's been nice.
Earlier this week was my and Eagan's two year anniversary (our wedding anniversary. We've been together for almost eight years now). Anniversaries aren't really a big deal to us, instead we just use that day as a reason to do something fun. It was a good excuse to drop all our work and just head to the beach. And it was a gorgeous day. Too many sunny, gorgeous days pass by while I'm sitting inside getting cataracts from staring at computer screens all day. [Note: I don't actually have cataracts. I feel it's important to disclose my faux medical conditions because I was just thinking of the time I said something was awesome and I said "This rocks! This rocks the scoliosis right off my spine!!" and Kayelyn laughed and then a couple of seconds later paused and said, "Wait...do you really have scoliosis?"]
The beach was wonderful. We were going to dinner afterward, so we couldn't do any swimming. But I was so tempted to just dive in with my clothes on. My love of water and swimming was barely restrained. I loved swimming so much as a kid. When I was growing up my parents used to say I was always first in the water and the last one out. I swam so much despite the fact it turns my hair green. And though I don't swim as often as I did when I was younger (excluding when I lived in Salt Lake City, when we actually had a pool), I find that my absolute love of swimming is still there. I said to Eagan that I always want to live by water.
Instead of swimming, Eagan and I walked along the shore with our feet in the water. We played in the sand. We lounged on the beach reading light, summer reading (well, I did. Eagan's "light" reading is Blame Welfare, Ignore Poverty and Inequality). We listened to music. I took pictures. It was a really nice day. Then, to top it off we had a great dinner and enjoyed fried bananas for dessert. Mmmhm, fried bananas.
Here's a panoramic picture of Vancouver that I took at the beach. I really am going to miss Vancouver a lot.
Saturday, June 7, 2008
One Big Holiday
It's been a while. My life has been ridiculously busy. I'm at the point where it is just never-ending. I feel like I'm running on empty (come on, sing it with me Jackson Browne). The most exhausting part, of course, would have to be working on my thesis. I'm currently in the revision process (my committee members are looking over my draft and suggesting changes). At some point, you just want to be done with it all. I am at that point. In Canada (or possibly just SFU... my only experience of Canadian schools is SFU), the grad program is designed for completing your Master's in two full years (six semesters). While in the U.S., if someone is on track they will probably graduate in the spring. Here, if you're on track, you graduate in the summer. So that maybe adds to my desire to be done already (because in my mind, I think "If I was in the U.S., I could have been done already.") But then on the other hand, I am glad that I am part of a rigorous program with really high standards. It has improved my education, skill sets, and I'm really proud of my thesis and all the work that has gone into it. With that said, I totally want to be done already.
But I am not looking forward to the thesis defense. I'm sure it won't be as bad as I imagine (though I have heard some horror stories). There are three committee members and, after I give my schpiel on my thesis, each committee member asks me a round of questions. This is then repeated. So there will be two rounds of questioning by the three committee members. Then questioning from anyone in the audience. And I know that if you're at the point of your thesis defense, you have a good thesis. Your committee wouldn't let you defend if you had a bad thesis. So granted my thesis is in good shape if it makes it to the defense, I'm still not looking forward to the defense. For some reason, I just don't look forward to be putting on the spot and being questioned by professionals about my work that I have dedicated two years of my life to. So once the defense is over and I am done, I will finally breath a sigh of relief.
I've also been really busy working on a paper/presentation for a conference. I presented at a Sociology of Families session at the Canadian Sociological Association conference. The presentation went really well and I got a lot of great feedback. But I'm glad that it's done. I feel I'm crossing more and more things off my to-do list and the end of my grad career is approaching.
And work of course always keeps me busy, but I enjoy it. I was promoted to a research coordinator (I was a research assistant). So now I'm in charge of organizing and managing a research project and training research assistants. So that keeps me really busy.
It's crazy to think that my time here is almost up. If everything goes to plan, we will leave here by August 1st (and possibly earlier). On one hand, I'm looking forward to leaving because that means I'm done with grad school and I get to have at least a little break (which involves seeing family, friends, and other things in Utah that I miss). But on the other hand, I'm also really sad that I'll be leaving here. I really like Vancouver. It's so beautiful. I like the weather. I like the green year-round. I like where we live -- I like our apartment, and the trees, and the view. There are places here I love. There are restaurants I love. There are people here I will really miss -- and that's always the hardest to leave.
It will be exciting (and scary) to move on to the next phase of my life -- whatever that may be. It's kind of neat to think I will be living in a new place (which at this point, could be anywhere -- which adds to that excitement/scariness). I know I want to get a job in the social research/social policy realm (e.g., working for a research corporation, or a think tank, or an NGO, or possibly even a congressperson), but I wonder what job I will have. I wonder whether it will be a career and something I stick with for a long time. Will I be done with academia? Will I go back for more? The possibilities seem to be endless right now for where I end up and what I end up doing. But then it feels scary to be making decisions that you feel will affect the rest of your life. I know I'm still young, and realistically speaking, I will probably change jobs more than once (I'm from Generation Y, hello!). The first job I take out of grad school probably won't be the job I'll have until I retire. I won't be stuck with something if I don't like it. So these decisions don't affect the rest of my life (necessarily), but I feel like the decisions I make in the near future will affect the next part of my life -- it will affect where I live, what kind of financial situation I'll be in, it could affect where I'm going to be in the long-term.
At least at this point, I'm not planning on getting a PhD (but that of course is subject to change in the future). I feel like I'm ready for something new (i.e., leaving that buffer period of attaining education). I feel like I have an idea of what I want to do and I actually want to see if my idea of what I want to do is actually realistic or if it's right for me. And there's comfort in knowing that if it's not what I want to do, there's always the possibility of something else. I could try to find another type of job or I could go back to school to figure something out or get the degree necessary for the thing I want to do.
But I am not looking forward to the thesis defense. I'm sure it won't be as bad as I imagine (though I have heard some horror stories). There are three committee members and, after I give my schpiel on my thesis, each committee member asks me a round of questions. This is then repeated. So there will be two rounds of questioning by the three committee members. Then questioning from anyone in the audience. And I know that if you're at the point of your thesis defense, you have a good thesis. Your committee wouldn't let you defend if you had a bad thesis. So granted my thesis is in good shape if it makes it to the defense, I'm still not looking forward to the defense. For some reason, I just don't look forward to be putting on the spot and being questioned by professionals about my work that I have dedicated two years of my life to. So once the defense is over and I am done, I will finally breath a sigh of relief.
I've also been really busy working on a paper/presentation for a conference. I presented at a Sociology of Families session at the Canadian Sociological Association conference. The presentation went really well and I got a lot of great feedback. But I'm glad that it's done. I feel I'm crossing more and more things off my to-do list and the end of my grad career is approaching.
And work of course always keeps me busy, but I enjoy it. I was promoted to a research coordinator (I was a research assistant). So now I'm in charge of organizing and managing a research project and training research assistants. So that keeps me really busy.
It's crazy to think that my time here is almost up. If everything goes to plan, we will leave here by August 1st (and possibly earlier). On one hand, I'm looking forward to leaving because that means I'm done with grad school and I get to have at least a little break (which involves seeing family, friends, and other things in Utah that I miss). But on the other hand, I'm also really sad that I'll be leaving here. I really like Vancouver. It's so beautiful. I like the weather. I like the green year-round. I like where we live -- I like our apartment, and the trees, and the view. There are places here I love. There are restaurants I love. There are people here I will really miss -- and that's always the hardest to leave.
It will be exciting (and scary) to move on to the next phase of my life -- whatever that may be. It's kind of neat to think I will be living in a new place (which at this point, could be anywhere -- which adds to that excitement/scariness). I know I want to get a job in the social research/social policy realm (e.g., working for a research corporation, or a think tank, or an NGO, or possibly even a congressperson), but I wonder what job I will have. I wonder whether it will be a career and something I stick with for a long time. Will I be done with academia? Will I go back for more? The possibilities seem to be endless right now for where I end up and what I end up doing. But then it feels scary to be making decisions that you feel will affect the rest of your life. I know I'm still young, and realistically speaking, I will probably change jobs more than once (I'm from Generation Y, hello!). The first job I take out of grad school probably won't be the job I'll have until I retire. I won't be stuck with something if I don't like it. So these decisions don't affect the rest of my life (necessarily), but I feel like the decisions I make in the near future will affect the next part of my life -- it will affect where I live, what kind of financial situation I'll be in, it could affect where I'm going to be in the long-term.
At least at this point, I'm not planning on getting a PhD (but that of course is subject to change in the future). I feel like I'm ready for something new (i.e., leaving that buffer period of attaining education). I feel like I have an idea of what I want to do and I actually want to see if my idea of what I want to do is actually realistic or if it's right for me. And there's comfort in knowing that if it's not what I want to do, there's always the possibility of something else. I could try to find another type of job or I could go back to school to figure something out or get the degree necessary for the thing I want to do.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Inside My Collection
I'm totally one of those people that loves to know what items people have in their possession. In other words, I love to know what stuff people own. If you had me house-sit for you, I would totally look through all your CDs, movies, books, etc. Why do I love to know what people have in their collections? I think for one because it tells me something about that person -- even if just a little bit. You are what you love ('and not what loves you back'). I think also because no matter how 'predictable' someone is or how much I think I know someone's preferences or styles -- there's usually something that I'm surprised they own/like. Maybe it's the Jay-Z album next to their Tammy Wynette album. And I love stuff like that. But for some reason, I like to know what people have in their collections. When I run into a friend on the street and they're listening to their ipod, I usually ask them what song is currently playing on their ipod. Because I'm curious about stuff like that. When I visit someone's house, I check out what's on their selves. Because I'm curious about stuff like that. I just can't seem to help it. And I don't think I'm alone on this.
So, I have decided that I will indulge any curious people by doing a feature on my possessions (I guess it's my way of 'giving back' for being so curious about other people's stuff). Maybe I'm the only one fascinated by stuff like this. Who knows. Anyway, I decided to choose stuff from my collection based on randomness. I used a random letter generator to pick a letter for me and then a random number generator (1-100) to pick...a number for me, way to go! With my collection in alphabetical order, I picked the item that falls on that number within that letter series (and to think I'm so busy with grad school...) Without further ado, this selection of items is D-83.
DVD:
Dead Like Me, Season 2
This was a Showtime series that is now canceled. It is yet another excellent Showtime show that had really good writing/characters and never made it past the second season. Dead Like Me, summed up, is about a group of reapers (...give it a chance). What's interesting is that all the deaths happen in really creative ways -- the people never end up dying how you think they're going to die. But, the deaths and the reaping is really only secondary. The majority of the show is about the characters, their lives, and their relationships with each other and other people (and of course other people do not know these people are reapers or that they are deceased). The main character is an 18 year old girl named Georgia (who was killed by a toilet seat that fell to earth from the MIR space station...like I said, unpredictable). She is super cynical and sarcastic and I totally love that humor. Also, an interesting piece of trivia is that the show was filmed in Vancouver (though supposed to take place in Washington). Since living here, it's really fun going back and watching the show because you see so much of Vancouver in the episodes (because the reaps take them to so many different locations across town). The reapers get their assignments on post-it notes that say the last name and first initial of the person they need to reap, their time of death, and an address. What I have since picked up on since living here is that the addresses on the post-it notes are actual Vancouver addresses (and it's the actual location for where that scene was filmed). So that's pretty neat.
Book:
Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris
This book is on my need-to-read list. I've read two of his other books -- Me Talk Pretty One Day and Naked. And I absolutely loved those books. All of these books are autobiographical essays/short stories and, man, has he led one crazy life. I love the stories about his super quirky family (and I'm totally in love with his sister Amy). To illustrate what I mean, here is an excerpt from Naked. It's a story about his grandparents:
"She [Ya Ya, David's grandmother] was joining us for dinner one night in the backyard when my father, trying to engage her in conversation, said, 'Talk about your shockers, did I ever tell you that Ya Ya found her own brother dead in the middle of the road? The guy was slit from his chin to the crotch, murdered by rebels just for the hell of it. Her own brother! Can you imagine a thing like that?'
'I imagine it every day of my life,' my sister Lisa said, tossing an olive pit onto my plate. 'How come she has all the luck?'
'Was there a lot of blood?' I asked. 'Did he crap in his pants? I hear that's what happens when you die. Were his organs soft to the touch, or had they been hardened by the sun? How old was he? What was his name? Was he cute?'
Ya Ya cast her eyes toward the neighbor's basketball court. 'In Jesus' blessy name,' she said, crossing herself with a barbeque chicken leg. [...] Her husband, the man we addressed as Papou, had been just as morose as she was. We had to turn their photographs upside down in order to catch them smiling. [...] Papou had died when I was six years old. He had been in the newsstand late one night when intruders hit him over the head with a lead pipe, rupturing a vein in his head. He was carried to the hospital and died on Christmas Day. 'Did you still open presents?' we asked. 'After he died, did he crap in his pants? Did the thieves concentrate only on money or did they take magazines and candy bars while they were at it? Did they catch them? Did they go to the electric chair? After they were electrocuted, did they crap in their pants?'"
Here's what he said about the state college he went to:
"I expect someday to open the newspaper and discover the government had used that campus as part of a perverse experiment to study the effects of continuous, high-decibel Pink Floyd albums on the minds of students who could manufacture a bong out of any given object but could not comprehend that it is simply not possibly to drive a van to Europe."
So while I haven't read this particular book (Dress Your Family...), I already know I'm going to love it because it's not possible for him to let me down. He has a similar style to Augusten Burroughs, if you're a fan of his.
Album:
The Decemberists - Her Majesty, The Decemberists
I realize The Decemberists are not for everyone, but they are one of my favorite bands. I am so amazed with their songwriting and instrumentation skills. And Her Majesty is such a great album. Such a diverse set of songs. From the peak of "so goodnight boys goodnight" in the song Shanty for the Arethusa, to the beautiful, calming lull of "Red Right Ankle", to the high energy and infectiously catchy "The Chimbley Sweep", to the amazing lyrics of "I Was Meant for the Stage"...there are just so many amazing moments and songs on this album.
My favorite song on the album is probably "Red Right Ankle". You know how there are certain songs that remind you of a particular person, for whatever reason. It could be because the song lyrics remind you of a person, or the song in general reminds you of that person because it was a personal favorite of their's, or because the song is attached to a specific memory/experience you have with that person. Anyway, no matter how many different times or situations I hear "Red Right Ankle", it always makes me think of one of my closest friends, Denise. It reminds me of one particular summer where we spent so many nights lying on her bedroom floor listening to music or playing music and talking about anything and everything. I remember how the blinds would erratically blow open and brush up against her window sill with a breath of cool air coming off from the water and down from the canyon. And it would go on for hours. This song always makes me think of that and of her. And it makes me homesick for those times.
Song from I-Tunes Library:
Jack Johnson - Do You Remember
What a great love song. What a great song in general. It's not a cheesy romantic love song -- it's just real. It's a real, sincere love song. He wrote this song for his wife to celebrate the 10 years they've been together. It's a song about their relationship throughout the years -- from when he first met her to when they first moved in together and about all their years together. It's so beautiful. This song, of course, makes me think of Eagan and the relationship we have and everything we've experienced together (awww...). This songs has the power to make me smile and cry -- all at the same time.
So, I have decided that I will indulge any curious people by doing a feature on my possessions (I guess it's my way of 'giving back' for being so curious about other people's stuff). Maybe I'm the only one fascinated by stuff like this. Who knows. Anyway, I decided to choose stuff from my collection based on randomness. I used a random letter generator to pick a letter for me and then a random number generator (1-100) to pick...a number for me, way to go! With my collection in alphabetical order, I picked the item that falls on that number within that letter series (and to think I'm so busy with grad school...) Without further ado, this selection of items is D-83.
DVD:
Dead Like Me, Season 2
This was a Showtime series that is now canceled. It is yet another excellent Showtime show that had really good writing/characters and never made it past the second season. Dead Like Me, summed up, is about a group of reapers (...give it a chance). What's interesting is that all the deaths happen in really creative ways -- the people never end up dying how you think they're going to die. But, the deaths and the reaping is really only secondary. The majority of the show is about the characters, their lives, and their relationships with each other and other people (and of course other people do not know these people are reapers or that they are deceased). The main character is an 18 year old girl named Georgia (who was killed by a toilet seat that fell to earth from the MIR space station...like I said, unpredictable). She is super cynical and sarcastic and I totally love that humor. Also, an interesting piece of trivia is that the show was filmed in Vancouver (though supposed to take place in Washington). Since living here, it's really fun going back and watching the show because you see so much of Vancouver in the episodes (because the reaps take them to so many different locations across town). The reapers get their assignments on post-it notes that say the last name and first initial of the person they need to reap, their time of death, and an address. What I have since picked up on since living here is that the addresses on the post-it notes are actual Vancouver addresses (and it's the actual location for where that scene was filmed). So that's pretty neat.
Book:
Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris
This book is on my need-to-read list. I've read two of his other books -- Me Talk Pretty One Day and Naked. And I absolutely loved those books. All of these books are autobiographical essays/short stories and, man, has he led one crazy life. I love the stories about his super quirky family (and I'm totally in love with his sister Amy). To illustrate what I mean, here is an excerpt from Naked. It's a story about his grandparents:
"She [Ya Ya, David's grandmother] was joining us for dinner one night in the backyard when my father, trying to engage her in conversation, said, 'Talk about your shockers, did I ever tell you that Ya Ya found her own brother dead in the middle of the road? The guy was slit from his chin to the crotch, murdered by rebels just for the hell of it. Her own brother! Can you imagine a thing like that?'
'I imagine it every day of my life,' my sister Lisa said, tossing an olive pit onto my plate. 'How come she has all the luck?'
'Was there a lot of blood?' I asked. 'Did he crap in his pants? I hear that's what happens when you die. Were his organs soft to the touch, or had they been hardened by the sun? How old was he? What was his name? Was he cute?'
Ya Ya cast her eyes toward the neighbor's basketball court. 'In Jesus' blessy name,' she said, crossing herself with a barbeque chicken leg. [...] Her husband, the man we addressed as Papou, had been just as morose as she was. We had to turn their photographs upside down in order to catch them smiling. [...] Papou had died when I was six years old. He had been in the newsstand late one night when intruders hit him over the head with a lead pipe, rupturing a vein in his head. He was carried to the hospital and died on Christmas Day. 'Did you still open presents?' we asked. 'After he died, did he crap in his pants? Did the thieves concentrate only on money or did they take magazines and candy bars while they were at it? Did they catch them? Did they go to the electric chair? After they were electrocuted, did they crap in their pants?'"
Here's what he said about the state college he went to:
"I expect someday to open the newspaper and discover the government had used that campus as part of a perverse experiment to study the effects of continuous, high-decibel Pink Floyd albums on the minds of students who could manufacture a bong out of any given object but could not comprehend that it is simply not possibly to drive a van to Europe."
So while I haven't read this particular book (Dress Your Family...), I already know I'm going to love it because it's not possible for him to let me down. He has a similar style to Augusten Burroughs, if you're a fan of his.
Album:
The Decemberists - Her Majesty, The Decemberists
I realize The Decemberists are not for everyone, but they are one of my favorite bands. I am so amazed with their songwriting and instrumentation skills. And Her Majesty is such a great album. Such a diverse set of songs. From the peak of "so goodnight boys goodnight" in the song Shanty for the Arethusa, to the beautiful, calming lull of "Red Right Ankle", to the high energy and infectiously catchy "The Chimbley Sweep", to the amazing lyrics of "I Was Meant for the Stage"...there are just so many amazing moments and songs on this album.
My favorite song on the album is probably "Red Right Ankle". You know how there are certain songs that remind you of a particular person, for whatever reason. It could be because the song lyrics remind you of a person, or the song in general reminds you of that person because it was a personal favorite of their's, or because the song is attached to a specific memory/experience you have with that person. Anyway, no matter how many different times or situations I hear "Red Right Ankle", it always makes me think of one of my closest friends, Denise. It reminds me of one particular summer where we spent so many nights lying on her bedroom floor listening to music or playing music and talking about anything and everything. I remember how the blinds would erratically blow open and brush up against her window sill with a breath of cool air coming off from the water and down from the canyon. And it would go on for hours. This song always makes me think of that and of her. And it makes me homesick for those times.
Song from I-Tunes Library:
Jack Johnson - Do You Remember
What a great love song. What a great song in general. It's not a cheesy romantic love song -- it's just real. It's a real, sincere love song. He wrote this song for his wife to celebrate the 10 years they've been together. It's a song about their relationship throughout the years -- from when he first met her to when they first moved in together and about all their years together. It's so beautiful. This song, of course, makes me think of Eagan and the relationship we have and everything we've experienced together (awww...). This songs has the power to make me smile and cry -- all at the same time.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
I'm not looking to be the next American Idol, I'm gonna be the next World Idol
In TV news...I am seriously out of a life thanks to the writing strike (which I'm all for; I just need my head to tell my heart that...) Now that my favorite shows are off the air, I find myself watching any old show (and I mean any) to fill the space. It's kind of sad.
.
I even found myself watching the first episode of American Gladiators. It made me feel nostalgic for the time when I was a young child watching the original American Gladiators in the 80s/early 90s. I remember cheering on Turbo and Laser and 2 x 4 and Maxi Pad and whatever their names were... So I watched the first episode of the new American Gladiators (justifying it with "Well I can stand it, if you can stand it..." and "Well, I'm watching it for ironic reasons" and "At least I'm not watching this alone. That would be kind of sad").
It pretty much seemed like the same show from the 80s (except now Hulk Hogan is one of the hosts). Twenty years later and they haven't really advanced any of the 'technology' on the show. I still have the impression that the whole arena and all it's equipment is made out of cardboard, plywood, and duct tape. They're still using tennis balls in that "Try to Shoot the Target, Without Getting Hit by These Tennis Balls" obstacle course -- what? no upgrade to lasers? Imagine the contestants trying to hit a target while trying to avoid getting their flesh singed off with a laser...I bet they'd be running a lot quicker. Come on guys, it's the 2000s! Get with it.
I may just be less naive now than I was when I was a kid...but the gladiators seem way more "juiced up gay dudes" and "no, really, that chick is a man" and "hey, that gladiator looks like they've done some porn work before" than the 80s gladiators. And what's with the black and silver uniforms? Where's my patriotic colors and stars from the 80s? One gladiator actually has a bodice as part of her uniform. How is that helping with the joust?
Finally, I could not watch that show again for multiple reasons. One reason is the gladiator named "Wolf". That guy scares me on such a high level that I'm not even able to watch the show for fear that I would have to look into his cold, black eyes. Seriously, the guy has killed someone. Probably with his bare hands and his teeth. I can really imagine this guy biting someone to death, and not just because his name is Wolf.
.
Last weekend there was a Hey Paula marathon on TV (the train wreck of a reality show starring Paula Abdul). I was so glad I caught it. Because I saw a preview for it in the states a while back, but they didn't get it here in Canada. Hey Paula is so ridiculously good. Paula really does seem high/insane all the time. I probably watched half of the show through the cracks of my fingers as I held my hands up to my face. It's so hard to watch sometimes. She really is the saddest person. That show made me feel really bad for her and it gave me a new-found sympathy for her (she is a really sensitive, insomniac, workaholic with chronic pain...she actually has metal plates/screws in her neck, and she has terrible assistants that never listen to her and never do what she says and they laugh when she's crying). Pretty much sad-bastardville.
As for American Idol...Randy...seriously? The facial hair? The huge sideburns? Seriously?
I also love that on tonight's episode, Randy was talking about how the first day of the South Carolina auditions were kind of lackluster, but he thinks they'll be better the second day because they usually get good auditions in the south. But...to put those thoughts to words he actually said "the south is gonna rise again, you know what I'm sayin'." Yeah... I don't think he knows what he's saying. You probably want to use another phrase, Randy. A non-the-South-will-avenge-the-civil-war-and-will-succeed-at-secession phrase. Just a suggestion. I'm guessing you're not in favor of a re-institution of slavery...
Finally, I will conclude with:
Another tale of an American In Canada:
I just recently discovered that Corn Pops cereal is different here. For one, the cereal is spherical. It's a ball. Whereas in the U.S., the cereal is flatter and longer. Second, the texture is different here. The texture is similar to Cap'N Crunch (the texture that rips up the roof of your mouth). Also, it tastes different. The U.S. version is sweeter. The Canadian version tastes like a combination of Kix and Cap'N Crunch. Finally, the Canadian version is packed in a clear plastic bag. Whereas the U.S. version is in that foil-lined bag. Interesting...
.
I even found myself watching the first episode of American Gladiators. It made me feel nostalgic for the time when I was a young child watching the original American Gladiators in the 80s/early 90s. I remember cheering on Turbo and Laser and 2 x 4 and Maxi Pad and whatever their names were... So I watched the first episode of the new American Gladiators (justifying it with "Well I can stand it, if you can stand it..." and "Well, I'm watching it for ironic reasons" and "At least I'm not watching this alone. That would be kind of sad").
It pretty much seemed like the same show from the 80s (except now Hulk Hogan is one of the hosts). Twenty years later and they haven't really advanced any of the 'technology' on the show. I still have the impression that the whole arena and all it's equipment is made out of cardboard, plywood, and duct tape. They're still using tennis balls in that "Try to Shoot the Target, Without Getting Hit by These Tennis Balls" obstacle course -- what? no upgrade to lasers? Imagine the contestants trying to hit a target while trying to avoid getting their flesh singed off with a laser...I bet they'd be running a lot quicker. Come on guys, it's the 2000s! Get with it.
I may just be less naive now than I was when I was a kid...but the gladiators seem way more "juiced up gay dudes" and "no, really, that chick is a man" and "hey, that gladiator looks like they've done some porn work before" than the 80s gladiators. And what's with the black and silver uniforms? Where's my patriotic colors and stars from the 80s? One gladiator actually has a bodice as part of her uniform. How is that helping with the joust?
Finally, I could not watch that show again for multiple reasons. One reason is the gladiator named "Wolf". That guy scares me on such a high level that I'm not even able to watch the show for fear that I would have to look into his cold, black eyes. Seriously, the guy has killed someone. Probably with his bare hands and his teeth. I can really imagine this guy biting someone to death, and not just because his name is Wolf.
.
Last weekend there was a Hey Paula marathon on TV (the train wreck of a reality show starring Paula Abdul). I was so glad I caught it. Because I saw a preview for it in the states a while back, but they didn't get it here in Canada. Hey Paula is so ridiculously good. Paula really does seem high/insane all the time. I probably watched half of the show through the cracks of my fingers as I held my hands up to my face. It's so hard to watch sometimes. She really is the saddest person. That show made me feel really bad for her and it gave me a new-found sympathy for her (she is a really sensitive, insomniac, workaholic with chronic pain...she actually has metal plates/screws in her neck, and she has terrible assistants that never listen to her and never do what she says and they laugh when she's crying). Pretty much sad-bastardville.
As for American Idol...Randy...seriously? The facial hair? The huge sideburns? Seriously?
I also love that on tonight's episode, Randy was talking about how the first day of the South Carolina auditions were kind of lackluster, but he thinks they'll be better the second day because they usually get good auditions in the south. But...to put those thoughts to words he actually said "the south is gonna rise again, you know what I'm sayin'." Yeah... I don't think he knows what he's saying. You probably want to use another phrase, Randy. A non-the-South-will-avenge-the-civil-war-and-will-succeed-at-secession phrase. Just a suggestion. I'm guessing you're not in favor of a re-institution of slavery...
Finally, I will conclude with:
Another tale of an American In Canada:
I just recently discovered that Corn Pops cereal is different here. For one, the cereal is spherical. It's a ball. Whereas in the U.S., the cereal is flatter and longer. Second, the texture is different here. The texture is similar to Cap'N Crunch (the texture that rips up the roof of your mouth). Also, it tastes different. The U.S. version is sweeter. The Canadian version tastes like a combination of Kix and Cap'N Crunch. Finally, the Canadian version is packed in a clear plastic bag. Whereas the U.S. version is in that foil-lined bag. Interesting...
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Additionally...
In case you're interested, I started up a photoblog. I'm going to try to post at least a picture daily.
Be Careful How You Bend Me
And yet another year.
It's crazy to think that 2008 is the year I will (hopefully) get my Master's degree. 2008 will also be the year that I will be entering this "real world" business on a possibly permanent basis. Out of academia and into the real world. I say 'possibly', because I might end up deciding that I want to get a PhD. But this year will be my first attempt at this scary thing called "permanent adulthood" that I only read about in coming-of-age novels and the business section of the newspaper. Having a career. Buying a house. Being concerned about the subprime mortgage crisis. Looking forward to interest rate cuts. Yikes.
I'm back home from visiting with family in Fargo and Logan. It was great seeing family, and if I only it was longer. I also wish I had time to see friends on this trip. I feel there were so many things I wanted to do that I never got a chance to do. Oh, how we wish for infinite time.
But I did get to eat at all my favorite restaurants (Oh Mexican food!). I made out like a bandit at Hasting's. I got to go skiing with my family. I got to go on walks with the dogs. I got to decorate the tree, celebrate Christmas, Davis's birthday, and New Year's with my family. I had a chance to read books (notice the S!) for fun. I had a chance to actually watch movies (2007 was a great year for movies: Lars and the Real Girl, Across the Universe, Juno, No Country for Old Men, Once, Eastern Promises, The Savages, Breakfast with Scot, The Simpsons Movie, on and on). I went shopping and got some great things. I played my piano and missed that ivory feeling underneath my fingers. My guitar keeps my musical needs satisfied while I'm here...but nothing can compare with playing my piano.
But now I'm back where I don't need to worry about getting injured, because I'm actually insured here. When I told Eagan I was going skiing with my family, he comfortingly replied, "Well don't get hurt, we're not insured here." While skiing, "Don't get too close to those trees. Don't ski too fast. Avoid any jumps. Stay away from bad skiiers" kept running through my mind.
Now I'm back in the land where there are lemon lifesavers. I was hoping the U.S. lifesavers would have changed their mind and had gone back to the original*, original five flavors (*original since my birth, at least). Nope, they still have those bastard raspberry and watermelon flavors. Which are great, I do actually like those flavors -- but maybe include lemon, too (six flavors, anyone?) I don't miss the lime, though, you can keep that out.
Now I'm back to mild temperatures. (Though, those mild temperatures are told to me in celsius...)
So, that's reassuring.
Photos from the trip:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
