Sunday, October 26, 2008

Sitting

I've never been one for sitting still.  When need be, I can normally dig deep and do it, but this weekend has not be the best for me.  Rather then blood running though my veins I feel like there is carbonation.  I'm unsure and untrusting of everything.  I just want to keep moving, be around people, things, other moving objects.  

Thursday, October 23, 2008

The Prince of Darkness

In college I dated a guy Ms. T fondly (not) named the prince of darkness. POD and I dated for about 2 years, off and on. Their was a period he went to study in Africa and then moved to NY for an internship after graduation. Anyway, he was a note leaver. Very romantic in hindsight but felt suffocating then. If he left the house before me he'd leave me a note by the bed. If I left before him, when I got home from classes I'd find a trail of notes on fall leaves. This wasn't an everyday thing, but probably once a week I would find a note (unless he was a bit depressed, then no notes).
What has brought all this up you might ask? Well it has to do with Shell Silverstine. I taught a lesson on rhyming rhythmical poetry at the Academy yesterday and pulled The Light In The Attic out of a box in my office. I don't know how long its been since I looked though it. But there admits the funny tales, was a POD note. It was dated 11/30/02. We had just finished Thanksgiving at my house, I would later fly out to Chicago for Christmas, a few days after him and even less days after his childhood dog died.
In the note he was thanking me for sharing Thanksgiving and "letting (him) see my life" and wishing me luck in the future as a teacher. "soon you will have your own classroom and they will be calling you Mrs. Urban."
I am not nostalgic for that relationship. We weren't right for each other, but I wish I appreciated the little things then, 'cause they don't happen as readily when you get older. I wonder if what I learned from that relationship stuck. What did I learn then that is "helping" me now?

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Stumbled

I was scanning the am stations today looking for the world series (we can talk about that one later) when I found myself on a right wing radio station. The guy was claiming that Obama was going to Hawaii, during this crucial time in this political "tight race", not to visit his allying grandmother, but to avoid a scandal about a fake birth certificate. What? I'm sorry how could someone get 10 days away from the presidential vote, as the front runner, with a fake birth certificate! Really?! I mean, we now know how much "Alaskan" money Palin spent to fly her kids around, for something as obscure as seeing their father in a snowmobile race. We know how soon McCaine might dying and how much his skin cancer weighed, but Obama has been running for president for 18+ months with an invalid birth certificate. No way man! They wouldn't let that happen. He couldn't have gotten to senator let alone running for president!
Ugh, okay, so there was that to start. Then some BRAVE, yet stupid, man called in to tell the host he's full of shit. Oh yeah, that sent the crazy babbles off! The host started commenting about how "we" are brainwashed by colleges. "We" have no personal identity, no cultural identity, no national identity and all "we" can do is put a condom on a cucumber. "ah," he said, "they have no sexual identity either! They are no better then cucumbers."
I'm sorry what? Dude, go to college and learn to string together a thought so someone OTHER then your brainwashed right wing conservatives can understand what you're saying then MAYBE you'll actually be able to "convince" some college educated liberals you have a valid point. Oh, but I guess that means you'd have to have a valid point to start with. Foraged birth certificate, really? REALLY? That's all you can come up with when your guy is losing and there are only 10 days left to go.
After that 3+ minutes I changed the channel.

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Not what I normally talk about 2

Economics.  
I think I took an economics class in high school.... something about a consumer index and something about... i don't know... i don't think i did well.  Anyway, the US economy here is in the shit.  We've been here before and will most likely be here again, but being Americans all we think about is the right now.  And, right now it sucks.  
Yesterday I was at a birthday brunch of a friend.  I am not very close to her friends but we've been friends for quite sometime now.  Anyway, the economy came up.  Someone mentioned that Iceland is bankrupt.  Another person mentioned that due to the crap sales, the girl who works for William and Sonoma mentioned that sales in September were down 6.6% (normally a 3% drop is big), there will be more sales.  Here is a direct quote from someone's mouth, "Sucks for Iceland. Do you think Loui Viton will have a sale?" 
Granted, these ladies don't have 401Ks or most of them don't and I'm sure they don't have a personal stock portfolio, and only one owns a house, so the 2000+ drop the market took over the past week won't personally "affect" them.  But dear god.... I guess if they are putting their money back into the market, sale or not, it's a step in the right directions.  Want to buy me a bag? Or rather should I stand on a street corner with a sign that says: My personal net worth just dropped 25%, care to give me a Starbucks Gift Card?

Friday, October 10, 2008

I Normally Don't Talk About This

I tend to keep my blog light.  Mostly the contents is the happenings of my mundane life.  Quite frequently I forget that people actually read my blog so talking about "real" topics isn't something I do.  But recently I have felt the need.  Between the pre-election/post debates political world and the quickly crumbling finical world, there isn't much else on my mind.   But for now I'll stick to one topic.
Tuesday, I had my first conversation with someone who is not a lefty.  It started by me casually over hearing a conversation between my trainer (male) at the gym and one of the owners (female).  Something along the lines of, "Yeah, so he said (some client of the owner) I like her 'cause of her soccer mom mentality.  I'm not a soccer mom so why that applies.  I mean 'what's her name' would like her if that was the case. I think she's tough" 
Now I wasn't quite sure who the "she" was.  I mean they were talking politics and Hilary is out so the only "she" in politics is Palin... and who uses the word 'like' and 'Palin' in the same sentence unless it says something about killing wolfs from a helicopter. 
"I'm sorry," I said, "Did you say you like Palin?" I was aghast.  Here is, as Ma calls her, a betrayer, a women who stands for nothing women in a modern sense.  I mean have we even seen her wear pants!  If you felt Hilary was to "male" and "masculine" then how can you call Palin feminine?  You put lipstick on a bulldog and it's still a bulldog.  It will still bite you with her lock jaw and rip you to shreds! Really, I don't want anyone to rip me to shred, ESPECIALLY someone who fired her former brother-in-law just because he "broke her sister's heart". Especially, someone who thinks even if you're raped or you might die if you give birth, you have to have the baby.  Especially someone who says abstinence is the only way to teach kids about sex while her underage daughter is going to give birth. Someone who says gays have no rights, they made the choice to be gay, that's their choice and have to face the "hardships" that come with that, but is willing to FORCE her daughter to marry so guy who she knocked boots with about 6 months ago. OH MY GOD I can't stand blatant blindsided stupidity.  
Anyway, so I haven't dealt much with "the other side".  My group of friends and family, we're all standing at the same point... which is "um, Palin really... that's your choice!?"  So here is this women, the gym owner, one who I thought was right minded, thinking Palin is what this country needs.  Right. We need her in the same way we need more bull dogs in the world.  Hearing this took me so far off my rocker that I couldn't even argue.  I brought up the abortion, the teaching the abstinence, her complete utter lack of experience (really, McCain can you spend the first two month of your campaign claiming Obama doesn't have enough experience to be president and then find, not just a rookie, but almost someone at the high school level of politics as your running mate).  So I mentioned what little I really know and what's funny is I probably know more about Palin then I do about anyone else in this election.  I had nothing to dispute their claims on Obama.  I really don't know. I like how he speaks, I like the idea of change.  I don't relate to the basics of the republican politics. I'm ashamed to admit that what I know has come from three main sources: my friends, The Daily Show, and SNL and the last only slightly (I really just like how well Tina Fay plays Palin).  What is also sad, is this is what it is like for most of my generation.  There are the active few, maybe more then in the generation before me, but still... We don't trust FOX news, or CNN or CNBC or any other "news" source.  We don't want to sit through the negatives of the world.  We want to see puppies and laugh at how stupid the political world is.  We need our news to be entertainment.  Oh shit, i said I'd only bring up one "real" topic.  I've digressed.  What I learned from Tuesday? Oh god, there are McCain/Palin people out there... I should be very afraid!

Monday, October 06, 2008

Fall Is Here


I show up at school today and this is what it looked like.  The beautiful tree with it's changing leaves.  I love fall.  I love the east bay crisp foggy mornings that lead to warm almost hot days.  That distinct fall smell; 1 part fire place smoke, 1 part rotting leaves, 1 part crisp.  I love fall and spring.  The seasons that mean change is coming.  They are the seasons of change.  Winter isn't change, it's cold.  Summer is just hot and for me busy, but fall is a change.  The horse show season is coming to an end.  I can pull out my sweaters but still wear flip flops.  
It does have its down sides.  It's much harder to get out of bed in the morning as it gets darker and darker.  I accumulate sweaters and jackets in my car almost as if i'm homeless with a closet or 7 to put them in.  But to see the leaves change... nothing can demising the joy i feel in that.