Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Fading
As I spoke briefly about the adventure that was only a month ago, I realized that it felt, in some ways, as though it were all a dream. The edges of my memory have blurred just a bit. The sound of certain voices have vanished from my mind as though they were never there to start with.
I know it all happened. Some parts of it remain vivid. I can still feel the sting in my arms as I hoisted more and more rocks. The involuntary grimace as I swung another bucket uphill to weary but waiting hands. The bone chilling cold that could only be cured by sitting in a hotel room with the heat cranked to 30 C.
(That's about 88 F if you aren't into quick conversions.)
(And I totally just did that conversion in my head. Because I'm awesome. And humble.)
It's kind of funny how it happens so easily. Without even noticing it.
You're in the middle of an experience you think will never end. Or you wish would never end.
One you know you'll never forget.
But then, it does end and life goes back to normal, or, at least, moves on. And, little by little, you forget.
I know I went to Paraguay. I remember the smell. I remember the exhaustion. I remember the friendships and the people and a desperate wish to communicate in their language.
But the memories are fuzzy. Just a little.
As though it were all a dream.
I worry that I might forget the experiences and the lessons and why I even journeyed to the middle of nowhere in the first place. I am looking for a way to remember.
And I'm open to suggestions.
It's only been a month, and right now, it feels like it's been years.
Tomorrow's Confession Wednesday Topic:
Epic Trips and Falls
Monday, August 30, 2010
Emmy Awards Play-By-Play
And now, it's on with the show!
5:00 Jimmy Fallon in a video, pulls up in a Smart Car, greets the Glee cast.
5:02 Glee cast says they aren't going because the tickets are, like, $300. Oops, $1200.
5:03 Behold! A Regional final with a grand prize of $1205. Tina Fey's going to join the Glee Club.
5:04 Kate Gosselin wants to be in the Glee Club but, oops! Too many people. So they grab Jon Hamm instead. But he's dancing with his coach, Betty White. And they're not doing the Tango...
5:05 Jane Lynch throws a Slurpee on Jimmy...and on Tina. She wants to be in the Glee Club too.
5:06 And now they're dancing to Born to Run. Hey! That's Jorge Garcia! And Joel McHale!
5:06 I love Jorge Garcia. Someone get him a new TV show. Stat!
5:06 Tim Gunn fixes up Jimmy's outfit. "Make it work!"
5:07 And now he's on stage with his guitar. Have I ever mentioned that I love Jimmy Fallon? Duet with Randy Jackson!
5:08 I'm pretty sure he was trying to match wits with Neil Patrick Harris. Which, of course, he didn't quite make it. But still awesome. Wait! How did he end up in a tuxedo??
(Had to back it up because I was confused. Someone ran out and threw a tuxedo shirt and jacket on him. Still rocking the jeans, though.)
5:09 And now it's Jimmy and his guitar. I really love when he plays the guitar. It almost always means hilarity. Like this joke about Conan and doing shows on NBC.
5:10 Comedy montage: 30 Rock, The Office, Modern Family, Glee, Community, Monk, Parks and Recreation, Nurse Jackie, New Adventures of Old Christine, How I Met Your Mother, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Big Bang Theory.
5:12 First award, presenters: Jon Hamm and Betty White. Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy.
5:13 And the award goes to: Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family. I think he's gonna cry. First nomination and first win. He didn't cry, but his mom sure did.
5:18 Color Commenter introduces himself. I missed his name but it's the PC dude. He's funny.
5:19 Jimmy shares some of the Tweets for introducing presenters.
5:19 Jim Parsons and Sophia whatsherface from Modern Family. Jim Parsons is looking a little too skinny. What's up with him?
5:21 Comedy Series Writing win goes to Steve Levitan and Christopher Lloyd. Steve is accepting the award. I think it's going to be a big night for Modern Family..."A big thanks to our wives without whom we'd...probably be dating around a lot. I mean, we just won an Emmy. That's a pretty good opening line."
5:23 Steven Colbert is here to present Outstanding Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.
5:24 PleasebeJaneLynch, pleasebeJaneLynch, pleasebeJaneLynch. JANE LYNCH FROM GLEE!
5:28 Jimmy just did this crazy word association thing to introduce Lauren Graham and Matthew Perry. Their joke isn't really working. Oh, good, Matthew knows it, too.
5:29 Guest Actress in a Comedy Series...Could Jane Lynch get a second Emmy? I'm thinking it's Betty White for SNL. Oh, they're introducing Guest Actor in a Comedy, too.
5:30 Betty White, SNL and Neil Patrick Harris for Glee! They must have already received them since they aren't going on stage.
5:31 And Matthew and Lauren are also introducing Outstanding Director in a Comedy. Ryan Murphy for Glee. He didn't already get his award. He's going to the stage.
5:32 Ryan Murphy dedicates his award to all his art teachers.
5:33 Funny Modern Family video. Actually, it's a pretty hilarious Modern Family video about how to ramp up the funny. I'm going to have to find this. I love when George Clooney randomly shows up in guest spots.
5:36 Eva Longoria-Parker and LL Cool J are presenting Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. I'd love to see Jim Parsons win for The Big Bang Theory, but I just don't know...Actually, he deserves it most.
5:37 JIM PARSONS WINS!!! I am SO shocked and happy for him!!!
5:38 He still looks too skinny and way too made up. What's up with his eyebrows?
(I have to pause this to go tell my roommate he won. She's gonna be psyched!)
5:40 Aaaand, we're back. Neil Patrick Harris. I heart him.
5:41 Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series...Anyone but Julia Louis-Dreyfus. She bugs the crap outta me.
5:42 Edie Falco for Nurse Jackie. I've never seen single episode. Should I check it out? I had no idea that was supposed to be a comedy.
5:43 Jimmy is back with his guitar. And some girl I don't recognize even though I probably should.
5:44 Reality Series montage. Mythbusters, Wipeout, Biggest Loser, America's Got Talent, Hell's Kitchen, that Jerry Seinfeld Marriage Show, The Bachelor, Kardashians, Celebrity Rehab, Deadliest Catch, Dancing with the Stars, Jersey Shore, Amazing Race, Top Chef, American Idol...gosh there are a LOT of reality shows...
5:49 Will Arnett and Keri Russell to present Outstanding Reality Competition Program. What are the odds that Amazing Race is going to win AGAIN?
5:52 Wow! Top Chef. Hahaha! Someone totally just tripped! I really like Top Chef. Why don't I watch it anymore? Oh, yeah, because there's too much freakin stuff on TV these days.
5:56 Introducing the accountants from Ernst and Young, who count the ballots.
5:57 Jimmy Fallon back to sing and play slap Julianna Margulies. Time for a Drama montage. 24, Burn Notice, Grey's Anatomy, CSI: Universe, Dexter!, Law and Order, Criminal Minds, Mad Men (the cheers make me think that might win again), House, Friday Night Lights, The Good Wife, True Blood, NCIS, Damages, Breaking Bad, LOST! (Okay, I'm a dork and the five seconds of LOST they just showed made me tear up. I need help.)
6:00 Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Maloney from Law & Order SVU present the award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series.
6:02 Matthew Weiner and Erin Levy for Mad Men. I've never watched the show, but I really think Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof got SO ROBBED.
6:04 Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama, still Mariska and Christopher presenting...If it's not Terry O'Quinn or Michael Emerson, I'm gonna be ticked. It's probably not gonna be...
6:05 Aaron Paul for Breaking Bad. Did the voters even SEE the last season of LOST??
6:10 Jimmy's reading more Tweets. Yay! Emily Deschanel and Nathan Fillion! Presenting Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. Am I the only one that thinks it's the same nominees as last year? Hello? What about some love for V? Or Fringe?
6:11 Archie Panjabi from The Good Wife. Okay, so she wasn't nominated last year, but still.
6:12 Edie Falco is back to present Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. I can't tell you how bad I want Matthew Fox to win. It's not gonna be him, but it SHOULD be. It's gonna be Bryan Cranston. I really need to get Breaking Bad from Netflix...
6:13 Bryan Cranston for Breaking Bad. Didn't see that one coming...
6:14 Makes a very accurate statement about how each of his fellow nominees was totally robbed. Matthew Fox never got any love for LOST and he was pretty darn awesome. Maybe his next show...
6:19 Okay, it's commercials now and they're showing a commercial for Undercovers, the new show starting this fall. Who is that guy? He's hot!
6:19 Oh, that couple from Undercovers is presenting Outstanding Guest Actress and Guest Actor in a Drama.
6:20 I'm guessing John Lithgow...I was right! And Ann Margaret, but I missed what she was in.
6:21 Ann Margaret and John Lithgow present the award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series. Please let Jack Bender win! (No, I know it's not gonna happen. LOST is 0 for 4 so far. I think it's going to stay that way.)
6:22 Winner is Steve Shill for Dexter. I love Dexter a lot, but really? LOST is now 0 for 5? Come on. Yes, the end was controversial, but that doesn't change the fact that it was really well-written and REALLY well acted this year.
6:23 Jimmy is dressed up as Elton John, at a pink piano, singing a farewell to 24, Law & Order, and LOST, which all ended their runs this year. 24 is to the tune of "Good Bye, Norma Jean." Oh, now he's dressed up like...uh...Boyz 2 Men? and singing to the tune of some song I don't recognize for Law & Order. And now LOST. He's playing his guitar, dressed like Billy Joe Armstrong and singing to "Time of Your Life."
6:30 Is this show really only half over? It feels like almost all the awards I care about have already been announced. Weird.
6:31 Matthew Morrison and Tina Fey to present Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama. I think this year it's going to either January Jones or Juliana Margulies.
6:32 I am SO happy to be wrong!! Go Kyra Sedgwick! The Closer is my favorite summertime show! She's just delightful. Her husband seriously needs to do a guest spot. I'd love to see her interrogate him.
6:34 Jimmy and his guitar are back with Stephen Colbert.
6:35 Montage of Variety shows. SNL with Betty White, Late Night with David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, The Daily Show, Jay Leno, the Tonys, the Grammys, Wanda Sykes, Stephen Colbert, Academy Awards, the Olympics, Hope for Haiti, Christmas at Rockefeller Center, New Year's Rockin Eve.
6:37 Joel McHale and Jeff Probst are presenting Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Comedy or Music Show.
6:39 The Emmy goes to the 63rd Annual Tony Awards. It's kind of fun that those are televised now. I'd probably care more if I lived in New York and could actually SEE some of the shows and the nominees. I saw one Broadway play. It wasn't even a musical, but it was pretty awesome. Mostly because Patrick Wilson was in it.
6:41 These Community commercials are cracking me up! I can't wait for the new season to start!
6:45 Ricky Gervais. I don't know. He's funny, but I don't find him as hilarious as most people do. He's making jokes about the alcohol at the Golden Globes, and how there's no drinking at the Emmys. I'm pretty sure he's drunk. At least a little.
6:47 He really needs to shut up now. Okay, the Jewish joke was funny. And now he's passing out beers.
6:48 Oh, he's here to present an award. I was starting to wonder. Outstanding Director in a Variety, Comedy or Music Show.
6:49 Bucky Gunts for directing the broadcast of the Olympics Opening Ceremony.
6:51 Ricky Gervais needs to GET OFF THE STAGE. Now he's presenting Outstanding Variety, Comedy or Music Show. I would really love it if Betty White's SNL or Conan O'Brien's Tonight Show win. Just because.
6:53 The Daily Show? What? I mean, it's funny, but hello! Betty White's SNL episode was freakin genius. And what better way to stick it to NBC than to give Conan the Emmy?
6:59 Bob Hope Humanitarian Award this year goes to George Clooney. I think it's kind of sweet that he's being presented by Juliana Margulies. I don't agree with George's politics most of the time, but I sure do like him.
7:01 Standing ovation. He's so pretty in a tux. Nice speech. I'm waiting for him to blame Bush for something, but nope. Way to keep it classy, Clooney!
7:04 Miniseries and Movie montage: The Special Relationship, Endgame, Temple Grandin, Moonshot, You Don't Know Jack, Georgia O'Keefe, The Pacific, Return to Cranford. When the heck were these movies on? Some of them look really good.
7:06 January Jones and John Krazinski present Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie.
7:07 Julia Ormand for Temple Grandin. I bet anything Claire Danes is going to win for Best Actress. I like Julia Ormand and her really rambly acceptance speech. This is why actors rely on writers...
7:09 She just said some weird thing about mothering and guts and balls. I'm confused.
7:12 Ooh, another Community commercial. Now I want ice cream...
7:14 Claire Danes (who's going to win an Emmy in a few minutes, probably) is presenting Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie. My guess? David Straithairn.
7:15 Right again! But I only guessed cuz he's in Temple Gardin, which is pretty much winning everything. Maybe I should check Netflix for that one.
7:16 Huh. Temple Grandin is a real person and she's here tonight. She seems so sweet. Apparently she has autism? I guess that's what the movie's about.
7:17 And with no introduction, it's Jewel. Singing a song she wrote for a friend with cancer. Oh, it's the In Memoriam part.
7:18 Every year I recognize more names. This year, I know almost all of them. Am I getting old? Or just more familiar?
7:21 Jewel's song is beautiful and heartbreaking.
7:22 It's a commercial break, so I'm looking up Temple Grandin on Netflix. It's about a woman with autism who has dedicated herself to education and the study of animal behavior. Quite frankly, it sounds a little boring. But what the heck? I'll add it to my queue and give it a shot.
7:25 Jimmy thanks Jewel for her performance of "Shape of You." Did I hear that title right? If not, someone please correct me.
7:25 Maura Tierney and Blaire Underwood to present Outstanding Writer for a Miniseries or TV Movie.
7:26 Adam Mazer for You Don't Know Jack. That's a surprise. Jack Kevorkian over Temple Grandin?
7:27 Favorite quote so far: "Jack Kevorkian, I'm grateful you're my friend. I'm even more grateful you're not my physician."
7:27 Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie. Claire Danes, anyone?
7:28 Claire Danes! I think I like her dress. And a very nice speech.
7:34 Anna Paquin, Alexander Skarsgard and that other guy. Outstanding Director for a Miniseries or Movie. Uh, is there any point in going through the nominees, really?
7:35 Mick Jackson, Temple Grandin.
7:36 Nice speech, pretty much all directed at Temple Grandin.
7:38 Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie. Al Pacino, You Don't Know Jack. He really should stick to TV movies because that's where he actually has decent roles and performances. Unlike his more recent movies. Seriously.
7:39 He's so awkward without a script. Even moreso than Julia Ormand.
7:40 Yeah, he's still talking. And it's still awkward.
7:41 They just pointed out Jack Kevorkian. He looks like a corpse.
7:42 Commercial time. I kind of want to watch The Event, but I don't know. Is this going to be just another awesome show that sucks me in and gets cancelled right away? Maybe I'll wait and see before I let myself get hooked. I can't take another Firefly/Pushing Daisies/Jericho/FlashForward disappointment.
7:46 Laurence Fishburne to present Outstanding Miniseries. Only two nominees? Winner, The Pacific.
7:47 Accepting the award: Tom Hanks.
7:47 Outstanding Made for Television Movie (am I the only one that thinks that wording is weird? How about "Outstanding Movie Made for Television?")
7:48 Winner is Temple Grandin. What a shock! But not near as shocking as this woman's boobs. She needs to cover those things up! Aw, Temple Grandin is on the stage with them. It's her birthday, how cute.
7:50 Tom Selleck gets to present Outstanding Drama Series. Congrats to LOST, which is about to go 0 for 7 tonight.
7:51 Mad Men. I have zero interest in this show. I really don't think I'd like it. Dexter? Awesome. Breaking Bad? Probably gonna love it. Mad Men? No thanks.
7:56 Ted Danson gets to present the final award for the night: Outstanding Comedy Series. Please NOT 30 Rock again. It's funny and all, but come on.
7:57 Modern Family! I'm actually kind of shocked it's not Glee, but glad to see something that's also deserving!
7:59 And the show's over. I thought there were a couple of kind of surprises, but, as usual, nothing shocking. I'm glad Modern Family got some recognition. I don't watch it regularly, but it's one of the few shows that actually makes me laugh out loud when I'm all by myself. I should watch it more often. I'm still not convinced about Mad Men, though...
So, what did you all think? Any surprises? Any winners you were particularly thrilled about? And, more importantly, who do YOU think got robbed?
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Karen's Blog of the Week: How Could You Not?!
Recently relocated from Utah to Washington, her recent posts have been largely been focused on the adventures of moving and the joys of having a townhouse ALL to herself! But she also posts old notes from Facebook that are priceless, and makes sure that no one has any illusions about her personality by mistaking her for someone that's nice. You really should check out her blog because it's pretty awesome.
And speaking of the Boob Nazi, she wrote this post about her recent trip to Forks, Washington. She says that Forks is lame and La Push is awesome which, to me, is just further proof that Bella really should have picked Jacob...
Gina from Namaste By Day posted these gorgeous pictures with her brand new son. Congratulations, Gina! He's beautiful!
Author Jody Hedlund (whose first novel, The Preacher's Bride is due to hit bookstores in just a few weeks!) wrote this great post for writers about the benefits of working in small steps while keeping the big picture in mind.
Dorkys Ramos from Dry As Toast wrote this great DIY Tutorial for making an Origami Paper Sack Holder. Super cute idea!
My long-lost globe-trotting blog friend Typ0 from Wandering the World wrote this post about how she misses playing real-life Frogger in Cairo and almost gets run down every day on the streets of Auckland, New Zealand because she's not used to waiting for such crazy things as Walk Signs.
Stephanie Faris, of Steph in the City, brought up the controversial debate between Jennifer Aniston and Bill O'Reilly over women that volunteer for single motherhood. This debate was sparked in relation to Aniston's latest movie The Switch which you should all go see because Patrick Wilson's in it. But read Stephanie's post and the wide range of comments first.
Have a great Sunday, everyone!
Friday, August 27, 2010
Face it Friday! Week 35
Before you read this post, click over to the Kim's blog and check out the interview she did with yours truly. Kim, you are awesome! Thanks so much for asking me!
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When Jennee and I set out to make and keep goals this year and to use our blogs to motivate ourselves and each other, I was gung ho. Totally excited. Nothing was going to stop me.
And, for awhile, nothing did stop me.
Every week, I diligently plucked something from my list of 65 and tried to get it done so I could
It wasn't even that hard. At first.
But, somewhere along the way, I started to find that some of my goals were going to be really hard or downright impossible to do. I wasn't discouraged. Just...wondering what I'd gotten myself into.
September starts next week. That means there are four months left. I have a lot of my list left to do. A couple of things have been crossed out because they are things that I will definitely NOT be able to do this year.
Is it over?
Heck no! I've still got FOUR MONTHS. That's, like, a third of an entire year. I've got tons of time to read 18 books and finish my novel and query agents and run a 5K and...and...and...yeah...
I'm feeling a little discouraged right now. Discouraged because the year is slipping by so fast and there's still so much to do. Discouraged because I know perfectly well that a lot of those things could have been done already if I'd just gotten off the computer a little earlier or not stayed up so late or said "no" to new responsibilities and tasks once in a while.
There's still a lot of time. Plenty of time for me to finish a lot of the things on the list.
But this week, I became completely aware that I won't be able to do everything. Which means, now I have to spend a little time deciding what NOT to do so that I can refocus my efforts. I'm not giving up on it all. I'm letting go of some. It's necessary.
Because, really, it's better to do SOMETHING than to do NOTHING.
Who's having a better week than me? Link up and share how your goals are going for you!
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Confession Wednesday: Books That Kept Me Up All Night
My grandmother used to yell at me because my nose was always stuck in a book.
There's a commercial break during the TV show I'm watching? Perfect time to read a little bit.
Driving a few miles to the grocery store/beach/movie theater? I always brought a book along.
In 5th grade, it was the Baby-Sitters' Club series. By 7th, it was Christopher Pike and RL Stine. And then, in 10th grade, I discovered John Grisham.
He's still my favorite author.
Somewhere along the way, my avid reading dropped off. I honestly think it was my mission that did it. When I spent a year and a half with only scriptures and a few church books at my disposal, I found other things to occupy my mind. Reading became something I wanted to do, but never seemed to have much time for anymore.
I always made an exception for the latest John Grisham novel, though. Always.
And then, in the summer of 2001, a roommate thrust a book into my hands and insisted I HAD to read it right away. By the time I reached the end of the first chapter, I rushed out to buy all of the Harry Potter novels that were already in print. At that point, there were four.
I spent that summer getting acquainted with Harry and his friends, falling in love with the characters, the setting, the magic of it all. I stayed up late into the night reading because I just had to know what happened next. It had been years since a novel had that kind of effect on me. And I can't remember another series I loved as much.
The Harry Potter novels reignited my love of reading. After I finished them, I started finding other books. All kinds of books. And I found a few new favorites, discovered new authors, and started a book club with some friends.
(Last I heard, that book club still meets, even though most of the original members have since moved away.)
Despite my rediscovered hobby, nothing really grabbed me like Harry Potter did. I didn't find anything I theorized about, thought about, and even (as silly as it sounds) dreamed about. Twilight didn't do it for me. Dan Brown's novels had little effect.
And then I found the Hunger Games. I'll spare you, since I just wrote a whole post about them the other day. I have my copy of Mockingjay, sitting right beside me. In fact, the entire time I've been writing this post, I've just wanted to hurry up and tear into it. I read the first chapter while sitting in the Barnes and Noble parking lot.
I'm going to be up late tonight.
And I'm happy.
Because, despite how much I love books, it's so rare to find one I'm willing to lose sleep over.
I'm going to finish Mockingjay in a day or two. And then I'm going to need something else to steal my attention. So, what are some of the novels that have kept YOU up at night? Share in the comments or link your own posts below!
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
William Shakespeare, Henry Ford and Jesus Walk Into a Social Networking Site
Did she pick something hard like my favorite color or why Ryan Reynolds is pretty or why Katniss should OBVIOUSLY choose Peeta?
Of course not.
No, she decided to pick a really easy one: the 10 Most Influential People in History. According to me.
Do you know that history is a really long time?
There's, like, at least eleven people that would totally make my list. Which means someone was going to have to go. So, here's what I came up with:
10. Martin Luther. He started the ball rolling on the whole religious freedom thing. I'd say that makes him a pretty awesome guy.
9. Henry Ford. Not only was he the founder of the company that makes this car, but he's also credited as the father of the modern assembly line. A lot of people owe their livelihoods to that particular invention. Talk radio owes its modern popularity to rush hour traffic.
8. Queen Elizabeth I is still one of the most popular monarchs in history. At a time when women were not allowed to vote, own property, or hold a job more prestigious than seamstress, prostitute, or baker's wife, the Virgin Queen showed them all that women are just as capable of running a country as running a household.
5. William Shakespeare. If he actually looked like Joseph Fiennes, he might have ranked a bit higher on my list. But the fact is that William Shakespeare's many, many works have influenced centuries of literature and spawned dozens of really good (and terribly bad) movies and stage productions. It's impossible to get a high school diploma--even in California!--without having at least heard the name William Shakespeare. Plus there's that whole theory about him slipping his name into the 46th Psalm in the English translation of the King James Bible.
4. It almost feels like anything I say about Martin Luther King, Jr. is just not enough. His "revolutionary" practice of peaceful demonstrations and marches proved that there are better ways to bring about change than by resorting to violence. Unfortunately, it seems like too many people have completely missed the point of some of his most influential speeches and opinions, but that doesn't change the fact that his legacy lives on.
2. Mother Theresa's compassion and selfless life influenced millions around the world, regardless of religion or nationality. Her spirit lives on in the missionaries who continue her ministerial work, in the children she saved from homelessness and starvation, and in all those who go out of their way to serve others.
1. Jesus. It's with a sad sort of irony that so many people have died in his name. I know there are many that don't believe he is the Savior of the World, but I do and I am grateful for his perfect example, his teachings that guide me, and the sacrifice that will one day redeem me. When I was a missionary in eastern Canada, I had the opportunity to talk on a daily basis with people of all faiths and levels of belief. I never met a single person who didn't know of him or his message of love and peace. And that kind of universal recognition is the very definition of influential.
So who would you include in your list of most influential people in history? If you feel so inclined, write up a post and link up over at Jennee's place!
Monday, August 23, 2010
Defriended
Recently, I posted a vague, yet pointed remark on Facebook.
It was in response to some breaking political news I caught online, even though my post indicated nothing of the sort.
When one friend asked for more information, I clarified and referenced the issue. I still hadn't said anything of any consequence. I made my position pretty clear, but took care not to say anything that would be construed as offensive, or even mildly snarky.
A second friend piped up to clarify how I had voted on this particular issue. As soon as I confirmed that I'd voted differently than he would have liked, he immediately defriended me.
It was quite a blow, but left me wondering why. It's not like we were particularly close. In fact, I haven't seen the guy in two years and wouldn't know much of anything about his life if not for Facebook. We frequently commented on one another's statuses and he always invited me to attend his latest theater productions, though with my crazy schedule, I never made much of an effort to show up.
In reality, I'm not sure that we were friends anywhere except on Facebook.
So why did I care so much? Why do I still care?
I guess it's really simple.
I don't like double standards.
This friend writes whatever he wants. He doesn't worry about offending or annoying anyone. In fact, he probably assumes everyone agrees with him. I never debated any of the (many) topics on which we (strongly) disagree. I happen to believe everyone is entitled to their own opinion, no matter how wrong it may be.
And yet, I found myself in a situation where I wasn't particularly vocal. I made a tiny, barely noticed comment and was quickly dismissed. Rejected. Defriended.
I actually deleted the entire post and all of the related comments, because I didn't WANT there to be a big, nasty fight with or among my friends.
But still, there was this feeling, even as I deleted it, that this whole situation was so very, very wrong.
I felt like I was dismissed under a false assumption that I'm, somehow, closed-minded. Maybe even intolerant. In fact, the opposite is true.
I've seen this time and again among many different groups. It's counter-intuitive, but there just seems to be this widespread attitude that if you don't agree with me, it's because you're intolerant/bigoted/etc. If I don't agree with you, it's because I'm enlightened.
My solution was to delete the whole thing and pretend I'd never spoken up in the first place. But what did that really accomplish? It seems like we'd all get along better, not by pretending to agree with everyone else, but by assuming no one agrees with us at all and talking about our differences, rather than turning our backs on each other over them.
I wish I'd had the chance to explain my feelings to my friend. To tell him that, even though I didn't support something that he believes in, I DO support his right to believe it. And if I'd had the chance to talk to him before being unceremoniously deleted, I could have confessed that I, myself, was more than a little conflicted about the issue in the first place.
Why are we so reluctant to talk to each other about the things that matter to us?
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Karen's Blog of the Week: Diamond Potential!
Which means it's time to announce that the Blog of the Week is: Diamond Potential!
I consider Holly one of my real-life friends, even though we only met once, four years ago. But it was EPIC.
Telling the complete story of how Holly and I know each other is going to reveal my inner
You see, a couple of years ago, while looking up information about a little-known but completely
And then, about a year later, Patrick decided to go back to Broadway after a long hiatus, appearing in a revival of Neil Simon's play, Barefoot in the Park. A bunch of us got up the guts to meet in person in New York City to see the show. I was one of them. And so was Holly.
I lived in Utah at the time and Holly lived in Riverside, California. And it was about six weeks later that she moved to Utah and I moved to Riverside, California. We missed each other by, seriously, a matter of days.
But we've kept in touch via Facebook and blogging and email and she is a really amazing woman. She's been through so many things in her life, and yet she is one of the most positive, happy people I know. She's so much fun to be around. It's impossible to be in a bad mood when you're talking to Holly. She's also a talented photographer and an awesome blog friend!
You'll be doing yourself a favor by getting to know Holly. So go visit. Right now.
And then come back and check out some of these links to a few of my favorite blog posts from this week:
Misty, from Handbags and Handguns, gave the run down of how to guarantee she will unfollow your blog. It's possible that I might share one or two of these sentiments.
ScoMan, from This is ScoMan, wrote a post a couple of weeks ago that I'm throwing in here because I just read it this week and it's hilarious. Anonymous pranks are the best.
Tia, of Clever Girl Goes Blog fame, wrote this great post about marriage and the reality of perfection.
Dan, from Single Dad Laughing, got all brave and posted his yearbook photos from 7th grade to graduation. The pictures are good for a chuckle. The commentary is priceless.
Janet, from Stuff I Think About, shared a very funny story about her experience at the Workforce Development Career Center. It's really sad those people have jobs and she doesn't.
And finally, the infamous Kristina at Pulsipher Predilections shared this hodge podge post about such important and timely topics like her awesome communication with her husband and why Rachael Ray is as evil as Mario Lopez. I've always liked Rachael Ray, and this post even got ME hating her a little.
I hope you've all had a great week. What gems have you found this week in the blogoverse? Head over to my BlogFrog community
Friday, August 20, 2010
Face it Friday: Week 34
I worked on one big goal this week.
You see, for some crazy reason, I convinced myself that I had plenty of time to read THIRTY books in one year.
Which would have been just fine if we were talking about some of my all-time favorites like, There's a Monster at the End of this Book or Where the Wild Things Are.
But, no. I was talking about the big, fat kind of books that don't even have pictures in them. Which takes a lot of time, you know?
And I'm a little behind. I'm a third of the way there. But it's okay because this week, I've been reading:
I finished The Hunger Games (for the second time) yesterday, and almost immediately grabbed up Catching Fire in preparation for the release of the third and final installment of the trilogy, Mockingjay.
If you have not read these books, you really should. They are all kinds of awesome.
The basic story is that Katniss Everdeen is a 16-year-old girl living in what used to be known as Appalachia, but is now called simply, District 12, the poorest of the twelve districts of the country of Panem. (Panem is located where the United States used to be.) Years ago, 13 districts rose up against the capital and were defeated. The thirteenth district was wiped out. Every year, as a reminder not to fight against the capital, each district must send two tributes, a boy and a girl between ages 12-18, to fight in the Hunger Games, a death match where there can only be one winner. When the name of her younger sister, 12-year-old Prim, is drawn, Katniss rushes forward to volunteer to take her place.
It's totally worth it to find out what all the fuss is about.
These books are amazing.
I was talking with some friends the other day about how this series is so different from so many others for a lot of reasons. For one thing, the writing is very, very good. This story is about the people and the events that surround them and effect their lives. There's no magic. Very little in the way of technologically advanced gadgets. The novels rely on the characters to move forward.
I think what REALLY sets this series apart, though, at least so far, is the love triangle. Because that's never been done, right?
Okay, okay. What I mean is that there IS a love triangle. And it's a really good one. And it leaves room for a lot of debate. But what makes it so fantastic is the fact that there is no clear answer on who Katniss should choose. Unlike in Twilight, where it was COMPLETELY OBVIOUS that Bella should end up with Jacob, author Suzanne Collins lays out perfectly good reasons why Katniss should be with either boy. And why she should perhaps choose neither.
Brilliant.
Anyway, I LOVE this series. Absolutely love it. And you will, too. If you like books that don't suck.
Have you been working on any goals this week? If so, link up and tell us all about it! And be sure to visit Jennee to see what she's been up to.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
It's Getting Hot in Here
When I was a young missionary in the frozen tundra of southeastern Canada, my companions and I practically had a drinking game based on how often people brought up the weather.
(I say "practically" but...it's possible there were shots of Dr. Pepper involved. Maybe.)
You step onto an elevator with a neighbor? She dramatically waves a hand in front of her face and comments on how HOT it is this week.
Walking down the street and politely nod at passersby? They shiver, hitch up the hoods of their coats, and wonder aloud if Spring is ever going to arrive.
In Winter, it's too cold.
(Which, to be fair, it IS. When you're in Canada.)
In Spring, they complain about the rain.
In Summer, it's way too hot and WAY too humid for anyone to get the slightest bit of comfort or relief.
The two weeks known as Autumn are about the only time people don't complain about the weather. But that doesn't stop them from talking about how nice it is. Until late afternoon when the temperature drops with the sun.
It doesn't matter where you go. Canadians LOVE to talk about the weather. And about how it's never the right season for them.
(Shopgirl, am I right, or am I right?)
Awhile back, I was talking to a friend about favorite seasons. She prefers the cold. I like it hot. Or, so I claimed in January.
This morning, I rose from bed after a fitful night of sleep that involved lots of tossing and turning and wondering why my bedroom was approximately the temperature of Satan's breath after a gallon of Bhut Jolokia peppers. I stood in front of the small-but-mighty turbo fan that tried with all its plastic heart to blow a bit of coolish air in through the open window.
(We turned off the air conditioner last night when it decided not to do its job.)
So I'm standing there, not getting cooled off by the fan's valiant efforts, and wishing for February.
And now I'm blogging about the weather.
I'm one of Them.
But, seriously. For the LOVE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY, can we get a LITTLE relief today? Maybe keep it UNDER a thousand degrees?
No?
Fine. I'm just going to go count the days until Winter...
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Confession Wednesday: Bathroom Confessions
When I broke my vow never to share this story with anyone ever for as long as I live by telling Kelli, I laughed so hard I cried. It was the first time I'd ever told it out loud. It was so completely mortifying that I have barely even let myself think about that day. But, I do think it's kind of funny. Kelli insisted that I HAVE to share it for Confession Wednesday. And since I pretty much do whatever Kelli tells me to do, I am, after eight years, putting one of my life's absolutely most embarrassing moments, on the internet for your ridiculing pleasure.
(By the way, Mom, Dad, you might not want to read this post. Well, Mom, you'll probably laugh, but Dad...well...just don't say I didn't warn you...)
So there I was. Colmar, France. On a summer study abroad program with Weber State University. June of 2002. We'd spent the better part of the day strolling the canals of La Petite Venise in Colmar, discovering a centuries-old church built by the ancestors of one of my classmates, and enjoying the charms of this little region in the northeastern countryside near the French/German border.
We hopped on the train to return to Strasbourg, where we'd been staying for the week. Several of us were in desperate need of facilities and, for reasons I cannot remember, hadn't been able to find them in hours.
So we're all doing different versions of the potty dance as the train pulls up to the platform--
(Which was kind of like those train stations you see in old westerns with this little tiny station and a wooden platform and possibly one lone light post.)
--and we jumped aboard, snagging the first seats we could find.
The lavatories were immediately occupied, so I had to wait about 45 entire seconds for my turn. Which is like 6 decades in full-bladder years.
My friend exited the lavatory, made a vague remark about the experience being "weird" and returned to her seat while I dashed inside, fumbled with the lock and then lifted the lid.
For a moment, I was confused.
Why was I staring at the ground?
The ground. Dirt. Rocks. Train tracks flying beneath me at 40 kilometers per hour. And I could see it all at the bottom of the toilet.
That's just not right.
As my bladder begged for a little relief, my brain suddenly decided that if I sat down on that toilet I was somehow going to get sucked down under the train. Or, at the very least, stuck.
I opted to employ the hover method.
I dropped my pants and hovered, making sure my aim was right on target. I relaxed just a little bit and started to, you know, go. Which happened at precisely the moment that the train decided to be a train and lurch from one side to the next and I was thrown off balance, missing the toilet and peeing a little on the floor. And possibly on my pants, too. I've never been entirely sure.
I regained my balance, finished my business--
(Yes, it took awhile. I hadn't gone in HOURS. And I'd had a lot of water that day.)
--and yanked my pants back up as fast as I could. I washed my hands and turned to open the door, which is when I realized I'd stepped right into the puddle that was slightly bigger than I'd thought it was.
There were no more paper towels and the toilet paper was approximately the consistency of air. I was left with no way to
I took a deep breath, threw open the door and found 3 or 4 of my classmates waiting for their turn.
"Gross!" I exclaimed. "Someone totally peed on the floor in here! Be really careful!"
And then I went back to my seat and prayed that the lingering odor was just my imagination.
Do you have an embarrassing bathroom moment to share? Please, please tell us all about it and link up below!
Monday, August 16, 2010
The Man They Called Jayne...Or, in This Case, Steven Slater
But, for the one or two of you that aren't familiar, he's the flight attendant that went all crazy on a passenger and decided to be all dramatic about it. Emergency-exit-slide-and-a-cold-one style.
And now he's got a Facebook page, a cult following, and probably a book/movie deal in the works.
Oh, and he apparently wants to keep his job.
I would SO fly Jet Blue just for the chance of a run in with this guy. I am not kidding.
Anyway, the other day I heard someone on the "news" refer to Steven Slater as a folk hero. Which got me to thinking of another "folk hero."
Jayne Cobb.
Woah. What? You don't know Jayne Cobb?
In that case, I demand that you finish reading this post, leave a comment, and then immediately head over to Netflix, add Firefly to your queue and bump it right up to the top.
And if you don't know about Firefly...well...that's probably because it was cancelled before its time in the most egregious of bad Fox network decisions. Followed closely by the very possibility that they would consider putting Jennifer Lopez anywhere near my television screen.
Another reason to watch? You'll finally understand those "Space Cowboy" jokes on Castle.
But that's totally beside the point.
Where was I?
Oh, yeah. Jayne.
Basically, Jayne is this tough brute with a sordid past and a love of guns and violence. Which is only part of why he's completely awesome. And why he is so useful on a cargo ship that happens to dabble in questionable freight.
In my very favorite of the only 14 episodes, "Jaynestown," our beloved crew of smugglers has business on a small planet where Jayne was once involved in a heist-gone-awry. To make a long and confusing story short-ish, he and his friends end up having business there and he tries to disguise himself so that he won't get arrested or killed.
Only, when they arrive at the settlement, something really strange happens.
There's a statue in the middle of town. Of Jayne Cobb.
And when they head over to the local tavern to wait for their contact, a folk singer with a guitar starts singing a song and is immediately joined in by a rowdy crowd of bar patrons as they belt out a chorus about "the Hero of Canton, the man they call Jayne."
Which prompts one of my favorite lines in the history of television: "This is what going mad feels like."
Anywho. It turns out that Jayne, fresh off a lucrative heist, was making his daring getaway with a crate of loot and his partner, but his aircraft started losing altitude and first he dumped his partner. And then the loot.
Only, the townsfolk think he's Robin Hood and that he robbed from the rich to give to the poor.
And thus, a folk hero was born.
Eventually, the townspeople learn what really happened, but that doesn't stop them from deciding they prefer their version of history.
And so it is with our newest "folk hero," Steven Slater.
When I first heard the story, I thought two things:
a) I SO wish I was on that plane because oh my gosh how hilarious is that?
2) I used to DREAM of quitting a job in such a spectacular way. (Not my CURRENT job, of course.) And this guy went and did it.
I'll admit. I joined in the craze. And by "craze" I mean "facebook fan page." And I spent all week talking about it. And found myself plotting with co-workers about ways we could totally quit our job but never would because, hello, we actually like our jobs.
And then something really bizarre happened.
The "truth" started to come out.
Like, as in, maybe some of that hero stuff was a little bit...premature. Maybe.
I know. Gasp! Shock! The horror!
It seems that our Steven Slater is a bit of a drama queen. That whole luggage-dropped-on-his-head bit? Happened at the beginning of the flight and then he allegedly walked around with a bloody head wound.
Um. Gross.
And, of course, there are lots more questions, too. Like whether the woman was actually rude during the whole flight. He says yes. All the other passengers around say notsomuch.
I dunno.
Personally, I liked the whole story a lot better when he was a friendly flight attendant who'd just plain had enough of rude passengers and getting hit with baggage from the overhead bin and people not following instructions and finally snapped and decided to quit his job in the coolest way he could think of.
Yeah. I like that story way better.
But, just to be clear on one thing. Jayne Cobb is way more awesome and would beat up Steven Slater any day.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Karen's Blog of the Week...
This is the first chance I've had to get near my computer today.
I'm in the middle of a big mess. I'd love to say I didn't cause it because I didn't really cause it. But I also know I could have stopped it and I didn't. So now it's Sunday afternoon and I haven't chosen a blogger to feature this week.
I suck.
BUT.
I AM making good on my promise to link up to some of my favorite posts for the week. And let me tell you. I think the only suckage on the blogosphere this week has been found right here.
Anyways, let's see what I found:
Lisa from Just Lisa, No Filler wrote this awesome post about when you get what you pray for and it IS what you want.
Helene from I'm Living Proof that God Has a Sense of Humor wrote...or, rather, her husband, Tim, wrote this post renegotiating their marriage contract. Helene's commentary really completes the piece.
Joy from One Year. 156 Fears. Life Changing. shared these insights on the difference between overcoming fear and learning to live with it.
Kelly Dexter of Nerdville Rhapsody (one of my newest blog finds!) wrote this great post about fantasy objects she wishes she could own. (And I particularly agree with her on the Marauder's Map.)
And finally--
(NOT because I ran out of awesomeness, but because I ran out of TIME...)
--this week, SITS bid farewell to original SITSta Heather. I wouldn't be the blogger I am today and I would never have met some of you amazing people without SITS and I just wanted to thank Heather for her part in creating this community.
Okay. That's it for this week. If you didn't get a mention , then obviously you need to write better posts. KIDDING! You just need to find a way to make my days a little bit longer. Simple task. And I'll give away an awesome prize to the first person that can do it.
Now go enjoy the rest of your Sunday!
Friday, August 13, 2010
Face it Friday! Week 33 (How is it Week 33 already???)
It's taken much longer to get back into the swing of things than I thought I would.
I can't help but laugh at how much of a disruption a two week "vacation" can be to your every day life and activities.
Of course, it doesn't help that I returned to work only to find the turmoil that should have been over just getting started. And when you spend approximately a third of your life at your job, the turmoil in the workplace affects things in your non-work life, too. Mood, attitude, energy level. All of it. By the time I pull into the parking lot at home, I'm ready for bed. And then I can't sleep. It's a never-ending cycle.
Things are slowly improving. Although I have little hope that we'll be ready to open a month from now, let alone Monday.
But that's okay. I'm letting it go. It's not like I can do anything to speed up the construction or to prettify the cabinets, or fix the signs that were printed wrong. We did, however, manage to procure toilet paper for the women's restroom. I consider that a win.
The Boss Man would be so proud of my zen attitude.
Anyway, none of that matters now. We're here to talk about goals.
And I'm here to talk about how I haven't done a darned thing to work on them in the past two weeks.
Well, I guess that's not exactly true. I've been working on my reading list and I've been working through my Netflix queue. But the big stuff? It's all just sitting there, taunting me. And I'll get around to it. I will. I just have to get back into my good habits and let the craziness settle down.
It would also help if I stopped procrastinating and making excuses.
Allegedly.
Anyway, enough about me and my lack of progress. I have a giveaway winner to announce.
Remember that time when I promised to bring something back from South America?
Well, it turns out that Paraguay isn't much for the souvenirs. Like, you can't buy postcards of the beautiful...shanties. They don't sell coffee mugs or keychains or I HEART Paraguay t-shirts. At least, not in any of the places I visited.
But they DO have these seriously yummy cookies called alfajores. It's pronounced: alpha-whore-uh.
Which is why it's kind of fitting that the winning commenter was number 35: KRISTINA PULSIPHER!
Kristina is the winner of a 12-pack of yummy alfajores. I hope you enjoy them! Now send me your address already!
Aaaaaand there's one other thing.
I love doing my Blog of the Week feature on Sundays. But it feels like I could be doing a lot more to share your awesomeness. Because there is SO much awesomeness. For that reason, I'm going to add to my Blog of the Week posts on Sunday. Beginning this week, I'm going to choose a few of my favorite blog posts from the week and link them up. I'm not committing to a number. Because, some weeks, I may have 20. Other weeks, y'all might write a bunch of suckage and then I'd be forced to pick something anyway.
(Although, none of you have ever written suckage before, so there's really no reason to assume it's going to start happening now.)
Anyway, that's about it for this Friday post.
Now, please, tell us how you've been doing with your goals. Link up your Face It Friday posts and tell us all about it!
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Silencing Sam
This review is so long overdue.
I'm pretty sure I'm a hash tag on Twitter. Seriously. Search for #karenisaprocrastinator and see what happens.
(Okay, I just did that and nothing came up. So my secret's still safe. For now.)
Anyway, I should have posted this review forever ago. But then I left the country. And then I wrote about leaving the country. And then we moved offices at work and I had to
But, finally, I've gotten around to it.
Silencing Sam is the third novel in Julie Kramer's series about investigative TV reporter Riley Spartz and her habit of finding herself in the middle of some very dangerous stories. In Silencing Sam, Riley has a highly publicized run in with slimy gossip columnist Sam Pierce. It isn't long before all of the circumstantial evidence points to Riley and she is charged with Sam's murder. Despite facing serious criminal charges, Riley keeps working, investigating strange cases like dead bats at the site of wind farm bombings, and trying to swap cases with the hot new reporter, Clay Burrel. And then there's her FBI boyfriend, Nick Garnett, who wants their relationship to move forward, and she has to decide if she's really ready to meet her most anxiety-inducing challenge: introducing him to her parents.
Silencing Sam is a fun story that is a perfect summer read. The dialog is pithy and generally avoids being cheesy. Though the language occasionally strays a bit far into cliché, the story is still entertaining enough that you probably won't even notice.
The clues mixed into the story are sewn in just the right way so that an attentive reader will find them, but not any sooner than the author wants you to.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. It's a page turner that is neither too long nor too short. The action moves quickly and the conclusion is satisfying. Julie Kramer manages to create characters that are appropriately endearing or irritating, sympathetic or downright mean.
It's hard to say much more about this, honestly. It's a fun novel that's worth reading. But it's not particularly deep. This is a good book to read by the pool, but would probably leave your book club looking for something else to talk about.
(Unless, of course, your book club is like mine...You know...where discussing the book isn't REALLY the reason we get together...)
Anyway, I want to go back and read Kramer's previous Riley Spartz novels: Stalking Susan and Missing Mark. I'm sure I'm going to like those, too.
*I'd like to thank Atria Books for sending me a copy of Silencing Sam for review. But, seriously, these opinions are mine and were in no way influenced by the fact that I didn't have to pay for the book.
**Is anyone else kind of tired of these obligatory disclosure things?
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Confession Wednesday: Moving Day
Confession Wednesday is back!
And in honor of the big move at work that is going oh so smoothly....
Uh...
Ahem.
Well, anyway, I've had moving on the brain this week and I thought it might make a good confession topic, since I'm fairly certain we've all been through at least one move in our lives.
Here's my confession.
I'm really lousy at moving.
Terrible.
Like, still putting stuff in boxes as my helpful volunteer movers are backing the truck into the driveway. That kind of terrible.
When I moved to Utah? I had to delay my departure by a day because I had barely started packing two days before.
Every time I moved to a new place in Utah, it took at least a week to finish getting all my stuff.
When the time came to move from Utah back to California, my mom flew up to Salt Lake to help. The whole thing seemed like a good idea at the time, but turned out to be pretty dumb. The plan was for me to rent a U-Haul, load it up, and then my mom would help me make the long drive through the Utah desert.
(Which is bad enough in your own comfortable car, but downright SUCKS in a big old stinky rental van.)
And then when we got to California, we'd unload the U-Haul, I'd fly back to Utah to finish two more weeks of work, then pack up my car and leave for good.
While my roommate-at-the-time Kelli and her brother Joe attempted to Tetris all of my belongings into the back of the truck, my mom and I were in the house. Packing. Because I'd had six entire weeks to get everything together. And did I do it? Nope.
Because, of course, I'm the world's worst procrastinator.
Which doesn't mix well with moving.
No matter how much advance planning you give yourself.
Even with this move at work. From one building to another. I packed three boxes. And guess when I did it. That's right. On my last day of work before I left for the month.
Because I'm awesome.
And by "awesome" I mean lame.
Do you have any particularly memorable Moving Day stories? Any bad or good habits to share? Link up!
Monday, August 9, 2010
I Like My Chair
I planned on telling you all about my trip to Buenos Aires.
And I was finally going to announce the winner of my little giveaway.
(Because I did NOT actually forget about that. I've just been putting it off.)
(And no, I don't really have a reason.)
I was going to do all that today. But then I got to work this morning. To our brand spanking new building that I've been excited about since practically the first day I started my job more than three years ago.
The building is finally finished. We finally moved in.
Except that it's not finished.
Not even kind of.
I knew last week that it would be a few days before we got the silly, unnecessary stuff like phones and computers. So I brought my laptop from home. Our campus has wireless just about everywhere, and with my laptop I could still connect to my work e-mail and things like that.
Except that there is no wireless.
This is not okay.
Actually, it probably would have been okay since I can still wander to other parts of campus--
(like the PARKING LOT)
--to connect to the internet.
And I seriously could have survived without it for one day. Totally not the end of the world.
But the fire alarm won't stop screeching every few minutes. Apparently they can't turn that off until it gets certified by some Important Person. They were HOPING to get that done today.
And some of the new amenities that I was really excited about...Well, things are always different when you see them in person than you think they'll look on paper. Of course.
The Boss Man declared that our department of six was going to lunch at 11:15.
I told him that I was saving what was left of my sanity by leaving immediately afterward.
He knew I was frustrated because he didn't even try to convince me to change my mind. Which I appreciated like you would NOT believe.
So we all went to lunch and then I hit the freeway, stopping at the Verizon Store to drool over my new phone.
(Baby steps to three weeks from now. Baby steps to three more weeks...)
(Bonus points if you know what movie THAT's a reference to...)
Anyway, it really wasn't a terrible day, but I was in a pretty lousy mood for most of the morning.
But, at least I like my new office chair.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Karen's Blog of the Week: Confessions of a Cashier
I'm sorry for the unintentionally long hiatus, but I just couldn't pre-schedule the BotW posts for my trip and then last week I was too tired to pick one.
But this week, we're back!
And this week's selection is a fun blog that you're sure to enjoy if you've ever been a cashier. Or if you've ever had a job working with customers. Or if you've ever been a customer.
Unless you've been THAT customer.
Anyway, the anonymous writer known only as The Cashier shares all sorts of anecdotes about customers and all the not-so-sneaky thing they try to get away with at Confessions of a Cashier. A mixture of snarky, bitter, and just plain funny, I love reading this blog. It takes me back to my retail days and makes me realize that some of those really irritating customers were pretty darn funny.
So, yeah. Go visit Confessions of a Cashier. Because it's awesome.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
The Work--South America, Part 4
Freezing temperatures were one thing, but there was no one willing to work under drippy skies.
Instead, we spent our first official build day visiting an orphanage and meeting the family we were there to help.
The kids at the orphanage were amazing. So cute and friendly. Older kids helped with the little ones. Everyone seemed happy. These kids have nothing but each other and a roof over their heads, and yet they smiled and laughed and played games and were oblivious to the fact that there was anything about their situation that might warrant an outsider's pity.
Which is why I was shocked and a little worried when our local Habitat worker, Claudia, grabbed me by the arm and said, "We HAVE to leave NOW." She ushered us out the door before we had the chance to ask questions. I thought something must have happened or some important and official person was about to show up or something.
Emily, our retiree, was hungry.
Yeah.
So after a lovely lunch at the home of our nice driver, Miguel, we dashed off to visit the Flores family and see the place they are currently living. I'm pretty sure their entire apartment is the size of my bedroom, bathroom, and semi-walk-in closet.
That was all the motivation we needed to get to work first thing on Monday morning.
And for most of Monday and Tuesday, we lined up to haul rocks, buckets of dirt and sand, and hundreds of pounds of bricks up an 6-foot hill to the actual site. It was tedious and exhausting, and I ended up with what I believe was a sinus infection after four straight hours of inhaling brick dust.
But it felt great. Every muscle in my arms reintroduced itself to me. I learned that I really CAN do ten more reps at the gym when I think I can't possibly lift anymore. And when we broke for meals and finally went to sleep at night, I felt like I had really earned it.
I can't remember a time when I've worked as hard.
The tasks were different on Wednesday. Well into construction and seeing the beginning of walls above the foundation, the team divided. Some mixed cement, while others got to use the cement to help reinforce the foundation and the bottom of the walls. I got to fill the floor in with buckets and buckets of dirt. I did a lot of hoeing that day. Kristina Pulsipher would be proud.
Some of us took a little respite on Thursday and Friday for an excursion to the most beautiful place I've ever been in my life. I'll tell you all about that tomorrow.
But on Saturday, we returned, ready to finish as much as humanly possible. We worked hard, but the house we were building was just too big to get done in one week. And since we lost one of our 5 building days to rain, there was only so much we could do. In the end, we felt proud of our efforts and we're very excited to see the pictures of the finished house. Which should be any day now!
Was the work fun? I'm not going to lie. It wasn't. It was hard. But did we manage to have fun while doing it? Absolutely. Like I said yesterday, it's all about attitude and the people you're with. For the most part, none of us complained. No one tried to get out of working or did any less than anyone else.
So would I do it again? It took a week of recovering before I could say this honestly, but, yes. I would do it again and I'm already starting to peek at some opportunities for next year. We'll see what happens.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
The People--South America, Part 3
Let me tell you, I met some truly awesome people in Paraguay. Some of them were so awesome that I decided to hang out with them a little longer in Buenos Aires.
It's been way too long since I laughed as much with total strangers. Or since I spent a week with people and left feeling like I'd known them for years.
And now, here's your chance to meet them, too:
Our fearless leader, Rob, had been on one other Habitat trip before deciding to try his hand at leading a team. He's from the mythical land of Delaware, (Honestly. Have you EVER met ANYONE from Delaware?) but has been working in the UK for the past 2 years and is getting ready to transfer back to the States. Rob hardly said a negative thing about anyone, even when our excursion tour guides tried to make us stay in a hotel that made that Denver motel look like the Ritz.
Heidi was my roommate and has been friends with Rob for years. She sells body parts for a living, which is every bit the conversation starter you might think. She's from Delaware, too, and now that I know two people from there, I guess I have to accept that it is, in fact, a real place and not the land where unicorns roam.
The team member who IS from the land of myths and legends is Mark, who joined us from Scotland. He's participated in, like, 6 different Habitat trips and had plenty of stories to share. He refuses to join Facebook, so there was some discussion of whether we could really be friends with him. After all, it's not official until you're friends on Facebook, right? But, on the other hand, now I know someone in Scotland. So we might have to keep up our friendship going the old-fashioned way: e-mail.
The rest of the group traveled to Buenos Aires after the build, and had to say good bye to Rob, Heidi and Mark on Saturday night. (Or freaking early Sunday morning if we were headed to the airport with them, which I was.)
Walter was our generous host in Buenos Aires. He and his wife, Joelle, have been living and teaching in Argentina's capital for three years now. Well, he teaches at the international high school, and she's the principal. They are hilarious and awesome and incredibly generous for letting us take over their beautiful apartment for, like, five days. They've been all over the world together to places like Bhutan and Antarctica and Austin, Texas. I'm totally jealous.
Christy is from Arizona and used to work with Rob. She's one of the most organized people I've ever met in my life. She's also incredibly friendly and kind, too, which are unexpected qualities in a real estate agent. If you're looking for a house in the Phoenix area, call Christy. She'll take good care of you.
Chiara was our de facto tour guide in Buenos Aires. Because she spends so much time in Manhattan, she's got the big city thing down and managed to figure out where we needed to go to all week long. And in Buenos Aires, pretty much everything is 11 blocks from the subway. Chiara is a teacher and a marathoner. She's run marathons in several states and a couple of other countries. Her goal is to run a marathon in every state. And we tried to get her to sign up for the Antarctica marathon, but she said no since there's a three year waiting list.
Eileen teaches elementary school in Mexico, but she's from The Bronx. Although, if you tell her you like her accent, she's going to bring it up every single time she sees you. Apparently she's a little sensitive about it. And I saw enough episodes of The Sopranos to know what sensitive New Yorkers are capable of.
Kimberly used to teach elementary school in Mexico with Eileen, but in October she's heading off to some uncharted island in the Pacific to work with the Peace Corps. We had a lot of fun trying to name the most obscure places she could end up, but she'll probably get sent to live on the beach in Hawaii or something posh. Hmmm...that Peace Corps thing might not be such a bad idea...
Emily is a retired teacher from Portland. She was the oldest team member and had a lot of stories from previous trips and from teaching in Iceland and Korea. She's all about learning about the local culture and is pretty fearless. Just don't mess with her meal times.
Ralph/Raul/Jim/etc is Emily's brother. This was their second Habitat trip together. He goes by just about any name anyone wants to call him, which led to some hilarity. Heidi ended up just calling him Slash, but it never really caught on. Ralph is a lawyer and he's also very good at being a younger brother. He teased his sister relentlessly. We enjoyed sitting back and watching.
So that was our team. Everyone worked hard, laughed a LOT, and contributed to making it the best experience I could have hoped for. Together with the masons, the family, and the workers from the Paraguay Habitat office, we got so much done in such a short time and enjoyed every minute.
(Well, almost every minute. If I had to help unload one more truckload of bricks, I was probably going to cry.)
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Getting There is Half the Battle--South America, Part 2
I left for LAX at 3am PDT on Thursday morning. I landed at the airport in Asunción at 10pm EDT on Friday night.
It took six airports, four planes and a bus to get there.
My first flight went from LAX to Atlanta where I spent 5 hours waiting for a connection to Buenos Aires. I wandered the airport, ate a decent lunch, made a few final phone calls before losing my cellular service for two weeks. It was almost a pleasant layover, really. But, by the time my flight to Argentina boarded, I was ready to get going.
Shortly after dinner was served, I reclined my seat and slept. I've never really had a problem sleeping on planes or in cars or other places, and when I awoke sometime after breakfast was served, I was only a little surprised I'd managed to sleep in stages through most of the night.
The line through customs was not long, but moved slowly. I had plenty of time to make my connection to Paraguay, so I wasn't worried.
There are signs all over Passport Control warning US, Australian, and Canadian citizens that they would be required to pay a reciprocal fee to enter the country. I had already done a bit of research and was fully prepared (though not excited about) the $140 charge. Argentina doesn't require visas to enter their country, but the reciprocal fee is assessed at approximately the amount the US charges Argentines to obtain visas when they visit us.
I was prepared to pay the fee.
My fellow passengers apparently weren't.
(Here's a little bit of advice. When you're traveling to a foreign country, it's usually a good idea to check on their entrance requirements before you buy your plane ticket.)
(Although, in defense of the guy in line directly behind me, apparently the Argentine consulate told him there was no visa and "forgot" to mention the fee.)
When the customs officer took my form, he saw that I was headed to Paraguay, marked the form "In transit" and handed it back without charging me. I went to the next counter, gave my form and passport to a woman who questioned the lack of payment, noticed the notation, stamped something, noted I had 24 hours to leave the country, and sent me on my merry way.
Had I really just saved $140?
I was sure this was just temporary and that I'd be charged upon my return, since I would actually be sticking around for a few days the next time.
My luggage was already circling the carousel in baggage claim when I walked through the automatic door. I pulled it off the belt, raised the handle, and rolled my bag out the doors in search of a remis station for transport to a different airport.
Despite the language barrier, they stuck me on the right bus and got me across town from the major international airport to a smaller, regional one. And, there I waited for 6 hours until my next flight was ready to board.
My cell phone no longer received service. I was all alone. I barely spoke enough Spanish to ask a security guard for the time.
It was one of the longest days of my life.
I don't remember another time I felt so alone.
While I waited, I pulled out my journal and wrote a little:
For an avid people watcher like me, there are few places more interesting than the airport. Passengers coming and going, some in a hurry and others with no concern for getting out of the way. Children cry and children laugh and people fret about which items in their carry-ons will have to be thrown away as they fumble through security.
For a people watcher, there's no better place than the airport.
Unless you're sitting in your fourth in 24 hours, begging the next 5 hours to hurry up and pass so that you can continue on with the next and final leg of your journey.
I'm exhausted. I left my house some 29 hours ago and there are 10 more until I reach my final destination.
All around me, people are speaking Spanish. The signs are in Spanish. A woman that I heard speaking in English to a friend pretended not to understand when I asked her a question.
I am so far out of my element. Out of my comfort zone. Away from everything familiar. Two weeks will pass quickly. Part of me is glad for that. Because, even as I sit here, having had no mishaps, no issues whatsoever, I can't help feeling afraid. Afraid that at any moment things are going to go horribly wrong and that I will be forced to consider the possibility that this trip was just not worth it.
But I'm here in Argentina. The parts of Buenos Aires that I managed to glimpse through the window as I rode a bus from one airport to another were quite lovely. And I'm excited to come back in 9 short days and explore.
And then it will be time to go back to the airport. Again.
Ten-or-so hours later, I got off the plane, got through customs yet again, and walked through the doors to see a blonde woman holding a sign with my name on it. I've never been more grateful to see my own name in print. And I've never been more excited to hug a stranger. And I told our Global Village representative that I had never been happier to see someone in my entire life.
She welcomed me to Paraguay, and then sent me off into the night with a kind shuttle driver named Miguel, who spoke no English but delivered me safely to a hotel where two American girls waited to welcome me.
And so it was that, for the first time in two days, I was finally able to breathe again.
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