Survey

via frog

1. Who was your first prom date? I never went with a date, but I did go with a group of girls my senior year. Half of us have since come out.
2. Who was your first roommate(s)? This strange girl from VA. Then my good friend Lynette followed by my good friend Judith.
3. What alcoholic beverage did you drink the first time you got drunk? red wine
4. What was your first job? pet sitting and then JCPenney
5. What was your first car? ford focus
6. When did you go to your first funeral? my babysitter when I was six
7. How old were you when you first moved away from your hometown? 18
8. Who was your first grade teacher? Miss H
9. Where did you go on your first ride on an airplane? Chicago when I was ten
10. When did you sneak out of your house for the first time, who was it with? I never snuck out. I didn’t have a curfew so there really wasn’t any reason.
11. Who was your first Best Friend and are you still friends with them? Robyn and yes but we never see each other anymore
12. Where did you live the first time you moved out of your parents’ house? College dorm room
13. Who is the first person you call when you have a bad day? my sister
14. Whose wedding were you in the first time you were a bridesmaid/groomsman? I was a flower girl in some friend of my parents' daughter's wedding when I was five. My best friend was the ring bearer. My parents and his planned for us to get married to each other for some time after that, I think. Then we both came out and put a stop to that fantasy.
15. What is the first thing you do in the morning? play with the fuzzy girl
16. What was the first concert you ever went to? I grew up going to concerts. My dad plays in this local symphonic band. My favorite one since then, though, was the Inidgo Girls a couple years ago.
17. First tattoo or piercing? My ears two months ago :)
18. First celebrity crush? Oh, this is embarrassing. Tiger Lily in Mary Martin's Peter Pan
19. Age of first kiss? 23
20. First crush? I don’t remember ever not having crushes. I had a crush on my best friend in elementary school, though. Her name was Becky.
21. First time you did drugs? I’ve never done drugs.

Fun :)

I hung out with my people for a while tonight. It was fabulous. We watched movies that are so wrong I'm too embarrassed to admit which ones they were in this space. And it was fun. I am now sporting a button that says "Second Class Citizen." It is one of my people's ways of fighting against the anti-gay amendment. And I can get more if anyone's interested. And there are even some that say "Friend of a Second Class Citizen," "Relative of a Second Class Citizen," and "Parent of a Second Class Citizen." They're free. Just let me know. Oh, and I should probably warn any anti-pink dykes out there, they are pink.

Now I'm home with my furbaby curled up in my lap purring, feeling like everything is all right with the world. It has been a very good day.

P.S. I have a hot date this weekend. Possible details will follow. Maybe.

Theses and Other Exciting Animals

So I finally bought the book to learn how to format my thesis. At this point, I'm thinking it doesn't look like it will be too bad. I'm sure there will be hysterical points before I turn it in, but at least I'm calm at the moment.

I'm kind of excited by how good it looks at the moment. I'm kind of proud of it, too. I've worked hard on it, and I hope it shows. I had a couple hours of insecurity last night when I decided to read part of it at an open mic night. I always feel insecure at those things. My poetry is just so different from a lot of what gets read in coffee shops. Last night was no different. I wanted to disappear under my chair when I got finished reading.

Despite last night, I am at the point where I would like to share the work more among my friends. So if you haven't seen it and you want to, let me know. I'll email it to you.

Poem

cutting greens
by lucille clifton

curling them around
i hold their bodies in obscene embrace
thinking of everything but kinship.
collards and kale
strain against each strange other
away from my kissmaking hand and
the iron bedpot.
the pot is black.
the cutting board is black,
my hand,
and just for a minute
the greens roll black under the knife,
and the kitchen twists dark on its spine
and i taste in my natural appetite
the bond of live things everywhere.

Angelia

This evening, my friend Naomi's mother, Angelia, died. She had been sick for quite a while with both lupus and lung cancer. Angelia was a special person. She used to come and stay with Naomi on campus about once a semester. Not many mothers at my school did this, but Angelia was cool and we liked having her around. She was young at heart in a good way. She always asked each of us all about our lives and always remembered small details in a way that made us all feel special. I strive to be like that, too. She was a good model of what a mother should be and what a Christian should look like. I know Naomi and Cory and Robert will miss her a lot. I hope they know how much their mother loved them and how much they are loved during this time of grief. Also, if you have any prayers to spare, I know they would appreciate it.

CV

I'm putting mine together at the moment. I really need suggestions for it. And perhaps someone to read it and let me know if it's okay. I have decided that I want to live somewhere else. I like this town, but I've been really stir crazy lately. There are various reasons for this, most of which involve staying home too much. At any rate, I'm applying for a job on the other side of the country. I would make like twice as much there as I would if I stayed here. And it would be warmer. Not more liberal, though. Perhaps less liberal, which I'm not sure about. Either way, it's temporary. We shall see what happens, of course.

My Church Rocks

http://365gay.com/Newscon06/03/032706commercial.htm

Unfortunately, this nation seems to thrive on discrimination. At least that's what the major television networks seem to think. What exactly is offensive about advertising that everyone is welcome at a certain church? I love my church, and I'm glad they are making commercials. I hope someday the television networks have the courage to air them.

Bored

1. How many keys are on your keychain? ten

2. What makeup do you wear on a daily basis? does chapstick count?

3. Is your AIM away message on? yes. it says something like, "at school."

4. If you could eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be? how boring. probably tortellini with pesto sauce

5. What curse word do you use the most? shit, probably

6. Do you own an iPod? no

7. Who on your Myspace "Top 8" do you talk to the most? Jaime

8. What time is your alarm clock set for right now? it's not

9. How many suitcases do you own? three, i think. two big and one carryon

10. Do you wear flip-flops even when it's cold outside? yes

11. Where do you buy your groceries from? i go where the sales are.

12. Would you rather take the picture or be in the picture? take the picture

13. What was the last movie you watched? Awakenings. I didn't really care for it.

14. Do any of your friends have children? Yes

15. Has anyone ever called you lazy? yes

16. Do you ever take medication to help you fall asleep faster? no, except for the first couple days i was in europe to help me adjust to the different time faster. thank you to my sister's french teacher for the suggestion.

17. What CD is currently in your CD player? Indigo Girls Indians Nomads Saints

18. Do you prefer regular or chocolate milk? regular

19. Has anyone told you a secret this week? i don't think so

20. When was the last time someone hit on you? yesterday

21. What did you have for dinner? yesterday i had beef and noodles

22. Do you wear hoodies often? Sometimes

23. What color is your car? red

24. Can you whistle? not as well as my grandfather, but yes

25. What is the first thing you see when you look to your left? an empty chalkboard and empty chairs (no, i'm not in class. i'm just at school in an empty room with a borrowed laptop being bored.)

26. Do you make your own jewelry? no

27. Have you ever participated in a protest? Yes. many times.

28. Who was the last person to call you? my mom

29. What is your favorite ride at cedar point? the race horses. i've never been a roller coaster person.

30. Which cartoons did you watch as a child? Smurfs, Get-Along Gang, Garfield and Friends

31. How big is your local mall? bigger than my hometown mall. does that make it big? i have no idea. I guess so.

32. What is your job title? graduate student and teaching assistant

33. How many siblings do you have? one

34. When was the last time you laughed so hard your sides hurt? i don't remember. that's sad.

35. What movie do you know every line to? Princess Bride

36. Do you own any band t-shirt? yes

37. What is your favorite candle scent? pine

38. How many aunts and uncles do you have? 2 aunts and 2 uncles on my dad's side and three aunts and three uncles on my mom's side

39. When was your last plane ride? in February

40. Have you ever eaten snow? yes. with milk and sugar.

41. How many chairs are at your dining room table? one broken one at the moment. it sort of disintegrated. it's a pile of nuts and bolts. it's very sad.

42. What is your favorite salad dressing? italian

43. Can you speak any languages other than English? Spanish

44. Where is your cell phone? beside me on the desk

45. Do you do your own dishes? yes, but not often enough

46. What color is your bedroom painted? white

47. Are your parents divorced? No

48. Do you have a desktop computer or a laptop? desktop, although i'm currently on a laptop. my dream machine is an apple notebook.

49. Which do you make: wishes or plans? both

50. Are you always trying to learn new things? yes

51. What messenger programs do you have? aim, and i'm always online, so if you want to chat, i'll certainly pass along my online name

52. Are you currently wanting any piercings or tattoos? yes, a tattoo

53. Do you believe that the guy should pay on the first date? i believe in dutch first dates or in the person who asks paying.

54. Can you skip rocks? yes

55. Have you ever been to Jamaica? no, but it sounds like fun

56. What do you like to snack on at the movie theatres? popcorn and iced tea or chocolate covered almonds

57. Who was your favorite teacher? in high school, my geometry teacher.

59. What is the weather like? bright and sunny

60. Would you ever date someone covered in tattoos? sure, why not

61. Do you have an online journal? um, yes

62. Did you ever play Capture the Flag in school? yes

63. What was your favorite class in high school? geometry, just because i liked the teacher

64. Do you enjoy traveling via airplanes? it gets me there faster, so sure.

65. What personality trait is a must-have in the opposite sex? i'm answering for the same sex, and i like a sense of awe in the world.

66. When was the last time you slept on the floor? i don't remember, oddly enough.

67. What is your favorite alcoholic drink? yellow tail red wine

68. Does your closest Starbucks have a drive-thru? yes

69. Do you like your living arrangement? yes

70. Has anyone ever called you spoiled? not that i know of, but who knows

71. What is your mother's hometown? irondale

72. Did you ever go to the same school as your parents? not as they attended, but they taught at my middle school and at my high school

73. How many hours of sleep do you need to function? 7-8

74. Do you eat breakfast daily? usually

75. What was the last thing to scare you? i don't know. probably my school bill.

76. Do you own a Playstation? no

77. How many pairs of shoes do you own? five or six pairs?

78. Are your days full and fast-paced? sometimes. not today.

79. Did you ever get in trouble for talking in class? no, but i've gotten in trouble for not talking in class. or reading in class.

80. Is there carpet, wood or tile in the room you're currently in? carpet

81. Were you a "planned" child?um, i think so.

82. What is your favorite fruit? kiwi, raspberries

Immigration

I heard Bush speak today on immigration reform. He proposes making illegal immigrants felons. He also wants to make illegal immigrants go back home before they apply for legal status. I have so many issues with these ideas that it's hard to know where to begin.

A few years ago, I worked at a small town newspaper, and I interviewed a Haitian man who needed to stay in the United States because of a death threat against his wife and children if they returned. His wife was a very outspoken radio personality who had spoken against the wrong group of people. This family was stalked and threatened continuously before they escaped to the United States. They were granted a temporary Visa, and both parents got very good jobs teaching and coaching in North Carolina. After a few years, they were told they could not stay in the United States any longer. They applied repeatedly for asylum and were not granted it. I don't know what happened to them. When I moved across country to go to graduate school, they were still caught in red tape with only a month or two before they would be deported.

As a teacher, I have had several children of migrant workers in class. All of these students came to the United States as illegal immigrants. All of their parents just wanted to make things better for their children. All of the children started working in the fields when they were very small for a very small amount of money each day. These young women (they have all been women) worked very hard in my class. They had to. They wanted a better life, too. I would take these students any day of the week, yet this country is trying to deny them the right to a better life here.

Bush is right in one thing: the current policies to deal with illegal immigrants aren't working. Too many people are dying each year trying to cross the border or in the desert after they have made it across. His proposal is to make them felons. Is he serious? Does he really think this will stop people? Does he really think making people apply for temporary work visas here will make the sweat shop owners here stop using illegal immigrants? Certainly there has to be a better way to deal with the problems with immigration in this country, but his ideas aren't it.

Perhaps he should try a compassionate approach, like punishing the sweat shop owners and not their workers to try to help the workers get ahead in this country. We are a country of immigrants, and we should be more welcoming. I don't have much in the way of ideas for solutions, but I do know wrong solutions when I see them.

If only it weren't so cold

I hear Minnesota is a great place to live.

Grr

You try and try to tell these people, but do they listen? No!

New Haircut

It's supposed to look like this, but of course, I don't look like her. But anyway, if you're wondering roughly what it looks like, this is it. Sort of. At any rate, I like it, and I'm discovering the intensely complex world of hair gel. I'm not sure how I feel about this yet, but I'll let you know.

Fuzzy Child Picture

Isn't she adorable? She's my baby girl, showing off her cuteness. She looks very much like one of frog's fuzzy children, except that her cat has thumbs. I have more pictures, but this is the only one I have at school. I will post more later :)

Princess Mononoke, Part II

I am currently rewatching this movie, and I have one more important point to make about it. None of the characters are totally good or totally bad. The character development is exceptional. All of the characters are sympathetic at some point. Miyazaki really shows the depth of each character in a very short amount of space, and he does it beautifully. I'm deeply impressed. I'm going to have to buy this movie eventually. I love it.

Old Friends

I have recently gotten back in touch with a woman I went to school with as an undergrad. We lost touch after graduation, and I found her again on myspace, which I have greatly enjoyed. Since we both graduated, we have both come out and gone to graduate school. She's a pretty amazing person. I remember her singing as an undergrad, and sure enough, she's still singing :) She has a beautiful voice. She isn't out to her family yet, and we've been talking about that a lot. It's just so nice to chat with her again. I love reconnecting with people.

Princess Mononoke

Rating: *****

I never thought I would get into anime, but I love Hiyao Miyazaki's work. More than his animation, I love his stories. He is very environmentally conscious, and this seems to make an appearance somehow in all of his work. The message in Princess Mononoke is that humans and the forest must live in harmony.

The movie is long, but it is enthralling. There are three wonderfully strong female characters. San is my favorite. She is a woman who was raised by wolves and who considers herself to be a wolf. She works to protect the forest and the animals from the invasion of humans and their violence.

It is an impressive movie. I highly recommend it.

Nervous

I just submitted my thesis. I still have to write the intro (abstract?), but the big part is done. That's a load off. I defend it on April 3. I'm really nervous. Then I have to format it. I'm accepting all good wishes and prayers.

Spamku

Or haikus about Spam. Go. Be amused.

A tempting bite:

Tied down, forced to eat
a frozen SPAM popsicle.
Mother of nightmares.

Survey

9 lasts

-last place you were: school
-last cigarette: never
-last beverage: hot tea
-last hug: Monday night (my crush :)
-last movie seen: O Brother, Where Art Thou?
-last phone call: Rennick
-last cd played: Indigo Girls Indians Nomads Saints
-last bubble bath: don't remember
-last time you cried: don't remember

8 have you evers.

-have you ever dated someone twice: no
-have you ever been cheated on: no
-have you ever kissed somebody and regretted it? yes
-have you ever fallen in love: yes
-have you ever lost someone: yes
-have you ever been depressed: yes
-have you ever been drunk and thrown up: no

7 states you’ve been to:

1. NC
2. SC
3. VA
4. GA
5. FLA
6. TN
7. KY

6 things you've done today.

1. Taught sonnets
2. listened to a presentation on Denise Levertov
3. did a crossword puzzle
4. asked someone out for a second date
5. finished the L Word season two
6. cut class

5 favorite things

1. family
2. friends
3. my cat
4. tea
5. L Word

4 people you can tell pretty much anything to (hey, almost anything...)

1. my sister
2. Rennick
3. Josh
4. Judith

3 favorite colors

1. blue
2. purple
3. yellow

2 things you want to do before you die

1. parent a child
2. travel everywhere

1 thing you regret.

1. the way my last relationship ended

Survey

1. Do you still talk to the person you had your first kiss with?
no

2. Have you ever seen your best friend naked?
when we were really little. there are pictures.

3. What did you do when you weren't in school in the 2nd grade?
played outside, read constantly, climbed trees

5. Do you like more than one person right now?
like as in have a crush on, no. like as in like, yes

6. Are you against same sex marriage?
No

7. Did you vote for Bush?
no

8. Where are you going on your next vacation?
probably home, but I really don't know.

9. Have you dry humped any of your myspace friends?
um, no

10. Are most of your friends guys or girls?
girls

11. Do you own any furniture from Ikea?
who?

12. Last book you read?
The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis--I have some serious issues with it that I'll blog about eventually.

13. If you could have one super power what would it be?
either invisibility or the ability to fly

14. Where have you lived most of your life?
midwest

15. What was the last conversation you had about?
about my sister's summer job

16. Where do you see yourself in four years?
in a tenure track creative writing teaching job, with a partner and getting ready to have a kid

17. What's your favorite smell?
fresh cutted grass

18. What is your favorite sound?
banjo music or gospel music on the piano (of course, I'm watching O Brother, Where Art There? at the moment)

19. Are you moody?
sometimes, I imagine

21. Have you ever done anything vindictive to your classmate?
I hope not

22. Have you ever gone to therapy?
yes, and I highly recommend it

23. Have you ever Played Spin the bottle?
I don't know.

24. Have you ever Toilet papered someone's house?
yes, more than once

25. Have you ever liked someone but never told them?
yes

26. Have you ever gone camping?
yes, I love it.

27. Have you ever had a crush on your brother's friend?
I don't have a brother.

28. Have you ever gone to a nude beach?
yes. it wasn't intentional, but it was a learning experience (mainly I learned that sunbathing naked causes really awful sunburns in places you don't want sunburns).

29. Have you ever gone streaking?
no

30. Have you ever had a stalker?
I hope not

31. Have you ever gone skinny dipping?
not yet

32. Have you ever laughed so hard you cried?
yes

33. Have you ever gone to a party where you were the only sober person?
yes

34. Have you ever been in love?
Yes

35. Have you ever felt betrayed by your best friend?
not that I remember

36. Have you ever lied to your parents?
Yes

37. Have you ever been out of the US?
yes. I backpacked through Europe and studied abroad in Costa Rica.

38. Have you ever thrown up from working out?
Yes

39. Have you ever gotten a haircut so bad that you wore a hat for a month straight?
no. I did cut my own hair once when I was seven, though, and I had very uneven pigtails for a couple of days.

40. Have you ever eaten 3 meals from 3 different fast food places?
yes

41. Last song you listened to?
Keep on the sunny side, always on the sunny side...

42. Have you ever spied on someone?
probably, but not that I remember

43. Have you ever slept with one of your coworkers?
no

44. What would you do with 1,000 plastic spoons?
not wash spoons for a while

45. Who was the last person who called you?
Rennick

46. When was the last time you slept for more then 12 hours straight?
I have no idea. Probably when I was sick.

47. Have you ever been arrested?
no

48. Most embarassing CD you own?
I have this really awful gospel CD that I got free somewhere several years ago. I can't give it away. It's that bad.

49. Have you ever stolen anything?
I don't think so.

50. Have you ever drank egg nog?
yes