RBK tagged me with a meme (what is a meme? I don't really know) and I thought I had better get to it before the holidays get to me. We are leaving tomorrow evening sometime. Here are the rules, and all five people on my blogging list are getting tagged. You know who you are. I guess technically there are six, but RBK got to Spokesnspin first. I figured I had better get on here quick before Dad wrote his and used all the links I am going to use. He has more contacts than me anyway.
1) Link to the person who tagged you.
2) Post the rules on your blog (copy and paste 1-6).
3) Write 6 random things about yourself (see below).
4) Tag 6 people at the end of your post and link to them.
5) Let each person know they have been tagged and leave a comment on their blog.
6) Let the tagger know when your entry is up.
Six Random Things About Me,
By Inger-Lis
1. I don't like to eat anything that looks like a person or animal, like gingerbread men, animal cookies, gummy bears, etc. If eating said items are unavoidable, I bite their heads off first so they don't suffer. Oh, but eating food that looks like insects are okay.
2. I. Love. Yarn.
3. When I was working my way through college, I had a job as a janitor in the Biology building. This was by far the creepiest place I ever worked. There were specimens of reptiles, rodents, and insects everywhere, live and dead, and upstairs there were cadavers. ( I didn't have to clean that room thank goodness) I think some specialty cockroaches must have escaped because nearly every day I had to battle nearly three inch long roaches. Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwww
4. I hate killing spiders and bugs and would prefer instead to simply observe them, and place them outside. I used to own a tarantula and would walk around with him on my shoulder. Mostly just to creep out my family. Does this count as two random things?
5. I make wonderful chocolate gingerbread cookies.
6. I am a plumbing goddess. Yeah, okay that doesn't sound very glamorous, but I have fixed sundry faucets, shower heads, toilets, and leaky sinks using only my own smarts and some wrenches. This is because I don't do a very good damsel in distress either and get tired of waiting for someone else to fix it.
Now comes the hard part, creating links...
Jay- Okay this is problematic already. Jay's blog is private, so if you are already a member you can read it. If not send him a request. He's a pretty nice guy. I wouldn't have married him if he wasn't...
Tommy and Sheryl Apparently everyone I know has a private blog except for me. Tom is the brother I had all my adventures with as a kid, (and as a big kid too). Sheryl is his lovely wife, and they share a lot of similar interests of my own. Such as too many hobbies, the natural world, and setting off really loud fireworks.
Liz and Matt Liz, my older sister and her husband Matt who just moved to Vegas. Yea! Now I have somewhere new to travel to visit family!
Sarah My long-lost best friend growing up. I got in even more trouble with her than I did with Tommy.
Amy I suppose she is my cousin-in-law? I always enjoy reading her blog and views on the world. She thinks about things quite a bit the same way I do.
Now I am not sure which of all these blogs are private and which are not, but I am looking forward to seeing what they all have to say. They are all very interesting people and can come up with six fascinating random things I am sure.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
It's Chocolate and Hives For Me
I went to the store today. I went because I was out of dish soap. I came home with dish soap, popcorn, a can of frosting, powdered sugar to make more frosting, dutch chocolate snack pies, and a mocha frappuccino. Ahhhh, chocolate. I don't even want to know the calorie count on any of these... I have had a serious case of 'the munchies' as I call them for the past week. Carbs, chocolate, and sugary sweets seem to be calling to me even when I sleep. I was beginning to wonder if I have developed an addiction to chocolate, when I realized the root cause of my bingeing- stress. Ok, I am always stressed out. It's kind of second nature to me to worry about anything and everything even when I can't change it. It's when stress goes up a notch that I start to have problems. I also get insanely itchy when I am stressed and worried. Itchy to the point of hives. I had to take benadryl last night to get to sleep. So what the heck am I losing sleep over and probably on the point of gaining ten pounds for? I think it's Thanksgiving. Jay's parents are picking us up tomorrow evening and we are spending the holidays at Jay's sister's house. It's not that I don't like my in-laws. In fact, I really like all of Jay's family. If it was just me and Jay, I think I would be fine. The stress is the complication of throwing a toddler into the mix. I love seeing family, but I hate having a toddler over at a house where none of the stuff is mine. Because then I spend most of my time ensuring nothing priceless is broken. Oh, yes, I also have to make sure my child doesn't go vampire on any of his cousins and bite a chunk out of their respective skins. And then of course there is the issue of manners. I don't expect much in the way of manners from a two-year-old, but it is embarrassing nonetheless when he throws his entire plateful of food on the floor, or tries to hit me in the face. (No, I don't condone either behavior at home.) I don't expect perfection, but it would be nice if James made me look like a good mommy.
Jay has admitted he doesn't like going places with me and James. He likes going places with me, or James, but not us both together because I am bossy and harried, and James is impossible. He is right. But it seems everytime I relax, James does something outrageous, so I have to bounce back in 'Gestapo Mommy' mode. *Sigh* I just want this weekend to be over already.
My strategy for Thursday and Friday is to find a quiet place every so often and do my typing training. I can't afford to lose many days on that and when I make myself scarce James' behavior improves dramatically. Oh yes, and quietly repeat to myself every so often 'I'm a good mother, I'm a good mother, I'm a good mother..." (Did I mention I can be neurotically insecure at times?)
Jay has admitted he doesn't like going places with me and James. He likes going places with me, or James, but not us both together because I am bossy and harried, and James is impossible. He is right. But it seems everytime I relax, James does something outrageous, so I have to bounce back in 'Gestapo Mommy' mode. *Sigh* I just want this weekend to be over already.
My strategy for Thursday and Friday is to find a quiet place every so often and do my typing training. I can't afford to lose many days on that and when I make myself scarce James' behavior improves dramatically. Oh yes, and quietly repeat to myself every so often 'I'm a good mother, I'm a good mother, I'm a good mother..." (Did I mention I can be neurotically insecure at times?)
Thursday, November 13, 2008
On A Happier Note...
I am having sooo much fun with my laptop! I can sit in my late grandmother's rocking couch, relax, look out the window, and blog or play mahjong to my heart's content. Anyone out there a mahjong addict as well? I haven't played in years, but it's my favorite computer game (the only game I actually play) and IT CAME INSTALLED ON MY LAPTOP! Needless to say, when I discovered that, I was just over-the-top excited. As far as James and the laptop are concerned... mostly I just take it out when he is in bed. I don't know how this child became such a smart-aleck, but he has discovered that obnoxious kid habit of when I say 'Don't touch!' he very slowly reaches out and just barely touches my screen or keyboard and whispers 'touch'. He is two. Where did he learn this?
The whole point of this laptop was because of the job I will start in January. I will be transcribing lectures at a high school for a Deaf student in the class and we have to provide our own laptops. I am really excited about this job. In fact, it's probably the first job I have been truly excited about since I was laid off in May. It pays extremely well ($17 an hour, ok so maybe I shouldn't brag about that, but I have never made that much money before) and its just during school hours. I got it because I have mad typing skills and a college education. Hooray! I just knew all those years of school had to pay off eventually. Finally, my fast little fingers will be making me money. (Thank you to my grandma Lois and my parents for funding my piano lessons. I am convinced piano playing in my youth made me a fast typist.)
Currently I am training to learn their system of typing shorthand. Basically I have to learn one letter symbols for a whole bunch of different words, and then specialized software turns the symbols into words for the student reading on the other laptop. It's a pretty cool system. So I have until January to learn the method.
So between training, tutoring at a middle school, and serving banquets into the wee hours of the night, I will be a pretty busy person. Oh, and of course I have to squeeze some mahjong playing time in there somewhere too...
The whole point of this laptop was because of the job I will start in January. I will be transcribing lectures at a high school for a Deaf student in the class and we have to provide our own laptops. I am really excited about this job. In fact, it's probably the first job I have been truly excited about since I was laid off in May. It pays extremely well ($17 an hour, ok so maybe I shouldn't brag about that, but I have never made that much money before) and its just during school hours. I got it because I have mad typing skills and a college education. Hooray! I just knew all those years of school had to pay off eventually. Finally, my fast little fingers will be making me money. (Thank you to my grandma Lois and my parents for funding my piano lessons. I am convinced piano playing in my youth made me a fast typist.)
Currently I am training to learn their system of typing shorthand. Basically I have to learn one letter symbols for a whole bunch of different words, and then specialized software turns the symbols into words for the student reading on the other laptop. It's a pretty cool system. So I have until January to learn the method.
So between training, tutoring at a middle school, and serving banquets into the wee hours of the night, I will be a pretty busy person. Oh, and of course I have to squeeze some mahjong playing time in there somewhere too...
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Life just isn't fair
Today I am pondering the mysteries of life. This gets heavy, and possibly depressing. You have been warned.
A woman I barely knew passed away earlier this week. I only met her once, but I know a lot about her through my neighbor, whom she knew through a very convoluted relationship. Even though I only knew of her, I have been thinking about her and the family she leaves behind all week long. She was a good person, but had a very hard life and died young (46) leaving behind three teenagers, ages 12 and 13 (twins and one son). Their father is in jail. Mostly I have been thinking about her children and the life they are going to lead. I sincerely hope they turn out okay. They seem like good kids, but unfortunately I don't think they have very many adults who are really concerned for their well-being. I doubt their mother had very many people in her childhood to help her along and give her encouragement. Thus continues the cycle.
Most people think you get one shot at life and that's it. Some religions believe in reincarnation, but some do not. This is it as far as quite a few people are concerned. I have a really hard time accepting that idea, because so many people's lives just really aren't all that great. Some people may only know happiness once or not even at all in a lifetime. Others constantly live in a state of war and violence, or famine, or disease.
This brings me to the idea of God. I am not really sure what my views on the topic are. I think I have come to the conclusion that there may be a higher intelligence out there, but he or she seems to take a laissez-faire type of approach to us earthlings. I just cannot accept the fact that a loving God could allow such inequality among humankind. If he can, then I have a serious bone to pick with him.
I was taught that all people are born with the power to make their own choices, with something called free-agency. But I don't think very many people have the luxury of such choices. Consider a child raised in an inner city. The chances of that child getting into drugs, gangs, and dropping out of high school are pretty high. You could argue that it is still a choice, but I don't think it is much of a choice if you are raised to see illegal drugs as a normal way of making money and joining a gang a necessary way to survive. Or consider the family I was talking about earlier. How many choices did the mother really have in her life? Probably not very many that she could see or thought she was capable.
We like to boast that America is the land of opportunity, but I only see opportunities for those who are born into or above the middle class, or who have an extraordinary amount of drive, intelligence, and luck. The mediocre do not get anywhere. If they did, who would perform the menial labor the extraordinary citizens eschew?
People get pigeon-holed at a very young age. I saw this all the time when I worked in daycares. I hated that I thought this, but I could pretty much tell which children were going to succeed, and which ones were going to be arrested, on drugs, or pregnant before 17. It didn't have to do with temperament, it had to do with parenting, economic status, and how other people perceived them. Some kids were perhaps a little neglected, and tended to act up a bit. These children were quickly labelled as 'trouble-makers' by the teachers, a label that would of course follow them through different teachers as well. Other children weren't quite as cute, or cuddly, or bright as some others. They also tended to slip through the cracks. Unless something changes for these kids they will grow up with very low expectations of themselves and their abilities. They will continue to make bad choices, because they think those are the only choices they are capable of making. It makes my heart hurt just thinking about it.
I guess I am really a socialist at heart. Socialism has gotten a bad rap in the U.S. but its really not such a bad thing, when not taken to the extreme. I think everyone, regardless of ability should have the right to a successful, happy life. We castigate certain countries for having caste systems, but we have a caste system of our own here. Perhaps it is not legally in place, but it is in place in the minds of people very rigidly.
I want life to be fair. Maybe it is harder for me to enjoy my happiness knowing that there is suffering in the world. Knowing how fortunate I am doesn't necessarily make me grateful, it more often makes me mad that others will never know the kind of life I am living. And people, let me tell you, my life isn't all that great when compared to some others, but I am pretty darned happy with it. Lately I have really begun to appreciate the idea of reincarnation. I like to think that perhaps if someone gets the short end of the stick this time around, there is always next time.
I sit and look out upon all the sorrows of the world, and upon all
oppression and shame,
I hear secret convulsive sobs from young men at anguish with
themselves, remorseful after deeds done,
I see in low life the mother misused by her children, dying,
neglected, gaunt, desperate,
I see the wife misused by her husband, I see the treacherous seducer
of young women,
I mark the ranklings of jealousy and unrequited love attempted to be
hid, I see these sights on the earth,
I see the workings of battle, pestilence, tyranny, I see martyrs and prisoners,
I observe a famine at sea, I observe the sailors casting lots who
shall be kill'd to preserve the lives of the rest,
A woman I barely knew passed away earlier this week. I only met her once, but I know a lot about her through my neighbor, whom she knew through a very convoluted relationship. Even though I only knew of her, I have been thinking about her and the family she leaves behind all week long. She was a good person, but had a very hard life and died young (46) leaving behind three teenagers, ages 12 and 13 (twins and one son). Their father is in jail. Mostly I have been thinking about her children and the life they are going to lead. I sincerely hope they turn out okay. They seem like good kids, but unfortunately I don't think they have very many adults who are really concerned for their well-being. I doubt their mother had very many people in her childhood to help her along and give her encouragement. Thus continues the cycle.
Most people think you get one shot at life and that's it. Some religions believe in reincarnation, but some do not. This is it as far as quite a few people are concerned. I have a really hard time accepting that idea, because so many people's lives just really aren't all that great. Some people may only know happiness once or not even at all in a lifetime. Others constantly live in a state of war and violence, or famine, or disease.
This brings me to the idea of God. I am not really sure what my views on the topic are. I think I have come to the conclusion that there may be a higher intelligence out there, but he or she seems to take a laissez-faire type of approach to us earthlings. I just cannot accept the fact that a loving God could allow such inequality among humankind. If he can, then I have a serious bone to pick with him.
I was taught that all people are born with the power to make their own choices, with something called free-agency. But I don't think very many people have the luxury of such choices. Consider a child raised in an inner city. The chances of that child getting into drugs, gangs, and dropping out of high school are pretty high. You could argue that it is still a choice, but I don't think it is much of a choice if you are raised to see illegal drugs as a normal way of making money and joining a gang a necessary way to survive. Or consider the family I was talking about earlier. How many choices did the mother really have in her life? Probably not very many that she could see or thought she was capable.
We like to boast that America is the land of opportunity, but I only see opportunities for those who are born into or above the middle class, or who have an extraordinary amount of drive, intelligence, and luck. The mediocre do not get anywhere. If they did, who would perform the menial labor the extraordinary citizens eschew?
People get pigeon-holed at a very young age. I saw this all the time when I worked in daycares. I hated that I thought this, but I could pretty much tell which children were going to succeed, and which ones were going to be arrested, on drugs, or pregnant before 17. It didn't have to do with temperament, it had to do with parenting, economic status, and how other people perceived them. Some kids were perhaps a little neglected, and tended to act up a bit. These children were quickly labelled as 'trouble-makers' by the teachers, a label that would of course follow them through different teachers as well. Other children weren't quite as cute, or cuddly, or bright as some others. They also tended to slip through the cracks. Unless something changes for these kids they will grow up with very low expectations of themselves and their abilities. They will continue to make bad choices, because they think those are the only choices they are capable of making. It makes my heart hurt just thinking about it.
I guess I am really a socialist at heart. Socialism has gotten a bad rap in the U.S. but its really not such a bad thing, when not taken to the extreme. I think everyone, regardless of ability should have the right to a successful, happy life. We castigate certain countries for having caste systems, but we have a caste system of our own here. Perhaps it is not legally in place, but it is in place in the minds of people very rigidly.
I want life to be fair. Maybe it is harder for me to enjoy my happiness knowing that there is suffering in the world. Knowing how fortunate I am doesn't necessarily make me grateful, it more often makes me mad that others will never know the kind of life I am living. And people, let me tell you, my life isn't all that great when compared to some others, but I am pretty darned happy with it. Lately I have really begun to appreciate the idea of reincarnation. I like to think that perhaps if someone gets the short end of the stick this time around, there is always next time.
I sit and look out upon all the sorrows of the world, and upon all
oppression and shame,
I hear secret convulsive sobs from young men at anguish with
themselves, remorseful after deeds done,
I see in low life the mother misused by her children, dying,
neglected, gaunt, desperate,
I see the wife misused by her husband, I see the treacherous seducer
of young women,
I mark the ranklings of jealousy and unrequited love attempted to be
hid, I see these sights on the earth,
I see the workings of battle, pestilence, tyranny, I see martyrs and prisoners,
I observe a famine at sea, I observe the sailors casting lots who
shall be kill'd to preserve the lives of the rest,
I observe the slights and degradations cast by arrogant persons upon
laborers, the poor, and upon negroes, and the like;
All these-all the meanness and agony without end I sitting look out upon,
See, hear, and am silent.
Walt Whitman
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Top Ten Reasons Why I Love Oregon
I may not be in a bloggy mood lately, but I am in a listy mood. I also like to make up words like listy and bloggy. We have been loving Oregon even before we moved here, and today I just added yet another reason. So for all you folks who think we should move, consider these goodies we get out here in the rainy Willamette Valley...
10. Just found out today there is no safety inspection required to get cars registered! Hooray! My car is falling apart and I can delay fixing it for another few weeks!!! ( The plates also expired in October, yeah, we are a little behind.)
9. No sales tax. On anything. Which is a huge deal when you've lived in Utah, where they tax everything.
8. The ocean is only an hour away.
7. The casino is only 15 minutes away ;)
6. Everything grows out here, even dead sticks sprout occasionally.
5. The fall color is un-be-liev-able right now.
4. The rain. I can't quite explain just how cozy and calming pouring rain makes me feel, but its been raining steady for three days now and I am happy as a clam.
3. Trees. Trees. And more trees.
2. The sound the forest behind my house makes when the wind is blowing. It sounds just like the ocean.
1. The best thing of all -- NO SNOW!! Not only is there no snow (well hardly any snow) but the winters are mild and so are the summers. To me, that is perfection right there.
Oh, and just a side note here, I voted last week through the mail.
10. Just found out today there is no safety inspection required to get cars registered! Hooray! My car is falling apart and I can delay fixing it for another few weeks!!! ( The plates also expired in October, yeah, we are a little behind.)
9. No sales tax. On anything. Which is a huge deal when you've lived in Utah, where they tax everything.
8. The ocean is only an hour away.
7. The casino is only 15 minutes away ;)
6. Everything grows out here, even dead sticks sprout occasionally.
5. The fall color is un-be-liev-able right now.
4. The rain. I can't quite explain just how cozy and calming pouring rain makes me feel, but its been raining steady for three days now and I am happy as a clam.
3. Trees. Trees. And more trees.
2. The sound the forest behind my house makes when the wind is blowing. It sounds just like the ocean.
1. The best thing of all -- NO SNOW!! Not only is there no snow (well hardly any snow) but the winters are mild and so are the summers. To me, that is perfection right there.
Oh, and just a side note here, I voted last week through the mail.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
What I've Been Up To
I haven't been feeling very bloggy lately. Too much stuff going on to be creatively writing. But just to clue you in on my goings on, here is what I have been up to lately-
Today- Made oatmeal bread ( I love making bread, its like playing with playdough with a purpose), and printed off a muffin recipe collection. I have been a little obsessed with muffins lately. I found recipes for gingerbread muffins, peanut butter muffins, carrot muffins, and a few more. I'll update this later if any turn out to be really good. (Minor tidbit about my rampant nerdiness- I read recipe books like novels, and love love love to look up recipes online.)
Yesterday- Recovered from halloween, and sent my child to a sugar detox facility. BOUGHT A LAPTOP!!! Why did I buy a laptop? Because I landed an awesome job that requires my own laptop!! Its green, really green. I have been in love with the spring green dell laptop for at least a year now.
I have also been thinking lately about all the things I want to do in life, before I die. Or before I get too old and decrepit to want to do any of them.
1. SKYDIVING! Yes I really do want to go skydiving. Just once.
2. Fight for a cause- go to a rally, or a strike, or burn my bra...
3. Surf
4. Learn how to swim
5. Find a career I love and make a difference in the world
6. Learn Spanish and use it.
7. Live abroad
8. Grow goats and sheep, and spin their wool into yarn, and then dye said wool using natural ingredients, then weave or knit wool into something gorgeous.
9. Write a novel
10. Be a spunky feisty old lady
Today- Made oatmeal bread ( I love making bread, its like playing with playdough with a purpose), and printed off a muffin recipe collection. I have been a little obsessed with muffins lately. I found recipes for gingerbread muffins, peanut butter muffins, carrot muffins, and a few more. I'll update this later if any turn out to be really good. (Minor tidbit about my rampant nerdiness- I read recipe books like novels, and love love love to look up recipes online.)
Yesterday- Recovered from halloween, and sent my child to a sugar detox facility. BOUGHT A LAPTOP!!! Why did I buy a laptop? Because I landed an awesome job that requires my own laptop!! Its green, really green. I have been in love with the spring green dell laptop for at least a year now.
I have also been thinking lately about all the things I want to do in life, before I die. Or before I get too old and decrepit to want to do any of them.1. SKYDIVING! Yes I really do want to go skydiving. Just once.
2. Fight for a cause- go to a rally, or a strike, or burn my bra...
3. Surf
4. Learn how to swim
5. Find a career I love and make a difference in the world
6. Learn Spanish and use it.
7. Live abroad
8. Grow goats and sheep, and spin their wool into yarn, and then dye said wool using natural ingredients, then weave or knit wool into something gorgeous.
9. Write a novel
10. Be a spunky feisty old lady
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