Again, Packed & Ready

Rachel loves her a good suitcase. And a photo op.

Well, I am packed and about ready to head off to San Fran. I'll be incommunicado all week -- yay! No offense, of course, but I'm excited to unplug.

Ciao -- have a great week!

The Best Game Ever. Seriously

This even tops my favorite game show (which also happens to be Japanese), Iron Chef. So rad.

Take Action against Hate Crimes

The Human Rights Coalition (HRC) has a letter for the Senate that you can send (via e-mail) asking your representatives to support the Matthew Shepard Act, legislation that will protect gays, lesbians, bi-sexuals and transgendered against hate crimes. To learn more, go to www.HRC.org.

Cora, Wyoming

OMG - there's an actual Cora, Wyoming. It's pretty small - population of 70 in 2000. Southeast of Jackson, WY, and near the border with Idaho. It would only take me about 12 hours to get there...road trip, anyone?

The picture below is of the Cora post office, the only building in the town.















And this is a picture of the CORA bike rack. I'm feeling narcissistic today.

San Fran

Next week, I'm off to San Francisco (Burlingame, technically) for an intense 12 hour/day, 5 day training on grass roots organizing. And when it's all done, I get to spend the weekend with my good pal, H-D (not to be confused with Ms. H). Very, very excited. It's like a mini-vacation from work and home, plus I get to get my activist geek on and then hang in a cool city with a very hip and cool person. She always knows the best cheap eats and cool art. And she loves public transportation, like me, though more so (she once won a grant to create and implement her own campaign to get more people to ride public transit in St. Louis). And she has a cat named Elvis -- a female cat. And she's a young adult librarian. H-D is just too cool.

If you have any S-F recommendations for me, let me know! I'll have some time Friday afternoon to chill on my own before the library releases H-D for the weekend.

Packed & Ready to Go

Awww...Rachel just walked in the room and promptly laid down in the suitcase. Now, I will go disturb her by actually putting clothes in it.

Cursed!

You know the saying that bad things come in three? Well, this week I believe it. I got back to WaWa on Friday to find a sick J (not just regular sick, but more serious sick, which I won't go into until I get the okay from him). Yesterday, I got a flat tire, which I found on my way to a meeting (which, thankfully, I had on my schedule for the wrong day). And today, meer seconds before my very first broadcast began, the iPod froze, taking my entire show hostage. I had my intro, songs, news clips -- all gone. So, I had to wing it. At first, I panicked and just read straight from my script, then I panicked again and played a lot of music. This helped mellow me out and the rest of the show was music heavy but with some interjections from me. It's good for me to be forced to fly by the seat of my pants every once in a while. Reminds me that I do pretty well on the fly and that the world won't end when things don't go to plan.

Still.

My boss laughed a little when I told her about the iPod freezing. I mentally threw popcorn at her.

J was an outstanding source of support. He sent me flowers, which were supposed to arrive prior to the show (and their good luck vibes might have saved the iPod). Roses. He sent me a text message half way through the show, letting me know he was listening and that I was doing a great job. And then afterwards, he listened to me talk all about it and praised me heavily. What a sweetie. I know, I'm gushing. But after 7 years together, you tend to take the person you love for granted, and it's nice when the blinders are pulled off and you're reminded what a fabulous person your partner is.

'Nuff said. Peace out.

Squeeze

I read this on Freewill Astrology today (for Taurus):

In what areas of your life are you trying too hard? How might you be undoing your good intentions by grasping them so tightly that you've squeezed out all the juice? In what ways are you so boxed in by habitual thoughts that you're not spontaneous any more? It's a perfect moment to fix these problems, Taurus. To begin getting yourself in the mood, relax every muscle in your body -- especially your achy-breaky desire muscles -- and half-sing, half-shout an exuberant "YO!"

Um, when do I not try too hard? That is the story of my life. I try so f*cking hard, never really paying attention to see if all my effort is actually paying off. I was raised (as I think many Americans were) to believe that if I just worked hard enough, all would work out. But we were never taught to pay attention to our actions, to reconsider our actions, to relax and let things happen.

I have such a hard time trusting that if I let go of something I've managed to get a hold of, that it will stay. What's the saying, "If you love something, let it go. If it was meant to be yours, it will come back." But what if it doesn't come back? I want what I want because I want it. And I want to make it happen.

Struggle, struggle, struggle.

Other things I'm struggling with -- turning my puddles of patience into kiddie pools of patience (I almost wrote lakes of patience, but I think that's a bit too ambitious and setting myself up for failure). And not letting my job, my wonderful, challenging job, take over my life and start to resent it.

Now I just want to lay down, and I've only just started the day.

Pics for you -- J is giving the big thumbs up to a young friend of ours who just got his very first e-mail address. Rites of passage these days, I tell ya. But, really, our young friend is a great e-mail writer.

Geeking Out

I've got a gig as a DJ, as in disc jockey, as in on the radio. KWCW 90.5 FM Walla Walla. The local college (Whitman) radio station. The show will be Thursdays from 1 to 3 pm. Why I'm telling you this, I don't know, since they don't stream their programming. But, just in case you are in range, and it's Thursday, and it's 1 pm.

The show is about reproductive rights, sexual health and the organization I work for (which shall remain nameless, so I don't get fired and/or sued) and will include music by pro-choice artists.

And I'm doing the first show all by myself. Which at first freaked me out, because I've never done a radio show before. But now I'm geeking out. I made an opener for the show using the beginning of Le Tigre's On the Verge and my voice (thanks to Mac Garage Band). I've drawn up a play list, which will feature Le Tigre, of course, Rage Against the Machine, Sleater-Kinney, Moby, the Dixie Chicks, Duncan Sheik, the Indigo Girls and Cabaret for Choice.

And I'm typing up an entire script. I think this is why I'm not so nervous anymore -- I'll be the only one at the mic and will know pretty much what I'm going to say, unlike if I was actually doing it with my co-host. Not to say she's not super articulate and good with staying on-point, but I think for me to get through this without hurling/my head exploding, I need to have the most control possible. I can go more free flow the second show.

Anyway, wish me luck. I'll let you know how it goes.

And, added bonus -- cute Bella picture, entitled Dog Patiently Awaiting Pets.

Viva la Revoluction!

I am finally joining the craft revolution. Years after knitting became popular again, years after diy craze started, I have finally found my craft and am ready to start revolutioning.

My craft of choice? Sewing. My mom taught me to sew when I was young, and we used to do it together. In April, I got back into sewing thanks to Ms. H & N -- two very crafty ladies. Sample of our craftiness:


(J says this top makes me look like I'm trying to cover up that I'm pregnant. I'm not, but I need to be ready for comments before wearing it in public; I'm working up the courage to say, "Nope, not pregnant, just fat!")

(N -- notice the altered sleeves.)

For my birthday, my father sent me my grandmother's sewing maching that had been sitting unused in his house for almost 2 decades. I haven't had a chance to set it up yet, but I already have fabric and things to sew.

First projects -- curtains for the sliding glass doors, throw pillows for A's b-day, presents for a new born and one year old, pillow cover and a blouse or skirt.

I can't wait until Saturday, when I'm back in town after a week full of work trainings in the Palm Springs of WA (the town is anything but that) and can sew my little heart out...well, actually, figure out if the machine works or not and if I can make it go.

Hip Hip Hooray!

A got the job! And she accepted! The W's are moving to Walla Walla!

(One set of friends down, about a dozen to go.)

Simple Pleasures

I was going to name this post "Guilty Pleasures" but decided I didn't need anymore guilt and that I enjoy these simple things and shouldn't regret that.

And with that said, a list of current simple pleasures:

- Dido
- Spaghetti O's
- Klimt's Kiss coffee drink from Verve
- Zima Pineapple Citrus
- Angel, Season I, early episodes
- Bella's ears
- J's bum
- Dooce.com
- Podcasts
- A/C
- Bare legs
- Mac PhotoBooth:

Fingers Crossed, Please

Our good friends, K&A, who you may recall from the Mandarin Day 2006 post, are visiting right now. A has an interview here for a school librarian position. It would be so very cool in so many ways if she got the job. First, she'd make the world's best librarian (no offense, Ms. H), and they would live close to us, which would then lead to many fun times and crazy shenanigans. Plus, their kids are way cool.

So, gentle readers, please, fingers crossed that the school district of WaWa will see the jewel presented before them this morning and rightfully snatch it up.

My favorite picture of A and her son - her laugh is one of my favorite things ever.