Can't Face the Truth, But I Can Read Some Books

Reality check: I'm leaving for Chicago in three weeks.

My program, MercyWorks sent me an orientation packet a while ago. I was super excited when it came, skimmed through it all, then got really apprehensive and anxious and shoved it under my bed, where it has stayed since. Not that I don't want to go to Chicago, or that I'm not more happy anxious than nervous anxious, but seeing everything on paper--schedules, what to bring, contact list--whoa. I guess a part of me doesn't want to mess anything up, and the best way to do that is to ignore things, right?

I did pull out the suggested reading list, and I've been plugging away at the eleven books meant to get us into the simple living/social justice/professional development/service/spirituality/community mindset. Some of them were real flops (a guide on simple living, for example, which suggested things like growing a weed garden instead of spending so much time on landscaping), but most were worthy of my summer freedom.

There Are No Children Here - Alex Kotlowitz
This book held my interest mostly due to its setting in Chicago. I know basically nothing about the Windy City, and this sociological snapshot of two brothers growing up in Chicago helped to ground my own thoughts of moving there for a year. My first weeks of living in Rome felt like a story happening to someone else, and I'm pretty sure Chicago could feel that way as well.

Doing the Truth in Love - Fr. Michael Himes
For me, this book served to reaffirm my decision to enter into a year of service. So many of Fr. Himes' insights resonated with my beliefs that actions speak volumes. We might speak a truth, but in actuality we "do" Truth all the time. Everything we do shows others the Truth we believe.

The Different Drum: Community Making and Peace - M. Scott Peck
The thing I'm probably most looking forward to for this year is living in community with thirteen other like-minded people. I imagine it's going to be like Real World: Chicago, only with a faith and service twist. The thing is, community doesn't just happen. This book describes the typical phases a community goes through, the struggles, and the immense benefits community brings. You'll also notice the subtitle is community making and peace, NOT peace making and community. Most people feel as though we must reach world peace before we can begin the process of creating a world community. Not so, says Scotty. First we must make a community, then peace will naturally follow.

My Life With the Saints - James Martin, SJ
This memoir, the story of one man's spiritual journey, was a fun read. Each chapter introduced a different saint whose life had affected the writer's. The book also underlined the idea of a communion of saints, a community of believers--the idea that we are all maybe not saints, but saintly, and as such can find kindred souls among the saints.

The Long Loneliness - Dorothy Day
One of James Martin's influences, Dorothy Day honestly reveals her spiritual struggles in her autobiography. I just started this one, but Dorothy's self-effacing tone and blatant honesty makes it an easy, if not introspective, read. I already see a lot of Dorothy in myself, especially her thoughts on writing: "Writing a book is hard, because you are 'giving yourself away.' But if you love, you want to give yourself....You write about yourself because in the long run all man's problems are the same, his human needs of sustenance and love."

Exaggerations

Me: How old are you, Walter?
Walter: Ninety-nine or so.
Sophie: I'm over one hundred!

Independence Day

The road stretches north for miles, only ending where it meets the sky and seems to drop off into nothingness. Nothingness. We are surrounded by nothing and everything. It's the kind of scenery that un-anchors me, leaving me floating somewhere at the back of my skull, while at the same time it rushes towards me with all the power and grace of a well-established forest. It's the kind of scenery that makes it okay to think these words.

We pass city limit signs for places small enough to claim the "Mighty Midgets" as their hometown mascots without anyone really caring. Places where ruffed grouse (Grouses? Groose?) come a dime a dozen. We imagine the people who live in these places fall into one of two camps: those who wear socks under their sandals and those who wear socks under their lace-up boots.

When I first found out the slogan was "Nobody doesn't like Sara Lee" I got upset. I always thought it was "Nobody does it like Sara Lee." I don't know why I remember that now. The pause between conversation topics grows to a clean break of silence separating declarations of side roads with funny names. Kumdinger Drive. Cutoff Road, which would be funnier if there was a bar somewhere along it. Most likely there is.

Mixed Media II

The only tape player
in our house
is nailed
to the kitchen cupboard.

That's where I have to sit
if I want to listen
to the books on tape
that I wish were
books on CD.

Mixed Media I

When the cable goes out,
Monday morning gets interesting.
My residents tell me right away.
It's the lightning.
The road crew was digging.
I broke their television
and now they have to miss
The Young and the Restless,
The Price is Right,
or their background noise.
Walter, though, he knows what a powerless TV means:
"The mirror is broken,"
he tells me. And sure enough,
we can't see our reflection in the static.

this time with feeling

This past week I decided to try reading The Road and A Million Little Pieces, two books that didn't hook me the first time I started reading them. Things ended well for The Road, but A Million Little Pieces remained a flop for me.

Cormac McCarthy's description of an apocalyptic land is sparse and I tended to wrap myself in blankets while reading, it can get that chilling. I think I would have appreciated the book even more if I had children of my own, as I found it hard to relate to some aspects of the father-son relationship, but I did find narrative themes to cling to like the memory/reality/imagination trifecta.

Unfortunately, James Frey failed twice to entertain/amuse/inform with his true or false story of his six weeks in rehab. I tried to set aside all the controversial baggage the story has and just read it for what it is and I wanted Frey/the narrator to have some redeeming qualities, but I just found him self-absorbed and obnoxious. Maybe it's just me?

Good Day Sunshine

Day Two on the job, my first working the early shift on Cummings and Diedrich Hall. Usually I take care of Anderson Hall and the odd jobs that go with it, but this summer I'll be all over the place--A-Hall, C-Hall, D-Hall--I might as well rent out a room down there.

Early shift does mean that I'm done by 1:30, giving me plenty of time to catch some sunshine. It was so hot in the dining room today, I suggested we all put on our bikinis and lay outside. The ladies at the table where I was refilling coffee agreed.

52 Days of Summer

I tried connecting to the wi-fi in my house today, but the only available network was the security-enabled Sovereign network. A sign from God?

Anywho, here’s a poem for Day 1 of Summer (and Day 1 on the temporary full-time job at the retirement center):

Extra-Terrestrial

They’re going
to say we’re crazy, Lillian says between breaths.
She stands at her open window.
Her air-conditioner turns on; her oxygen tank hisses and rattles.
What? I ask.
The little green men.
Who? I ask.
She turns and smiles.
When they come down from above,
They’re going to tell us
we’re crazy.

Books of June

Geek Love - Katherine Dunn

Wow. A marathon of a book, but worth it. Half of the English major in me wanted to write a paper on it while the other half was eternally grateful I didn't have to write a paper on it. And after taking a film class, I also thought a film adaptation of this book would be interesting. It would certainly have to be colorful, but also dark. The "shady carnival" theme has been done before, though not quite like this.

 
Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman's Soul - John and Stasi Eldridge

This book took me only four days to read, and while it gets cheesy in some parts, there is certainly no harm in reading it--it's always nice to be reaffirmed. A lot of my friends have read it, so it's been on my list for awhile, but I think the timing was just right for me to hear this book's message this summer. 

Eat, Pray, Love - Elizabeth Gilbert

Yes, I've already read this book. I'm in the process of skimming over it again in an effort to remember the state of my life before I studied abroad (I read this book about a week before I applied to study abroad in Italy...it was one of the biggest factors in my decision.), to see just how much I've changed since then, and to reminisce about my favorite places in Rome and Naples, visited by both myself and Gilbert. I also wanted to get one last read in before Julia Roberts replaces my internal visual of Elizabeth Gilbert's journey in the film version coming out this summer.

When You Are Engulfed in Flames - David Sedaris

This man can literally do no wrong. And when I say "literally," I mean "literaturely," which isn't really a word. The thing is, this guy's funny and I could spend the rest of the afternoon trying to come up with a savvy metaphor to describe just how funny, but that would be a waste of the sun I'm hoping to soak up in a few minutes as I continue reading on my deck.

Skyscraper rises in Eternal City

The one thing Rome doesn't have (yet): a skyscraper. Here is the proposed plan for Torre Eurosky:

Horror Story Opening or the True Events of Wednesday Night?

There are exactly eleven cars in the grocery store's parking lot. It's only 9:30, but even the usually lively apartment complex across the street looks dead and sickly under the circa 1970s street lights. Bailey and I get out of the car, still singing Sheryl Crow, and walk into the fluorescent brightness of the store.

We only need a few things, just the last ingredients for the fettuccine Alfredo we want to make the next day, but we were crawling under our skin to get out of the house--even just to drive up to Abbotsford, which is just about as exciting as Colby on any given day.

The two cashiers on duty nod hello as we walk in and go back to whatever it is they were doing: cleaning the glass over the bar code scanner (again), refacing the candy and magazines next to the register. Bailey and I head for the back of the store, the dairy section. The country songs our parents grew up with crackle over the loudspeakers. "Mothers, don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys..."

A small girl stands next to the yogurt in the refrigerated shelves and stares up at us as her mother drifts towards the frozen pizzas, leaning on their empty shopping cart and shuffling along in flip flops from last summer. I get the chills, but I'm not sure if they're from the selection of cold cuts and cheese in the refrigerated section around me or the girl's vacant gaze.

Bailey grabs a wedge of Parmesan cheese, the only one in the entire cheese section spanning nearly the entire back wall of the store. This is more of a yellow cheese kind of place.

"Do we need anything else?" she asks.

"I don't think so. We only have ten dollars, so."

We take the chip aisle to the front of the store, passing a middle-aged man debating between Fritos and Cheetos. His cart already holds a 24-pack and a can of Easy Cheese. He turns to watch us as we walk past. We smile hello and keep walking as he puts both bags of chips in his cart.

In the checkout line the cashier asks if we've found everything okay. His skin is a weathered tan and his blond hair stays curly with the help of hair gel. We pay and decline a bag, turning to go back out to the car.

"Have a good day tomorrow, girls," the cashier says to our backs.

"Thanks, you too," we reply.

"I mean...ladies."

The automatic doors slide open and we hesitate for a moment, wondering if we should laugh. Instead we keep walking out to the nearly empty parking lot.

mantra

Transient

Music, pet fish Jack,

food up front, mattress in back;

I go where I go.

This kind of certainty comes but once in a lifetime.

Do you have an open evening? You should probably read The Bridges of Madison County. If you can, read it on a porch somewhere with some sweet tea or lemonade (or an Arnold Palmer). Honestly, it won't take long to read--I finished it last night after checking it out from the library at about six.


The author, Robert James Waller, is also a photographer and musician (He seems to have a lot in common with Robert Kincaid. Imagine that, an author who writes an autobiographical character into his work.), and he released a jazz album, The Ballads of Madison County, to go along with the book.

Two years later, Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep played the parts of Robert Kincaid and Francesca Johnson in the movie version, which I also recommend for a humid summer evening.

Bonus Fun Fact: John Wayne is from Madison County.

Everyone's looking 'round, thinking I'm going crazy

I was going to post a sick picture of my double needle holes from donating blood for Ruby Tuesday, but I'll spare you that image. If you see me in person in the next week, though, I'm probably going to show you the bruise starting to blossom on the inside of my left arm.

No joke, this song was on the radio as Peggy from the Blood Center wiggled the needle around in my arm this afternoon.

I've been long, a long way from here.

Even though my house is five blocks away from the tracks, the train whistle echoes in my room. There's not a lot between here and there to block the sound; even the low rumbling of the train travels across town to vibrate my window screen.

I love home, so why do I just want to crawl out of my window and run to catch that train? I shocked Grandpa the other night by saying I'd go back to Rome in a heartbeat. I'd be a damn fool to not want to go back, even after listing all the good potential this summer holds. [Why do I feel the need to add a disclaimer here? (I don't hate America.) Why can't I just say America annoys me sometimes, I'd rather live in a different country for a little while, and leave it at that?]

Maybe because my friends are all traveling to exotic places right now. Literally, right now. I'm throwing myself into arts and crafts projects that make Martha Stewart look like a hot mess, but mixed media Mod Podge can't compete with skipping the country. Outrageous singing in the car, Dead Sea mineral face masks, Tommy Boy, and Bailey's clothes/shoes don't even do the trick. I'm going to have to get serious here: we're talking blood drives, weddings and probably another vegetarian phase.

Happy Birthday James Stewart!

James Stewart, you are eternally charming.

Other reasons today is a good day:
--banana pancakes and coffee for breakfast
--all the ingredients for hummus are out on the counter
--my Rome scrapbook is almost finished, only one year after I got home
--I'm a college graduate
--sunshine, bikini, blanket on my deck

Fiori

You can grow flowers

From where dirt used to be

-Kate Nash

May 10, 2010

What I have left to do to graduate:
1. Write a self-reflective essay about my progress and development as a writer/English major

What I have done instead, in the past 24 hours or so:
1. Spent far too much time trying to come up with a title for my screenplay so it did not sound like a porno
2. Took a criminology final
3. Found out the DVD limit at the library is 5, not 7
4. Ate free pizza
5. Found the keys to the Writing Center, napped, watched Betty White on SNL
6. Found a t-shirt in the Writing Center, claimed it as mine
7. Ate free pancakes and tater tots, wondered if I could book the Norbertones for a private party

Texts from Drew

Rachel I miss you and
your tender kisses?

Where are you going?
Where have you
been? I do not
question kisses.

Freedom

I dreamed about a broken birdcage;
from it the yellow bird flew.
Then I wrote my story in pencil
to erase the part about you.

[the true poem about today.]

Sometimes I Even Helped People Write Papers

Tonight I say arrivederci to the Writing Center after our last official business of the year (eating dinner, of course). Why will I miss my job there? Conversations like these:

Kate: Rachel, I just sent a text to your old number. Here's what I got back: "I'm feeling 100% Latina tonight."

-----------------------------------

Me (discussing names of characters): Does Jimmy make him sound too young? I just don't think James or Jim sound right.
Matt: Well I was going to go by Jimmy.
Me: You're Matt.
Matt: Yeah, but my middle name is Edward.

-----------------------------------

Chris (helping me write a film script): Why doesn't the scroll work on your laptop?
Me: It's finicky, like a woman.
Chris: Oh, so doesn't respond to my touch?

-----------------------------------

[After discussing the logistics of our senior portfolios, Matt curls into the fetal position on the floor.]
Me: Are you okay?
Matt: I think I'm just going to die right here.

This bothers me

Let's talk about how much I hate this commercial.



Okay. You're watching TV in the living room, and your daughter/wife comes in to vacuum. Do you:
(a)Turn off the TV and help her, then watch something together.
(b)Move to the basement to watch.

You chose (b). You are a tool. While watching TV in the basement, your son comes in to workout. Do you:
(a)Turn off the TV and join him.
(b)Move to the den to watch.

You chose (b) again. You are a piece of work. While watching TV in the den, your younger son gives away the end. Do you:
(a)Turn of the TV and play a game with him.
(b)Change the channel and watch something together with him.
(c)Move to the garage to watch.

You chose (c). You have a TV in your garage? Unbelievable. While watching TV in the garage (which is where you should be sleeping), the garage door starts to open. Do you:
(a)Get out of the way, then get out of the house and never come back. If you lived alone, no one would interrupt your TV watching.
(b)Move to the....where else could you possibly have a TV??

If you haven't guessed, I think this commercial sucks. Why don't you try to sell me a TV by showing my how I can completely remove myself from my family? While you're at it, reinforce gender roles by having a woman do housework and a skinny kid work out.

My Night in Poetry

Sorry, Dr. Risden, I Was Busy Reading Italian Feminist Poetry For Fun

I didn't read the book assigned for class.
Is that why my notes look like this?

      title: what sounded best
      Library - hallucinogen...moaning noises
      Women: evil/juvenile satire
      epiphany firework
      apocalypse shepherds

-----

Daisy Buchanan

Tonight I helped a student talk through the
seventeen ideas he has for a paper,
none of them on paper,
but (he taps his head),
"I am always thinking."

For this one he wants to talk about
cars and women,
but not cars as women,
because in reality,
"Cars are only ideal woman.
Real women are more maintenance."

Putting Homework Behind Me

Today is my last day of Tuesday classes. I won't be schlepping my JanSport to campus for much longer.

In other news: I'm still about 30 pages of writing short of graduation. More specifically, 30 pages of human trafficking, poverty alleviation, Angola and film theory writing. If I'm a little scarce on here, that's why.

I'm trying my hardest to be productive

Unfortunately, I'd rather read Roman news. This Canadian reporter gets Roman traffic.

2.5 Weeks Left, People.

Sorting through all the S.W.A.G. from the Cap 'n' Gown BBQ this afternoon makes me wonder what being an alumnus is all about. I was excited to see a biodegradable ("naturally biodegrades over 1-5 years in a properly managed landfill") coffee mug, and I gather a graduate should be environmentally conscious and on-the-go. Then I noticed the plastic bag the biodegradable coffee mug came in, so maybe they don't expect us to be too aware. The "ST. NORBERT COLLEGE ALUMNI" window decal implies that I will have a window, whether vehicular or stationary, to call my own. The item I'm not so sure about could either be a paperweight, candle holder or coaster. Or it could light up and start buzzing, letting me know a table is ready for me at Applebee's. And the items of the night: my cap and my gown, complete with the white tassel for my BA, and my study abroad sash, featuring three stripes of green, white and red. It's for real, people. I'm graduating.

Breakfast of Champions

In honor of Ruby Tuesday:

Pancakes and coffee in my Edgewood travel mug...how else would I survive Tuesday 8 AMs?

finishing up

Alright, rounded off Earth Week by (unintentionally, but whatever) going off the grid: no computer or phone for me. Friday was for saving water (shorter shower with cooler water, no water bottles, laundry in energy efficient machine) and Saturday/Sunday were a kind of Pay It Forward/Sabbath Day (pick up trash outside, take a nap).

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I checked out The Italian from the library the other day without even reading the back of the box. It really has nothing to do with Italy or Italians, and it's actually in Russian, but I liked it.

I also got The Darjeeling Limited (again didn't read the summary on the back), but Adrian Brody has a way with me.

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Only three weeks left here. Dear Lord, please help me not go crazy.

Earth Week: Power Down

Happy Earth Day!

New challenge of the day: Reduce energy use. Simply put, turn off lights when you leave the room, unplug appliances you aren't using, keep the AC and heat off, etc. If you want a challenge, you can also give up TV, computers, cooking...basically shut off your electricity.

Since the power cord for my laptop is broken, I have no choice but to limit my computer usage to when I am at work. Also, I'm not feeling so hot, meaning I'd much rather turn the lights out and go to bed than stay up and use electricity. Hmmm...sounds like the universe is conspiring to make me save energy.

Earth Week: Eat Food

I've realized that the way I'm setting these days up, my use of No sounds a little negative...so, in the name of sociology, I'm putting a positive spin on them:

Sunday: Conserve
Monday: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Tuesday: Walk, Bike, Jog
Wednesday: Eat Local, Seasonal, or otherwise Eco-friendly Food

Since I've been living off leftovers from Easter, a wedding shower, and a poetry reading I haven't gone grocery shopping for some time and I don't plan on going for a while yet. I'd say leftovers are pretty environmental--Reuse and Recycle, right? We're growing a garden at home this summer, so I'll get my fill of seasonal and local food then, and I cut down my meat consumption a lot (I went meatless for about three months before breaking down and binging but I made it to a healthy balance and try to stick to local meat).

I also started reading Plenty: One Man, One Woman, and a Raucous Year of Eating Locally, which discusses the Western SUV diet--meaning even if you don't own a car, your food has probably traveled between 1,500 and 2,500 miles to get to your table. Authors Smith and Mackinnon decided to stick to a 100-mile diet for a year; since they live in Vancouver, this meant tropical fruits out and cabbage in.

Why give up the luxury of food from literally all over the world? For one, if you buy your food locally, you know you aren't supporting slavery. You know who made the food you will be putting into your body and that there aren't 15 unidentified chemicals, preservatives, additives, dyes, extra sugar...you get the idea. Interested in the food industry? Check out PBS tonight at 9 or Friday at 10 to watch Food, Inc., a documentary showing why eating locally, seasonally and sustainably is important for more than just the planet.

Earth Week: Burn Calories, Not Fossil Fuel

Day Three: No Mechanized Travel (car, train, plane, elevator...) plus No Trash & No Consumption

An easy one for me seeing as I have no car, no $ to buy a car/plane ticket/train ticket/etc, and live on the first floor of my building, negating the temptation for an elevator. I guess since I've already read No Impact Man, I've already consciously thought about my environmental impact so a lot of these changes aren't surprises.

Still, if I want to go to the library across the bridge (and I do, since I get more work done there), I walk or take my bike even if Andrea could give me a ride. I use the stairs to get to work, on the third floor of the library (mostly because it dings loudly when you arrive at your floor, signaling to the rest of the semi-quiet library, "Attention! Lazy slob arriving!").

More friendly travel ideas:

-Bike to work (even if you only do it a couple times each week), especially if you work less than two miles away from your house.
-Carpool...self-explanatory.
-Use public transportation, if it's available. The sad thing about America is public transportation has a negative stigma. Another reason I miss Europe, even with all the complaints (see: stinky Romans, lack of personal space, donne vecchie).
-Run errands all at once, instead of making several small trips.

I should confess: I will be cheating in majors ways later this week when Mom comes to pick me up to go home in a motorized vehicle, then takes me to Best Buy so I can buy a new power cord for my laptop. Hopefully I can at least recycle the dead one, otherwise that means I'll have traveled, consumed and made trash within the span of several hours. Sorry, planet.

In non-Earth Week news, my latest author binge is David Sedaris. I'm thoroughly convinced my attention span is depleting as short stories seem to be the only thing I can read lately. Sedaris holds my attention, though, judging by the way I powered through Me Talk Pretty One Day and Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim this weekend.

Earth Week: Waste Not, Want Not

Today, along with No Consumption from yesterday, is No Trash day. The idea is to see if wasting less improves life. So far I've thrown away a used tissue, a cotton ball, a granola bar wrapper and an empty tube of toothpaste. I'm getting the hang of it, though, with my recycled water jar (used to be a spaghetti jar) and recycled tote bag (used to be two t-shirts).

A big challenge today is few items are made with environmentally-conscious packaging--so if I want a granola bar, I have to make trash. Making homemade granola would sidestep this. Or--and if you are a business person, a light bulb just went on above your head--we find a way to make our packaging eco-friendly. The ice cream cone is a perfect example--all parts are used, there is no container to throw away. So do we wrap all our snack foods in waffle cones? Not quite. The best course of action is to stop buying these snack foods, the disposable, one-time use, on-the-go type. Not only do they waste a lot (in both the production and consumption phase), they are generally unhealthy (even the health foods--check out all the preservatives, additives, and non-food in those!). BUT, I do have to give a nod to Sun Chips. True to their word, they have created a chip bag that decomposes within 14 or so weeks. We're not going to stop businesses from creating their product, but we can influence them to create friendlier products.

More ideas until all packaging is decomposable:

-Bring reusable bags to the grocery store so you don't have to use plastic bags (in some stores bags cost extra money so it's in everyone's best interest to bring their own).
-Steer clear of products in plastic, cardboard, Styrofoam, etc...buy fresh fruit and vegetables instead! Even better, buy them from a farmer's market instead of the grocery store.
-Cut up old t-shirts for rags and napkins instead of using paper towels.
-Bring a reusable mug/thermos to get your morning coffee.
-Use both sides of the paper (print double-sided and write on the back of scrap paper).
-Give people experiences (massages, concerts, sporting events) as gifts instead of things needing lots of wrapping paper.

What are we coming to?

What are we coming to?

Here, No Impact Man shares why Earth Week is about more than saving the planet--it's about questioning if our current lifestyle really makes us any happier.

Earth Week: Less is More

Today marks the start of Earth Week, the extended version of Earth Day (which falls on Thursday). Because I have no legitimate reason not to (and okay, I'm actually an environmentally-conscious person), I've decided to join others across the nation (globe? Is Earth Week celebrated worldwide?) for a No Impact Earth Week, ala Colin Beavan/No Impact Man.

Each day will feature a new step towards No Impact, building on from the day before. Today, Day One, focuses on consumption. My goal: Live a fuller and happier life by buying less stuff. Done. Didn't buy anything new today. The challenge will be extending that for the rest of the week, but I'm not a regular buyer of things, so I'm not too worried.

If I were to need something, my alternate choices are to borrow, buy secondhand, make whatever it is I need myself, and in absolute need to buy cases, buy something green (meaning it's made from recycled materials or using renewable energy, etc).

I did recently sew a tote bag using some hand-me-down shirts (thanks, brother!), so I'm feeling pretty well-equipped for the challenge of not buying things.

Fresh Poetry!

Finally wrote this last night, after thinking about writing it for a few weeks. As Dad and I were leaving Madison after dropping off Bailey on Easter Monday, this actually happened.

When My Dad Doesn’t Agree with the Garmin and Dave Matthews is on the Radio.

Take next right on Brooks Street
Take these chances
Turn right
Place them in a box until a
Recalculating
Time
Lights down, you up and die

Take next right on Howard Street
Driving in on this highway
All these cars
Turn right

People in every direction
No words exchanged
Recalculating
Exchange

When all the little ants are marching
Take the next exit to Washington Street
we all do it the same
we all do it the same way

Take exit
Loose end, loose end, cut, cut
On the fence, could not
Recalculating
Cut, cut, cut, cut





http://www.latenightwithjimmyfallon.com/video/dave-matthews-gps/n14559/

If we're not willing to settle for junk living, we certainly shouldn't settle for junk food. -Sally Edwards

No classes today due to academic advisement = sleeping in, feeling strange that I'm not at work right now, eating lots of banana pancakes and watching this TED talk by Jamie Oliver. If you have 20 minutes, check it out. If you don't, at least visit the link and check out the petition on the right sidebar. I don't see why anyone wouldn't support Jamie's work/wish, to eliminate obesity through education and information.

Find more information about Jamie's Food Revolution at his website, and check out his show Fridays at 8 on ABC (or watch them online). At the very least, you have to admit the guy's got style.

Michael Pollan is another man dedicated to the cause of eating real food. You may have heard about his book, In Defense of Food, which basically reminds us to eat food, not processed items parading as food.

All this writing is making me hungry...I think I'll make an easy favorite: spaghetti aglio e olio (spaghetti with garlic and olive oil). Buon appetito!

Read Dave Eggers: Feel Smarter, Help People, Look Cooler, Etc.

Alright, this will be my last post about Dave Eggers for a little while. I just finished A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius about a week ago (Thanks for the reading suggestion, Elizabeth!) In it, he writes about his childhood/young adult life. It's hilarious, a little meta-fiction and crazy. Mostly because he has some of the same thoughts I've had about myself, my writing, etc.

In his discussion about self-obsession, for example, he categorizes it two ways: inward obsession and outward obsession: "If you're not self-obsessed you're probably boring. The best sort of self-obsessed person isn't outwardly so. But they're doing something more public than not, making sure people know that they're doing it, or will know about it sooner or later."

I agree. I'm clearly self-obsessed, hello I have a blog to write about me, but a lot of times I disguise my obsession by talking about other more important things (while at the same time talking about myself).

Oh yeah, shout out to Mom: this is the book I told you to read when I was home for Easter.

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In his most recent book, Eggers writes the story of the Zeitoun family before, during and after Hurricane Katrina. Similar to What is the What (see previous post describing it here), Zeitoun is fiction and nonfiction at the same time. Another similarity: both books gave birth to their own foundations, the Valentino Achak Deng Foundation (builds schools in southern Sudan) and the Zeitoun Foundation (aids in the rebuilding of New Orleans and promotes respect for human rights) and proceeds from each book go to these foundations. Sweet.

[Proceeds from this blog go to the Help Rachel Pay Tuition Foundation. Dang. Hopefully someday my bank account and writing hobby with get along with each other and I can fund something other than Ramen and Bananas for Every Meal.]

Don't Let Mother Nature Ruin Your Day, Let Slavery.

It's amazing how many times this year I've wondered why I wasn't told something earlier, or why I was unaware of events that should appear in the news in some form or another. I've come to realize, though, some information you need to intentionally seek out to learn anything about it...which means I have become obsessed with research. I hate not knowing things that I should know, or that people in general should know.

That being said: Stop buying chocolate.

Not all chocolate, just the chocolate that relies on slavery. Yes, slavery. Okay, maybe everyone else already knew this. Did you? If you did, you should have told me. But if you didn't know, most mainstream chocolate producers rely on slave labor for their cocoa beans. I knew modern day slavery existed, even in America, but I guess I never really thought about what products I was buying that contributed to this slavery.

This website raises awareness about slave labor used for chocolate production. There's a lot of information out there, and if you are confused or shocked by this I suggest checking out some of the news articles for a brief background. These slaves--usually young boys from the Ivory Coast--don't even know what chocolate tastes like.

Then check this list of Slave-Free Chocolate (generally Fair Trade or organic) and decide that from now on, you will only buy these kinds. Notice that all the big ones (Nestle, Hershey's, Mars...) aren't on the list? Yep, heartbreaking, I know.

I realize chocolate is not the only product fueled by slave labor (coffee is another), so be prepared because I plan on letting you know what else is as I learn more.

domani è già qui [tomorrow is already here]

Today is the one year anniversary of the L'Aquila Earthquake. Since then, I've been a lot more aware of earthquakes around the world. Either that, or there have just been a lot more than ever before. Here is one blogger's memory/reflection of the quake.

And according to this article, there will be plenty more memorials and remembrances as well as debate about reconstruction after the quake. If this earthquake, occurring in a developed country, still affects so many people, can you imagine how long it will take to put Haiti back together? It's overwhelming.

Like all the charity work and celebrity attention Haiti has, there was also a group (Artists for Abruzzo) who wrote a song to help the residents of the Abruzzo region. I love it musically--all my favorite Italian artists in one song! And the lyrics are solid as well. This version translates the lyrics, and while they are a little confusing at times (some things don't translate all that well), it does give you the same message--we're not alone, tomorrow comes to everyone.

Things I Should be More Concerned About Than I Am.

1. There are two novels on my required, for class reading list as of now, but instead I'm reading two other non-required, not for class novels.
2. I've been having a really hard time falling asleep at night, hence this post-midnight post despite the fact that I get up at 7:30 every morning.
3. Part of the reason I'm up so late is I decided to make brownies at 11:30.
4. There's an unidentifiable smudge on the pages of the green memoir I'm reading. The memoir that openly discusses eco-friendly bathroom habits.
5. I'm sleeping on my futon tonight because the thought of climbing into my lofted bed pains me.
6. I'm not sure if the title for this post is grammatically correct.