I survived 23 years. At first I was thinking there should be some sort of award for this, and then realized there is: starting year 24. In honor of my birthday, I thought I would share with you 23 important lessons that I have learned so far in my 23 humble years.
1. Life isn't fair, and that's okay. It's still good.
2. You will never make friends with an animal by pulling its tail. However, dressing it in doll clothes and strapping it into a stroller has slightly positive, albeit mixed, results.
3. Siblings often turn out to be best friends that just happen to have the same parents.
4. There are countless opportunities to express yourself creatively. Find the one that fits your space, your budget, and your talents.
5. Healthy confidence will absolutely sky-rocket when you learn to be proud of the things you have worked hard for. Never be afraid to admit that you are proud of your major (or minor) accomplishments.
6. There is an ice cream flavor that is appropriate for any mood or situation.
7. It's never shameful to love your body exactly as it is, even if that's not what pop culture has told you.
8. There is not even enough time to put everything we want into our healthy, positive relationships. NEVER waste time on friends/lovers/co-workers who are toxic.
9. You will be happier not knowing what other people are thinking about you.
10. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, you'd grab yours back.
11. No matter the situation, or how confident you already are, putting on a dress makes you feel pretty.
12. Just because it's free, does not mean you have to have it.
13. Sometimes bad things happen to good people. The truly steadfast stay good people after bad things happen.
14. At some point, you will be the root of someone's pain. When you recognize, own it.
15. Label and date your leftovers.
16. Never be embarrassed by your hobbies or things that make you happy.
17. Not everyone is going to love you. Some will not love you more politely than others.
18. You were handed one of the best life resources at birth: your parents. Use them wisely.
19. Follow the care instructions on articles of clothing you like.
20. Have opinions and share them with an open mind and ears.
21. Most people do not want to hurt or harm you, and do so only to cover their own hurt, or completely on accident. Think of that before hurt feelings and anger turn in to action.
22. Don't spend more time wanting than doing.
23. Run when you can, walk when you have to, crawl if you must. But always move forward.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Thursday at the Theater
I was lucky enough to be invited to a preview showing of Ella at the Guthrie in Minneapolis tonight by a classmate who had won the tickets earlier this summer. It was my first time at the new Guthrie, and I have to say, it is a gorgeous space in a stellar downtown location.
Since neither of us had been there before, we decided to grab dinner and drinks on the same block. Much to our fortune , there is a great little place called Spoonriver right across the street which serves organic, sustainable dishes. It was an excellent little place, maybe one of my new favorites. They were sensitive to our time schedule and made sure to put our order in A.S.A.P. and the food was amazing. I think I will have to make a return visit-- looking at their website, they have a weekend brunch and there isn't much better than that!
I enjoy being in the company of talented people, and Ella certainly provided that. I can't imagine being the actress portraying Ella Fitgerald, though-- what lungs to fill! She was good though, and since I don't know that much about Ella Fitzgerald's personality and stage presence, I guess I wouldn't have really recognized if she wasn't good. The songs were fun, the stage scenery was simple and never changed, but the wonderful use of different lighting techniques provided a visual treat and marked the changing of the scenes or moods.
At one-day-shy-of-23 and 24, Emily and I may have brought the average age at the show down 10 years, not including young kids with their families, but I would say that is pretty typical for theater. And it's okay if we were young, because we looked good!
Since neither of us had been there before, we decided to grab dinner and drinks on the same block. Much to our fortune , there is a great little place called Spoonriver right across the street which serves organic, sustainable dishes. It was an excellent little place, maybe one of my new favorites. They were sensitive to our time schedule and made sure to put our order in A.S.A.P. and the food was amazing. I think I will have to make a return visit-- looking at their website, they have a weekend brunch and there isn't much better than that!
I enjoy being in the company of talented people, and Ella certainly provided that. I can't imagine being the actress portraying Ella Fitgerald, though-- what lungs to fill! She was good though, and since I don't know that much about Ella Fitzgerald's personality and stage presence, I guess I wouldn't have really recognized if she wasn't good. The songs were fun, the stage scenery was simple and never changed, but the wonderful use of different lighting techniques provided a visual treat and marked the changing of the scenes or moods.
At one-day-shy-of-23 and 24, Emily and I may have brought the average age at the show down 10 years, not including young kids with their families, but I would say that is pretty typical for theater. And it's okay if we were young, because we looked good!
Friday, July 17, 2009
So, About that Bike. . .
Remember when I bragged about how even the fire department couldn't steal my bike (Modern Mugwump thumps on chest, a very proud bike owner)?
This is me eating my words. Quick, read that sentence again because I do not often admit that.
For weeks my roommate and I had been leaving our bikes in our entryway for the convenience factor, so we could do exactly what I did on Thursday morning: get dressed, roll up pant cuffs so as to not make ground chuck out of the hem of my jeans on the chain of my bike, tighten the Chacos (official footwear of Uptowners), put helmet on head and fasten snugly, grab super hip Timbuk2 bag with the handy stay-tight strap accessory for biking, blow a sweet kiss to the parked car that gets to stay parked, and . . .
This is the part where I would say "Hop on your bike, with the snazzy handle bars, and ride off into the sunshine enjoying the Greenway, the neighborhood, the lakes, wind in your face, gnats in your teeth. . . ahhhh what a ride."
But not on Thursday because some idiot had the same idea, but with my bicycle. And the worst part about things like this, is you can be mad at the stealer of sweet bikes, but really I should have brought my bike into my apartment every day, and it's so much worse when bad things happen to you and it's your own fault, right? Right. A victim of convenience and my own nonchalance. Turns out I am not in Kansas anymore, Toto, and someone was brave enough to enter our place while we were home and take my two-wheeled companion on some joy ride and then probably dump her. Boo on them for that one.
So, yeah, currently on Borrowed Bike (Thanks, Dad!) and saving/looking for a new-used to love and to cherish. And to put sunshine handlebars on.
This is me eating my words. Quick, read that sentence again because I do not often admit that.
For weeks my roommate and I had been leaving our bikes in our entryway for the convenience factor, so we could do exactly what I did on Thursday morning: get dressed, roll up pant cuffs so as to not make ground chuck out of the hem of my jeans on the chain of my bike, tighten the Chacos (official footwear of Uptowners), put helmet on head and fasten snugly, grab super hip Timbuk2 bag with the handy stay-tight strap accessory for biking, blow a sweet kiss to the parked car that gets to stay parked, and . . .
This is the part where I would say "Hop on your bike, with the snazzy handle bars, and ride off into the sunshine enjoying the Greenway, the neighborhood, the lakes, wind in your face, gnats in your teeth. . . ahhhh what a ride."
But not on Thursday because some idiot had the same idea, but with my bicycle. And the worst part about things like this, is you can be mad at the stealer of sweet bikes, but really I should have brought my bike into my apartment every day, and it's so much worse when bad things happen to you and it's your own fault, right? Right. A victim of convenience and my own nonchalance. Turns out I am not in Kansas anymore, Toto, and someone was brave enough to enter our place while we were home and take my two-wheeled companion on some joy ride and then probably dump her. Boo on them for that one.
So, yeah, currently on Borrowed Bike (Thanks, Dad!) and saving/looking for a new-used to love and to cherish. And to put sunshine handlebars on.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Entertained Everywhere. Everywhere Entertained.
I don't actually know anyone who has said they don't like to people-watch. I suppose some people need the watchees to be exceptionally entertaining in order to stay interested, but everyone enjoys to take even a split second to just do a quick social soak of those around them. I, of course, am no different and could (and occasionally do) spend quite a period of time publicly spying. While I am a firm believer in equality and equal rights, let's face it-- not all people are equally entertaining. There are certain categories of people I find more fascinating than others.
Someone driving a new car. This is fun and easy, as this is the person easily recognizable in a super-shiny little machine without license plates, with the beautiful toothy, ear-to-ear grin of a child. Ever watched a kid get it's first puppy? Someone driving their new car, even if they have had it for a few days, looks exactly the same.
A woman in heels/A man in a tie. Because they own this place, or at least give off that confidence. Hallelujah that on "those" days all you need are some shoes or a tie to lift you up and welcome the whole world (or tell it where to put that sales report, if that's the confidence you need). I've noticed you rarely see a woman in heels or a man in tie look down when they walk. And people are attracted to confident people, and not just romantically attracted. We all prefer to be someone who appears and acts confident, because it makes us feel less timid.
A couple on a first date. Like the diamond in the rough of people-watching. You can never plan for these things, but it is so exciting when you realize that is what you are eaves-dropping on. This is especially good if it is a young couple, like high school or early college. When I watch a first date I like to do play-by-play in my own head:
"Does he open the door? There's a reach, he grabs the handle, but OH NO he walks through first, leaving the lady waiting on the sidewalk! Oh, ouch, Bernie. That's going to earn him some time in the penalty box."
"I can't believe it, Scottie. The guy has seen how many romantic comedies?! Luckily, he can still recover by offering to buy her dessert at the end of the meal. But does he know the cardinal rule of dessert offerings?"
"What's that, Bernie? The Only-Suggest-Something-Double-Fudge-Or-Kiss-A-Second-Date-Goodbye Rule?"*
"That's the one, that's the one."
People with unruly large dogs. I do not mean the type of unruly dog that eats trousers off mailmen, but more that large lanky dog that things it's a terrier and has an entire day's worth of pent-up energy. This dog is simultaneously running circles around it's owner (leashed), chasing errant squirrels, paper, children, or shadows. Ah, and biting into the air at nothing, while barking.
Any club or gathering where all members are of the same gender and over the age of 65. Always adorable. At Caribou, for example, there is a gathering of men that talk sociology, psychology, and politics all the time. They often try to rile me up on health issues, but I don't get too riled anymore, especially about the relationship between the government and health care. I just tell them to stop eating our sugary muffins and have some carrots once in a while and they will be okay. And the only thing that competes with the loveliness of children laughing is a gaggle of little ladies giggling at their own gossip.
*Maybe not applicable to all women, but certainly applicable to Modern Mugwumps. On the off-chance that you are taking notes. . .
Someone driving a new car. This is fun and easy, as this is the person easily recognizable in a super-shiny little machine without license plates, with the beautiful toothy, ear-to-ear grin of a child. Ever watched a kid get it's first puppy? Someone driving their new car, even if they have had it for a few days, looks exactly the same.
A woman in heels/A man in a tie. Because they own this place, or at least give off that confidence. Hallelujah that on "those" days all you need are some shoes or a tie to lift you up and welcome the whole world (or tell it where to put that sales report, if that's the confidence you need). I've noticed you rarely see a woman in heels or a man in tie look down when they walk. And people are attracted to confident people, and not just romantically attracted. We all prefer to be someone who appears and acts confident, because it makes us feel less timid.
A couple on a first date. Like the diamond in the rough of people-watching. You can never plan for these things, but it is so exciting when you realize that is what you are eaves-dropping on. This is especially good if it is a young couple, like high school or early college. When I watch a first date I like to do play-by-play in my own head:
"Does he open the door? There's a reach, he grabs the handle, but OH NO he walks through first, leaving the lady waiting on the sidewalk! Oh, ouch, Bernie. That's going to earn him some time in the penalty box."
"I can't believe it, Scottie. The guy has seen how many romantic comedies?! Luckily, he can still recover by offering to buy her dessert at the end of the meal. But does he know the cardinal rule of dessert offerings?"
"What's that, Bernie? The Only-Suggest-Something-Double-Fudge-Or-Kiss-A-Second-Date-Goodbye Rule?"*
"That's the one, that's the one."
People with unruly large dogs. I do not mean the type of unruly dog that eats trousers off mailmen, but more that large lanky dog that things it's a terrier and has an entire day's worth of pent-up energy. This dog is simultaneously running circles around it's owner (leashed), chasing errant squirrels, paper, children, or shadows. Ah, and biting into the air at nothing, while barking.
Any club or gathering where all members are of the same gender and over the age of 65. Always adorable. At Caribou, for example, there is a gathering of men that talk sociology, psychology, and politics all the time. They often try to rile me up on health issues, but I don't get too riled anymore, especially about the relationship between the government and health care. I just tell them to stop eating our sugary muffins and have some carrots once in a while and they will be okay. And the only thing that competes with the loveliness of children laughing is a gaggle of little ladies giggling at their own gossip.
*Maybe not applicable to all women, but certainly applicable to Modern Mugwumps. On the off-chance that you are taking notes. . .
Thursday, July 9, 2009
911? Yes, This is an Emergency. I Am Locked Out of My Bike.
No, I didn't actually call 911. Relax already.
There is a pre-story to this story. It is as follows: I love my bike. I know, I know, you remember my triathlon update when I said I didn't really like my bike and she's no racer. That's true, she's no racer, but she is my bike. She is hot pink and purple (circa 1993, seriously) and has sunshines on the handle bars (thanks, Erik!). It is affectionately known by the family as the "grad school bike" as Kim also used it during her years in grad school. I have also referred to it as the "adult Huffy" based on her excellent sport performance. Regardless of how I tease, I actually really love the pink and purple monster and we travel well together.
I have discovered that riding my bike to work along the Minneapolis Greenway is faster than driving because, frankly, traffic in Uptown is disastrous. Even at 10 am. So I ride ride ride all the way to work and lock up my bike by the Chipotle next door. I do my thing at work, make some tips so I can eat a chicken burrito with guac from said next-door Chipotle, and then ride the trusty pink and purple back home. I don't eat the burrito everyday, or I would look like the Fat-Bottomed Girls that Queen sings about, where I just like to sing "I want to ride my bicycle! I want to ride my bike!" on my way around town.
So today I followed the routine: wake up, eat, get dressed, ride bike to Greenway, love the Greenway, get off the Greenway at work, make some lattes and such, punch out at the end of the shift, and at this point I would typically ride the bike home. Luckily, this story doesn't end sadly with a stolen bike. Well, not really, anyway. I went to my bike to unlock it, and despite dialing in the right code several times and pulling with all of my might, the bike lock would not budge. So there I was, with my bike but definitely unable to use it.
I didn't know what to do, so I relied on an old classic. What do I always do when I have gotten myself into something I can't get out of by myself? Get my sister involved. It just so happens, however, that I called her actually looking for her husband, who knows the most about bikes and bike paraphenalia. They suggested that his parents, who live in the area, may have some WD40 to lube up the lock or a bolt cutter to permanently relieve the lock of its service. So, the phone tree began. In short it went like this: Me--> Kim--> Someone at Erik's work--> relayed message to Erik--> who called Kim back--> who called me to tell me she was--> calling Eriks parents, who weren't home--> so she called again, and suggested I walk to the fire station and ask for help.
Helmet in tow, I crossed the street to the fire station. Their front door isn't open past 5pm, so I rang the doorbell. Twice. Finally someone came to the door. And then I stammered like a little kid that my bike lock was jammed and I could use some help if they had the tools and time. And then I thought about it-- of course they have the tools. These people pull people out of cars and such, they should be able to open my bike lock. Of course, I felt kind of foolish, and said "This must happen to you guys all the time." Thank goodness for honesty, as the woman who answered the door said "Not really. People get locked out of their cars a lot. But not really out of their bikes. Ever." Awesome. Thanks. Then they teased me about using the fire department to steal a bike. Yeah, my own bike.
I am glad they said they could help me and 20 minutes and 2 firemen later the bike lock lay on the sidewalk, shredded but open. On my way home, I found myself in a conundrum: I don't want to buy the same bike lock because I have had that one less than one year and it failed me. At the same time, even firemen couldn't steal the awesome pink and purple. That's a quality lock.
There is a pre-story to this story. It is as follows: I love my bike. I know, I know, you remember my triathlon update when I said I didn't really like my bike and she's no racer. That's true, she's no racer, but she is my bike. She is hot pink and purple (circa 1993, seriously) and has sunshines on the handle bars (thanks, Erik!). It is affectionately known by the family as the "grad school bike" as Kim also used it during her years in grad school. I have also referred to it as the "adult Huffy" based on her excellent sport performance. Regardless of how I tease, I actually really love the pink and purple monster and we travel well together.
I have discovered that riding my bike to work along the Minneapolis Greenway is faster than driving because, frankly, traffic in Uptown is disastrous. Even at 10 am. So I ride ride ride all the way to work and lock up my bike by the Chipotle next door. I do my thing at work, make some tips so I can eat a chicken burrito with guac from said next-door Chipotle, and then ride the trusty pink and purple back home. I don't eat the burrito everyday, or I would look like the Fat-Bottomed Girls that Queen sings about, where I just like to sing "I want to ride my bicycle! I want to ride my bike!" on my way around town.
So today I followed the routine: wake up, eat, get dressed, ride bike to Greenway, love the Greenway, get off the Greenway at work, make some lattes and such, punch out at the end of the shift, and at this point I would typically ride the bike home. Luckily, this story doesn't end sadly with a stolen bike. Well, not really, anyway. I went to my bike to unlock it, and despite dialing in the right code several times and pulling with all of my might, the bike lock would not budge. So there I was, with my bike but definitely unable to use it.
I didn't know what to do, so I relied on an old classic. What do I always do when I have gotten myself into something I can't get out of by myself? Get my sister involved. It just so happens, however, that I called her actually looking for her husband, who knows the most about bikes and bike paraphenalia. They suggested that his parents, who live in the area, may have some WD40 to lube up the lock or a bolt cutter to permanently relieve the lock of its service. So, the phone tree began. In short it went like this: Me--> Kim--> Someone at Erik's work--> relayed message to Erik--> who called Kim back--> who called me to tell me she was--> calling Eriks parents, who weren't home--> so she called again, and suggested I walk to the fire station and ask for help.
Helmet in tow, I crossed the street to the fire station. Their front door isn't open past 5pm, so I rang the doorbell. Twice. Finally someone came to the door. And then I stammered like a little kid that my bike lock was jammed and I could use some help if they had the tools and time. And then I thought about it-- of course they have the tools. These people pull people out of cars and such, they should be able to open my bike lock. Of course, I felt kind of foolish, and said "This must happen to you guys all the time." Thank goodness for honesty, as the woman who answered the door said "Not really. People get locked out of their cars a lot. But not really out of their bikes. Ever." Awesome. Thanks. Then they teased me about using the fire department to steal a bike. Yeah, my own bike.
I am glad they said they could help me and 20 minutes and 2 firemen later the bike lock lay on the sidewalk, shredded but open. On my way home, I found myself in a conundrum: I don't want to buy the same bike lock because I have had that one less than one year and it failed me. At the same time, even firemen couldn't steal the awesome pink and purple. That's a quality lock.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
On Current Events
I don't typically spend too much time on here discussing my opinion on current events, but the update on my goings-on right now is this:
Work. Homework. Eat. Run/Bike. Sleep. Rearrange and repeat as necessary.
I guess I could just end the update there, thanks for coming, guys!
Just Kidding.
So, let's pretend I am CNN, the BBC, MSNBC, and Fox News-- I'll talk first about Michael Jackson and probably for longer than any news source ever should. Ever. Let's see, Michael Jackson died a mysterious and untimely death, most likely at the hands of prescription medication despite a pending "comeback" tour. Some speculate his death was intentional to get out of the tour. For one, what an absolute shocker that a celebrity died from a possible drug overdose, whoa, we've never seen that one. I am surprised for someone so creative, he took such a mundane way to go. Secondly, I think if I was a 50 year old black man who looked like a hideous 30 year old white woman who made a "living" out of grabbing my own crotch for millions of people, I might look for a way out of that too.* But what REALLY irks me, is that his funeral service, held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, is going to cost the state of California millions of dollars, particularly for the extra police needed for security and crowd control reasons. I don't think Arnold is signing a personal check anytime soon, which means taxpayers get this one. What is going on, and where is ANY sense of fiscal responsibility, when a state, hundreds of millions of dollars in debt, decides to take on more public spending to host the funeral of one of history's highest grossing pop stars? This is ridiculous and actually makes me resent the culture of celebrity in America more than I should. Spending on police presence at the Jackson funeral while education and health programs are being cut and people all over the state are losing their jobs-- sounds like ducks all out of the row.
This week is the G8 Summit in Italy, where the leaders of major global players tea-party and discuss the most pressing global issues. In the news today: Industrialized nations make tentative agreement on climate control action, while developing nations shun controlling greenhouse gases. Well, good news and bad news, I guess. At least we are talking about it, and at least we stopped calling it "global warming." Because the average temperature of the earth is up, but no North Dakotan on the planet is going to tell you they are a victim of global warming. But unseasonably wet winters and springs? Drier summers? Greater fluctuation and difference in seasonal temperature? That is what we need to be concerned about. So I am happy to see that there are at least tentative plans, which will probably not be followed by any country that isn't already doing those things, but it is a building block. And I don't blame developing nations for their stance-- alternative energies and emissions-reducing technology is expensive and the economy is not in a position to support that development right now, although we desperately need it.
Google is discussing their new operating system, Google Chrome. Move over Microsoft? Or just another too-complicated system that most programs can't run on? Hopefully the former, as I love The Google.
This one made me laugh: Amazon drops price of Kindle 2 to $299. That's funny- books at the library are free.**
I guess that's all I've got for now-- almost everything else was about the father of Michael Jackson's kids, the McNair murder-suicide, or Iran (violating human rights one subgroup at a time).
*I like Michael Jackson's music and will acknowledge that he was a talented recording artist (I even have, and listen to, the CD of his #1 hits). I otherwise see very little major contribution to society from him.
** I actually think the Kindle is cool. But not $299 of cool. That's like a plane ticket to somewhere (but not too far, or too cool).
Work. Homework. Eat. Run/Bike. Sleep. Rearrange and repeat as necessary.
I guess I could just end the update there, thanks for coming, guys!
Just Kidding.
So, let's pretend I am CNN, the BBC, MSNBC, and Fox News-- I'll talk first about Michael Jackson and probably for longer than any news source ever should. Ever. Let's see, Michael Jackson died a mysterious and untimely death, most likely at the hands of prescription medication despite a pending "comeback" tour. Some speculate his death was intentional to get out of the tour. For one, what an absolute shocker that a celebrity died from a possible drug overdose, whoa, we've never seen that one. I am surprised for someone so creative, he took such a mundane way to go. Secondly, I think if I was a 50 year old black man who looked like a hideous 30 year old white woman who made a "living" out of grabbing my own crotch for millions of people, I might look for a way out of that too.* But what REALLY irks me, is that his funeral service, held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, is going to cost the state of California millions of dollars, particularly for the extra police needed for security and crowd control reasons. I don't think Arnold is signing a personal check anytime soon, which means taxpayers get this one. What is going on, and where is ANY sense of fiscal responsibility, when a state, hundreds of millions of dollars in debt, decides to take on more public spending to host the funeral of one of history's highest grossing pop stars? This is ridiculous and actually makes me resent the culture of celebrity in America more than I should. Spending on police presence at the Jackson funeral while education and health programs are being cut and people all over the state are losing their jobs-- sounds like ducks all out of the row.
This week is the G8 Summit in Italy, where the leaders of major global players tea-party and discuss the most pressing global issues. In the news today: Industrialized nations make tentative agreement on climate control action, while developing nations shun controlling greenhouse gases. Well, good news and bad news, I guess. At least we are talking about it, and at least we stopped calling it "global warming." Because the average temperature of the earth is up, but no North Dakotan on the planet is going to tell you they are a victim of global warming. But unseasonably wet winters and springs? Drier summers? Greater fluctuation and difference in seasonal temperature? That is what we need to be concerned about. So I am happy to see that there are at least tentative plans, which will probably not be followed by any country that isn't already doing those things, but it is a building block. And I don't blame developing nations for their stance-- alternative energies and emissions-reducing technology is expensive and the economy is not in a position to support that development right now, although we desperately need it.
Google is discussing their new operating system, Google Chrome. Move over Microsoft? Or just another too-complicated system that most programs can't run on? Hopefully the former, as I love The Google.
This one made me laugh: Amazon drops price of Kindle 2 to $299. That's funny- books at the library are free.**
I guess that's all I've got for now-- almost everything else was about the father of Michael Jackson's kids, the McNair murder-suicide, or Iran (violating human rights one subgroup at a time).
*I like Michael Jackson's music and will acknowledge that he was a talented recording artist (I even have, and listen to, the CD of his #1 hits). I otherwise see very little major contribution to society from him.
** I actually think the Kindle is cool. But not $299 of cool. That's like a plane ticket to somewhere (but not too far, or too cool).
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