An Unhealthy Relationship
I have an unhealthy relationship with my dog. It's very one-sided. Basically, he tells me what to do, and I do it. It's pretty sad, really, that a canine can control a human the way he does. A typical day goes like this:
Buckley: (puts front paws on bed at 7:45. This is about 10 minutes after Justin leaves for work, because he knows he can't tell Justin to get up, but he can command me to get up)
Erin: "Oh, are you ready to go out and get breakfast, Buckley? Ok, let's go!"
Buckley: (goes to the laundry room about an hour after breakfast, then looks back and whines)
Erin: "Buckley's ready for a walk? Ok, better go then!"
Buckley: (does nothing.)
Erin: "Poor Buckley is so bored, let's go on a car ride! Or maybe I'll give him a bone! Or how about play ball?"
Buckley: (droops his head and gives me sad eyes when I'm about to leave the house)
Erin: "Poor Buckley (I guess the Poor Buckley is a reoccurring theme for me), I'm sorry I'm leaving you! I'll stay and pet you for another few minutes."
Erin: (gets a piece of fruit to eat...anything, but especially a pear, banana, or apple)
Buckley: (puts his nose about an inch from the fruit. Never grabs, but lets me know he wants it.)
Erin "How cute! My dog is healthy and wants to eat fruit! Here you go, eat some!"
These are just a few examples in a given day of how my dog controls me. One might wonder what he has done to have gained such power. I think Buckley is a lot smarter than I give him credit for, and he knows that if he's a perfectly well behaved dog, he basically gets everything he wants! He's never bad, he always does the right thing, he's never annoying, therefore, he's eternally spoiled...it's ridiculous. He also knows who the easy targets are. Unfortunately, I have proven to be the easiest target, but there are a few choice other people in his life who are powerless to Buckley's tricks. He knows it.
I hope I'm not quite so easy when I have children, or I'll be in for a long haul with parenting. However, if my kids are half as sweet and endearing as my dog is, I'll be in good shape.
An Ode to Autumn
I love the first game of the college football season. It's so full of hope - a clean slate for all of the teams. It's a first look at your team's strengths and weaknesses. I love seeing the stadiums with the monochromatic shirted fans supporting their teams. I love the buzz and excitement before the games. And best of all, the beginning of college football is the ushering in of fall. I just adore fall. I love college football, the state fair, the crisp mornings, the beginning of the school year (complete with school supply sections at every store...I love school supplies!), wearing sweatshirts and jackets, leaves changing colors, camping and hiking, cold snaps, the works. I love the names of the months: September, October, November. I love the smell of fall. I think it's the leaves and grass dying, but whatever it is, there is a distinct, earthy smell in the fall. I love it all! If there was a place that had eternal fall, that's where I would live.
As you can see, it doesn't take much for me to wax poetic. Happy fall, Happy college football season, and Happy 1st Sooner victory!
Words over Content
I just finished reading On the Road by Jack Kerouac. I know that Kerouac is one of the founding writers of an American artistic movement (the Beat Movement), and that his writing was prolific for its time, but this book was not one of my favorites. It embodied a free spiritedness that was endearing, but I just didn't like (or relate to) any of the characters. It's hard to really enjoy a book when you don't like any of the characters. I'm sure that one of the reasons I didn't love it is the content - it chronicles a road trip for a disenchanted young man searching for meaning and understanding while hitchhiking across the country. It was a major throwback to a time period that simply doesn't exist anymore, and therefore probably led to my lack of attachment to the characters and their adventure.
One thing I loved about Kerouac's writing was his choice of words. He wrote with a great combination of beautiful, traditional language with 1940's slang, and the result was a unique style. I loved the way he chose to describe certain things. For instance, he used the word lugubrious several times in this story. What a great word! He also had a childlike, innocent way of descibing Sal's relationships with women, which is very uncharacteristic of the character of Sal Paradise. The notion of a "girlsoul" was an entirely unique perspective, and I really enjoyed the way Kerouac wrote about the few female relationships Sal had. I also liked the stark contrast between Sal's relationships with females and his relationships with males, especially Dean.
Overall, not my cup of tea, but I can't say that Kerouac didn't write a good novel.
OB(ama)SESSION
Without getting too political here, can I just vent for a minute about "
Obamamania"...or "Ob(
ama)session" (Like my play on words, there? You can use it if you want to.)For real, when will it stop? At Barnes and Noble, this was the current events magazine section
I swear I didn't rearrange the magazines for dramatic effect; it really is that ridiculous! He was on an additional cover in another section, so that makes at least FOUR magazine covers for him this month. He has been on the cover of Time 7 times this year, as opposed to McCain's 2. It's pretty unfortunate that the media is so obviously biased, and is not making any apologies for it. They all but admit that they are biased, but that McCain just isn't as intriguing. Hmmm...I, for one, am sad that our "freedom of the press" has seemingly turned into propaganda. We'll see if McCain is on 5 magazine covers at the same time when the RNC comes. Doubtful.
*Vent Done* :)
Modern Invisible Men
I'm reading Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison, and while I'm not quite finished with the entire novel, the most intriguing thought came in the prologue. Not only is it beautifully written, but it is articulated in a way that is really heart wrenching and stark in its reality. I'm not sure that these random excerpts from the prologue will make sense in short, but at least the impeccable language will be apparent:
"I am invisible, understand, simply because people refuse to see me...that invisibility to which I refer occurs because of a peculiar disposition of the eyes of those with whom I come in contact. A matter of the construction of their inner eyes, those eyes with which they look through their physical eyes upon reality...you ache with the need to convince yourself that you do exist in the real world...I remember that I am invisible and walk softly so as not to awaken the sleeping ones. Sometimes it is best not to awaken them; there are few things in the world as dangerous as sleepwalkers."
The comparison to the oppressed (in this case, black Americans before the Civil Rights movement) as being invisible and the oppressors as sleepwalkers was simply stunning to me. I don't know if I love it for its honesty or loathe it because it's close to home. There are numerous "invisible" people in the world with heartache so large we have to shield our eyes. Who are the most invisible?
Homeless?
Illiterate?
Diseased?
Mentally Ill/Disabled?
Orphans?
Divorcees?
Starving?
Perhaps it is the people who are truly "invisible" that we should make a conscious effort to serve. People who have no voice because their struggle isn't a political "hot topic" or the solution isn't an easy fix. People who Hollywood types or Oregon hipsters wouldn't embrace as a service project. The truly undesirable lot is the lot we should strive to make a difference for, because they are the ones with no voice, no advocate, no visibility. I don't necessarily have any practical "do it tomorrow" solutions to the invisibility of these and countless others, but I will unshield my eyes.
Wasting Time Online
Jessica found a really funny site that morphs two images together, so here are a few of my experiments.
My favorite, Me + Justin:
Next up, we have Me + George W:
And finally, Me + John Mayer:
...way too much time on my hands today. But seriously, how funny are those?
A Mish-Mash of Thoughts...
I know this probably won't constitute a blog posting (a good one, anyway), but following are a few musings on this fair Friday.
What does this sign mean? Am I the only one who thinks this sign is completely incoherent? It's on County Line and Expressway, and it has several issues:
1. "No Parking." Where could you possibly park at that intersection? Look around, there's only traffic lanes, no medians or anything! On the other side of the road, there's a ditch, so I'm pretty sure nobody will be tempted to park there.
2. "On Right of Way." What is a right of way? I thought "right of way" was a state of being, like "I have right of way" or "don't go...she has right of way." I didn't know that a "right of way" place existed in which you could not park. I'm so confused...anyone have any insight into this mysterious sign?
The Weather is IN-credible. For real! I went out at noon today, and it was 79 degrees. In August. In Oklahoma. It also has that fresh summer rain smell that is just indescribably appealing. Everything is still lovely and green, as opposed to the scorched brown grass we're used to seeing in Oklahoma this time of year. Hooray for beautiful nature and perfect weather! When I went out today, I rolled all the windows down in my car. I even stuck my arm out the window. I felt like I was in a Nova in 1974, but it was still fun :)
Cards! Here are some cards I've made over the last few weeks:
Justin and I went to see Tropic Thunder last night. It was goofy and funny. Robert Downey Jr. was great, and I thought Tom Cruise was a total scene stealer. He was GREAT! He was wearing a fat suit and a bald wig, and he danced to rap music. Bald, fat white guy dancing to rap = funny. It was extremely crude with insane amounts of bad language, but other than that, it was funny. Props to Ben Stiller!
While I'm handing out props, I'll give a few to myself. I've had one tank of gas for almost.....wait for it....drum roll please....THREE WEEKS! I say almost because sadly, there's no way I will make it a full 3 weeks. I filled up on Monday, July 28, and there's no way I can make it until next Monday. I guess I could take Justin's car everywhere this weekend, but that's kind of cheating, and that's not what I'm about. I know I don't have a daily commute, which cuts down on my gas consumption, but I'm still pretty proud of my almost 3 weeks!
College football starts in TWO WEEKS! Oh the anticipation! I vowed at the end of last season to not watch "College Football Game Day" or follow any of the polls, so we'll see how that goes. I'll try with all of the restraint I have. After Kirk Herbstreet saying DURING the OU game that we don't deserve to go to the National Championship (while we're beating the #1 team in the country in the Big 12 Championship) AND listening to the Ohio State bashing during the National Championship, the College football commentators have made an enemy out of me. They are so biased it's depressing. OK, after writing all of that down, I have a new found steadfastness to boycott the talking heads of college football. Thanks, Blogger!
Welp, there you have it. My day in thoughts. Happy weekend to all, and to all a good night!
European Thieves!
I'm really bummed about all of the chatter about our NBA stars (Kobe and
LeBron) going to Europe to play in the Euro league. It's just not right! Word is that there are billionaire owners of several Euro teams that are willing to pay
LeBron $50 million a year. He's currently making a mere $20 million. Now I know that people go where the money is, and of course I have no problem with people wanting to get paid well....but $50 million a year to play basketball? Seriously, how much money does one single man need? Not only that, but he'd have to leave America. I know that sounds awfully separatist, but honestly! I'm not huge fans of either guy (even though they are both incredible to watch), but DON'T GO!
However, upon further consideration, I guess it's only a matter of time before our international stars go...international. David
Beckham is like a God in England, and he defected to come to America to try to make soccer a tiny bit more popular (I don't think it's worked). Also, we have
Yao,
Manu, Dirk, and others who come to the NBA from all over the world. Obviously it isn't too uncommon for American sports to recruit internationally, but it just shouldn't be reversed! I guess we'll just have to wait and see; neither Kobe or
LeBron have contract negotiations for 2 years, and a lot can happen between now and then.
On a relatively unrelated note, I think it's really funny that LeBron's new nickname is LBJ. Add that to King James, and we have a solid case of hero worship!
On a completely unrelated note, hooray for James Blake! He just beat Roger Federer, and will move on to the semifinals! Good job, man!
Can you tell that I'm slightly obsessed with the Olympics? It's true. I will go through serious withdrawls on August 24th. What will I do at 7:00 each night? I'll be lost.
8-8-08
Today is a cool day. Not only is it 8-8-08, but it's also the opening ceremony for the Olympics! I'm an Olympic games junkie - I absolutely love them! I love it that we automatically have people to root for, even if we don't know anything about them or anything about the sport (fencing or badminton, anyone? How about trampoline or synchronized swimming?) The opening ceremonies are incredible to watch when all of the nations come together in celebration and the athletes parade in, representing their land and their people, full of hope and pride. I cry when NBC does the special interest stories on our athletes, complete with sad music, about the lifelong training and dedication these people have had for their sport. National pride wells up inside me when our guys/girls win the gold and our national anthem is played, the whole nine yards. Am I being overly dramatic? Yes. But that's what the Olympics are all about, and I'm happy to buy into the drama every two years.
In my Olympic fervor, I've unearthed a little bit of fun Olympic trivia! Upon doing a little research on the Olympics, I learned that the ancient Olympic games were reserved exclusively for men, and that the men competed naked. Huh? The historian (from National Geographic, so he's got cred) said that it was partially due to the heat, but also because the Olympic games were a tribute to the achievements of the human body. Remember the Seinfeld episode where Jerry and George distinguish the difference between "good" naked and "bad" naked? That's exactly what came to mind as I read about the naked Olympics. I'm sure the athletes had fantastic bodies, just as I'm sure that they do today, but that doesn't mean that we want to see them compete naked. Naked men running track? That's definitely "bad" naked. Naked women playing ping-pong? Funny, but still "bad" naked!
I'll be glued to the TV watching our clothed athletes win it up for the USA!
Cowanstrong
In Justin's attempt to get another notch on his outdoor activity belt, we got bikes. Justin was, of course, crazy excited about them. I was, of course, not. I'm always hesitant to try new outdoor activities primarily out of fear of getting hurt. I am such a weenie when it comes to anything that could be construed as dangerous, and I've heard lots of bike accident stories. Actually, almost everyone I know that rides bikes has gotten hurt!
Irregardless of my caution, I got a bike to ride with Justin. I have to admit, it's really cute. Justin's is below the pic of mine, and it's pretty cool too.
So, now that the fun shopping part is over, the riding must begin. We rode around the neighborhood a few times, which was fun. I rode in the mornings right after Justin left for work, and I even took Buckley with me! He was so good; he just ran beside me the entire time. We didn't go too far, but he was a happy tired pup when we were finished.
Then.....Overholser. I know in the grand scheme of things, a 9 mile bike ride is nothing. However, if it is your first 9 mile bike ride, it's rough. First of all, it was HOT. We went this morning, but it was still hot. Then, the butt. That's all I have to say about that - you know what I'm talking about!! Overall, the most memorable part was the sense of accomplishment. I know that I can bike for 9 miles now. That means that after riding a few more times, I can ride 10, then 15, then the Tour de France! OK, maybe I'm getting a little ahead of myself, but I really enjoyed the ride other than the aforementioned factors. Biking is a lot less chaotic than running or even walking fast. You really have time to soak in the sun and enjoy the great outdoors. I still get a little freaked out when I think I'm going too fast, but I'm trying to get better :)
No doom and gloom here...
I think that anyone who watches the news or keeps up with current events can clearly see that America is in a funk. We're just not happy. I blame a large portion of our funk on the media...they know what we want to hear and they run with it. However, it IS what we want to hear...and I'm not sure why.
People are in mass hysteria because of gas prices. Why? It's affected our budget by $15 a month..and we have a HUMMER! Nobody's gonna go bankrupt because gas has risen by 10 cents a gallon. Not only that, but lately the prices have fallen back to where they were last summer, but the hysteria continues.
Don't get me wrong; I'm very interested in preserving the environment and in finding alternative fuel sources; that's not the issue. The issue for me is the doom and gloom predictions about our current state of affairs. I'm well aware that America is not perfect; we definitely have flaws that need to be addressed and fixed. However, it's as if the end of the world is near, everything that could possibly go wrong has, etc, etc, etc.
I'm really not a fan of negative thinking (I'm sure nobody is really a fan of it, but some people sure have fun thinking of "worst case scenarios," and lately people have really bought into them). I think in a lot of ways, negative thinking and too much criticism becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. (If we think and act as if we're in recession for long enough, we will be. If everyone thinks America is so wrong, soon enough, we will be).
I was reading the Economist online - which, by the way, is THE BEST news source in my opinion...I think everyone should read it every day for an educated, unbiased view of international news. Anyway, as I was reading it, I came across two refreshingly positive and clear minded articles on this exact topic. Enjoy, and happy August!
"Still on the Right Road"
http://www.economist.com/finance/displayStory.cfm?story_id=11850301&source=features_box_main"Unhappy America"
http://www.economist.com/opinion/displaystory.cfm?source=most_commented&story_id=11791539p.s. I tried really hard to do the cool embedded article thing, and I could not figure out how to do it. It was gonna be so cool, but alas, it was not to be. Dang.
