It's 8:24 and we are back from trick-or-treating. My feet hurt.
There were still not as many trick-or-treaters as there used to be back in the day, but there were more than there were last year. I think that may also have to do with the fact that we went out earlier last year. I still feel like Halloween is becoming less and less what it used to be, but... meh.
After we finished hitting as many houses as we could we went to Wendy's for dinner. It's a tradition. In that we did it last year also.
Harper kept telling people that she was Winnie-the-Pooh and that it was Halloween. Everyone thought that they were very cute. Which of course, they are. And no one tried to scare my children, so I didn't have to kick anyone's ass.
When we got home and Saren looked at all her candy, she said, "Holy mother of Glory!" I didn't know Glory had a mom. Also, that joke is totally being said by Pat in my head.
All in all, a pretty good Halloween. We actually didn't get any trick-or-treaters because both Pat and I like to be with the girls and neither one of us want to stay home to give out candy. Oh well. More Mounds and Skittles for me!
Friday, October 31, 2003
Halloween Blog-a-thon # what? 4.
You know that movie The Watcher in the Woods? When I was a kid, that movie freaked me out. Heh. It's a Disney movie, fer chrissakes. But I remember once one of my friends had a slumber party and rented that movie and I had to do my patented very-interested-in-the-upholstery-of-the-couch thing during the tense parts. I'm really good at that move.
But I don't do it a lot anymore because I have accepted that I am a complete wuss and I don't even watch scary movies anymore. Or maybe it's just that I don't have any particular fondness for that uncomfortable feeling I get when I know something is about to happen.
In other news, Pat has some really crappy movie on right now on the SciFi channel and it's supposed to be scary. But um... isn't.
But I don't do it a lot anymore because I have accepted that I am a complete wuss and I don't even watch scary movies anymore. Or maybe it's just that I don't have any particular fondness for that uncomfortable feeling I get when I know something is about to happen.
In other news, Pat has some really crappy movie on right now on the SciFi channel and it's supposed to be scary. But um... isn't.
Halloween Blog-a-thon #3
So, what was I gonna say?
Oh yeah. It was October 30th (1999) when I found out that I was pregnant with Harper. Which isn't even Halloween. I'm totally cheating!
We had just come back from Oregon. So she went with us and we didn't even know it. Heeee.
I don't even really want to continue with this topic, so I'll talk about the Halloween cookies I just made. Yummy! They were the kind that you just take out of the package and break apart and put on the cookie sheet. I've never bought those kind before because... that just seems silly. But they were only 1.50, so I said what the heck. I might not have said that.
Anyway, yummy. Lame entry!
Oh yeah. It was October 30th (1999) when I found out that I was pregnant with Harper. Which isn't even Halloween. I'm totally cheating!
We had just come back from Oregon. So she went with us and we didn't even know it. Heeee.
I don't even really want to continue with this topic, so I'll talk about the Halloween cookies I just made. Yummy! They were the kind that you just take out of the package and break apart and put on the cookie sheet. I've never bought those kind before because... that just seems silly. But they were only 1.50, so I said what the heck. I might not have said that.
Anyway, yummy. Lame entry!
Halloween Blog-a-thon #2
Saren's first Halloween she went as a baby. It was an excellent costume.
For her second Halloween she went as a little devil. She had a red sweatsuit and horns and a tail. We went trick-or-treating with my little brother and at one house, they did the whole "scary" thing. Saren was by the garage around the corner when a group of kids ran by screaming from whatever it was that had been at the door. She started screaming too, but joyfully. I had expected her to be upset by it. It was adorable.
On her third Halloween she was a witch. I made her a little skirt out of some material that was black with a cobweb design. Someone came to their door in a mask and this time she did get scared. She cried and cried. I wish people would check out their windows to see who's out there before they come out trying to scare someone. Why would you want to scare the wits out of a two-year-old? Urgh. People.
On her fourth Halloween she was a butterfly. So was Harper. Saren had some really beautiful wings that we had bought at the Rennaissance Faire a few weeks before. I made her some antennae with a headband and some pom-poms and pipe cleaners. I was working at a one-hour photo at the time and I couldn't go trick-or-treating with them. :(
The next year she was a flower and Harper was a little black kitty cat. That year we went to a Safe Street thingy. It was in some model homes. There were way too many people there and not enough places to trick-or-treat. I don't know. I think all these safe street things are just too sanitized. It doesn't seem right. It might be good if it were an actual neighborhood where all the neighbors got together to organize something and the kids could still knock on doors and stuff.
Last year Saren was a firefighter an Harper was a flower fairy. We went to a carnival and Harper won the cutest costume prize for her age group. Or maybe it was prettiest. Saren was bummed that she didn't win anything. We also went to another safe street thing at the urging of my mother. It was also way too crowded and way too ...not like trick-or-treating. We also went to a bunch of houses in the neighborhood. We don't live in a fantastic neighborhood, so I was a bit worried, but it was pretty okay. We didn't see very many other trick-or-treaters at all. I wish people still felt safe doing it the "regular" way.
This year Saren is being Belle from Beauty and the Beast and Harper is being Winnie-the-Pooh. We're not doing anything other than just the regular trick-or-treating. Yay!
For her second Halloween she went as a little devil. She had a red sweatsuit and horns and a tail. We went trick-or-treating with my little brother and at one house, they did the whole "scary" thing. Saren was by the garage around the corner when a group of kids ran by screaming from whatever it was that had been at the door. She started screaming too, but joyfully. I had expected her to be upset by it. It was adorable.
On her third Halloween she was a witch. I made her a little skirt out of some material that was black with a cobweb design. Someone came to their door in a mask and this time she did get scared. She cried and cried. I wish people would check out their windows to see who's out there before they come out trying to scare someone. Why would you want to scare the wits out of a two-year-old? Urgh. People.
On her fourth Halloween she was a butterfly. So was Harper. Saren had some really beautiful wings that we had bought at the Rennaissance Faire a few weeks before. I made her some antennae with a headband and some pom-poms and pipe cleaners. I was working at a one-hour photo at the time and I couldn't go trick-or-treating with them. :(
The next year she was a flower and Harper was a little black kitty cat. That year we went to a Safe Street thingy. It was in some model homes. There were way too many people there and not enough places to trick-or-treat. I don't know. I think all these safe street things are just too sanitized. It doesn't seem right. It might be good if it were an actual neighborhood where all the neighbors got together to organize something and the kids could still knock on doors and stuff.
Last year Saren was a firefighter an Harper was a flower fairy. We went to a carnival and Harper won the cutest costume prize for her age group. Or maybe it was prettiest. Saren was bummed that she didn't win anything. We also went to another safe street thing at the urging of my mother. It was also way too crowded and way too ...not like trick-or-treating. We also went to a bunch of houses in the neighborhood. We don't live in a fantastic neighborhood, so I was a bit worried, but it was pretty okay. We didn't see very many other trick-or-treaters at all. I wish people still felt safe doing it the "regular" way.
This year Saren is being Belle from Beauty and the Beast and Harper is being Winnie-the-Pooh. We're not doing anything other than just the regular trick-or-treating. Yay!
I guess I can squeeze this in before we go trick-or-treating. Blog-a-thon #1 Halloween
Although there might not end up being 6 entries.
When I was in the fourth grade, I got the chicken pox on Halloween and I couldn't go trick-or-treating. I was totally bummed out about it. I was at my friend's house, talking about our costumes with her mom, when her mom saw some spots on me and said, "Stephanie, you've got the chicken pox!" So I went home, and my mom gave me 7up and saltine crackers, and made me up a bed on the couch. I had dots of calomine lotion all over my body. I can't even remember what I was going to be.
Speaking of chicken pox, apparantly nowadays it's customary for kids to get vaccinated for chicken pox. I don't know a lot about vaccinating, but it seems a little ludicrous to me to get vaccinated for what is essentially a pretty mild disease. Yes, I know that chicken pox can become bad, but that's in relatively few cases, and there are always risks of things going wrong with vaccinations. That said, though, Saren has received her varicella shot. Harper hasn't and most likely won't. But now that so many kids have gotten it, it's going to be tough for her to catch it naturally and it's more dangerous to get it as an adult. So, I don't know. I guess we'll see what happens.
Hee. That was half about Halloween and half about the chicken pox.
When I was in the fourth grade, I got the chicken pox on Halloween and I couldn't go trick-or-treating. I was totally bummed out about it. I was at my friend's house, talking about our costumes with her mom, when her mom saw some spots on me and said, "Stephanie, you've got the chicken pox!" So I went home, and my mom gave me 7up and saltine crackers, and made me up a bed on the couch. I had dots of calomine lotion all over my body. I can't even remember what I was going to be.
Speaking of chicken pox, apparantly nowadays it's customary for kids to get vaccinated for chicken pox. I don't know a lot about vaccinating, but it seems a little ludicrous to me to get vaccinated for what is essentially a pretty mild disease. Yes, I know that chicken pox can become bad, but that's in relatively few cases, and there are always risks of things going wrong with vaccinations. That said, though, Saren has received her varicella shot. Harper hasn't and most likely won't. But now that so many kids have gotten it, it's going to be tough for her to catch it naturally and it's more dangerous to get it as an adult. So, I don't know. I guess we'll see what happens.
Hee. That was half about Halloween and half about the chicken pox.
Thursday, October 30, 2003
Dear computer, fuck you.
I had a very long entry written out relating many of the details of our trip to California and when I tried to upload some pictures to Yahoo (without first saving my entry or publishing it as a draft (doh)), aol froze up and I lost it. I lost it all. [crying in a very dramatic fashion]
I'll condense for you.
It was smoky.
The car's alternator belt broke in Rancho Cucamonga where ashes were falling like unenthusiastic rain.
We met cool people!
We missed seeing Annika and Will. [weeping]
Saren's favorite rides: Splash Mountain, Matterhorn, and Star Tours
Harper's favorite rides: the Mad Tea Party (teacups), Winnie-the-Pooh
The free continental breakfast was some cereal and milk.
The smell of Disneyland is a mixture of churros and some kind of moist rainforesty smell. I like it.
On the way back, the smoke followed us all the way to Las Vegas.
Today we carved pumpkins. I won't put them outside because of my fear that they will become infested with cockroaches. They are quite lovely though.
Tomorrow is Halloween and hopefully it won't be too windy to go trick-or-treating.
There's some stuff concerning... *gulp* ...school... that I will tell you tomorrow.
Here are some pictures from Disneyland. I have some of WDer's too, but last time I tried to upload them, it ended in much heartache so I'm postponing it. There are all too few anyway.
Also, I'm not entirely sure I'm going to be able to do the blog-a-thon at all tomorrow since it's turning out to be a much busier day than I had previously anticipated.
I'll condense for you.
It was smoky.
The car's alternator belt broke in Rancho Cucamonga where ashes were falling like unenthusiastic rain.
We met cool people!
We missed seeing Annika and Will. [weeping]
Saren's favorite rides: Splash Mountain, Matterhorn, and Star Tours
Harper's favorite rides: the Mad Tea Party (teacups), Winnie-the-Pooh
The free continental breakfast was some cereal and milk.
The smell of Disneyland is a mixture of churros and some kind of moist rainforesty smell. I like it.
On the way back, the smoke followed us all the way to Las Vegas.
Today we carved pumpkins. I won't put them outside because of my fear that they will become infested with cockroaches. They are quite lovely though.
Tomorrow is Halloween and hopefully it won't be too windy to go trick-or-treating.
There's some stuff concerning... *gulp* ...school... that I will tell you tomorrow.
Here are some pictures from Disneyland. I have some of WDer's too, but last time I tried to upload them, it ended in much heartache so I'm postponing it. There are all too few anyway.
Also, I'm not entirely sure I'm going to be able to do the blog-a-thon at all tomorrow since it's turning out to be a much busier day than I had previously anticipated.
Monday, October 27, 2003
Hahahaha! It's 8:30 in the morning!
I don't even know what that means!
Well, last night when I was trying to go to sleep, I realized that since we would be gone for the next three days, I should probably leave arrangements for the blog-a-thon. So, if you want to do it, or if you already have done it, go ahead and leave a comment on the Oct 22nd entry with your name and a permanent link to your first entry. Blogger doesn't like url tags so just type out the url and it will become a link when you post. Don't worry if it's too long and makes the comment box too wide. I'll live.
Bye, bye!
Well, last night when I was trying to go to sleep, I realized that since we would be gone for the next three days, I should probably leave arrangements for the blog-a-thon. So, if you want to do it, or if you already have done it, go ahead and leave a comment on the Oct 22nd entry with your name and a permanent link to your first entry. Blogger doesn't like url tags so just type out the url and it will become a link when you post. Don't worry if it's too long and makes the comment box too wide. I'll live.
Bye, bye!
Saturday, October 25, 2003
The b is for bargain!
Harper had an unfortunate couch-jumping incident and she sprained her knee. I was turned the other way, helping Saren play Zelda when I heard a cry of pain. She had been jumping from the arm of the couch onto the cushions (a favorite pastime) and I guess she landed wrong. She wouldn't stand on it and she wouldn't walk on it, and it was time to go to Saren's class, so I just carried her thinking it would probably get better in a little while. But she didn't feel any better yesterday morning so we took her to the Quick Care center to get it looked at.
After four excruciatingly long hours there, the final diagnosis was that she had a sprained knee. She has a thingy wrapped around it to keep it immobilized and I'm still carrying her around wherever she needs to go.
We're still going to go to Disneyland because it only hurts her when she walks on it and that can be gotten around by getting a stroller for her. Also, by then it might be a lot better anyway.
The Quick Care was absolutely hellish. Harper has gotten x-rays before, but this time I couldn't hold her in my lap, and the machine was intimidating and scary for her, and the technician was so very not helpful ("I just let 'em cry all they want, as long as I can get a good shot of the bone."), and she was screaming bloody murder. She was so scared and it was so heartbreaking. Then, later, when a really nice nurse came to wrap up her knee (a nurse with whom she had been friendly earlier), she started screaming again because she didn't know what was going on.
I feel upset with myself because in the x-ray room I should have just told the x-ray tech to hold onto his pants so that I could help my daughter to feel a little less scared out of her wits. But, once again, I didn't feel like I had the authority and like I wasn't the one in control. The more I think about it, the worse I feel. I need to be a better advocate for my children, even when it means that I need to get out of my comfort zone and speak up and do something that might irritate someone else. Bah.
After four excruciatingly long hours there, the final diagnosis was that she had a sprained knee. She has a thingy wrapped around it to keep it immobilized and I'm still carrying her around wherever she needs to go.
We're still going to go to Disneyland because it only hurts her when she walks on it and that can be gotten around by getting a stroller for her. Also, by then it might be a lot better anyway.
The Quick Care was absolutely hellish. Harper has gotten x-rays before, but this time I couldn't hold her in my lap, and the machine was intimidating and scary for her, and the technician was so very not helpful ("I just let 'em cry all they want, as long as I can get a good shot of the bone."), and she was screaming bloody murder. She was so scared and it was so heartbreaking. Then, later, when a really nice nurse came to wrap up her knee (a nurse with whom she had been friendly earlier), she started screaming again because she didn't know what was going on.
I feel upset with myself because in the x-ray room I should have just told the x-ray tech to hold onto his pants so that I could help my daughter to feel a little less scared out of her wits. But, once again, I didn't feel like I had the authority and like I wasn't the one in control. The more I think about it, the worse I feel. I need to be a better advocate for my children, even when it means that I need to get out of my comfort zone and speak up and do something that might irritate someone else. Bah.
Wednesday, October 22, 2003
Choose Your Own Blog-a-thon Adventure
Before I get to that though I'll just ramble on incoherently for a little while about stuff you may or may not want to hear about.
Harper indeed had the sniffles for about 12 and a half nanoseconds, while I have spent the past four days in various phases of illness and recovery. I didn't like it. I didn't like it a lot. Sickness blows.
Pizza Hut tried to charge me twice for a pizza I ordered once. I ordered it online on the 13th, and when I later checked out my balance online, I saw that I had an incorrect amount charged on the 14th and the correct amount charged on the 15th. Because of this, my checking account became overdrawn and I got charged 25 dollars by my bank. So I was pretty pissed off at Pizza Hut and I was all prepared for a fight, but when we went down there today to get it fixed, they just put the extra charge right back on my card, no questions asked. So that was kind of anticlimactic. Hopefully, my bank will allow me to be belligerent and upset when they tell me that it's not their problem and they can't put the 25 dollars back on my card.
When I was sick, I forgot how to spell calendar. I typed it, and then I stared at it, and I finally decided that it must look weird because I had stared at it for too long so I just let it be.
I made a reservation for a hotel room for the California trip, so there's no backing out now. I'm slightly worried about it because I booked it online and the screen said that there were two queen sized beds, but the confirmation screen said there was only one bed. Then I am also worried that because I did it online, I have somehow been duped and there is no reservation and someone is spending my money right now. I'll probably call the hotel as soon as we can find our long distance card and find out for sure and everything will be fine. Right?
I hope I remember to record Spaingel for Pat tonight. Someone should remind me at like 8:45 or I know I'm totally going to forget.
Okay, the other thing. There has been a special request for a blog-a-thon this month, but since there is not a lot of time left in this month, it's a free-for-all. Meaning that you can totally choose your own day. Any day between now and the end of the month is cool, all you have to do is pick 6 (not 12 this time) hours in the day of your choice in which to write once every hour in your blog or blurty. There is also a theme this time, but it's totally and completely optional. The theme is Halloween. Anything that you can think of that you feel fits the theme of Halloween is acceptable. It's also acceptable to not do the theme at all. When you finish, there will be a place for you to put your name and a link to your first entry. There isn't one right now, but I wanted to give everyone a head's up as soon as possible, so that you have time to think about it. I don't know if there will be very many participants this time, but if not, that's okay too. I plan on doing it again in the near future. Oh, also. My plan is to do it on Halloween (October 31st), just in case you wanted to know. I will give you more information about where you can put your names and links when I have it, but if you feel you need to do this immediately, don't worry about it. Your information can always be added after the fact. Okay, let me know if you have any questions.
Harper indeed had the sniffles for about 12 and a half nanoseconds, while I have spent the past four days in various phases of illness and recovery. I didn't like it. I didn't like it a lot. Sickness blows.
Pizza Hut tried to charge me twice for a pizza I ordered once. I ordered it online on the 13th, and when I later checked out my balance online, I saw that I had an incorrect amount charged on the 14th and the correct amount charged on the 15th. Because of this, my checking account became overdrawn and I got charged 25 dollars by my bank. So I was pretty pissed off at Pizza Hut and I was all prepared for a fight, but when we went down there today to get it fixed, they just put the extra charge right back on my card, no questions asked. So that was kind of anticlimactic. Hopefully, my bank will allow me to be belligerent and upset when they tell me that it's not their problem and they can't put the 25 dollars back on my card.
When I was sick, I forgot how to spell calendar. I typed it, and then I stared at it, and I finally decided that it must look weird because I had stared at it for too long so I just let it be.
I made a reservation for a hotel room for the California trip, so there's no backing out now. I'm slightly worried about it because I booked it online and the screen said that there were two queen sized beds, but the confirmation screen said there was only one bed. Then I am also worried that because I did it online, I have somehow been duped and there is no reservation and someone is spending my money right now. I'll probably call the hotel as soon as we can find our long distance card and find out for sure and everything will be fine. Right?
I hope I remember to record Spaingel for Pat tonight. Someone should remind me at like 8:45 or I know I'm totally going to forget.
Okay, the other thing. There has been a special request for a blog-a-thon this month, but since there is not a lot of time left in this month, it's a free-for-all. Meaning that you can totally choose your own day. Any day between now and the end of the month is cool, all you have to do is pick 6 (not 12 this time) hours in the day of your choice in which to write once every hour in your blog or blurty. There is also a theme this time, but it's totally and completely optional. The theme is Halloween. Anything that you can think of that you feel fits the theme of Halloween is acceptable. It's also acceptable to not do the theme at all. When you finish, there will be a place for you to put your name and a link to your first entry. There isn't one right now, but I wanted to give everyone a head's up as soon as possible, so that you have time to think about it. I don't know if there will be very many participants this time, but if not, that's okay too. I plan on doing it again in the near future. Oh, also. My plan is to do it on Halloween (October 31st), just in case you wanted to know. I will give you more information about where you can put your names and links when I have it, but if you feel you need to do this immediately, don't worry about it. Your information can always be added after the fact. Okay, let me know if you have any questions.
Friday, October 17, 2003
So, I'll never do that again.
Last month I signed up the girls for three classes. They are all on the other side of town. I didn't think it would be a big deal, but um... god, it sucks. I've just about used up a week's worth of gas in two days. Plus, they spend more time in the car than they do in their classes, what with the dropping off and picking up of the P@. And it's timed just perfectly so that I get stuck in traffic and pissed off at the world 6 times in one day. So, I'll not be doing that again. I just wish there were similar classes on our side of town, conveniently held on Mondays, when Pat is off.
I haven't blogged in a long time and I don't really understand why. The desire just hasn't been there. Also, I signed up for a 30 day free trial of Typepad (Movable Type for the server-less?) on a whim and I don't think I like it. The basic version has more features than blogger, but less flexibility with templates, which is all-important. Also, also, aol has a new blogging service, but I really, really don't like it. However, it is very easy to put photos on, so I may use it in conjunction with the 2 Girls blog.
Saren was sick the past few days and now her voice is all scratchy. When your voice gets scratchy and hoarse after being sick, that's like the reward for putting up with your body making you feel like shit. Seriously, there's nothing funner than a scratchy voice. Well, maybe a few things are funner. Also, I think Harper is getting sick now and that's not fun.
I haven't blogged in a long time and I don't really understand why. The desire just hasn't been there. Also, I signed up for a 30 day free trial of Typepad (Movable Type for the server-less?) on a whim and I don't think I like it. The basic version has more features than blogger, but less flexibility with templates, which is all-important. Also, also, aol has a new blogging service, but I really, really don't like it. However, it is very easy to put photos on, so I may use it in conjunction with the 2 Girls blog.
Saren was sick the past few days and now her voice is all scratchy. When your voice gets scratchy and hoarse after being sick, that's like the reward for putting up with your body making you feel like shit. Seriously, there's nothing funner than a scratchy voice. Well, maybe a few things are funner. Also, I think Harper is getting sick now and that's not fun.
Sunday, October 12, 2003
Ren Faire
Today we went to the Ren Faire and it was rather a disappointment. There were a lot of factors working against us. We woke up later than we intended to, and ended up rushing there without Pat or me having eaten. It was insanely hot. Their one ATM machine broke. Harper was hot and thirsty and our two 2 dollar bottles of water ran out too quickly and she wasn't interested in anything. There were way too many people.
They put up the fences in such a way that all of the park's drinking fountains were blocked off. That pissed me off. I mean really pissed me off. Was it really so important for them to make that extra bit of money off of water that they had to make my child suffer needlessly on a super-hot day, while walking all over the fair, with dust flying all about?
It could have been better. It could have been a lot better. But the price of things was irritating me, and the heat was irritating me, and I was about to faint from not having had anything to eat. We finally found some hot dogs (the cheapest thing to eat there at 3 dollars a dog) and I felt a lot better after that.
Also, they didn't have a petting zoo this time, or a pony ride, which Saren was looking forward to. She did ride on the camel with Pat (Harper didn't want to go this year, she started crying), but she complained that it was too short of a ride. I don't know if it was any shorter than it was last year, but we were all in pretty grumpy moods.
Some other good parts were that there was a little pirate ship on the pond and the people on it fired a cannon at the shore and the shore people fired a cannon back at them. (Harper wasn't real fond of that.) There was a dragon made out of metal that shot fire out of its nose. Saren liked that. We saw it last year too. We also watched part of an archery tournament. I like archery. We watched a man fold himself into a little plastic box. That was cool.
I would say it will be better next year, but if all goes well, we will be in Oregon this time next year. I don't know if Eugene has a renaissance fair, but Portland most likely does.
They put up the fences in such a way that all of the park's drinking fountains were blocked off. That pissed me off. I mean really pissed me off. Was it really so important for them to make that extra bit of money off of water that they had to make my child suffer needlessly on a super-hot day, while walking all over the fair, with dust flying all about?
It could have been better. It could have been a lot better. But the price of things was irritating me, and the heat was irritating me, and I was about to faint from not having had anything to eat. We finally found some hot dogs (the cheapest thing to eat there at 3 dollars a dog) and I felt a lot better after that.
Also, they didn't have a petting zoo this time, or a pony ride, which Saren was looking forward to. She did ride on the camel with Pat (Harper didn't want to go this year, she started crying), but she complained that it was too short of a ride. I don't know if it was any shorter than it was last year, but we were all in pretty grumpy moods.
Some other good parts were that there was a little pirate ship on the pond and the people on it fired a cannon at the shore and the shore people fired a cannon back at them. (Harper wasn't real fond of that.) There was a dragon made out of metal that shot fire out of its nose. Saren liked that. We saw it last year too. We also watched part of an archery tournament. I like archery. We watched a man fold himself into a little plastic box. That was cool.
I would say it will be better next year, but if all goes well, we will be in Oregon this time next year. I don't know if Eugene has a renaissance fair, but Portland most likely does.
Saturday, October 11, 2003
Tribal... ness.
Pat told me as he left to work for the man today that he wanted me to blog so that he would have something to read when he got home. So I thought I would write about what he and I talked about briefly while we were eating dinner the other day.
After reading Quinn, I have been thinking a lot about what it would be like to live tribally. In Beyond Civilization, Quinn is mostly talking about tribal businesses, which I also have been thinking about a lot, but this entry is about my thoughts on what it would be like to live tribally. And in trying to picture it, I get to a point where I just feel uncomfortable with the whole thing.
You see, on the one hand it seems extremely appealing to me. To be able to have a group of people who you can depend on and who can depend on you, in a different way than you might depend on family and in a different way than you might depend on a friend. I was also reading something recently about "low-work tribes." Where a group of people might pool their resources so that they might not have to rely so heavily on what some people lovingly call "wage slavery"*. This person's ideas were a bit extreme for me, but the gist of it was appealing.
Every time I get to a point where I am imagining living in close proximity to a bunch of other people, that's where I start to feel a bit antsy. There is this idea of a large group of people sharing one large house instead of all of them living seperately in smaller houses so as to cut the costs of housing for them all. I just start thinking about what that would be like and I really don't like it. I like living with my family just fine, and I could tolerate living with my parents and brothers when I did that, but there has only been one time where I have lived with someone who wasn't family or who I wasn't romantically involved with and I hated it.
Then I started thinking that maybe we are trained to feel this way. Certainly not everyone would be turned off by the idea of sharing a large house with a group of people who were part of a neo-tribe, but I do think the idea would make a lot of people uncomfortable. Think about it. Our culture is all about independence and isolation, right from birth. We are born into this world and immediately we are taken from our mothers loving arms for poking and prodding. I don't think it's as standard as it used to be, but even when Saren was born (a mere 6 years ago), they took her away from me, kept her in the nursery, and brought her to me only to be fed. Then we put our babies in cribs, and strollers, and mechanical swings, and playpens, and all manner of things that keep them separate from us. We applaud their first steps, we worry when they don't take their first steps before the neighbor's kid, we send them off to preschool when they are 3 and kindergarten when they are 5, and every time they do something on their own, we are happy and we let them know. If they do it before the other kids do it, we brag about it. We can't wait to separate from our parents and get out of the house. Our parents usually can't wait to get rid of us either. Not overtly, not in a mean way, but parents often make good-natured jokes about how as soon as their kids turn 18 they're "out of here." I've known parents to start charging rent as soon as their kids were 18 if they weren't in college. When our parents get old, they often live on their own or in a nursing home or in a community especially for older people.
I'm not saying total dependence is a desirable thing, but I do think that we could do with a little more of it. I think that it would keep us from being so isolated. Is it such a horrible thing for an intergenerational family to live together? Why are we so averse to that? And, taking it a step further, is it such a horrible thing for people who may not be part of the same family to live together and depend on eachother? My brain says no, but my gut says, "Yuck."
But then again... A while back I read a thread on Ishcon about tribal architecture. Someone described a kind of apartment buidling that would be shaped a little like a flower. A floor would be one central area that would have a living area and a big communal kitchen and off of this central area would be different living spaces for separate families or people. With an area for sleeping and a just private area. And then different layers of flower could be stacked one on top of the other. And that, actually, really does sound appealing. That, I think I could definitely deal with. So maybe the problem is that you can't really take a tribal lifestyle and slap it on top of the existing structure, you have to think in wholly different terms.
The problem with that is, of course, that you have to work with what exists, and that means slapping a tribal lifestyle on top of existing structures. I'm sure there are ways to get around that though. People should definitely join my tribe once I figure out how to actually do it.
*like me!
After reading Quinn, I have been thinking a lot about what it would be like to live tribally. In Beyond Civilization, Quinn is mostly talking about tribal businesses, which I also have been thinking about a lot, but this entry is about my thoughts on what it would be like to live tribally. And in trying to picture it, I get to a point where I just feel uncomfortable with the whole thing.
You see, on the one hand it seems extremely appealing to me. To be able to have a group of people who you can depend on and who can depend on you, in a different way than you might depend on family and in a different way than you might depend on a friend. I was also reading something recently about "low-work tribes." Where a group of people might pool their resources so that they might not have to rely so heavily on what some people lovingly call "wage slavery"*. This person's ideas were a bit extreme for me, but the gist of it was appealing.
Every time I get to a point where I am imagining living in close proximity to a bunch of other people, that's where I start to feel a bit antsy. There is this idea of a large group of people sharing one large house instead of all of them living seperately in smaller houses so as to cut the costs of housing for them all. I just start thinking about what that would be like and I really don't like it. I like living with my family just fine, and I could tolerate living with my parents and brothers when I did that, but there has only been one time where I have lived with someone who wasn't family or who I wasn't romantically involved with and I hated it.
Then I started thinking that maybe we are trained to feel this way. Certainly not everyone would be turned off by the idea of sharing a large house with a group of people who were part of a neo-tribe, but I do think the idea would make a lot of people uncomfortable. Think about it. Our culture is all about independence and isolation, right from birth. We are born into this world and immediately we are taken from our mothers loving arms for poking and prodding. I don't think it's as standard as it used to be, but even when Saren was born (a mere 6 years ago), they took her away from me, kept her in the nursery, and brought her to me only to be fed. Then we put our babies in cribs, and strollers, and mechanical swings, and playpens, and all manner of things that keep them separate from us. We applaud their first steps, we worry when they don't take their first steps before the neighbor's kid, we send them off to preschool when they are 3 and kindergarten when they are 5, and every time they do something on their own, we are happy and we let them know. If they do it before the other kids do it, we brag about it. We can't wait to separate from our parents and get out of the house. Our parents usually can't wait to get rid of us either. Not overtly, not in a mean way, but parents often make good-natured jokes about how as soon as their kids turn 18 they're "out of here." I've known parents to start charging rent as soon as their kids were 18 if they weren't in college. When our parents get old, they often live on their own or in a nursing home or in a community especially for older people.
I'm not saying total dependence is a desirable thing, but I do think that we could do with a little more of it. I think that it would keep us from being so isolated. Is it such a horrible thing for an intergenerational family to live together? Why are we so averse to that? And, taking it a step further, is it such a horrible thing for people who may not be part of the same family to live together and depend on eachother? My brain says no, but my gut says, "Yuck."
But then again... A while back I read a thread on Ishcon about tribal architecture. Someone described a kind of apartment buidling that would be shaped a little like a flower. A floor would be one central area that would have a living area and a big communal kitchen and off of this central area would be different living spaces for separate families or people. With an area for sleeping and a just private area. And then different layers of flower could be stacked one on top of the other. And that, actually, really does sound appealing. That, I think I could definitely deal with. So maybe the problem is that you can't really take a tribal lifestyle and slap it on top of the existing structure, you have to think in wholly different terms.
The problem with that is, of course, that you have to work with what exists, and that means slapping a tribal lifestyle on top of existing structures. I'm sure there are ways to get around that though. People should definitely join my tribe once I figure out how to actually do it.
*like me!
Friday, October 10, 2003
I think in blog entries.
Which I suppose is extremely pitiful. But, actually, it might be that I have always thought in diary-ish entries, and it's only now that I have a blog that I categorize my thoughts as being blog entry-like.
And even though I think in blog entries, I still don't have anything to say right now. The blog entries that enter my head throughout the day usually disappear just as quickly as they came. However, I do have one from early this morning that I happen to remember, so I'll give it to you.
My violent side. <----title
If our across-the-street neighbor wakes me up at 6 a.m. one more time screaming the words, "Get the fuck outta here, bitch!" and "That's bullshit, bitch!!"* while hitting a something metal with a something else that is very clearly also metal, I will pick up my non-existent baseball bat and saunter over to his house in my t-shirt and underwear, and I will bash his ridiculous, expletive-filled head into teensy, eensy little pieces, which I will then feed to the other neighbor, who can often be found in the middle of the street, shouting at the top of his lungs for his dog, SpongeBob, to come home. All the expletives will poison the dog-shouter. Two birds, one stone.
Then I will take the non-existent baseball bat to the company headquarters of Midol, and I will tell them that next time they want to include some free Midol with a package of tampons, they better damn well include enough to get me through two periods and not just one and a half. I'll hit them right in their uteri and I'll say, "How do you like that, bastards?!"
I'm actually feeling a lot better now though, thanks for asking.
*yes, this has happened more than once** and with those same words
**more than twice, even
And even though I think in blog entries, I still don't have anything to say right now. The blog entries that enter my head throughout the day usually disappear just as quickly as they came. However, I do have one from early this morning that I happen to remember, so I'll give it to you.
My violent side. <----title
If our across-the-street neighbor wakes me up at 6 a.m. one more time screaming the words, "Get the fuck outta here, bitch!" and "That's bullshit, bitch!!"* while hitting a something metal with a something else that is very clearly also metal, I will pick up my non-existent baseball bat and saunter over to his house in my t-shirt and underwear, and I will bash his ridiculous, expletive-filled head into teensy, eensy little pieces, which I will then feed to the other neighbor, who can often be found in the middle of the street, shouting at the top of his lungs for his dog, SpongeBob, to come home. All the expletives will poison the dog-shouter. Two birds, one stone.
Then I will take the non-existent baseball bat to the company headquarters of Midol, and I will tell them that next time they want to include some free Midol with a package of tampons, they better damn well include enough to get me through two periods and not just one and a half. I'll hit them right in their uteri and I'll say, "How do you like that, bastards?!"
I'm actually feeling a lot better now though, thanks for asking.
*yes, this has happened more than once** and with those same words
**more than twice, even
Wednesday, October 08, 2003
No title?!?
Eureka! Yesterday, we decided to go to Trader Joe's instead of Wild Oats for our groceries and I decided that Trader Joe's is my new favorite place to shop. They had herbal shampoo for 1.99! Yay! And it smells really, really good. Also, they have a better, cheaper selection of bread, and cheaper milk that still doesn't have hormones in it. And the juice boxes that I like to buy the girls are 60 cents cheaper than at Wild Oats. I totally dig Trader's Joes.
We also went to the park and fed the ducks and geese. And the evil, evil pigeons. *shudder* "No, get away from my feet with those horrible, sharp beaks, you demon-spawn!!!" That's some scary stuff.
Today, we met Pat's friend, Jared, at the park (a different park) with his daughter, who is one year younger than Saren. They, of course, became fast friends. They played in the mud and got soaking wet in the drinking fountain because the water-squirting whale and elephant were out of commission. Jared told us that his daughter, who is in Kindergarten, has a bunch of homework every night. As they were leaving, he said that she had to get to bed by 8 o'clock. Sometimes I take for granted the life we get to live due to unschooling. I'm really so grateful that we found unschooling. Not having homework concerns and not having bedtimes are just two examples of the freedoms that we have. I'm so glad to be living life on our terms.
We also went to the park and fed the ducks and geese. And the evil, evil pigeons. *shudder* "No, get away from my feet with those horrible, sharp beaks, you demon-spawn!!!" That's some scary stuff.
Today, we met Pat's friend, Jared, at the park (a different park) with his daughter, who is one year younger than Saren. They, of course, became fast friends. They played in the mud and got soaking wet in the drinking fountain because the water-squirting whale and elephant were out of commission. Jared told us that his daughter, who is in Kindergarten, has a bunch of homework every night. As they were leaving, he said that she had to get to bed by 8 o'clock. Sometimes I take for granted the life we get to live due to unschooling. I'm really so grateful that we found unschooling. Not having homework concerns and not having bedtimes are just two examples of the freedoms that we have. I'm so glad to be living life on our terms.
Monday, October 06, 2003
Get the whole story.
That is the slogan that the news department is going to use at Pat's work. I told him that it was a message to the reporters from the station. Heeeeee!
I haven't been feeling very much like blogging lately. I'm not unhappy or anything, I just keep not wanting to blog. I had a beginning of an entry typed out the other day and I saved it as a draft, but I just deleted it because bleah.
I painted my toenails purple! Yay! I occasionally paint my toenails, but I never paint my fingernails and here is the reason why: my eyes are far enough away from my toes that I can't tell what a crappy job I did.
I ordered pizza from Pizza Hut online tonight for our dinner. That doesn't count on the fast food moratorium. But the Del Taco we had last night does. [/shame]
I'm thinking of flying a kite tomorrow.
I haven't been feeling very much like blogging lately. I'm not unhappy or anything, I just keep not wanting to blog. I had a beginning of an entry typed out the other day and I saved it as a draft, but I just deleted it because bleah.
I painted my toenails purple! Yay! I occasionally paint my toenails, but I never paint my fingernails and here is the reason why: my eyes are far enough away from my toes that I can't tell what a crappy job I did.
I ordered pizza from Pizza Hut online tonight for our dinner. That doesn't count on the fast food moratorium. But the Del Taco we had last night does. [/shame]
I'm thinking of flying a kite tomorrow.
Thursday, October 02, 2003
Insert Another, Even Better Title Here!!!
I wrote a story about Saren learning simple fractions and multiplication without having been taught it in the 2 Girls Blog. I was going to double post it, but I'm a bit lazy. Actually, wait. It was more work to do it this way. Doh!
So, we were at the corner market (this means am/pm (am/pm means 7-11 (7-11 means convenience store))) (just so we all know what I'm talking about) and the girls and Pat went in while I waited in the car. Somewhere from one of the cars in the parking lot, I heard the sound of "It's a Hard-knock Life" from Annie. I was thinking how wierd that it was for someone to be listening to the Annie soundtrack in their car so loudly when I realized that it was part of a rap song. You know how rap songs go "rap, rap, rap, rap, rap, rap, singing"? "It's a Hard-knock Life" was the singing part. I thought that was incredibly surreal.
I made chili dogs for dinner. And I used hot dogs that don't have nitrites or nitrates. See? They do so exist, Pat! In your face! And they were good.
So, we were at the corner market (this means am/pm (am/pm means 7-11 (7-11 means convenience store))) (just so we all know what I'm talking about) and the girls and Pat went in while I waited in the car. Somewhere from one of the cars in the parking lot, I heard the sound of "It's a Hard-knock Life" from Annie. I was thinking how wierd that it was for someone to be listening to the Annie soundtrack in their car so loudly when I realized that it was part of a rap song. You know how rap songs go "rap, rap, rap, rap, rap, rap, singing"? "It's a Hard-knock Life" was the singing part. I thought that was incredibly surreal.
I made chili dogs for dinner. And I used hot dogs that don't have nitrites or nitrates. See? They do so exist, Pat! In your face! And they were good.
Wednesday, October 01, 2003
Insert Title Here
So we watched the season premiere of Spangel tonight and the gay jokes were as thick as molasses. I give it a thumbs up because it was on. My requirements for good entertainment aren't high tonight.
...twenty minutes later...
Oh, for crying out loud! I can't think of anything else to say!
In lieu of things that are interesting, I offer you this list of the first ten words that I think of:
pickles
dragonfly
lavender
unresisting
bilious
portentous
megalomaniacal
unctuous
big
the
...twenty minutes later...
Oh, for crying out loud! I can't think of anything else to say!
In lieu of things that are interesting, I offer you this list of the first ten words that I think of:
pickles
dragonfly
lavender
unresisting
bilious
portentous
megalomaniacal
unctuous
big
the
All right already!
You know those decals that people have on their cars that look like little bullet holes? They should just read, "Hi! I'm lame!" That would save those people a lot of time. Especially if they put the bullet hole decal on a window. People. Are you windows made of steel? (that makes more sense if you've actually seen the decals)
So, I was playing Neopets the other day (shut up!) and I started to realize exactly how heavily sponsored it is. There are actually areas of that website where children are awarded neopoints for watching commercials. There's a McDonald's Land and a GM cereals land and I don't know what else. And then it hit me that the whole Neopets thing is just a model of what we do all the time every day. You work (play games) to earn money (neopoints) so that you can buy useless crap (useless neocrap). It's like a huge commercial for consumerism. It's a way to program children into materialism. As if they needed any further programming. Also, I hadn't played in a long time and my pet was dying. Apparently, when they reach the dying stage they just stay in dying limbo until you come along and feed them some free omelette or something.
Speaking of materialism, I'm irritated with my own inability to not consume. We went to Learning is Fun (Pat calls it Learning is Expensive) and I managed to spend 27 dollars on stuff we didn't really need and that was probably not worth the amount we paid. We also bought stuff at Target. Some was needed, some was definitely not, and a lot of it could have been gotten for cheaper or used. My insatiable hankerin' for bright and shiny new things is driving me crazy.
Other than that, just wanted to say that we are definitely going to L.A. in October for three days and that we will be stopping by CassyLee's party and that we will be going to Disneyland. I'm very excited. The girls are too. And that other guy we live with. I think this may be one of the last times we will be able to make a Disneyland trip for a while since once we move, our funds will be rather limited and we will most likely use them for visiting family in Vegas when we can.
So, I was playing Neopets the other day (shut up!) and I started to realize exactly how heavily sponsored it is. There are actually areas of that website where children are awarded neopoints for watching commercials. There's a McDonald's Land and a GM cereals land and I don't know what else. And then it hit me that the whole Neopets thing is just a model of what we do all the time every day. You work (play games) to earn money (neopoints) so that you can buy useless crap (useless neocrap). It's like a huge commercial for consumerism. It's a way to program children into materialism. As if they needed any further programming. Also, I hadn't played in a long time and my pet was dying. Apparently, when they reach the dying stage they just stay in dying limbo until you come along and feed them some free omelette or something.
Speaking of materialism, I'm irritated with my own inability to not consume. We went to Learning is Fun (Pat calls it Learning is Expensive) and I managed to spend 27 dollars on stuff we didn't really need and that was probably not worth the amount we paid. We also bought stuff at Target. Some was needed, some was definitely not, and a lot of it could have been gotten for cheaper or used. My insatiable hankerin' for bright and shiny new things is driving me crazy.
Other than that, just wanted to say that we are definitely going to L.A. in October for three days and that we will be stopping by CassyLee's party and that we will be going to Disneyland. I'm very excited. The girls are too. And that other guy we live with. I think this may be one of the last times we will be able to make a Disneyland trip for a while since once we move, our funds will be rather limited and we will most likely use them for visiting family in Vegas when we can.
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