“Don’t refer to me as ‘him’.” -Rob “Refer to him as ‘thou’.” -Tom, 3/20/06
—3/21/06
“Take me in / no questions asked / You strip away the ugliness / that surrounds me / Are you an angel / Am I already that gone / I only hope that I won't disappoint you / ... / Sweet surrender”
—SML
“ See the window upon the free world closing slowly / And poor men crawl upon your boney knees again / Imagine how it goes, I believe in sweet surrender / And searching for so long, it will stay with me forever”
March 22, 2006
Instantiate Does Not Mean Instantly
time 5:05 pm feeling sleepy wearing gray music stuff I dled reading term limits ready for contacts out, glasses in next leave!
Time for an update. I have a lot to say so keep that in mind. First, I thought I was going to get canned today, or, at the very least, reprimanded. (I'm a worrier, wanna know why?? Well there are several reasons, both nature and nurture, but we won't get into that right now...you should be able to figure it out though!) Naw just kidding, but I DID think there was something seriously going on at good ol' OC. My boss emailed us yesterday telling us to keep noon hour free for a 'group lunch meeting.' OH GREAT, I thought. It really did freak me out, mainly because I am SUPER lame, haha, but in the end I had nothing to worry about. This is what happened:
We went to the Sample Room. Sat down. They brought out champagne. My bosses then led us to toast our good fortune, great coworkers, and 'awesome' work. Then we ordered and ate lunch and talked about cannibalism, video games, and kids (the usual). I had a romaine/strawberry/goat cheese/chicken salad (instead of the usual BLT with Rob and Peter). Now of course I feel like I am going to pass out from that champagne but what can you do. Ahh, all that worrying for naught.
(I have such a cush job. I should be shot.)
So anyway there's that. Then, I was for a brief moment kicking everyone's ass in my pool. I was even 47th out of like 3000 at the U. See, I am prophetic and picked Wichita State over TN. Then, hell went down. UNC lost and it was all over. Those were my champs baby. Alas. I take comfort in the fact that, actually, I take NO comfort, because the Big 10 SUCKS and it's so EMBARASSING how badly we SUCK. YUCK. That's that. Here's to upsets and other such fancies, as well as a better year for Big 10 NEXT YEAR BABY (and hopefully the Gophs, too!).
More importantly, I visited Jenny in her new digs in Chicago last weekend. That's right folks, she's all set up and fancy free in Chitown like the J-dogg she is. Or something. We had an awesome time. Fell asleep Saturday night in the living room with candles burning all over the apartment, but other than that, no troubles. She took me out for Mexican food and it was DELICIOUS, right by her apt. (She lives within a mile radius of like every international food possible, plus by a sweet ass grocery store that I NEED to have near me! Yum.) We then went to Matt's (Friday) where we had $5 bottles of wine with his friends and cousin, then on to some bar where I was innundated with TVs showing bracket stats that I couldn't ignore and Matt trying to force Jenny to do a backflip which would have been DEATH for everyone around us. (Not that J can't do that. Just that she can't not kick anyone in those close quarters.) Jenny bought me a drink and I thought I was on my way to another rarity, which = me getting trashed, but somehow I evaded that whole existence. Which is probably good.
Then we returned to Matt's at like 3 after getting him a burrito (YES I STAYED UP THAT LATE!!! AREN'T YOU ALL PROUD?!?!) where all three of us crashed on the futon for awhile at Jenny's insistence ("snug as little bugs in a rug!" she crowed!), and I eventually fell asleep under the glaring, burning light (AAAH!).
Saturday we went DT from Matt's and walked around, it was so much fun. Millennium Park (Cloud Gate is STILL not done! Hm), H20 Plus, and of course American Girl Place. Ah, just like our days of old when we were little and hanging out in Chicago, minus a museum and plus AG Place. I can't/couldn't believe J hadn't been there. It's now the third or fourth time I've been and I'm sure by now they have a watch out for me or something, because it's GOT to be really creepy to have this 24-year-old with no kids in tow coming in and telling her companions every dang thing there is to know about American Girls. FREAKY I AM. Anyhow I am less than pleased with the direction that company's taking, but I digress.
We finally left, did IKEA (YAY cool lights and 99 cent flashlights!) and the grocers and then J made me the most awesome meal EVER, curried pork and rice and veggies and a HUGE salad and tasty bread and a chocolate orange. AWESOME JJ you rock. Then the candle-sleeping. Then at 4:30 we actually went to BED and can I say Jenny's bed is amazing, almost as amazing as mine if not more. Why is amazing my new favorite word, someone slap me. Anyway. Made cookies in the morning for Dad and headed back to Madison, where I got to see Mom/Dad and hear a sweet tape about my Dad's insanely clever architectural designs/brain and then back to MPLS. Whew. It was just a great, great weekend. THANK YOU JENNY!!!
....
Um, are we done here? Not quite...a little more. I am so excited to move. Well scratch that, I am so excited to be in my new APARTMENT. MOVING itself is stressful and sucky and just not cool, but you gotta do what you gotta do. So we'll see.
Um, what else. Oh yeah OK there is one more thing I would like to talk about, actually two. One. What is up with this country??!!! Seriously, honest to God I am ready to move to Cascadia and like fight for freedom or something, or make a Minne-TOPIA that is also of secession-mindedness, and just live like that. So many things that have gone on in the past month make me want to do very bad things that I can't type here for fear of being on Bushie's WATCHDOGDEATHLIST but you get the picture. I just want to know what everyone's problem is with gay people, most importantly. SO? THEY'RE GAY. SO? YOU HAVE STINKY FEET. I mean, what if this country were to outlaw adoption for people with smelly feet?! (stolen from Waning).
Let this be of public record that should I ever find myself residing in a state that outright outlaws gay marriage and/or gay adoption, I will move outta there so fast you won't even know I was there. Seriously, that's how awful I think it is. I absolutely DO NOT want to support a state that doesn't support equal rights. Out of the question. I am just counting the days until January 2009 in hope, in utter hope, of a resolution to this. Or at least a start!!
.....
OK three things. Second thing: Are people stupid??!! JUST NOW THREE YEARS LATER they are calling the war in Iraq a farce?! I know I've said this before BUT IT WAS OBVIOUS ALL ALONG, IDIOTS! OK breathe Lexi breathe. It makes me sick to my stomach to think about the US being there for a grand total of 5+ years possibly. SICK. Again, Jan 2009 cannot come fast enough.
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THIRD THING: The environment. I need to admit something here: I used to not care about the environment. Yes, that's right, born and raised in Madison, student of Crestwood Elementary where we were OBSESSED with the environment (no joke!), and I gave it up for awhile. Somewhere between Crestwood and My University-Inspired Inspiration (if that makes sense), I lost touch. That is SAD folks. Just sad, sad, sad. I thought the environment was for chumps. Then again I also used to think I was a Libertarian, and in 5th grade supported Ross Perot so you never know.
Anyway. So attending a Large University comes with it some random requirements for every student, including a class with an environmental element to it. (Initially, being the annoying person I am, I deemed these requirements LAME and whatever. Now having gone through them, ESPECIALLY the env't one, I am 100% a supporter of this type of thing. After all, a college education may well include a useful major, but MUST include a broad, thought-provoking survey of the world, or something. IMHO, of course.) So junior year I found myself in Geology 1001 (with a whole bunch of freshpeople who wanted to be my friends, ha), a physical science/env't emphasis class.
That class was AWESOME. I had the BEST instuctor, Karen Kleinspehn? I think her name was?, yes it was, here is an article featuring her, and she was SO passionate not just about geology (believe it or not!! you geology haters out there), but about saving the EARTH by educating people ABOUT geology, the earth, and the history/fragility of the planet at large. To sum it up, she was/is the bomb. I left that class with a newfound passion for environmental situations that has not left me since. Now, that's not to say I'm a demonstrator or organizer or anything; moreso that I am actually INTERESTED in the env't, the Earth's well-being, and what small things I can do as a consumer to help.
I love it. Now if only the REST of the world would be so lucky to understand..."What?! You mean global warming is REAL? No one told me..." Just like the war buddy, oh yeah...
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OKAY FOUR THINGS. The FOURTH: I saw ultrasound pics of mini-Stephie today and she is adorable! (For a small kid in a womb that is, haha, but not an alien!) I cannot wait and J and I already devising plans to visit. The plan is this: we will visit when she is sufficiently fine with visitors visiting (did you get that?!) post-pregnancy. I will handle the baby, since J claims to not be good with babies (how is that possible?!). Jenny will handle Stephie and/or errands. Sound good?
I thought so. Happy MARCH MADNESS everyone!!
—Lexi