My Place

For One Who Will Stand in the Wind

Halt here a minute,
Winds, waters, scurrilous dust
Spitting my senses at me,
Contemptuous.

Stop long enough,
Make way enough.
Little the land and air I occupy.
Rivers run past such as I
Ungossiping to the sea
With no treasured drift of me.

Slight my space,
Short my minute,
Commensurate with what I am.
Yet scorn me disproportionately,
Not at all, comrades,
Since out of nearly nothing
I cry a brief equality
Who am small and great as this
Irrelevant antithesis.

Megabus

Here's what I learned:

Book in advance to get the cheapest seats. It's worth going on a bus if you can go super cheap.

Expect them to be late. We waited an hour for our bus to arrive. Some people waited 2-3 hours.

Travel with someone else (who you know and like) if possible.

Expect there will be annoying people talking endlessly. I sat next to someone who kept using her cellphone to tell 4-5 different people the same story about her weekend.

Expect there will also be accommodating, nice people.

Have at least one person in your group go immediately to save seats. I think the table seats would be best. There are 2 tables that seat 4 each. So try to snag them first. They have more leg room and obviously table space for food and beverages. You could also play cards & other games.

While some members of your group save seats, have someone else take care of the luggage. Stand toward the middle or back of the line (not the very end). They fill-up on baggage space quickly, so you don't want to be last because they may not have room. But it's good to be toward the end because then you'll get your bag off first, and you'll be on your merry way before everyone else, once you arrive at your destination.

Cincinnati Chili Madlib

In honor of recent travels:

Madlib from: http://www.writing.com/main/madlibs/item_id/396719#sw

"You're taking a road-trip in the good ol' USA--so what might you see, eat, and otherwise experience? Whatever it is, you will surely have this experience only by traveling the Madlib way! Fasten your seat belts, 'cos you're in for a strange ride!!!

Things You Might Eat In Restaurants Along The Way:

Scrambled donuts
Salisbury Skittles
Baked Pringles with sour cream & chives
Leg of banana
Starburst stew served with hot, buttered Diet Dr. Peppers
Apple & tomato on rye served with Kosher iced coffees
Gyro & blueberry omelet served with slices of hot, buttered french fries and Cincinnati Chili jelly.

Places and Things You Might See:
Grand Loyola National Park
The Petrified Creation Museum
The world's largest Abraham Lincoln
The world's smallest crackton
A fossilized grumpy old man egg
Carlsbad White Castle from which the giraffes fly out at dusk.

Which One Of These Is Your Favorite Motel?
The Aluminum Ape Inn or The Red Megabus Inn?

Wherever you go, don't forget to put some hippies with pretty and/or interesting pictures on them in the mail for your friends back home!"

June 16, 2008 -- A beautiful day for us

Your anniversary is one of the few special dates in your life that you get to choose. I like J.D.'s and mine a lot. I like that it honors my Mom and Dad's marriage of 31 years by its proximity to their day, June 17. Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad! I like that it's right next to their day but also different, as each relationship is unique. As for J.D., he wanted a day he could remember. At first he requested June 6th (mostly as a joke, although with an element of seriousness), but as I told him then, our marriage isn't the Invasion of Normandy (wrong metaphor). However, he did get his "6" in there, and I can safely say he has never forgotten our day.

I'm glad I chose the 16th, but most of all, I'm glad I chose J.D. (and he chose me)! On our wedding invitations I quoted Emily Dickinson's line from poem 279: "Of all the Souls that stand create-- / I have Elected-- One--." Perhaps Dickinson isn't the greatest model for a line to start a marriage, but marriage is very much about choice and dedication. J.D. and I work hard to make each other happy. We know it's always the little choices that happen everyday that seem to matter most. And whatever else is wrong or not quite how we'd like it, it's just never as important as each other.

Today we tried to make homemade ice cream. We've had this machine since we got married 7 years ago and decided today was the day to use it. Well, turns out, homemade ice cream is a lot of work. First, we bought groceries: sugar, half & half, whipping cream, eggs, flour, rock salt, etc. But when we got home, we realized we'd forgotten the ice, so J.D. went back to the store. Meanwhile, I started warming the milk with sugar and flour... 5 cups of milk that took 2 pans. It was pretty warm here today, and while cooking and dancing to Abba had some fun in it, mostly it was important to constantly stir the mixture. So, I stood vigilant for 20 minutes over the stove. The eggs were ready and whisked in a separate bowl. The recipe called for 1 cup of the warm mixture to be "gradually" mixed with the eggs and then the eggs "gradually" mixed into the warm milk and cooked over medium for 1 minute. At 25 minutes, I asked J.D. to come trade off with me, so I could take a break. A minute later when I returned, to my surprise and honestly my instant dismay, the eggs were completely mixed into the now boiling milk. I explained that "gradually" didn't mean pouring steadily. But then I realized... it's just ice cream. J.D. was trying to do it for me and share in the work. So what if it's fried egg ice cream? No biggie.

We still haven't tried our homemade ice cream; it's still in the freezer. We went out for fondue instead. But after today, I'm very tempted to say-- just grab a pint of Ben and Jerry's and call it good.

I guess my ultimate point is that after 7 years, J.D. and I have had our share of annoyances and disagreements, usually over similar silly things. For example, I work to clear the extra time off the microwave and to not open the screen door with my elbow, while J.D. works to remember to put the toilet seat down and to turn the shower knob all the way off. Those are the constant little choices that build a marriage and show respect and love for each other. Most of all, we make the choice to communicate without fighting. I can honestly say J.D. and I have never raised our voices to each other or said anything unkind that either of us regrets. We don't use hurtful absolutes like "you always" or "you never." I know since each relationship is different, there are some perfectly wonderful relationships where it's ok those things happen and life goes on, but that's just not how we work.

Loving J.D. is the best thing I've done in my life. Neither J.D. nor I are perfect-- far from it-- but we're almost perfect together. I really believe that the love you put into the world, even between two people, changes the world for the better.

On the menu for tomorrow: fried egg ice cream.

279

Of all the Souls that stand create--
I have Elected -- One--
When Sense from Spirit -- flies away--
And Subterfuge -- is done--
When that which is-- and that which was--
Apart -- intrinsic -- stand--
And this brief Drama in the flesh--
Is shifted -- like a Sand--
When Figures show their royal Front--
And Mists -- are carved away,
Behold the Atom-- I preferred--
To all the lists of Clay!

Richard III

Tonight we thought we would go to the Moolah Theatre to see Indiana Jones, but we were both pretty unexcited about it, so instead we wandered toward the Art Museum. We wanted to check out what special exhibits are on display. When we arrived at Art Hill, we realized something else was going on, due to all the people. It's Shakespeare time again! I love Shakespeare in the park. It's free, and you get to sit under the moon and stars, while having a picnic. We were there about an hour early, so we snagged a picnic table, and J.D. ran to Shnucks to get snacks / dinner. The play tonight was of course Richard III. We had fun watching it. It was supposedly set in the 1920s. . . because lord help us if we set any play in its "actual" period (or even Shakespeare's). . . but for the most part it was pretty good. We couldn't really tell what was supposed to be 1920s about it, other than 2 guys were dressed as butlers and during the first half someone rode a bicycle across the stage. That was actually my favorite moment because J.D. leaned over and whispered: "Look, I'm a magician, I just pulled a bicycle out of my ass!" All in all, it was very fun. On a serious note, I enjoyed the acting of the woman who played Queen Elizabeth, and she had such a lovely voice. J.D., in true contrast, liked Queen Margaret as she cursed everyone out. When the play was over, it was nice walking back to the car holding hands and stealing a kiss by the illuminated fountains. The romantic in me was genuinely happy. Sometimes, like tonight, St. Louis can be a pretty nice place to live. Oh, one more thing: we saw the most annoying licence plate. As we were leaving, a green Honda del Sol whipped in front of us with the plate "S-Cargo."

Romance Anyone?

Ok, I have to share this. Someone I know from my freshman year in college is starting a Bible Study group called "Falling in Love with Jesus." They're meeting in Idaho, if anyone is interested. Here's part of an e-mail I recently received:

Falling in Love with Jesus Bible Study UPDATE:
"In His arms I feel protected There's no place I'd rather rather be"~ From the song "Falling in Love with Jesus" by Jonathan Butler.

UPDATE:We have a time and place - YAY! I'm just waiting on the arrival of the study materials. I wanted to know from you all - do you want me to order the books and workbooks, and then you just pay me? Or do you want to get them on your own?

So this made me curious. What kind of workbooks are out there? Well, evidently this one:
http://www.amazon.com/Falling-Love-Jesus-Abandoning-Yourself/dp/0849988217
This is how Amazon describes it:

"Product Description
This in-depth Bible Study gives women the inspiration to rethink their relationships with Christ, and to understand and surrender to Him in a fresh new way. Especially geared toward small group study, the Falling in Love with Jesus workbook and multi-media study offer humor, wisdom, and stories of women who've experienced a deeper, more passionate relationship with Christ. Ten lessons are divided into 50 days, five days per week, of Scriptures that focus on our love relationship with Jesus, deepening our confidence that we are the object of Christ's affection."

"Surrender to Him in a fresh new way". . . .

Is that like "spicing up your marriage?"

"Passionate relationship"?. . . . being the "object of Christ's affection?"

(Evidently they haven't heard of object/subject vectoring).

I'm curious what the "multi-media" aspect is with this sort of description.

I also checked out the song by Mr. Butler: http://englishclub.vox.com/library/video/6a00d41431a3d96a4700d414353a173c7f.html
Hmm. . . surprisingly after that, I'm still not in love.

I guess I'd just like to caution my female friends, be careful with your hearts ladies. From what I've read -- Jesus has a tendency to "walk away," or maybe that's just from fights.

STP & Friends

Yesterday J.D., Ryan, and I went to the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater for a very long day of concerts. We arrived around 2:00 or so and left around 10:30. It was a hot, somewhat humid day, and shade was difficult to find. We saw a house band playing when we got there, but we didn't stick around to hear them. Instead, we found our seats and heard the opening band. I found them entertaining because their drummer reminded me of "Animal" from the Muppets, with the same exaggerated and frenzied "style"-- I suppose you could call it-- of drumming. He definitely put a lot of energy into it. I suppose it's appropriate that the name of the band is Another Animal... although, I'm not sure that's the "Animal" they're referencing. In fact, I'm sure it's not.

Then we heard a really crappy band, I don't even know who they were because I wandered off to go walk around and seek shade for awhile. J.D. and Ryan joined me, and we ate cheeseburgers and fries and sat around in a grassy, shaded area while the crappy band played. We went back to our seats for Chevelle and Saliva (charming name, I know). But of course the main event was STP. Eight years ago, I went to one of their concerts in Boise. I remember feeling impressed at how much Scott Weiland danced. He really worked the stage with his eccentric and outrageous moves. Last night he appeared in an outfit resembling some character from a 1960s Spaghetti Western, with a cigarette in his hand, and he slouched around the stage for the most part.

Perhaps it was because I had built up such high expectations, but it was a let-down. It just didn't seem as good as eight years ago when they opened for the Red Hot Chili Peppers. As a "reunion tour," the whole event had an aura of nostalgia. The cowboy garb perfectly symbolized the longed-for but largely imagined past, be it the 1890s or 1990s. And most of the people at the concert were around 30 years old. The (mostly male) crowd was impressive when it managed to sing some of the lyrics. I looked around and saw all the males my age, including my darling husband, belting out the lyrics of 90s angst. I wasn't watching 1 man sing; I was in the middle of a male choir. Going to a concert is a little like a modern quasi-religious experience when the congregation sings in unison: "Can you feel pain inside? Can you love? Can you cry? I wanna run through your wicked garden, Heard that's the place to find you'-- Cause I'm alive, So alive now, Out of the dark that blinds you-- Can you see just like a child? Can you see just what I want? Can I bring you back to life? Are you scared of life? Burn, burn, burn; Burn your wicked garden down."

Granted, this mass is absurd. But, through these highly sexualized lyrics the message emerges to fully experience life. Concerts are one of the few instances where it's acceptable to form a community that immodestly celebrates both passion and grief, if in a dramatic and cheesy fashion. I'm sure the beer and drugs also partially serve the purpose of blurring the self, of opening the channel and merging with the group, so to speak. Although, I don't think anyone would actually admit that or even acknowledge it as a possibility. It's just to be cool (and then it's addiction). For me the experience was a mild conjuring of late 90s emotion, which I now reconstruct as a time of more hope. But in reality, it wasn't more so than now. I just think with "reunion tours" we want to "return home" to our time when life seemed to have the most possibilities, and usually that's in a person's early adulthood. So, play on I suppose STP. We'll slouch along as best we can.

Duck Hunters Need Protection Too

Since we got basic cable, I occasionally watch the ol' C-Span. On today's docket they have a bill that would provide secret service protection to "former Vice Presidents." We've had quite a few Veeps, so I wonder, why is this suddenly a relevant issue? Hmmm....

X-Files: Burley Episode

You never really know a place until you see it X-Files style.

I was shocked to see during the course of this informational episode that everybody in Burley is either an arrogant, male police officer or over 80 years old and utterly helpless. Who knew!

On the positive side, I must say, I really enjoyed seeing everyone drive around "town" in cars from the 1950s, and I'd like to thank the people behind this episode for taking the time to authentically represent Burley residents as disliking electric lighting and with Southern accents. It's so rare that anyone takes the time to actually research odd-ball locations for their real local flavor. Usually they just slap on a name and assume people won't care or know the difference.

As I said at first, there were a couple of things that surprised me. I was a little astonished to learn that Burley is not the county seat of Cassia County, evidently Mrs. Kelley in third grade lied to me. I've also been misinformed in the past by thinking it's the "Snake River" not the "Slade River" running through town.

Finally, next time I'm in Burley, I'm going to visit "Bird Island," 6 acres of remote sanctuary-- evidently good for some relaxing fishing, especially for burnt bodies. I must admit though, I'm really going to miss seeing any mountains; maybe Bird Island appeared around the same time the mountains disappeared?

Then again, maybe I'll wait awhile before going home and let all of this sink in a little. Right now I may be too disoriented to be on the alert for giant, evil bat boys.

"Couple Devastated To Learn They Can't Have Cats"

I just thought the title was really funny. J.D. and I treat the cats like kids. We went to the store just to get them fun snacks last night. The actual Onion story isn't as funny as the title because it pretty much says it all. This is also a funny one: "Elderly Woman Destroys Internet."

Not much going on around here. Last night we worked on a puzzle together while listening to J.D.'s birthday c.d. of Bob Dylan Live (thanks Mom). And Athena and Sophie were playing around the table and at our feet with the puzzle box. It's good to be a family again. As far as the music, I like the version of "Mr. Tambourine Man" on the c.d., but like J.D., I'm not a fan of the "It Ain't Me, Babe," version -- way too peppy, needs more quintessential Dylan whine. By the way, J.D. does a great Bob Dylan impression. But honestly, we couldn't listen to very much in one sitting. Small amounts are best. This morning I made some pancakes while J.D. continues to work on the puzzle. He really loves solving things. Soon I have to run off to class... which I'm lazy and don't want to go. But, I guess I'll just think of it as a job. I guess it's a good thing to be paid to learn. Bye bye for now.

Good morning

This morning we generated the theory that Athena really thinks eyelashes are fun. She woke both of us up when we started to blink, even slightly. For me, I woke up to Athena placing both paws on my face. She also likes to snuggle between my pillows with her head and upper body sticking out, which is very cute. Yesterday she and I slept like that for a long time, but I have to be careful not to stare at her very long because eyes and all things associated with them are great targets for a light swat. She's a cute little bug. She doesn't use her claws; she's just curious about everything.

Sophie is also doing well. Yesterday we used the "furminator" on her. She isn't fond of it, and it takes both of us to do it, but if kitty or puppy shedding is an issue for your house, you may want to check this thing out. It was designed by a couple here in St. Louis, and it gets an amazing amount of hair with each stroke. They sell them at the Humane Society here as their recommended grooming tool. If anyone would like one... we could buy one cheaper and send it your way.

http://www.furminator.com/ (Warning: pictures of all the hair are sort of gross actually). Also, we use it more gently, but it still works.

Well, nothing all that exciting happening... just enjoying playing with the girls.

Playful & Sweet