I had racked up about five or six weeks on my Couch to 5K program before the end of the school year and then, somehow, all my effort seemed for naught. I tried to run the week four interval set the other day, thinking that it would be a nice way to warm back up to the program, and, let's just say, I was struggling. It's amazing how quickly my stamina regresses.
I've been using the Android RunDouble App for several months now because it follows the interval program, allows you to use your own music playlist, keeps statistics for you including a map of your run, and prompts you between intervals. It's been a great help, but there is no app that makes me want to walk out the door and get started. (If they invent that, let me know.)
So, today, I started over again with Week 1, Day 1. This consists of a warm-up, eight 60 second intervals interspersed with eight 90 second intervals, and a cool-down. I decided not to have any expectations and to just go out and...well...go. I did pay attention to one thing, though: my gait. A couple years ago, my friend, Kacy, wrote about her experience and research on barefoot running. This intrigued me. The concept is that, basically, because humans have become used to padded shoes, we don't use our feet like we should. Instead of walking or running on the balls of our feet or our midsoles, we tend to rock from the back to the front. This can cause heel injuries, put us out of alignment, and, generally, doesn't allow the nerves in our feet or the feet themselves to work properly.
Now, though this idea intrigued me, I never thought I would be able to wear the minimalist shoes that are so popular since I have back issues. I was sure I needed the cushioning. However, a couple weeks ago, I needed new sneakers. I went to DSW to get my go-to Saucony sneakers because I have to wear men's sneakers a lot of the time; Saucony sneakers run narrow so they fit my feet better. ( I should mention that I've been too cheap to ever get fitted for sneakers, though I do plan to do it the next time I need a pair.) Billy, bored with the mall crowd, wandered off to find a pair of sneakers and attempt to make the pain of the shopping experience end quickly. He found a pair of minimalist sneakers on sale so I tried them on and walked around. They were quite comfortable, extremely light, and fit much better than the other ones I had been trying on. So I decided to buy them. I found that, when running, I was able to push off the front of my foot instead of landing on my heel and having to gain the momentum to move forward. This made it much easier to run and much easier to believe my eyes when I see people running down the street, making this form of exercise seem effortless (though I'm clearly not there yet.)
Starting over with the program today, I made sure to land towards the front of my foot rather than the back. I felt like I was flying. The closest thing I can compare it to is when I took ballet classes as a kid and you had to stay on the ball of your foot. It even helped to align the rest of me a bit more so, though breathing was still difficult, it was much easier than I was used to. And, apparently, it made a difference since, with walking, I brought my pace down from an 11 minute mile to a 10 minute mile. My average running intervals were also in between 8 and 9 minutes rather than 10 and 11. I know it's going to be difficult to keep moving, but it's encouraging to know that, with a few tweaks, I might be able to be more successful this time around than I have been in the past.
Stats, Week 1, Day 1:
Overall Pace: 10:59
Overall Distance: 1.68 miles
Time: 18:30
Fastest Interval: 8:07
Longest Interval: 0.12 miles
(Including Warm Up/Cool Down):
Overall Pace: 12:07
Overall Distance: 2.35 miles
Time: 28:30
To see the map of my run, click here.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Summer Goals: Background
This summer, our school has decided to add to our summer reading assignment. We have chosen the theme of goal setting and each student (and participating faculty) must choose one of the six books listed that focus on goals to read and discuss on the first day of school. In addition to this, everyone must set at least one goal to attempt to accomplish over the summer and keep track of the progress made towards that goal. (If you want to see a more detailed explanation of this project, go here.)
As part of this, I have chosen to pursue two goals over the course of the summer and, in order to make myself accountable for following through on these, I've decided to blog about them here. If I've published it, I have to go through with it, right? I'm going to be posting updates periodically, divided by the goal that I'm talking about. I would appreciate if those of you who are actually interested in my progress can occasionally check up on me to help motivate me a bit.
So, what are my goals, you are probably asking by this point? One is physical while the other is more creative/emotional. Let's go with the physical one first: I've been wanting to be able to run a 5K, without having to stop to walk, for at least the last three years. I've continually attempted to do the Couch to 5K program, which is nine weeks long, but I've never been able to get past week 6 and, usually, I have to do some of the program for a couple weeks in a row. Part of this is due to the fact that I'm not in as good of shape as I'd like to be while part of it is simply my exercise-induced asthma. The closest I've come to completing this was during the Buffalo Corporate Challenge when I ran about 2/3 of the 3.5 miles in 42 minutes. Not great and my back started hurting partway through, but, still, a place to start.
I don't have a particular race in mind yet. I've looked for local ones that are a little more than nine weeks out to allot for doubling up on a couple of the weeks, but I have to be careful not to schedule anything at the end of August or the beginning of September because of the girls moving back in, orientation, and the beginning of school. I think I'm leaning more towards the end of September or the beginning of October so if anyone has any recommendations, please let me know. Anything I write about this particular goal will be tagged "running goal" if you want to search the blog that way.
Now, on to the second goal. The creative one. I would like to write a play. I came up with an idea I fell in love with a few months ago and I would like to see it come to fruition. At this point, I'm not sure how much of the play I can feasibly write before the school year begins again, so part of my goal setting process is determining what a reasonable amount to have accomplished by the end of the summer would be. Anything I write about this goal will be tagged "writing goal" if you want to keep track of that one.
If you do read this, feel free to cheer me on or make suggestions. Even if you don't, thanks for providing the possibility of an audience to help me stay on track.
As part of this, I have chosen to pursue two goals over the course of the summer and, in order to make myself accountable for following through on these, I've decided to blog about them here. If I've published it, I have to go through with it, right? I'm going to be posting updates periodically, divided by the goal that I'm talking about. I would appreciate if those of you who are actually interested in my progress can occasionally check up on me to help motivate me a bit.
So, what are my goals, you are probably asking by this point? One is physical while the other is more creative/emotional. Let's go with the physical one first: I've been wanting to be able to run a 5K, without having to stop to walk, for at least the last three years. I've continually attempted to do the Couch to 5K program, which is nine weeks long, but I've never been able to get past week 6 and, usually, I have to do some of the program for a couple weeks in a row. Part of this is due to the fact that I'm not in as good of shape as I'd like to be while part of it is simply my exercise-induced asthma. The closest I've come to completing this was during the Buffalo Corporate Challenge when I ran about 2/3 of the 3.5 miles in 42 minutes. Not great and my back started hurting partway through, but, still, a place to start.
I don't have a particular race in mind yet. I've looked for local ones that are a little more than nine weeks out to allot for doubling up on a couple of the weeks, but I have to be careful not to schedule anything at the end of August or the beginning of September because of the girls moving back in, orientation, and the beginning of school. I think I'm leaning more towards the end of September or the beginning of October so if anyone has any recommendations, please let me know. Anything I write about this particular goal will be tagged "running goal" if you want to search the blog that way.
Now, on to the second goal. The creative one. I would like to write a play. I came up with an idea I fell in love with a few months ago and I would like to see it come to fruition. At this point, I'm not sure how much of the play I can feasibly write before the school year begins again, so part of my goal setting process is determining what a reasonable amount to have accomplished by the end of the summer would be. Anything I write about this goal will be tagged "writing goal" if you want to keep track of that one.
If you do read this, feel free to cheer me on or make suggestions. Even if you don't, thanks for providing the possibility of an audience to help me stay on track.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
365 (kinda): 1, 2, 3
I have a couple friends who started doing the 365 project at the beginning of the year, posting photographs and mini-stories about their lives on Facebook for the last several months, missing some days but keeping up with it for the most part. I have found these glimpses into their everyday lives interesting and insightful and have watched as photos vary from the mundane to the artistic to the reflective. Knowing that I often wonder where my year disappears to, I decided to participate in this same photographic reflection process but, instead of beginning on January 1st, I'm going to measure my year beginning with my birthday.
Well...I was.
Having spent the last week trying to cram a 3 bedroom apartment plus storage into 350 square feet, I haven't really had the time since my birthday on Friday to write anything up. I have taken pictures, though. This will be a posting for the last few days all in one.
August 27, 2010 - Day 1
This is a photograph of the stained glass window in the living room of our new apartment in the dorm. It's a fleur de lys so it's perfect for us Francophile Saints Fans and the light that comes through it in the afternoon is gorgeous. I took this at 6 in the morning when I couldn't sleep because I was so panicked about finishing moving (we haven't yet.)
This is the initial clutter in the room from the first night we stayed at the dorm - you get a better idea of how the stained glass looks in this photo. It has since gotten worse (see below.)
These are the Zillycakes that Billy bought me as a birthday cake to make up for the fact that, with the move, we could no longer go on the weekend trip we had been planning. I had purchased two tickets to see Captain Von Trapp himself in The Tempest in Stratford, Ontario but they were for the 8pm showing so we would have had to drive the three hours to get there, see the play, stay in a hotel, and come back the next morning. This wasn't feasible considering we hadn't entirely moved out of our apartment and the girls were supposed to move in on the 29th.
Zillycakes has an awesome cupcake bar so Billy got me a veritable buffet here. The top left one is Sangria, the bottom left is peach amaretto, the top right is red velvet cake, and the bottom right is Rocky Road. They are awesome!
After having to forgo our trip to Stratford, we went out to dinner with our friends Kristin and Mike to Dave & Buster's (classy!) I am a fan of skee-ball and this is Kristin playing her favorite game - Deal or No Deal. She especially likes yelling, "No Deal!" It tickles me.
August 28, 2010 - Day 2
The clutter. You try condensing a three bedroom apartment to a living room and a bedroom and we'll talk. I don't know when this is going to get unpacked. Sigh.
August 29, 2010 - Day 3
This is the chair in the common room that I've been sitting in all day in between helping students move in and giving mini-tours to current Sem people, students, etc. I got a little lesson planning done so that's something, I suppose...
This is going to be a rough year, isn't it?
Well...I was.
Having spent the last week trying to cram a 3 bedroom apartment plus storage into 350 square feet, I haven't really had the time since my birthday on Friday to write anything up. I have taken pictures, though. This will be a posting for the last few days all in one.
August 27, 2010 - Day 1
This is a photograph of the stained glass window in the living room of our new apartment in the dorm. It's a fleur de lys so it's perfect for us Francophile Saints Fans and the light that comes through it in the afternoon is gorgeous. I took this at 6 in the morning when I couldn't sleep because I was so panicked about finishing moving (we haven't yet.)
Zillycakes has an awesome cupcake bar so Billy got me a veritable buffet here. The top left one is Sangria, the bottom left is peach amaretto, the top right is red velvet cake, and the bottom right is Rocky Road. They are awesome!
August 28, 2010 - Day 2
August 29, 2010 - Day 3
This is going to be a rough year, isn't it?
Saturday, July 17, 2010
What's Wrong with People?!: Bodily Function Commercials
So I've decided that I'm going to start a new series of posts entitled, "What's Wrong with People?!" for those moments when you really do wonder what people are thinking. Think of this as a more elaborate version of the FAIL blog.
Now, granted, I've done and said some things that might cause someone to ask this question about me but, you have to admit, there are some instances where this question is warranted, whether it be for the sheer stupidity involved or simply what I like to call the "did that really just happen?" factor. So, with a disclaimer about the fact that I may not have the authority to put myself in this position of judgment, let's forge ahead, shall we?
The other day, I was watching television - I believe it was something on the Travel Channel, probably Anthony Bourdain - and this ad for Charmin comes on. You may be familiar with the series of ads featuring those supposedly adorable bears in funny situations involving going to the bathroom. Okay fine. They're cute, we're familiar with them, they recognize how important toilet paper is to everyday life, I can handle that. The commercial in question involved a bear cub going through "inspection" with his mother. Paws? Check. Teeth? Check. Bottom? "Needs work!"
Really? We have to be told that Charmin Ultra Strong toilet paper doesn't leave uncomfortable wads of tissue stuck to your behind after you wipe? And I could even handle the concept if they didn't show us a visual of them stuck to the bear's rear end while he jauntily wags his stubby tail back and forth. Quite frankly, I've see more disgusting cartoons (bodily function scenes in South Park come to mind) and, until the end of the ad, none of this had really bothered me. I've seen these before. No big deal.
No - it was the tag line that got me. "Charmin: Enjoy the Go."
Pause. Let that sink in for a minute. Enjoy the go? When did it become good marketing strategy to tell people that your toilet paper is the one to buy because they will enjoy wiping their butts so thoroughly using your product that they can't wait to go again? Next they'll make the little bears happily come down with diarrhea just so they have an excuse to use more toilet paper.
And that's not the worst of it. Other commercials involving bodily functions are upping the ante and growing more bold and less afraid of societal taboos every day. Take Huggies, for example. Watch this video:
Did you see the slogan at the end? Yep. That's right. "Huggies: The coolest you'll ever look pooping your pants." How is this okay? I'm all for getting rid of embarrassment and perceived restrictions on discussing something as personal as going to the bathroom, but this is pushing it, even for a baby who doesn't yet understand the concept of privacy. It's more, how can I say this....gross. Maybe it's wrong for me to eat my dinner on the couch with my husband while watching television. Maybe this is my punishment for not sitting at the table, but, honestly, I nearly spit out the food I was eating. You can sell diapers without talking about poop. That's all I have to say about that.
Let's move on to other bodily functions. Again, I'm glad that it's becoming okay to talk about things like overactive bladder or heartburn or erectile dysfunction. (Not poop, though. Still not okay with that.) Many people suffered through these problems in the past because they were too uncomfortable to discuss these things with their doctors, let alone anyone else. But these advertising companies have got to approach these things differently. Take Cialis - similar to Viagra if you didn't know - as an example.
First of all, let me say that, in the realm of erectile dysfunction drug commercials, Cialis takes the high road compared to Viagra. That whole blue horns thing that they pulled a few years back was uncouth and uncalled for. However, Cialis isn't much better. You can add romance to your story and make the characters in your commercial frolic in California Wine Country before settling down for an evening of passionate love-making courtesy of this supposed wonder drug in an attempt to make your consumers think your drug is upscale and classy. I'm fine with that. I get that you're trying to talk about sex without really talking about sex because, let's face it, the less we can talk about erectile dysfunction, the better. No, my problem is the logistics of it all. Take a look at the theme of the Cialis commercials that is also the symbol for their product:
Awww, isn't that cute? They're in matching bathtubs. And they're free-standing, clawfooted bathtubs so they're classy. And, frequently, the aforementioned characters are featured in the aforementioned classy bathtubs in an empty field somewhere or up on a hill overlooking the skyline of some exotic city at sunset. Romantic, right? But, wait a minute, this is a commercial about sex. Don't you need to be in the same bathtub for that? This is my problem - they've tried to steer so far away from the topic that they've physically separated the two people preparing to participate in the very act that the drug is supposed to assist with. Maybe this is supposed to represent the idea that, with 36-hour Cialis, you don't have to be forced into the same bathtub any sooner than you want to. You can stare at a skyline instead.
In my opinion, Canada got it right. A few years ago, we were in Toronto and I was watching television in the hotel room before going to sleep. A Cialis commercial came on, but I had no idea that was the focus because this particular ad did not resemble the ones we're used to in the slightest. I'll try to describe it since I can't find a copy of the video online. As with many things in Canada (and, yes, I'm being stereotypical here) it began with hockey. There was a group of men in their fifties playing weekend hockey. Several of their wives were looking on from the bleachers. One of the men loses his footing on the ice and slips, twisting his ankle in his skate. His wife makes an, "Oh, no, I'm sorry, honey" face. She wraps her arm around his shoulder as they leave the arena, waving goodbye to everyone else who is wishing him a quick recovery. As they shuffle toward the car, halfway through the parking lot they pause. They both look around to make sure no one is watching. He stands up straight, brushes off his pants, stops limping, and the two quickly pile into their SUV to drive off and, presumably, make use of his new Cialis prescription.
The reason I like this one is because, not only is the ad making fun of its own product to some extent, but it also assumes that the audience will get the joke. In the US, a lot of advertisers have to lay everything out for consumers, betting that we're too stupid to know what they're talking about. This commercial gave consumers a wink saying, "We know what you're using it for. Here's one way to enjoy it." Less pandering, more creativity is the way to go.
For example - Kotex gets it. I never thought I'd be praising a tampon company, but they understand that women aren't stupid and they don't need to be tricked into buying a specific type of tampon. Check these out: Ad 1
Ad 2
I think both of these put into words what I can't. They respect women's intelligence and actually call out other companies that don't. (For example, have you seen those Tampax ads with Annie Potts as Mother Nature? Please.) Charmin, Huggies, and Cialis should take notes.
Now, granted, I've done and said some things that might cause someone to ask this question about me but, you have to admit, there are some instances where this question is warranted, whether it be for the sheer stupidity involved or simply what I like to call the "did that really just happen?" factor. So, with a disclaimer about the fact that I may not have the authority to put myself in this position of judgment, let's forge ahead, shall we?
The other day, I was watching television - I believe it was something on the Travel Channel, probably Anthony Bourdain - and this ad for Charmin comes on. You may be familiar with the series of ads featuring those supposedly adorable bears in funny situations involving going to the bathroom. Okay fine. They're cute, we're familiar with them, they recognize how important toilet paper is to everyday life, I can handle that. The commercial in question involved a bear cub going through "inspection" with his mother. Paws? Check. Teeth? Check. Bottom? "Needs work!"
Really? We have to be told that Charmin Ultra Strong toilet paper doesn't leave uncomfortable wads of tissue stuck to your behind after you wipe? And I could even handle the concept if they didn't show us a visual of them stuck to the bear's rear end while he jauntily wags his stubby tail back and forth. Quite frankly, I've see more disgusting cartoons (bodily function scenes in South Park come to mind) and, until the end of the ad, none of this had really bothered me. I've seen these before. No big deal.
No - it was the tag line that got me. "Charmin: Enjoy the Go."
Pause. Let that sink in for a minute. Enjoy the go? When did it become good marketing strategy to tell people that your toilet paper is the one to buy because they will enjoy wiping their butts so thoroughly using your product that they can't wait to go again? Next they'll make the little bears happily come down with diarrhea just so they have an excuse to use more toilet paper.
And that's not the worst of it. Other commercials involving bodily functions are upping the ante and growing more bold and less afraid of societal taboos every day. Take Huggies, for example. Watch this video:
Did you see the slogan at the end? Yep. That's right. "Huggies: The coolest you'll ever look pooping your pants." How is this okay? I'm all for getting rid of embarrassment and perceived restrictions on discussing something as personal as going to the bathroom, but this is pushing it, even for a baby who doesn't yet understand the concept of privacy. It's more, how can I say this....gross. Maybe it's wrong for me to eat my dinner on the couch with my husband while watching television. Maybe this is my punishment for not sitting at the table, but, honestly, I nearly spit out the food I was eating. You can sell diapers without talking about poop. That's all I have to say about that.
Let's move on to other bodily functions. Again, I'm glad that it's becoming okay to talk about things like overactive bladder or heartburn or erectile dysfunction. (Not poop, though. Still not okay with that.) Many people suffered through these problems in the past because they were too uncomfortable to discuss these things with their doctors, let alone anyone else. But these advertising companies have got to approach these things differently. Take Cialis - similar to Viagra if you didn't know - as an example.
First of all, let me say that, in the realm of erectile dysfunction drug commercials, Cialis takes the high road compared to Viagra. That whole blue horns thing that they pulled a few years back was uncouth and uncalled for. However, Cialis isn't much better. You can add romance to your story and make the characters in your commercial frolic in California Wine Country before settling down for an evening of passionate love-making courtesy of this supposed wonder drug in an attempt to make your consumers think your drug is upscale and classy. I'm fine with that. I get that you're trying to talk about sex without really talking about sex because, let's face it, the less we can talk about erectile dysfunction, the better. No, my problem is the logistics of it all. Take a look at the theme of the Cialis commercials that is also the symbol for their product:
Awww, isn't that cute? They're in matching bathtubs. And they're free-standing, clawfooted bathtubs so they're classy. And, frequently, the aforementioned characters are featured in the aforementioned classy bathtubs in an empty field somewhere or up on a hill overlooking the skyline of some exotic city at sunset. Romantic, right? But, wait a minute, this is a commercial about sex. Don't you need to be in the same bathtub for that? This is my problem - they've tried to steer so far away from the topic that they've physically separated the two people preparing to participate in the very act that the drug is supposed to assist with. Maybe this is supposed to represent the idea that, with 36-hour Cialis, you don't have to be forced into the same bathtub any sooner than you want to. You can stare at a skyline instead.
In my opinion, Canada got it right. A few years ago, we were in Toronto and I was watching television in the hotel room before going to sleep. A Cialis commercial came on, but I had no idea that was the focus because this particular ad did not resemble the ones we're used to in the slightest. I'll try to describe it since I can't find a copy of the video online. As with many things in Canada (and, yes, I'm being stereotypical here) it began with hockey. There was a group of men in their fifties playing weekend hockey. Several of their wives were looking on from the bleachers. One of the men loses his footing on the ice and slips, twisting his ankle in his skate. His wife makes an, "Oh, no, I'm sorry, honey" face. She wraps her arm around his shoulder as they leave the arena, waving goodbye to everyone else who is wishing him a quick recovery. As they shuffle toward the car, halfway through the parking lot they pause. They both look around to make sure no one is watching. He stands up straight, brushes off his pants, stops limping, and the two quickly pile into their SUV to drive off and, presumably, make use of his new Cialis prescription.
The reason I like this one is because, not only is the ad making fun of its own product to some extent, but it also assumes that the audience will get the joke. In the US, a lot of advertisers have to lay everything out for consumers, betting that we're too stupid to know what they're talking about. This commercial gave consumers a wink saying, "We know what you're using it for. Here's one way to enjoy it." Less pandering, more creativity is the way to go.
For example - Kotex gets it. I never thought I'd be praising a tampon company, but they understand that women aren't stupid and they don't need to be tricked into buying a specific type of tampon. Check these out: Ad 1
Ad 2
I think both of these put into words what I can't. They respect women's intelligence and actually call out other companies that don't. (For example, have you seen those Tampax ads with Annie Potts as Mother Nature? Please.) Charmin, Huggies, and Cialis should take notes.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Context and How it is Changing
The book is historical fiction and is about the process of discovering and developing penicillin. It took Belfer eight years to research and write the story and much of her research process involved looking at old Life magazines and issues of The New York Times. She pointed out that, now, it's possible to simply search the Times website for the information you're looking for but that, even though it's more cumbersome, she prefers to use microfilm to view the original documents because it provides context. She gave the example of reading an article during the time period in which she's writing and turning the page to find that there was a sale at Nordstrom that week on shoes; she might then include a side note in the story about the character having to run to the store to buy new shoes while they're on sale.
Granted, this is a sort of trivial example but it makes sense. What if she had been researching an article, turned the page, and came across another, small article mentioning the rise of burglaries in a neighborhood at that time that concerned the people living in that area. Let's say that her character lived there - it would flesh out that character to have her mention that she is also concerned about the recent thefts.
I guess that what I'm trying to get at is, are we losing context with the developments we've had in technology over the last few decades or is our context simply different? If I'm reading the newspaper online, my experience will be very individualized. If there's a pop-up ad or an ad on the website itself, it will be tailored to the date, time, and, in most cases, my preferences.
Cookies know that I've been searching for an airline flight from Phoenix to Buffalo for my friend Kim so that, when I'm on certain websites, a Travelocity ad will show up talking about discounts on that particular flight. If I refresh the page, the ad might change to one about the Nook being on sale at Barnes and Noble. If someone twenty years in the future wants to search for and read that same article that I was reading, the ads will be different or not included. Does that eliminate the historical context? How would we change the way we examine this information?
(Oh, and, as a side note on the topic of context...why is it that sponge cake loses all flavor when placed in the context of a Chinese buffet restaurant? Even more importantly, why does it look so appetizing? Why are people, knowing it has no flavor and that the experience will ultimately be disappointing, still drawn to eat it?)
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
I love the South...I hate the South...I love the South...I hate the South...
I don't know why I think this won't happen every time I return to the South but it does.
Let me clarify - ever since moving back up to Buffalo or "above the Mason-Dixon line" as many people have called it, I've been waiting for an excuse to move back or at least visit the South. There are many friends and family members that offer us that opportunity, especially since my parents have decided to retire in Tennessee. Even though we can't afford to travel to visit people as often as we would like, we try to do so on a regular basis.
Knowing that we would be spending a month traversing much of Louisiana and some of Tennessee (along with all the routes between those locations) I have been looking forward to this trip for quite some time. When it was still snowing in April I wanted to leave right then and there. When it was 64 degrees one day the first week of July (somewhat of an anomaly but annoying nonetheless) I was ready to tear my hair out, leave my job, and move down south to work at Wal-Mart with the hope that at least thawing out would make my life less soul-crushing.
Items on my list I had been looking forward to: Community coffee, a slower pace of life, faster speed limits on the interstate, beignets, southern-style cooking, our friends - Hunter and Cami's - wedding, seeing friends and family, Popeye's, Sonic, warmth, sweet tea, Albert's hot sauce, New Orleans (for a myriad of reasons too numerous and ephemeral to mention here), Super Wal-marts, a list of other favorite foods that I can't even remember but can't wait to sink my teeth into (despite the inevitable weight gain), people who are actually polite (god forbid), everything fried, and a host of other things that I'm forgetting.
Items I had forgotten that I hate about the south: more obvious racism than up North, Bible-thumpers and "Jesus Krispies," the pandemic of passive aggressiveness that infuses most conversations (everyone's polite but they may stab you in the back and you'll never know it), massive traffic, the heat (I can't breathe when I walk outside due to asthma), blind-knee-jerk conservatives (I don't care if you're conservative as long as you've done your research and have well-thought-out reasoning - I hold all liberals to the same standard), Super Wal-marts, vegetables that taste like meat (though Billy says that's the only way he really likes them), everything fried, and a bunch of other things that I'm probably forgetting.
The bottom line is that I don't feel like I fit in anywhere anymore.
When I'm in Buffalo, I feel like I'm just waiting - like I'm not living there, just visiting. I don't move fast enough for life up there and I don't play the society/political games that a lot of people participate in. Though I appreciate the hippy-dippyism, I would prefer that people in Buffalo focus less on whether or not their food has been purchased from an organic, local grower and more on the fact that their city is an economic black hole. (I'm sorry but Bass Pro Shops is not a panacea. Get over it people.)
When I'm down here, specifically in Louisiana since I consider myself to be partially from Louisiana since I lived here for about 7 years, I feel like I haven't reset to the pace yet. Have you ever had one of those days when you feel like you're running a few seconds faster or slower than everyone else? It's like that but all the time here. I also tend to be a bit more direct and eschew the passive-aggressive way of conversing down here which tends to get me weird looks and causes me to walk away from most conversations feeling awkward and wondering what I could have said differently. I also have to bite my tongue. A LOT.
All in all, this has been a good vacation/trip so far but it reminds me that I still feel like a visitor wherever I go. Since we're not "settling down" anywhere until Billy finishes the PhD I suppose I'll have to get used to that. Oh well. In the meantime, I'll enjoy eating my way through Louisiana.
Billy's Breakfast This Morning: Bananas Foster French Toast
PS - The title of this post is courtesy of one of Billy's former professors at Ole Miss. It was his summary of every Faulkner novel ever written. I thought it was fitting.
Let me clarify - ever since moving back up to Buffalo or "above the Mason-Dixon line" as many people have called it, I've been waiting for an excuse to move back or at least visit the South. There are many friends and family members that offer us that opportunity, especially since my parents have decided to retire in Tennessee. Even though we can't afford to travel to visit people as often as we would like, we try to do so on a regular basis.
Knowing that we would be spending a month traversing much of Louisiana and some of Tennessee (along with all the routes between those locations) I have been looking forward to this trip for quite some time. When it was still snowing in April I wanted to leave right then and there. When it was 64 degrees one day the first week of July (somewhat of an anomaly but annoying nonetheless) I was ready to tear my hair out, leave my job, and move down south to work at Wal-Mart with the hope that at least thawing out would make my life less soul-crushing.
Items on my list I had been looking forward to: Community coffee, a slower pace of life, faster speed limits on the interstate, beignets, southern-style cooking, our friends - Hunter and Cami's - wedding, seeing friends and family, Popeye's, Sonic, warmth, sweet tea, Albert's hot sauce, New Orleans (for a myriad of reasons too numerous and ephemeral to mention here), Super Wal-marts, a list of other favorite foods that I can't even remember but can't wait to sink my teeth into (despite the inevitable weight gain), people who are actually polite (god forbid), everything fried, and a host of other things that I'm forgetting.
Items I had forgotten that I hate about the south: more obvious racism than up North, Bible-thumpers and "Jesus Krispies," the pandemic of passive aggressiveness that infuses most conversations (everyone's polite but they may stab you in the back and you'll never know it), massive traffic, the heat (I can't breathe when I walk outside due to asthma), blind-knee-jerk conservatives (I don't care if you're conservative as long as you've done your research and have well-thought-out reasoning - I hold all liberals to the same standard), Super Wal-marts, vegetables that taste like meat (though Billy says that's the only way he really likes them), everything fried, and a bunch of other things that I'm probably forgetting.
The bottom line is that I don't feel like I fit in anywhere anymore.
When I'm in Buffalo, I feel like I'm just waiting - like I'm not living there, just visiting. I don't move fast enough for life up there and I don't play the society/political games that a lot of people participate in. Though I appreciate the hippy-dippyism, I would prefer that people in Buffalo focus less on whether or not their food has been purchased from an organic, local grower and more on the fact that their city is an economic black hole. (I'm sorry but Bass Pro Shops is not a panacea. Get over it people.)
When I'm down here, specifically in Louisiana since I consider myself to be partially from Louisiana since I lived here for about 7 years, I feel like I haven't reset to the pace yet. Have you ever had one of those days when you feel like you're running a few seconds faster or slower than everyone else? It's like that but all the time here. I also tend to be a bit more direct and eschew the passive-aggressive way of conversing down here which tends to get me weird looks and causes me to walk away from most conversations feeling awkward and wondering what I could have said differently. I also have to bite my tongue. A LOT.
All in all, this has been a good vacation/trip so far but it reminds me that I still feel like a visitor wherever I go. Since we're not "settling down" anywhere until Billy finishes the PhD I suppose I'll have to get used to that. Oh well. In the meantime, I'll enjoy eating my way through Louisiana.
PS - The title of this post is courtesy of one of Billy's former professors at Ole Miss. It was his summary of every Faulkner novel ever written. I thought it was fitting.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Succumbing to Peer Pressure
I decided to break down and fill out the famous "25 Random Things About Me" note from Facebook. It actually turned out pretty well so I've posted it below:
25 Random things about me that I avoided posting until now, but since everyone else has taken the time to do it, I feel compelled to join the lemmings:
1.) One of my guilty pleasures is dance movies, especially ballet ones. Even better are when the ballet dancers make forays into hip hop and/or ice skating. Another guilty pleasure is to sop up Olive Garden dressing with a breadstick. Yet a third is emptying the lint trap.
2.) I dream of writing and publishing a novel.
3.) I am terribly insecure and have very low self-esteem. As a result I am constantly and probably unnecessarily worried about what other people think of me.
4.) Playing the piano is the only thing I can screw up at that doesn’t bother me. I took lessons for two years in high school and I’m pretty bad but it helps me to de-stress. (Unfortunately, all I have is a crappy, old-school keyboard that is in the attic right now.)
5.) I have an uncanny and completely useless ability to construct small costumes for my stuffed turkey. I also excel at creating animals out of garbage bags (ask me about the activities board in college.)
6.) I sometimes wonder what it would be like to be shorter.
7.) For some reason, I still enjoy being tall, even though I complain about it a lot. And even though it’s difficult to find pants that are long enough and size 12 shoes.
8.) Somehow, I knew I would end up marrying my husband before we even started dating.
9.) I am extremely clumsy but, if you choreograph something for me, I can manage to be graceful.
10.) I bake when I’m stressed. For some reason, measuring things out and following a recipe helps to calm me down. Unfortunately, that’s also why I’m overweight.
11.) I would probably be a vegetarian if it weren’t for chicken fingers. And bacon. Damn you tasty animals.
12.) When I was a kid I wanted to be a librarian just to have an excuse to be around books all day.
13.) Instead of an imaginary friend I had an imaginary older sister because I was kind of lonely being an only child.
14.) I think I’m a southerner at heart and can’t wait to move back there.
15.) My husband is my best friend and the highlight of my day is coming home and talking to him about my day and asking him about his.
16.) I am very, very observant. I frequently try to hide this for fear that I will say too much or say the wrong thing. I have a hard time believing when people say they didn’t notice something and often wonder if they’re just playing dumb. As a result of this ability, I often have to pretend to be surprised about something when I’m really not.
17.) My husband proposed in Paris and it was the second most romantic thing he did for me (although it was pretty impressive.) The first most romantic thing he’s done for me is to show up on my doorstep when I was sick with a can of soup, a carton of orange juice, a pint of Godiva ice cream, and a rose he picked/stole from a garden on our college campus.
18.) I have a bad habit of chewing the skin around my nails. For some reason I leave the nails alone, but I can’t stand when my cuticles peel.
19.) I really want to have children one day but, right now, I often cringe when I see a child in public. Working at an all-girls high school and hearing screeching voices throughout the day is quite possibly the best birth control ever invented.
20.) I am a major Francophile. I want to live in France again one day though preferably not in Lille which is grayer and windier than Buffalo. As much as I bitched and moaned every day that I lived there, I think about it with nostalgia almost every day since I’ve been back. And that was nearly 5 years ago.
21.) I know way more than I should about football. I started watching it when I was tutoring student-athletes at Ole Miss because it made it easier to relate to them. Now it’s become a bit of an obsession. For example, I should not know that the spread offense is impressive in college but does not always allow a quarterback to easily transition into the NFL.
22.) I have a list of several jobs that I would like to do at least once if I had the chance. They are: stand-up comedian; actress; screenplay writer; jazz/blues singer (particularly if I get to lounge on a piano); professional badminton player; crime scene investigator; FBI agent.
23.) I grew up Catholic and went to Catholic school which results in a lot of guilt and a great desire for structure and organization. I secretly yearn for that environment again even though I disagree so strongly with pretty much everything the church believes in.
24.) I have seen every episode of the following shows: Golden Girls, Charmed, The Cosby Show, Medium, CSI (reruns – I have to catch up on this season), That 70s Show, and The X-Files. In fact, I can give you the name of an X-Files episode and the season in which it takes place based solely on Scully’s hairstyle.
25.) I can’t grow my hair longer than an inch or two below my shoulders. I’ve tried. It doesn’t work.
26.) I don’t always follow the rules, as much as it may seem like I try to. I just couldn’t resist. :)
25 Random things about me that I avoided posting until now, but since everyone else has taken the time to do it, I feel compelled to join the lemmings:
1.) One of my guilty pleasures is dance movies, especially ballet ones. Even better are when the ballet dancers make forays into hip hop and/or ice skating. Another guilty pleasure is to sop up Olive Garden dressing with a breadstick. Yet a third is emptying the lint trap.
2.) I dream of writing and publishing a novel.
3.) I am terribly insecure and have very low self-esteem. As a result I am constantly and probably unnecessarily worried about what other people think of me.
4.) Playing the piano is the only thing I can screw up at that doesn’t bother me. I took lessons for two years in high school and I’m pretty bad but it helps me to de-stress. (Unfortunately, all I have is a crappy, old-school keyboard that is in the attic right now.)
5.) I have an uncanny and completely useless ability to construct small costumes for my stuffed turkey. I also excel at creating animals out of garbage bags (ask me about the activities board in college.)
6.) I sometimes wonder what it would be like to be shorter.
7.) For some reason, I still enjoy being tall, even though I complain about it a lot. And even though it’s difficult to find pants that are long enough and size 12 shoes.
8.) Somehow, I knew I would end up marrying my husband before we even started dating.
9.) I am extremely clumsy but, if you choreograph something for me, I can manage to be graceful.
10.) I bake when I’m stressed. For some reason, measuring things out and following a recipe helps to calm me down. Unfortunately, that’s also why I’m overweight.
11.) I would probably be a vegetarian if it weren’t for chicken fingers. And bacon. Damn you tasty animals.
12.) When I was a kid I wanted to be a librarian just to have an excuse to be around books all day.
13.) Instead of an imaginary friend I had an imaginary older sister because I was kind of lonely being an only child.
14.) I think I’m a southerner at heart and can’t wait to move back there.
15.) My husband is my best friend and the highlight of my day is coming home and talking to him about my day and asking him about his.
16.) I am very, very observant. I frequently try to hide this for fear that I will say too much or say the wrong thing. I have a hard time believing when people say they didn’t notice something and often wonder if they’re just playing dumb. As a result of this ability, I often have to pretend to be surprised about something when I’m really not.
17.) My husband proposed in Paris and it was the second most romantic thing he did for me (although it was pretty impressive.) The first most romantic thing he’s done for me is to show up on my doorstep when I was sick with a can of soup, a carton of orange juice, a pint of Godiva ice cream, and a rose he picked/stole from a garden on our college campus.
18.) I have a bad habit of chewing the skin around my nails. For some reason I leave the nails alone, but I can’t stand when my cuticles peel.
19.) I really want to have children one day but, right now, I often cringe when I see a child in public. Working at an all-girls high school and hearing screeching voices throughout the day is quite possibly the best birth control ever invented.
20.) I am a major Francophile. I want to live in France again one day though preferably not in Lille which is grayer and windier than Buffalo. As much as I bitched and moaned every day that I lived there, I think about it with nostalgia almost every day since I’ve been back. And that was nearly 5 years ago.
21.) I know way more than I should about football. I started watching it when I was tutoring student-athletes at Ole Miss because it made it easier to relate to them. Now it’s become a bit of an obsession. For example, I should not know that the spread offense is impressive in college but does not always allow a quarterback to easily transition into the NFL.
22.) I have a list of several jobs that I would like to do at least once if I had the chance. They are: stand-up comedian; actress; screenplay writer; jazz/blues singer (particularly if I get to lounge on a piano); professional badminton player; crime scene investigator; FBI agent.
23.) I grew up Catholic and went to Catholic school which results in a lot of guilt and a great desire for structure and organization. I secretly yearn for that environment again even though I disagree so strongly with pretty much everything the church believes in.
24.) I have seen every episode of the following shows: Golden Girls, Charmed, The Cosby Show, Medium, CSI (reruns – I have to catch up on this season), That 70s Show, and The X-Files. In fact, I can give you the name of an X-Files episode and the season in which it takes place based solely on Scully’s hairstyle.
25.) I can’t grow my hair longer than an inch or two below my shoulders. I’ve tried. It doesn’t work.
26.) I don’t always follow the rules, as much as it may seem like I try to. I just couldn’t resist. :)
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