NPR Bits

I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving. My didn't got the least bit as planned, but it was a lot of fun and the vacation from school was well needed. Back to the grind now and completely swamped, but it's winding down in a few weeks.

NPR has been interesting this week. I listened to a report on SIPR, the secured internal government internet that I spent a lot of time dealing with, but have never heard referred to in a civilian capacity. It was a really weird experience hearing on the radio something that existed in my other life (i.e. the military one). I was so astounded that I called a friend who used to be a coworker just to explain my amazement.

Also, an interesting idea was broached. I didn't get to listen to the piece because I was late for class (shocker) but the basic gist is that if DADT is repealed (fingers remain crossed), what will that mean for openly gay married servicemen and women? If they were married in a state that has legalized gay marriage, will the military be required to honor their union with all the support that it honors heterosexual marriages? And if so...imagine the effect. The military, one of the largest government institutions, is required to honor gay marriage. What other institutions will fall under the same banner? Of course, what of the reverse? If the military refuses to honor a legal marriage, what happens then? Service members can't sue the military, but I think their spouses can...

Other interesting news of the day has lead me to a video game I'm actually excited about. Disney's Epic Mickey! If you haven't heard about this, Disney has recently regained the rights to Oswald the Rabbit, Walt's first commercially successful cartoon character. He lost the rights in 1928 in a fallout with his distribution company and they were just regained a couple of years ago. So the creators of the video game were able to use him. The story is that Oswald and other forgotten or discarded Disney things (amusement park rides, costumes, characters, etc) live in a world called Cartoon Wasteland. Mickey makes a mess, basically, and has to save Cartoon Wasteland. He gets paint thinner and a paint brush as tools. Apparently, he also takes on the personality of the player. If your choices with him are helpful and supportive of the locals, Mickey is helpful and supportive. If your choices are driven on winning the game (and, say, sacrificing the occasional collateral damage), his attitude becomes more cranky, etc. Can't wait!

Happy Thanksgiving

In a few short hours, I will be heading to the airport. Oh yes, it's beyond absurd. But with the threats of holiday travel being ridiculous, I figure it's better to nap in the airport than miss my flight. So at 3 am, I will be leaving for a 6 am flight to Oklahoma via Chicago.

And I am excited.

I am so excited to see my family. To introduce them to my man, to let him meet them. To see my sister, who I haven't seen since she changed from Miss to Mrs. Sadly, her husband won't be joining us as he's spending the holidays in the sandbox. But we think of him often and fondly.

The flights are miserable - clearly no one important has ever had to fly between New York and Oklahoma or they would have done something about this. Also, JetBlue doesn't fly there, so double sad. The high (high!) is going to be in the 30s. But I don't care. I get to see my family. I get one step closer to adding the man I love to my family.

And that's what the holidays are about.

"You can't punch the gay out of me anymore than I can punch the ignoramus out of you! "

No surprise for those who know me, but I love Glee. Musicals plus high school drama and really awesome characters = Love. Also no surprise, Kurt is my favorite character.

Kurt has had a pretty awesome arch. Last season was the coming out and his father's reactions, as well at the beginning of the problems with Finn. This season we've seen so much from the actor, who is the youngest in the cast. The bullying issues, his relationship with Finn developing, etc. Tonight's episode was amazing and painful. I wanted to hug him...and punch the other kid. Right in his scared, fat nose.

The bullying issues around the country aren't new, they're just getting coverage. I've had friends tell me about the nightmare of high school because they were known to be gay - or even just suspected of it before they came out themselves. After a strikingly similar episode of Queer as Folk, a friend cried to me about taking a baseball bat to the ribs. I spent my teenage years in a medium town in the Midwest, where you'd expect this kind of thing to be prevalent, but I was blissfully unaware if it was happening, with one exception. In high school, my best friend got thrown up against a wall and was being strangled when someone finally intervened. It was horrific, but literally the only episode like that I can recall.

Watching it on TV breaks my heart as much as hearing about it on the news or online. Kurt is a character, but the experiences are real. Chris Colfer, the actor, brings such a beautiful and horrific reality to the situation. I hope he's not gone from the show. I hope his transfer is temporary. I think he's too valuable as a character for them to lose. His story has been the most compelling one in this show.

The Smallest Gesture

The other day, I emailed the riding club administrator to let her know why I had to cancel my lesson at the last minute after having RSVPd. I hate doing that, but there are days when getting out of bed is a challenge, much less getting on a horse. I didn't have to tell her, of course, but I'd rather tell her than be rude.

In response, she emailed me back to say that her sister has fibromyalgia and she understands what it entails. Additionally, she sent me a link to a series of short exercises developed in part to help with those who suffer from fibro to reconnect the neuro-kinetic flows through the body.

It's a very sweet thing from her. People are often sympathetic, which is appreciated as much as it is frustrating. But rarely do they go out of their way to help. It only took her a minute to write that email and include the link, but the point is that she thought of it and that she did it. The smallest gestures can mean so much in someone's life, often beyond what we think it will. Stopping to compliment someone else, offering a hand, holding a door, even just greeting people. It adds up. And you don't know when that small gesture will be the bright point in someone's day.

Not a fan

It's getting to be that time of year. A lot of things are getting to the point of being due or overdue and not enough of them are done. It's also cold and getting dark early, which means my comfort instincts are kicking in. I want to climb under warm covers, lay in a warm bath, eat sweets and pasta. The fibro and endo both react poorly to cold.

So, in summary, this is not my favorite time of year. Stress plus cold equals a generally long and painful day. It makes me shorter tempered and less capable of dealing with unexpected changes and stress. And, of course, that just makes the whole the worse. Winter is not my favorite time of the year.

Why I Love DC

Washington D.C. is my favorite city. NYC is nice and Seoul was interesting, but DC wins the game for me. Chicago has too much snow to be a consideration.

So why do I love DC? A few reasons.

1. I love museums and there are a few...okay, a lot. The Smithsonians are fantastic and a museum lovers dream - you can roam all day in one of them or buzz through a couple in a day. I also have a deep love of history (see my previous post about old buildings) and there is so much of our very short American history in those buildings.

2. The city is physically beautiful. Not all of it, of course. There's a lot of not-so-pretty areas of the city and I've been to them. But the Mall is really an architectural love letter. The white buildings always catch my eye (the color and other layout items are inspired by The White City of the Chicago World's Fair in 1893 as part of the City Beautiful Movement). There are beautiful rowhouses in several parts of the city. Lots of trees and parks (green is very important to me). Also, the city is a little slower than the speed of NYC, LA or Chicago. Don't get me wrong, it moves quickly. But all in all, it's much slower.

3. The monuments. The presidential monuments are good (I particularly like FDRs), but my personal favorite are the war monuments. None of the wars that I've been involved with have monuments yet, but the wars before me do. I spoke at the WWII memorial while I was in the service regarding the history of my then unit during the war. There is something magical about each of the war monuments. As you approach them, silence falls in respect of those mourning. Conversations are hushed and respectful. The monuments are unique, but uniformly powerful. The sacrifice of others is overwhelming, beautiful, sad. In marble, granite and copper, a testament to each of the wars is there for those who were there, and those of us who have come since, to remember and touch a little bit of our past. Personal favorite is the Korean monument.

So yeah, my favorite city. A few reasons right there. I think Paris might be a contender should I ever go, but that has more to do with the fashion element.

Public Bad Days

When you're sick, you have good days and bad days. Just like anyone, really, but with slightly modified definitions. Being able to wake up and get out of bed is usually a signal of a good day, though not always.

I woke up tired today, but given the drive back from Richmond yesterday and that I took my meds a little late last night, that's not terribly surprising. My back didn't hurt, which is a good start. Slow getting moving, but the day went on. Bio test this morning, which I got through. By the time lunch came along, I was tired - ready to take a nap tired. But I battled the Bursar and Registrar instead. Our lab attendance requirements are stringent and even though I knew I could get an excused, I drug myself to lab. Mistake.

By the time the lecture portion of lab was over, I could barely move. I spoke to the professor (who I really like) and he suggested I take a break, sit down in a comfortable chair (i.e. not the lab) and see if I could continue. So I took over a comfy chair in the building and read wikipedia on my phone while trying to keep my joints mobile (stiffening is a problem). I recovered well enough and he assigned me to a group in progress. I made it through the lab, but I was dead by the end. I also got to explain, repeatedly, why I was moving slow.

Bad days aren't the problem, really. Well, they are the problem, but not this particular one. The problem here is public bad days. I hate that. I like hiding in my house when I'm not doing well and can't mask it (also, my bed is a Temurpedic and rocks). But I got to explain fibromyalgia, its symptoms, treatments and its (lack of) cause. Fun. The nice thing is that most the people in my class are Bio majors and wanted to know about it from a medical and biological standpoint. Thankfully, I know that standpoint on this topic, which is unclear, unfounded and a lot of guesswork (some of it insulting to people who have fibro).

So yeah, no spoons today. Exhausted. I'm going to take a hot shower, which usually helps (warmth is good). Then I think I'm going to take some knitting and apple cider with me to bed. Hopefully, tomorrow will be a better day.

Instead of writing my paper...

I'll post about why I'm sore.

I feel like I've gone a few rounds with Gabby (my former personal trainer who loved to box and made me love it too). We had our riding lesson this evening. It was dark, but the rings are lit. I had a fabulous horse, Justin, who is sadly owned by someone and thus not usually available as a class horse. It was all trotting and posting today. My legs, abs and arms are killing me.

I've ridden for a long time, being around horses from a young age. I, like anyone who learned to ride outside of a class or stable environment, learned to ride Western. There's a lot of differences between the two forms, but it boils down to purpose. The purpose of Western riding is to work. You keep your reigns in one hand so you have a hand free to work. You grip with your knees and thighs when at a run so that your feet are free to kick. The equipment is all different as well. In English, the purpose is to show the beauty, strength and grace of the horse. It's to showcase the animal (and secondarily, the rider). You grip with the calves and feet (while pushing through the heels) and keep the knees and thighs relaxed. All the equipment is designed for better communication with the horse. Even the dismount is different.

Needless to say, the differences have been a culture shock. Pushing through the heels and gripping with the lower leg is difficult to remember when my instincts kick in. Not to mention, every time I halt, I tend to transfer the reigns (which are connected and held with both hands) into one hand. I do admit that, now that I have the general motion of posting down, it's considerably more comfortable than sitting the trot. Trotting is evil. But with posting, it's not so bad. And I'm buildings towards things like jumping and dressage (so sweetly described by friends as horse ballet). Things that serve no purpose other than to do it. It's fabulous! It's also a killer workout. Up and down for an hour. Exhausting. But oh, so much fun!

What We've Lost

This video was posted on Andrew Sullivan today: Abandoned Six Flags NOLA. Understandably, it is incredibly creepy and sad.

There has always been something about abandoned things that fascinate me and break my heart. Be it houses, towns, amusement parks or buildings, I find that they bring so many questions. Once upon a time, for some reason, this place existed. Someone built it, wanted it, loved it. And now it's been left to the ravages of time. Memories exist there and when the structures are gone, only the memories will be left, which fade over time. It's one of the reasons I love old houses. They have a life, a story. And if you can bring the house back to life, maybe you can bring back the story as well.

I have spent countless hours on wikipedia over the years, following links from this entry to that one. I even edit on occasion. But the entries that are the most interesting usually fall in the abandoned structure genre. I can not tell you how long I have looked at or searched for pictures of former amusements parks that have been left to rot. History is just sitting there on the side of the road, generally ignored for whatever reason. Interests change and the way we spend out time changes, but are we losing something when we let our history die?

Also, the sense that people where there, living their lives, and something made the left is rather haunting. There was an old school in the town I lived in as a teenager that was no longer in use. My sister played soccer in the fields next to it and the drama departments stored sets and props there. Because of the latter, I was able to go poking around on a somewhat regular basis. The desks were all wood, as were walls and floors, and the classrooms clearly predated white boards. In several classrooms, lessons where still written on the chalkboard, however many years later. The place fascinated me. They tore it down eventually, after I left I think. But it's something I've never forgotten and when I'm home and I drive past the location, it feels like we've lost something.

In the end, I think it's the lack of appreciation for old things and old ways that gets to me. As we've improved as a society and made advancements, I wonder to what we've lost. For every step we take forward in one area, do we lose advantages in others? The eternal question for me, I suppose, since it's once we can never have a true answer to. But it will stick with me nonetheless.

Teatime

Today we had a Pink Mafia tea at Teapot, a local tearoom. I have been looking for a new tearoom since the closure of Lady Anne's and I think I found one. Tearooms, in my opinion, are rated on the following:

Quality and variety of tea
Quality of food
Atmosphere
Staff

Basically, the same things you would consider in a restaurant, right? How did Teapot do?

The tea was delicious. They had a large variety of teas and tisanes. I really enjoyed the Moroccan Mint (a green tea), the Chocolate Mint (a roobios) and the Vanilla Bean (a black tea). The Chocolate Souffle (roobios) was touted as "drinking dessert" and got rave reviews as well. No one seemed the least bit disappointed in the selection, including our member who couldn't have caffeine. I give it a 5 out of 5.

The food was delicious. In standard afternoon tea style, we had two 3-tiered stands of sandwiches, scones and pastries. When I made the reservation, they noted that they would add more sandwiches because there were a lot of men in the group, which seemed considerate. The food was ample and the scones were clearly fresh - soft and tasty. My only issue is that they provided butter, but not clotted cream, which I love. I used preserves instead (raspberry and apricot), but missed the cream. 4 out of 5.

The tearoom is small, which I like. We could probably have had about 30 people there total, maybe. We had the place to ourselves, which was nice. The china was stunning. Our table was set with green and gold banded teacups, saucers and small plates. Tablecloths were gold and the general feel was warm and inviting. Even the bathroom kept to that. A few complaints - we didn't have place settings, so we all had to use the same serving knives to spread our butter and jam, which is a little irritating to me. Also, the napkins were paper, which I hate. 3 out of 5.

Finally, the staff. One of the owners was there, as was another, younger girl (perhaps her daughter). The younger girl was clearly not thrilled to be there on a Sunday afternoon, but she was still polite and attentive. They refilled the teapots (5 at a time for a group of 8!) with different teas so we got to try 10 total. Friendly, accommodating and attentive - my kind of place! 5 out of 5.

So, pretty good! I think the napkins thing might be a product of a new business. I really enjoyed it and will be going back again. And as soon as I get the picture from the person who took it, I'll post it.

Lessons of a baby blanket

Over the summer, I learned to knit. My boyfriend's mother taught me, as well as loaded me up with supplies (I have more yarn than I know what to do with). I track specifics on ravelry for those of you who are fellow knitters, but my big project right now is a baby blanket for my boyfriend's godson, who is due in a couple of weeks.

Except that he's coming as we speak!

I am a schedule person. I may plans for everything. Monica Geller from Friends? Yeah, she and I are a lot alike (though she's funnier...something about having writers...). We'll put aside my cleaning obsession for a moment and talk about plans. I make them for everything. I make plans for things that haven't happened yet. For things that might never happen. It's how I process the world.

The baby (whose initials are KET, which I find very cute) is on his way. He's early, like babies often are. He's off the plan. The blanket is not done. It's nowhere near done, actually. I have a whole ball and a half of yarn to do still and I really want to make an edging of some kind and add his monogram. Because of all of this, I've had to accept that it's late. KET will get his blanket when it's done. And that's okay. It has to be okay because that's how it's going to be.

Stressing about knitting is counterproductive. I find that when I'm trying to rush or am stressed at the knitting, I make mistakes, which cost time later and countless frustrations. So when I pick up my needles, I have to take a deep breath and relax. Otherwise, the knitting suffers. I think it's because of this that knitting has become my favorite hobby (though I do still want to learn to quilt). Like training Indy, my dog, that he sits when I pick up his walking collar so I can put it on him, I have to train myself that picking up the needles is a relaxing thing. Associations are strong tools and I use them for other people all the time. I just need to develop an association with this.

So tired of politics

I like politics usually. I find it interesting and, more importantly, I think being well informed about what's going on is important. For the most part, I keep my specific opinions to myself. One of my closest friends is a Republican, very devoutly. Though I'm not 100% liberal (I like my guns and military), I am generally to the left of center.

This election season has completely zapped me of interest. For the last month, I have had to endure not only the plethora of national politics chatter on NPR and Andrew Sullivan (my favorite blog), but the gruesome NY state politics. I voted, of course, because I do, but I was so happy to be done with election season. So you can imagine my irritation when I tuned into NPR today and they were discussing the election. The Republicans won, shocker! People are upset with incumbents across the country and the Democrats previously had the majority. This should not be a surprise. But it's all everyone can talk about.

I think the major reason that I'm so tired of this election season is the very poor taste in which this election has been conducted. The thing I dislike about politics is the mudslinging and attacks. It's tacky and low brow, everything I hate in the world. And I'm just fed up with it.

And We're Off...

So after years of livejournal and old fashioned journaling, I have entered the world of blogging. I've dabbled before in the off project - Electric Tangerine, a Project Runway review, and other small projects. But now I'm going to take the step into the blogging world with this. I'm keeping my livejournal account and will set up a direct feed to that account for those who prefer to read there. Thanks for following me, no matter what the medium!

I write about whatever interests me and whatever happens in my day, without a particular focus. I'm also refusing to set a goal for how often I blog since I obsess about goals and deadlines. It makes me a great employee but a miserable person when I set unrealistic goals.

A bit about me and where we're starting from. I am a 28-year-old disabled Army veteran taking advantage of the wonderful post-9/11 GI Bill to go to school and get my BS in Psychology. I'm considering a minor in math but I'm not committed to that. I was married, but am now divorced and in a very happy, though long distance, relationship with a man who I couldn't be more different than. My life is at a weird place, but I'm happy there.

So, welcome, make yourself comfortable and comments are welcome!