Sunday, October 28, 2012
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Shiny new counters!
Up/Down of Being a Journalist
Happy to be up late, happier to not have to get up early tomorrow. All week I've been on assignment to cover the annual Alaska Federation of Natives and surrounding events which meant 12-14 hour days and, god help me, waking up before 8am. It was pretty tiring and now it's done.
I think what's great about being a journalist is getting to enter all these diverse worlds, one after another, receiving just enough education to understand the issues, to report intelligently before moving on to the next assignment or interest. I called myself "something like a dilettante," the other day to an especially clever interviewee and then instantly regretted it because it's not my interest that is fleeting, it is my time. Which truly is and honestly, fleeting, and so this work is conducive to an easily bored person as I am, but there is a downside, too. Often, during that brief education just enough to care, you find yourself really caring and forming a opinion about what it is you're currently becoming well-acquainted with. An opinion that you can't freely express as an impartial journalist which can be frustrating when you're an easily bored but also easily stirred to passion person.
Sometimes I take good advantage of that "impartiality" like when I'm walking out of REI or the market and I'm asked to sign the same petition over and over - "Sorry, I can't," I simply say, thinking to myself that it's fine. But then there are other times when I see, so maddeningly, women continuing have their body rights challenged and I want to fucking scream and make a scene - REALLY ARE WE STILL TELLING HALF THE POPULATION - BUT ONLY THE HALF WITH VAGINAS - WHAT THEY CAN CHOOSE TO DO WITH THEIR BODIES?! Also... POVERTY AND KIDS FALLING THROUGH THE CRACKS!!
It's ironic, I think, feeling somewhat (facebookingly) gagged while I am fortunate to be allowed a public platform to publicize the stories that I get to tell. Which is a good thing, as passionate as I am, that I temper and edit, because no one wants to be the yelling, outraged lady in pajama pants and a tiny backpack making an ALL CAPS scene in line at the coffee house, telling others, "My time is at a premium, hurry it up with the creamer!" and that's what I remember her saying (plus remembering her outfit), but nothing about the purpose underlying that attention-stealing (not attention-grabbing, there's a difference) scene.
I think what's great about being a journalist is getting to enter all these diverse worlds, one after another, receiving just enough education to understand the issues, to report intelligently before moving on to the next assignment or interest. I called myself "something like a dilettante," the other day to an especially clever interviewee and then instantly regretted it because it's not my interest that is fleeting, it is my time. Which truly is and honestly, fleeting, and so this work is conducive to an easily bored person as I am, but there is a downside, too. Often, during that brief education just enough to care, you find yourself really caring and forming a opinion about what it is you're currently becoming well-acquainted with. An opinion that you can't freely express as an impartial journalist which can be frustrating when you're an easily bored but also easily stirred to passion person.
Sometimes I take good advantage of that "impartiality" like when I'm walking out of REI or the market and I'm asked to sign the same petition over and over - "Sorry, I can't," I simply say, thinking to myself that it's fine. But then there are other times when I see, so maddeningly, women continuing have their body rights challenged and I want to fucking scream and make a scene - REALLY ARE WE STILL TELLING HALF THE POPULATION - BUT ONLY THE HALF WITH VAGINAS - WHAT THEY CAN CHOOSE TO DO WITH THEIR BODIES?! Also... POVERTY AND KIDS FALLING THROUGH THE CRACKS!!
It's ironic, I think, feeling somewhat (facebookingly) gagged while I am fortunate to be allowed a public platform to publicize the stories that I get to tell. Which is a good thing, as passionate as I am, that I temper and edit, because no one wants to be the yelling, outraged lady in pajama pants and a tiny backpack making an ALL CAPS scene in line at the coffee house, telling others, "My time is at a premium, hurry it up with the creamer!" and that's what I remember her saying (plus remembering her outfit), but nothing about the purpose underlying that attention-stealing (not attention-grabbing, there's a difference) scene.
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Saturday, October 06, 2012
Bacon, Eyeshadow, Cheese Storage and HAWAII
Thirty-five on Tuesday. So, this week, I realized that there are AT LEAST two basic things I still don't know how to do properly that I should probably know how to do by now. 1) Apply eyeshadow, and 2) cook bacon.
Number 1 I took into hand just yesterday - because I am no slacker. Marched into Sephora and said, "Show me how to do a smoky eye. Please?" I learned that light eyeshadow goes DOWN and dark goes ABOVE (I'd been doing it backwards all this time). Bonus, the saleswoman and I did a little Gagnam Style dance when it came on the stereo and then we were BFF makeup/Korean rap friends for a few beautiful minutes.
Bacon, though, pfffflllt. Tried again this AM and there was still those flabby white ends, too-crispy middles. I dunno. When I have like an extra 5 bored minutes standing in front of the stove with a package of cured pork strips in one hand, iPhone in the other, I will definitely maybe YouTube how to cook bacon.
What else about 35. Well, I'm decided to be assertive - advocating for what I both need and want - because I'm old enough to know that I won't be happy unless I get those needs/wants and I don't want to do things that I begrudge/be unhappy so I might as well try and not think I deserve less for all the reasons I've previously talked myself out of something I want or into something I don't.
Know what else is a simple, but highly effective, thing? Storing cheese in Tupperware upside-down in the fridge.
Bacon, cosmetics and storage tips aside, I had a rad birthday. My sister took me for a "blue collar" night with homemade bowling shirts, a few games at the alley and topped off with cocktails at a jazz bar. It was a fun night, and totally welcome after another near-miss adoption roller coaster ("There's a baby going home with someone tonight!!" - one hour later - "It's not you.") A lot goes through my head and mostly, my emotions, during that hour. It's really hard. Bowling and old fashioneds and sister time helped.
Then on my birthday day, darling husband surprised me with a leather "Executive Desk Chair" - so nice for all that working from home I do do. Then dinner at my favorite place where you get a view AND get to really truly dine - Crow's Nest. It was lovely. Whilst there Jim may have given me the most perfect gift (for me) ever. A tropical vacation fund in the form of a check - it represented all the time he took to save up for this, a forward-thinking present giving me something to look forward to (what keeps me going is having future plans), and then the gift of planning - all that research and figuring out and taking care of details ahead of time (now, WAY ahead of time) so that there's nothing left to do when we travel except show up for flights and relax.
So, I'm returning to that post from the day we left Hawaii this past March, Such Sweet Sorrow, when, hating to leave, we listed our top 5 "must dos" for when we returned. This time, definitely seeing an erupting volcano (has to be Big Island for that reason), ukulele lessons and also paddleboarding (for me) and surfing (for Jim). Then there're the turtles... Well, 2 weeks on the Big Island's rustic Puna Coast should help us meet all these holidayin' goals, yay! I found the most amazing vacation rental and just booked it. Happy birthday to me!!
Number 1 I took into hand just yesterday - because I am no slacker. Marched into Sephora and said, "Show me how to do a smoky eye. Please?" I learned that light eyeshadow goes DOWN and dark goes ABOVE (I'd been doing it backwards all this time). Bonus, the saleswoman and I did a little Gagnam Style dance when it came on the stereo and then we were BFF makeup/Korean rap friends for a few beautiful minutes.
Bacon, though, pfffflllt. Tried again this AM and there was still those flabby white ends, too-crispy middles. I dunno. When I have like an extra 5 bored minutes standing in front of the stove with a package of cured pork strips in one hand, iPhone in the other, I will definitely maybe YouTube how to cook bacon.
What else about 35. Well, I'm decided to be assertive - advocating for what I both need and want - because I'm old enough to know that I won't be happy unless I get those needs/wants and I don't want to do things that I begrudge/be unhappy so I might as well try and not think I deserve less for all the reasons I've previously talked myself out of something I want or into something I don't.
Know what else is a simple, but highly effective, thing? Storing cheese in Tupperware upside-down in the fridge.
 |
| Wonder what's in those containers? Guess we'll never know... |
 | ||
| Oh, wait! Helloooo Manchego and Florette! |
Bacon, cosmetics and storage tips aside, I had a rad birthday. My sister took me for a "blue collar" night with homemade bowling shirts, a few games at the alley and topped off with cocktails at a jazz bar. It was a fun night, and totally welcome after another near-miss adoption roller coaster ("There's a baby going home with someone tonight!!" - one hour later - "It's not you.") A lot goes through my head and mostly, my emotions, during that hour. It's really hard. Bowling and old fashioneds and sister time helped.
Then on my birthday day, darling husband surprised me with a leather "Executive Desk Chair" - so nice for all that working from home I do do. Then dinner at my favorite place where you get a view AND get to really truly dine - Crow's Nest. It was lovely. Whilst there Jim may have given me the most perfect gift (for me) ever. A tropical vacation fund in the form of a check - it represented all the time he took to save up for this, a forward-thinking present giving me something to look forward to (what keeps me going is having future plans), and then the gift of planning - all that research and figuring out and taking care of details ahead of time (now, WAY ahead of time) so that there's nothing left to do when we travel except show up for flights and relax.
So, I'm returning to that post from the day we left Hawaii this past March, Such Sweet Sorrow, when, hating to leave, we listed our top 5 "must dos" for when we returned. This time, definitely seeing an erupting volcano (has to be Big Island for that reason), ukulele lessons and also paddleboarding (for me) and surfing (for Jim). Then there're the turtles... Well, 2 weeks on the Big Island's rustic Puna Coast should help us meet all these holidayin' goals, yay! I found the most amazing vacation rental and just booked it. Happy birthday to me!!
Tuesday, October 02, 2012
Happy 35
I deleted that other post. Too negative. Another year of life is a good thing. So, happy birthday to me.
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