it's been very long since i've blogged... and i have gotten some complaints, which means more of you are reading than i knew. leave comments! it entertains me.
left california. packed up our house, raised $200 by selling our stuff, and will give it to a family in new orleans once my lady gets back there. moving out proved to be a nightmare. we put everything up for sale on craigslist, and our lovely roomie L decided she didn't need to do anything to help any part of the move out. NOTHING. she went out for dinner and had some fun with friends in SF. aw, soo nice to hear that she had a good time while my lady and i had all the craigslist shoppers of the bay area coming into the house to barter for our things. girl didn't come home for 3 days, showed up at 4.30pm the night that we had to be out. she couldn't understand why we were pissed at her. she said "i didn't know 'this' was happening." WTF? did she think tinkerbell was going to show up and empty out the apartment for us? she's a bleepin' idiot and i told her so. F her. wake up. *growl*
my lady packed up the car something fierce and we spent our last night in the bay area saying goodbye to everyone. woke up thursday morning and drove a painful 16 hours to albuqueerque. the kitties were better than i expected, but they wouldn't poo or pee no matter how many times i put them in the box. finally, as we pulled onto the street of our final destination at 1.30am, they both took a crap. the smell hit us in the face. i thought we might crash, that my lady might vomit.
been hanging in new mexico, introducing the kitties to their grandma and their, um, uncles harry and sally (doggies). the dogs really want to play with the kitties. the kitties really love to hiss at the doggies. fun.
i could eat breakfast burritos with green chili every single day. oh, wait, that's what i've been doing. if you ever travel through NM, make sure you get yourself some green chili. yum.
ok, that's the update. can't spend anymore time blogging, that's too anti-social of me and my lady will start to say i am lost in my cyber life. but having limited access to email has been tolerable. see, i'm not a complete junkie! i can interact with people NOT online!
off to save the kitties from the doggies, or should i say off to save the doggies from a clawed swipe to the nose. *hiiiiiiiiiiisssssssssssssssssssss*
Sunday, December 18, 2005
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
cheesy "i feel like this song" moment
especially this verse:
i teeter between tired
and really, really tired
i'm wiped and i'm wired but i guess its just as well
because i built my own empire
out of car tires and chicken wire
and i'm queen of my own compost heap
and i'm getting used to the smell
and i've got a lack of information
but i got a little revelation
and i'm climbing up on the railing
trying not to look down
i'm going to do my best swan dive
into shark-infested waters
i'm gonna pull out my tampon
and start splashing around
oh ani difranco, if only you didn't go all weird on us by adding a horn section to your acoustic guitar and marrying a man named goat.
i teeter between tired
and really, really tired
i'm wiped and i'm wired but i guess its just as well
because i built my own empire
out of car tires and chicken wire
and i'm queen of my own compost heap
and i'm getting used to the smell
and i've got a lack of information
but i got a little revelation
and i'm climbing up on the railing
trying not to look down
i'm going to do my best swan dive
into shark-infested waters
i'm gonna pull out my tampon
and start splashing around
oh ani difranco, if only you didn't go all weird on us by adding a horn section to your acoustic guitar and marrying a man named goat.
people suck.
i am tired. i put so much energy into this report, and what do my (previously called) friends say? NOTHING. silence. well, nothing to my face.
i get a phone call from a "friend" who reports that 2 "friends" are upset with me. pissed. i wonder if the reporting "friend" stood up for me. riiiiight. no way. another friend wrote an email, asking us all for $ to give to the facutly and staff who lost their homes, because she wants to do something "positive, for a change." yet a third friend wrote my lady and said the report was biased and we need to stop attacking the poor tired staff and that the report was not in the right spirit.
that makes 5 "friends" - spineless gossip lovin' girl, angry at the world girl, immature and foolish girl, a republican pothead girl, and even someone i can't think of a single bad adjective about - all coming out against my efforts to create a space for students to have a voice.
fuck them all.
i get a phone call from a "friend" who reports that 2 "friends" are upset with me. pissed. i wonder if the reporting "friend" stood up for me. riiiiight. no way. another friend wrote an email, asking us all for $ to give to the facutly and staff who lost their homes, because she wants to do something "positive, for a change." yet a third friend wrote my lady and said the report was biased and we need to stop attacking the poor tired staff and that the report was not in the right spirit.
that makes 5 "friends" - spineless gossip lovin' girl, angry at the world girl, immature and foolish girl, a republican pothead girl, and even someone i can't think of a single bad adjective about - all coming out against my efforts to create a space for students to have a voice.
fuck them all.
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
finals hell.
here i am, at the end of my graduate school experience. it certainly hasn't been easy, but it is over over over in less than a week! of course, Tulane may be a pain in my ass, who knows. i was told (by my now-long-gone advisor) that since the ONE class i needed to graduate was not available here at my host school, another one would count instead. rumor has it that N. asked the department chair if this switcharoo could be made for her, and he said no.
doesn't he have more important things to worry about.. like the state of new orleans?
in fact, i know he has more important things to concern himself with - things like THE REPORT WE MADE! yup, me and my social-action-focused pals made a survey, tallied said survey, and printed that bastard up. it looks divine. it would look much less divine if L. did not help us. it would be quite ugly, in fact. that girl is magic on the computer!
so the dean here will bring it to our dean at APHA on thursday. we will send it out over email that same day - i want the dean to get it when everyone else gets it and not afterwards. don't know why, but for some reason that seems disrespectful. and then, we can wait and see. what action will Tulane take? who knows. only 2 of the 5 of us will be there next semester, as of today.
as this comes to an end as rocky as it began, i am actually happy that i landed in the bay area. i know i've said that i want to leave since the day i arrived, but now.. i don't know, i'm kind of used to it here. whatever, it's just pre-move nostalgia.
doesn't he have more important things to worry about.. like the state of new orleans?
in fact, i know he has more important things to concern himself with - things like THE REPORT WE MADE! yup, me and my social-action-focused pals made a survey, tallied said survey, and printed that bastard up. it looks divine. it would look much less divine if L. did not help us. it would be quite ugly, in fact. that girl is magic on the computer!
so the dean here will bring it to our dean at APHA on thursday. we will send it out over email that same day - i want the dean to get it when everyone else gets it and not afterwards. don't know why, but for some reason that seems disrespectful. and then, we can wait and see. what action will Tulane take? who knows. only 2 of the 5 of us will be there next semester, as of today.
as this comes to an end as rocky as it began, i am actually happy that i landed in the bay area. i know i've said that i want to leave since the day i arrived, but now.. i don't know, i'm kind of used to it here. whatever, it's just pre-move nostalgia.
Saturday, December 03, 2005
the waiting isn't over
two articles today in the NY Times discuss two very important issues related to new orleans. the first to catch my eye was about the environmental safety of the city. seems that it is being debated, with the gov't on the "it's safe side" and the advocacy groups on the opposite side. the other story relates the lives of current - or should i say former - residents of new orleans and that bungled mess called FEMA. people are still (still!) living in cars, still without assistance, still unable to find any sense of normalcy.
and yet tulane demands our return, promising cruise ship living (at $5k/semester). the local people of the city are commuting "home" from miles away, arriving just to spend the day walking around aimlessly, trying to find out how to reproduce random paperwork that FEMA requires when everything they own has been under upwards of 8 feet of water. and tulane reopens. what kind of city is this to learn in? maybe if all learning was turned out of the classroom, maybe if all of those students who can afford such luxuries as higher education actually learned through helping those without - maybe that would make sense. maybe that would change the world. give those rich white kids an opportunity to live the hard life. that's an edcuational experience. who needs peace corps experience when you have new orleans to clean?
it's time the city truly engages the community in rebuilding. it's time people moved out of their cars and into the next step towards stability: the trailer.
and yet tulane demands our return, promising cruise ship living (at $5k/semester). the local people of the city are commuting "home" from miles away, arriving just to spend the day walking around aimlessly, trying to find out how to reproduce random paperwork that FEMA requires when everything they own has been under upwards of 8 feet of water. and tulane reopens. what kind of city is this to learn in? maybe if all learning was turned out of the classroom, maybe if all of those students who can afford such luxuries as higher education actually learned through helping those without - maybe that would make sense. maybe that would change the world. give those rich white kids an opportunity to live the hard life. that's an edcuational experience. who needs peace corps experience when you have new orleans to clean?
it's time the city truly engages the community in rebuilding. it's time people moved out of their cars and into the next step towards stability: the trailer.
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
how late is too late?
how long do you wait for someone before you consider yourself blown off?
15 minutes?
remember, they have a cell phone, they can call you. you call them, they don't answer.
30 minutes?
45?
15 minutes?
remember, they have a cell phone, they can call you. you call them, they don't answer.
30 minutes?
45?
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
things are looking up and then, "gunk"
there goes the old transmission. GUNK and a rubber smell and oily leakage and HOLY SHIT THIS DUDE QUOTED ME 2K.
can i reapply for FEMA?
everything feels unbelievably hard here. school, using my brain, job hunting, planning a move back east, my car....
effin' A. sucks sucks sucks. shitty thing? my transmission is (according to new mechanic) supposed to have a serial # on it, but it's been scratched off. eh? what does that mean?
2005. the year that was a pain in my ass.
can i reapply for FEMA?
everything feels unbelievably hard here. school, using my brain, job hunting, planning a move back east, my car....
effin' A. sucks sucks sucks. shitty thing? my transmission is (according to new mechanic) supposed to have a serial # on it, but it's been scratched off. eh? what does that mean?
2005. the year that was a pain in my ass.
Monday, November 28, 2005
my first earthquake!
it JUST happened! i felt it! the house shook. official time is 9.37pm PST in Piedmont, CA, a few miles from me. it measured a whopping 2.4, and what is most impressive is information was online about it within seconds!!!
http://quake.wr.usgs.gov/recenteqs/Quakes/nc40181464.html
holy crap! a real earthquake!
http://quake.wr.usgs.gov/recenteqs/Quakes/nc40181464.html
holy crap! a real earthquake!
Saturday, November 26, 2005
facing the scale i don't have
and thank god i don't have one. it's been ages since i last tied up my running shoes. for shame.
the un-turkey was ok, but i prefer the tofurkey i think. my lady said "oh, i hope next year we can be someplace that has both!" i thought she meant both the un-turkey and the tofurkey. she meant a place with a fake turkey and a real turkey. grrrrrr.
i have so much shit to do. 2 papers, one take-home, work for L, internship objectives (do you think "Fuck TU over" is a good one??) and a move across the country. less than one month until xmas. shiiiiiit. oh, and i have to send all of my school documents to TU so they can approve them. know what i want to say? you bastards, you didn't open, so you should just take all of my credits and shut the hell up. so! annoying!
kittens were wild today. lucas stole my jammy pants and dragged them into the living room. ridiculous! and he's only 4 pounds! wait until he's full-grown! em knocked his head a few times on the coffee table, but i think he's ok. they are both sound asleep right now. soooo cute, but sleep now = craziness at midnight. oh well, kittens must be kittens.
ok, group meeting at 4pm. feeling ready for school to be over. i'm done learning.
the un-turkey was ok, but i prefer the tofurkey i think. my lady said "oh, i hope next year we can be someplace that has both!" i thought she meant both the un-turkey and the tofurkey. she meant a place with a fake turkey and a real turkey. grrrrrr.
i have so much shit to do. 2 papers, one take-home, work for L, internship objectives (do you think "Fuck TU over" is a good one??) and a move across the country. less than one month until xmas. shiiiiiit. oh, and i have to send all of my school documents to TU so they can approve them. know what i want to say? you bastards, you didn't open, so you should just take all of my credits and shut the hell up. so! annoying!
kittens were wild today. lucas stole my jammy pants and dragged them into the living room. ridiculous! and he's only 4 pounds! wait until he's full-grown! em knocked his head a few times on the coffee table, but i think he's ok. they are both sound asleep right now. soooo cute, but sleep now = craziness at midnight. oh well, kittens must be kittens.
ok, group meeting at 4pm. feeling ready for school to be over. i'm done learning.
Thursday, November 24, 2005
happy please don't kill the turkey day!
this year, i'm trying out an un-turkey (in place of the tofurkey). i'll let you know how good it is from a vegetarian point of view, and my lady will likely make comparison to the real, dead thing. it's been 12 years since i've last intentionally eaten meat. i say "intentionally" because there have been a few times that the chef hasn't been honest with me about the ingredients in the food. like when my aunt M said that the boiled cabbage did NOT have a ham bone in it (oh st patrick's day) or when the waiter at a steakhouse in MN (yeah, what was i thinking?) told me that the pasta dish was NOT made with chicken stock. that's actually my all-time favorite story, because when i took a bite and tasted the chicken broth, my friend thought i was being a little nuts and she said all she could taste was garlic and butter. i waved the waiter over, he confirmed with the chef that it did indeed have chicken stock, and the chef came out to apologize to me. turned out that he was vegan, even though he was the head chef at a steak house - what does that tell you about steak? - and he made me a fancy little meal that was vegan and perfect.
what else.. oh, we finally sent out our report about Tulane from our little survey and we put our names on it! it's gone. it's out. and everyone knows it's us. telling them is actually rather liberating. i have to say, if it wasn't for J, this would not have happened. that girl knows how to make shit move.
ok, i have to attend to my lady in the kitchen. it's our first un-turkey day together, it's my first without my family and that makes me a little sad, but we have our own family here. speaking of which, lucas just jumped in the bathroom trash and knocked it over. bleepin' children!
what else.. oh, we finally sent out our report about Tulane from our little survey and we put our names on it! it's gone. it's out. and everyone knows it's us. telling them is actually rather liberating. i have to say, if it wasn't for J, this would not have happened. that girl knows how to make shit move.
ok, i have to attend to my lady in the kitchen. it's our first un-turkey day together, it's my first without my family and that makes me a little sad, but we have our own family here. speaking of which, lucas just jumped in the bathroom trash and knocked it over. bleepin' children!
Monday, November 21, 2005
can't... move.. body
crapola! dodgeball certainly DID kick my arse! i can't frickin' move! ouchie! i have aged, dear readers. it hurts to cough, to sit in class, to get up out of my seat after class; really, to do anything. i am in dire need of a hot tub today.
i have to bring food to class tomorrow - we all take turns bringing snacks each week. oh i am so lucky, this week is special - there is a class of high school students coming into our class tomorrow. instead of feeding 16 people, i get to feed 30! how lucky.
i bought (and by bought, i mean used my meal plan points that the school gave me for free) chips, salsa, apple juice, diet coke, and twix bars for a snack. another student is bringing food too. my teacher emailed me back, asking that i don't bring the twix bars, because these kids have been doing work around nutrition and she doesn't want to send any mixed messages. the next thing she says is that she is going to bring pizza.
?
WTF. no, you can't bring the twix bars you ALREADY got because i want the snacks to be healthy, but i can bring frickin' pizza? hypocrite! soooooooo aggravating. be consistent. pizza, a healthy option? what an idiot.
i have to bring food to class tomorrow - we all take turns bringing snacks each week. oh i am so lucky, this week is special - there is a class of high school students coming into our class tomorrow. instead of feeding 16 people, i get to feed 30! how lucky.
i bought (and by bought, i mean used my meal plan points that the school gave me for free) chips, salsa, apple juice, diet coke, and twix bars for a snack. another student is bringing food too. my teacher emailed me back, asking that i don't bring the twix bars, because these kids have been doing work around nutrition and she doesn't want to send any mixed messages. the next thing she says is that she is going to bring pizza.
?
WTF. no, you can't bring the twix bars you ALREADY got because i want the snacks to be healthy, but i can bring frickin' pizza? hypocrite! soooooooo aggravating. be consistent. pizza, a healthy option? what an idiot.
dodgeball
we played dodgeball today for a benefit for hurricane victims. hot damn, i sucked! but Team Nutria made it to the 3rd round, which is cool, but not so cool because one of those rounds we won thanks to Chi Omega sorority no-showing. winning by forfeit isn't really winning at all.
i don't want to bore you with play-by-play details, so i'll give you the highlight of the day instead. i was hit and, therefore, out. as i made my way out of the box, some jerk on Team Diseased Kumquats threw a ball at me something fierce, hitting me in the back. my lady ran like a bat out of hell towards the guy, screaming "she's already out!" and slammed a ball at him. mmmm. defending her lady. sooo awesome.
stupid TU School of Public Health student gov't president, A, didn't even come, even though she said she'd be there. what a piece of crap she is. i mean, shit, if SHE doesn't care about this, then who will? she's just like many an elected official. useless.
i am ashamed to admit this, but my body is feeling like a trainwreck. my thighs are aching, my back is sore, and arms are weak and wiggly. i have to go to bed. ouchie!
i don't want to bore you with play-by-play details, so i'll give you the highlight of the day instead. i was hit and, therefore, out. as i made my way out of the box, some jerk on Team Diseased Kumquats threw a ball at me something fierce, hitting me in the back. my lady ran like a bat out of hell towards the guy, screaming "she's already out!" and slammed a ball at him. mmmm. defending her lady. sooo awesome.
stupid TU School of Public Health student gov't president, A, didn't even come, even though she said she'd be there. what a piece of crap she is. i mean, shit, if SHE doesn't care about this, then who will? she's just like many an elected official. useless.
i am ashamed to admit this, but my body is feeling like a trainwreck. my thighs are aching, my back is sore, and arms are weak and wiggly. i have to go to bed. ouchie!
Saturday, November 19, 2005
mountain biking is harder than i thought
damn, we went out for a pathetic 30 minute ride and i was winded! i don't actually know where we went, but it was up in some oakland hills, and it was gorgeous. the weather remains mysteriously the same day to day, and me thinks i will be in for quite a shock when i return back home to the northeast for xmas.
it's been a long time since i last updated this puppy. let me see.. what exciting things have happened...
took the kitties to J and L's house for a playdate with their kitty Shinji. he wasn't too keen on the visit, but the boys made themselves right at home, and they also ate Shinji's dinner. all of it. apparently, kittens shouldn't eat special hairball-reducing cat food. it gives them the shits. em and luc were kind enough to hold it until we got home. they went immediately for their leftover dinner sitting in the bowls, and then they both went straight to the shitter and moved some nasty looking and smelling bowels. poor em was crying, he went back for round 2 and leaked something gross.
isn't it lovely, how poetic i am about my kittens' shit? dontcha love reading about it?
what else... i love spending time with J and L. i love their loft. their cat is just ok though. not too friendly.
cal dining gave us free meal plans for the semester, and part of that deal is buying food online in bulk, like study snacks and what not. i spent $131 on diet coke, granola bars, ritz crackers w/cheese, twix bars, cereal... it's all pretty terrible for the old waistline. but i still have $900 to spend before the semester ends!! damn!
i miss my sister. last week, she was here. now she is not. waaahhh!
off to shower. my lady is getting a haircut at the new bumble and bumble salon that opened a block away. because we do everything togther, my appt is right after her's, and unlike her, i thought i'd do the hairdresser the courtesy of showering before i sit in front of her for an hour or so. no one wants to smell me. plus, with this aluminum-free deodorant, i stink! what's worse - living a long, memory-filled life with stinky armpits, or smelling good today and forgetting it all when i'm 90?
it's been a long time since i last updated this puppy. let me see.. what exciting things have happened...
took the kitties to J and L's house for a playdate with their kitty Shinji. he wasn't too keen on the visit, but the boys made themselves right at home, and they also ate Shinji's dinner. all of it. apparently, kittens shouldn't eat special hairball-reducing cat food. it gives them the shits. em and luc were kind enough to hold it until we got home. they went immediately for their leftover dinner sitting in the bowls, and then they both went straight to the shitter and moved some nasty looking and smelling bowels. poor em was crying, he went back for round 2 and leaked something gross.
isn't it lovely, how poetic i am about my kittens' shit? dontcha love reading about it?
what else... i love spending time with J and L. i love their loft. their cat is just ok though. not too friendly.
cal dining gave us free meal plans for the semester, and part of that deal is buying food online in bulk, like study snacks and what not. i spent $131 on diet coke, granola bars, ritz crackers w/cheese, twix bars, cereal... it's all pretty terrible for the old waistline. but i still have $900 to spend before the semester ends!! damn!
i miss my sister. last week, she was here. now she is not. waaahhh!
off to shower. my lady is getting a haircut at the new bumble and bumble salon that opened a block away. because we do everything togther, my appt is right after her's, and unlike her, i thought i'd do the hairdresser the courtesy of showering before i sit in front of her for an hour or so. no one wants to smell me. plus, with this aluminum-free deodorant, i stink! what's worse - living a long, memory-filled life with stinky armpits, or smelling good today and forgetting it all when i'm 90?
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
needle in my backyard
yeah, so my sister found a syringe and needle in my backyard. oh dear. we have to throw it away, but no one in this apartment seems to know just how to do that. i don't see any haz mat containers on the street corner! lady said we could bring it to a needle exchange.. but i don't need another. i could say i'm cleaned up now, off the junk, just want to return my last needle for recycling. heh heh heh.
lil' sis is heading home, on first class (lucky her). her boss bought her the tix with extra miles she had, and apparently the coach seats for today were sold out, so she needed to upgrade my sister to luxurious first class! sooo awesome. imagine if all passengers got first class treatment. we'd all look forward to flying the friendly skies. oh, but then what would the rich and famous do? they always need to have more than the common folk. they'd have hottubs or some shit! ahhhh.
that's the thing about money - you just get to have nicer stuff. you may still be miserable, depressed, boring, whatever - but you can do it all in style. with treats, like facials. and yummy cheese. and fabulous shoes. *longing sigh*
a friend of a friend just inherited 15 million bucks. yeah, she's too far removed from me for that to have any thrill in my financially meager life. 15 million! i can't even imagine what that looks like in a bank statement. imagine!
lil' sis is heading home, on first class (lucky her). her boss bought her the tix with extra miles she had, and apparently the coach seats for today were sold out, so she needed to upgrade my sister to luxurious first class! sooo awesome. imagine if all passengers got first class treatment. we'd all look forward to flying the friendly skies. oh, but then what would the rich and famous do? they always need to have more than the common folk. they'd have hottubs or some shit! ahhhh.
that's the thing about money - you just get to have nicer stuff. you may still be miserable, depressed, boring, whatever - but you can do it all in style. with treats, like facials. and yummy cheese. and fabulous shoes. *longing sigh*
a friend of a friend just inherited 15 million bucks. yeah, she's too far removed from me for that to have any thrill in my financially meager life. 15 million! i can't even imagine what that looks like in a bank statement. imagine!
The Love Boat
Since when is living on a cruise ship a viable option for graduate students? Oh, when they are doing a semester at sea, perhaps. But a semester at Tulane spent living on the Mississippi? WTF? The administration of this school has it's thumb up it's arse. I can imagine the planning process:
Smithers: "Uh, sir, we have a situation here. If students are forced to return to this flooded, dirty city, they are going to need housing."
Mr. Burns/Cowen: "Smithers! I have the perfect idea - why not have those students rocked to sleep like babies to a lullaby? Bring them back to the cozy days of the womb. Carnival cruise ship on the clean-enough-to-sleep-on river! They'll get used to the smell! And we can charge them the going rate for an apartment. $800 a month, yes, for the luxuries of experiencing life at sea! The grandeur of the Love Boat will be reinstated!"
Effing arsehead. Makes. Me. So. Angry. And what is being done about this? Who even has a voice? No one is listening to us - shit, no one is ASKING!!! How can this school expect to have any future if students are not even asked what they want? That is not saying students will necessarily get what they want, but shit, just ask. At least pretend our opinions count. We are the public health professionals of the future, and what have we learned? Ignore your community! Do as you please! Be sure to make a buck off of them when they are down and out!
FAAAACK. I am unbelievably angry and this anger is hard for me to get a handle on. I am disgusted, outraged, and completely shocked that no one gives a flying fuck about us. This keeps getting worse. We'll see what my department chair has to say. Need I say that I was in the Community Health Sciences department? The department that is supposed to care about community? I asked him if he could make all of our classes available online, so we can stay put in our non-cruise ship apartments if we want to. I cannot wait to read his lame ass response. Something like "students won't get the same experience, the classroom time we value so much." Yeah, but after sleeping on a CRUISE SHIP for 5 months, who the hell is going to be able to learn shit?
Too mad. Must stop talking about this. *growl*
Smithers: "Uh, sir, we have a situation here. If students are forced to return to this flooded, dirty city, they are going to need housing."
Mr. Burns/Cowen: "Smithers! I have the perfect idea - why not have those students rocked to sleep like babies to a lullaby? Bring them back to the cozy days of the womb. Carnival cruise ship on the clean-enough-to-sleep-on river! They'll get used to the smell! And we can charge them the going rate for an apartment. $800 a month, yes, for the luxuries of experiencing life at sea! The grandeur of the Love Boat will be reinstated!"
Effing arsehead. Makes. Me. So. Angry. And what is being done about this? Who even has a voice? No one is listening to us - shit, no one is ASKING!!! How can this school expect to have any future if students are not even asked what they want? That is not saying students will necessarily get what they want, but shit, just ask. At least pretend our opinions count. We are the public health professionals of the future, and what have we learned? Ignore your community! Do as you please! Be sure to make a buck off of them when they are down and out!
FAAAACK. I am unbelievably angry and this anger is hard for me to get a handle on. I am disgusted, outraged, and completely shocked that no one gives a flying fuck about us. This keeps getting worse. We'll see what my department chair has to say. Need I say that I was in the Community Health Sciences department? The department that is supposed to care about community? I asked him if he could make all of our classes available online, so we can stay put in our non-cruise ship apartments if we want to. I cannot wait to read his lame ass response. Something like "students won't get the same experience, the classroom time we value so much." Yeah, but after sleeping on a CRUISE SHIP for 5 months, who the hell is going to be able to learn shit?
Too mad. Must stop talking about this. *growl*
Monday, November 14, 2005
Playing model
It was an interesting weekend indeed. My lil' sis came into town for a visit of fun! Thursday eve, we took her to the Cheese Board for pizza and then to Mill Valley to pick up a bed (and bedding) from S. She is such a wonderful friend, she thinks of everything. Friday we hit the Jelly Belly factory and then went shopping for a camera. My sister bought a Canon Rebel, and my god she hasn't stopped shotting pictures since that camera has been in her possession. We met up with J and L for Ethiopian food and had a lovely, informative dicsussion about this tape stuff that high end car companies put on the cars to protect them. She couldn't hang with going to Hot Pants, fell asleep at 9pm, so the rest of us went dancing.
Hot Pants.. always a bit of a let down. Shouldn't mix uppers and downers. Damn damn!
Saturday we watched my lady play soccer (and they FINALLY won!!!) Then we went to lunch at Lanesplitters.. waiter was hung over and very nice. Gave us some leftover cake - from where, who knows, but it was good. Then we had a nice evening at the soccer team's end of the season party. They even gave me "Most Marvelous Fan" award! Shucks. Danced at the 'Ho and acted like a bunch of fools. Good times.
Sunday we showed sister the city of SF. Probably the most comprehensive tour of the city I'll ever take. It was really fun! Then off to Mill Valley for S's BF birthday party. And went to bed early.
Effin' cats apparently spent too much time alone yesterday sleeping, and they let us know how mad they were by keeping us up all night. I am so very very tired.
Ok, gotta run - sister just returned from Walgreens (she has been there more this weekend than my lady and I have been there since Sept.) She developed pictures (again) from the many times she made me play model.
Secretly, I love it!
Hot Pants.. always a bit of a let down. Shouldn't mix uppers and downers. Damn damn!
Saturday we watched my lady play soccer (and they FINALLY won!!!) Then we went to lunch at Lanesplitters.. waiter was hung over and very nice. Gave us some leftover cake - from where, who knows, but it was good. Then we had a nice evening at the soccer team's end of the season party. They even gave me "Most Marvelous Fan" award! Shucks. Danced at the 'Ho and acted like a bunch of fools. Good times.
Sunday we showed sister the city of SF. Probably the most comprehensive tour of the city I'll ever take. It was really fun! Then off to Mill Valley for S's BF birthday party. And went to bed early.
Effin' cats apparently spent too much time alone yesterday sleeping, and they let us know how mad they were by keeping us up all night. I am so very very tired.
Ok, gotta run - sister just returned from Walgreens (she has been there more this weekend than my lady and I have been there since Sept.) She developed pictures (again) from the many times she made me play model.
Secretly, I love it!
Thursday, November 10, 2005
Aw, nuts
Took Emmett to the vet to be de-nutted. Pretty sad, actually. I am forcing sterilization on my baby! He'll be "ready for pick up this evening." What is he, a pair of pants I'm getting hemmed? I want them to call me as soon as he's out of surgery! I want to be there when he comes to! He's going to be hungry, scared, alone... my baby!!!
Lucas is having a wonderful day free from his brother. He's currently sleeping inside my lady's sweatshirt. He's zipped in and all snuggled up. He already lost his ability to make more kitties, so no trip to the doctor for him.
In other, non-kitty news, I am feeling unbelievably drained from this Tulane shit. We had a meeting yesterday to talk about it with the Cal School of Public Health Dean. Nice guy, sure, but not helpful at all. I mean, he just doesn't have the answers that we need. I don't think anyone has them. Of course they don't - no one knows anything. And there our futures lie...
And yet I allegedly graduate in December. I should be spending these days job hunting, planning my next move, getting some company to pay for my relocation expenses for a change. But I can't even get the energy to take the steps vital to my own success. I frustrate myself, because I know what I need to do but I just can't do it. I try, I do pathetic little searches, and then I get distracted. Professionals would say "that's the depression talking." Well, whatever the cause, it doesn't really matter at this point. I need a job. I need to know what city I am going to be in come January. My lady is definately returning to NOLA. At least she knows what city she'll be in. FFFFAAAAAACCCCCKKKKKK. This sucks. So stressful.
Reminds me of when I was working at Victim Compensation. This guy submitted a claim for assistance, with a picture of himself and all the stuff he lost in a fire. Enclosed was also a note that read "I have Post-Dramatic Stress. Please help me."
Lucas is having a wonderful day free from his brother. He's currently sleeping inside my lady's sweatshirt. He's zipped in and all snuggled up. He already lost his ability to make more kitties, so no trip to the doctor for him.
In other, non-kitty news, I am feeling unbelievably drained from this Tulane shit. We had a meeting yesterday to talk about it with the Cal School of Public Health Dean. Nice guy, sure, but not helpful at all. I mean, he just doesn't have the answers that we need. I don't think anyone has them. Of course they don't - no one knows anything. And there our futures lie...
And yet I allegedly graduate in December. I should be spending these days job hunting, planning my next move, getting some company to pay for my relocation expenses for a change. But I can't even get the energy to take the steps vital to my own success. I frustrate myself, because I know what I need to do but I just can't do it. I try, I do pathetic little searches, and then I get distracted. Professionals would say "that's the depression talking." Well, whatever the cause, it doesn't really matter at this point. I need a job. I need to know what city I am going to be in come January. My lady is definately returning to NOLA. At least she knows what city she'll be in. FFFFAAAAAACCCCCKKKKKK. This sucks. So stressful.
Reminds me of when I was working at Victim Compensation. This guy submitted a claim for assistance, with a picture of himself and all the stuff he lost in a fire. Enclosed was also a note that read "I have Post-Dramatic Stress. Please help me."
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
cold numero tres
effin A, i am sick again. What is it with Oakland? There is proof that stress supresses the immune system. OMG, that reminds me of being in Thailand and a fellow MPH student saying stress "depresses" the immune system. My immune system is feeling a little blue right now... maybe some chocolate and a shoe shopping spree will cheer her up? Then my cold will disappear? Riiiiiight.
My lady is the bestest lady every. Since I ran out of coffee yesterday, she got up and went to Bakesale Betty's and got me a coffee AND an apricot scone! I stayed in bed until 10am. Of course, my morning snooze was disrupted by the wrestling match taking place on my bed. Lucas may be smaller, but damn that boy is scrappy! And Em's sneeze/hack/cough thing slows him down noticably. Kicked them out at 8.30am and got some z's. And was awoken by such a delightful bfast! I am the luckiest girl in the world. Sigh....
My fellow angry student/gaymo J is sick as well. We've been hanging enough to share some germs. Isn't that nasty to think about? Just being in the same room with a sickie can make you sick? Dunno who started this cold thing, but we both have it and we haven't been sharing saliva. Damn, I don't think we've even shared a drink! Wish we could track how we get sick, like a little computer program that could take a sample of our virus and give us a written history of how it came into our bodies. Bet it would increase the likelihood of people washing their hands post-toilet use. Only 30% of people wash post-potty.
On that note, I think I am going to take a hot shower, hack up some green stuff, and write a paper.
My lady is the bestest lady every. Since I ran out of coffee yesterday, she got up and went to Bakesale Betty's and got me a coffee AND an apricot scone! I stayed in bed until 10am. Of course, my morning snooze was disrupted by the wrestling match taking place on my bed. Lucas may be smaller, but damn that boy is scrappy! And Em's sneeze/hack/cough thing slows him down noticably. Kicked them out at 8.30am and got some z's. And was awoken by such a delightful bfast! I am the luckiest girl in the world. Sigh....
My fellow angry student/gaymo J is sick as well. We've been hanging enough to share some germs. Isn't that nasty to think about? Just being in the same room with a sickie can make you sick? Dunno who started this cold thing, but we both have it and we haven't been sharing saliva. Damn, I don't think we've even shared a drink! Wish we could track how we get sick, like a little computer program that could take a sample of our virus and give us a written history of how it came into our bodies. Bet it would increase the likelihood of people washing their hands post-toilet use. Only 30% of people wash post-potty.
On that note, I think I am going to take a hot shower, hack up some green stuff, and write a paper.
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
Out of coffee *grumble*
Do you have any idea how frickin' hard it is to type when a kitten (Emmet) is all up in your lap? The laptop becomes a pain in the ass. Could go use my lady's computer, but the desk that we got from Moy came with The World's Squeakiest Chair, and though I am quite thankful that she stole it from her BF's daughter for us poor lil' refugees, damn it's loud and disruptive.
Sister is coming Thursday. Gotta prepare for that. She wants us to take her on the Laci Peterson tour. Wants to see their house, see where Laci's body washed up to shore, see where that wife killing battering asshole kept his boat. The only good thing about her obsession is that it makes her read books. Girl has 4 books about this issue. She never was a reader, but apparently all it takes is a good story to get her hooked.
As if there aren't libraries full of good stories! Make it real, make it evil, and she'll read it. Just like with the Nanny Diaries. She ate that one up.
I had a shiiiiiity night of sleep last night. Kittens think it's fun to run laps around the house, starting at midnight. I was home all afternoon and all they did was sleep. Left for class at 3, and when I returned at 7.30, they were in the same position. I won't scold Lady for waking them up anymore. Harass away, just like Lucas harassed me this morning by brushing my hair with his paw.
And I could only make one tablespoon's worth of coffee. Damnit! I hate when I run out of my morning juice. And since I'm the one with a car, I'm the one who has to buy all of the groceries, and I know I sound like a baby and I should be a hell of a lot less whiny, but it sucks playing mama bear to this apartment. I buy the food, I fill up our 5 gallon water bottle, I take the donations that don't fit to Goodwill, I sweep & mop, I clean the bathroom, I cordless sweep, I tidy up the living room, I do the dishes, etc etc etc. I'm not the mommy (except to the kittens). It fucking sucks being the only one who cleans. EVER.
In case you are wondering, we have one of those diner vacuums, like at Denny's. That's what I cordless sweep with. Let me testify to you that it actually works. The best $16 gift Lady ever gave me. Of course, it facilitates my cleaning lady role. I should start charging by the hour.
Sister is coming Thursday. Gotta prepare for that. She wants us to take her on the Laci Peterson tour. Wants to see their house, see where Laci's body washed up to shore, see where that wife killing battering asshole kept his boat. The only good thing about her obsession is that it makes her read books. Girl has 4 books about this issue. She never was a reader, but apparently all it takes is a good story to get her hooked.
As if there aren't libraries full of good stories! Make it real, make it evil, and she'll read it. Just like with the Nanny Diaries. She ate that one up.
I had a shiiiiiity night of sleep last night. Kittens think it's fun to run laps around the house, starting at midnight. I was home all afternoon and all they did was sleep. Left for class at 3, and when I returned at 7.30, they were in the same position. I won't scold Lady for waking them up anymore. Harass away, just like Lucas harassed me this morning by brushing my hair with his paw.
And I could only make one tablespoon's worth of coffee. Damnit! I hate when I run out of my morning juice. And since I'm the one with a car, I'm the one who has to buy all of the groceries, and I know I sound like a baby and I should be a hell of a lot less whiny, but it sucks playing mama bear to this apartment. I buy the food, I fill up our 5 gallon water bottle, I take the donations that don't fit to Goodwill, I sweep & mop, I clean the bathroom, I cordless sweep, I tidy up the living room, I do the dishes, etc etc etc. I'm not the mommy (except to the kittens). It fucking sucks being the only one who cleans. EVER.
In case you are wondering, we have one of those diner vacuums, like at Denny's. That's what I cordless sweep with. Let me testify to you that it actually works. The best $16 gift Lady ever gave me. Of course, it facilitates my cleaning lady role. I should start charging by the hour.
Monday, November 07, 2005
Kitty Update (yup, I'm that kind of mom)
The other day, I was holding Lucas on my lap as he purred away. Suddenly, I felt something wet on my arm. Gross! Did my cat just have anal leakage on me? And if so, what IS it with animals feeling comfortable enough on me to go to the bathroom - first Clementine and the UTI (during our post-Katrina cross-country trip of fun), now Lucas dropping a duece? What did he get into, a bag of Olestra chips?
To my complete horror, it was not poo. I think poo would have been preferred to what I found on my arm. It was a white thing, as big as a piece of uncooked rice, with no eyes or head, crawling on my arm. It was moving as though it did have a head, and it was searching around for something with this non-head. TAPEWORM! I froke out. I ran to the bathroom, flushed it down the toilet, then grabbed my keys and sprinted to the animal hospital a few blocks from our house.
The lady at the front desk calmed my fears when she officially diagnosed the tapeworm. I had to put a pill down little Lucas' throat to kill it. Poor baby. But now he's eating well (as opposed to eating constantly) and things are looking up. Well, except for the cold the kittens have. They sneeze often, and I wish I could teach them how to cover their noses when they sneeze. Kitty snot really does exist. Oh and they cough, like 2 old men. It sounds terrible, especially when it's in the middle of the night on my face. It's like they want me to know they are coughing, so they get as close as possible to me and then hack away.
My lady thought she could blow their noses. Emmett thought the tissue was a toy and tried to bite/eat it. Oh kitties, gotta love them!
To my complete horror, it was not poo. I think poo would have been preferred to what I found on my arm. It was a white thing, as big as a piece of uncooked rice, with no eyes or head, crawling on my arm. It was moving as though it did have a head, and it was searching around for something with this non-head. TAPEWORM! I froke out. I ran to the bathroom, flushed it down the toilet, then grabbed my keys and sprinted to the animal hospital a few blocks from our house.
The lady at the front desk calmed my fears when she officially diagnosed the tapeworm. I had to put a pill down little Lucas' throat to kill it. Poor baby. But now he's eating well (as opposed to eating constantly) and things are looking up. Well, except for the cold the kittens have. They sneeze often, and I wish I could teach them how to cover their noses when they sneeze. Kitty snot really does exist. Oh and they cough, like 2 old men. It sounds terrible, especially when it's in the middle of the night on my face. It's like they want me to know they are coughing, so they get as close as possible to me and then hack away.
My lady thought she could blow their noses. Emmett thought the tissue was a toy and tried to bite/eat it. Oh kitties, gotta love them!
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
mail.
i just got a request from the usps to please update my address with them. it reads: "we want to get your mail to you!"
but they have my new address. they sent me this piece of mail to me at my new address. i don't understand - THEY can mail me at my new address, but they can't DELIVER mail here? eh? so confusing.
we have a really cute mail-lady. when we do get mail, which happens every so often, and it's in the form of a package, she knocks very loudly and usually wakes me up. i don't mind, though, because she's cute.
cuteness gets you far in this world. you have to be cute but not too cute, because people perceive excessively cute people to live a charmed life just because they are so damn cute, and that makes the average, un-cute person jealous.
but they have my new address. they sent me this piece of mail to me at my new address. i don't understand - THEY can mail me at my new address, but they can't DELIVER mail here? eh? so confusing.
we have a really cute mail-lady. when we do get mail, which happens every so often, and it's in the form of a package, she knocks very loudly and usually wakes me up. i don't mind, though, because she's cute.
cuteness gets you far in this world. you have to be cute but not too cute, because people perceive excessively cute people to live a charmed life just because they are so damn cute, and that makes the average, un-cute person jealous.
Monday, October 31, 2005
kayne was right
go to this link, but first, make sure your speakers are CRANKED!
http://katrina.cyberbottle.com/dubya_kanye.html
http://katrina.cyberbottle.com/dubya_kanye.html
Sunday, October 30, 2005
Op-Ed
ARGH! I just decided to submit my rants about a certain school in a certain hurricane-ravaged city to the New York Times! If I don't get published, which is highly likely, I will post it here. And if I do get published, oh dear, I am going to make some people angry. Don't care. Really don't care.
Yup, it's another exciting Saturday night. Tomorrow, it will be one week since we got the kitties!
Yup, it's another exciting Saturday night. Tomorrow, it will be one week since we got the kitties!
Thursday, October 27, 2005
Growlin' Madness
Emmett is a little bit of trouble. My goodness. This afternoon, after I ate a piece of awesome Cheese Board pizza, I crumpled up the foil and tossed it at the kitties to see what would happen. Madness ensued. Emmett picked it up with his teeth, ran into the living room, growling the entire time. His growls were fierce! I suddenly worried that perhaps he would try to eat the foil, and how was I going to explain the vet bill to Lady? I grabbed him and tried to yank the foil out of his mouth. He growled more! And his grip on the foil was super-cat strength! I tried to pry his little mouth open, and he started to scratch me, with the growls and the foil in his mouth... shitshit!
Of course, I ultimately won, since I weigh - well, let's just say a LOT more than him. Little Lucas just watched this episode of craziness. He's the gentle one. That Emmett kitty is a mess!
It's great having kittens. I love them so much! And in case you were wondering, yes, I am going to be that gay lady who talks about her "children" and drinks tea. But I will never wear comfortable shoes. Ever.
Of course, I ultimately won, since I weigh - well, let's just say a LOT more than him. Little Lucas just watched this episode of craziness. He's the gentle one. That Emmett kitty is a mess!
It's great having kittens. I love them so much! And in case you were wondering, yes, I am going to be that gay lady who talks about her "children" and drinks tea. But I will never wear comfortable shoes. Ever.
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
We got kitties!!
Yay! Two little baby boys, brothers, whose mom is a street-kitty. The agency said they needed to be fostered at the very least, but Lady and I are going to adopt them. Agencies cannot adopt out kitties until they are fixed, and since Emmett still has his package (Lucas doesn't), we can't go through the paperwork until the procedure is complete.
They are allegedly 7 or 8 weeks old, but Emmett got up on his brother with his machinery working. Gross. Nothing happened, but I'd be happier when his appetite is tamed by the chopping of his balls. Does anything even work at this age? Talk about babies having babies.
They are crazy kids. Lucas is a bit on the s-h-y side (don't want him to hear any negative talk) but when they two of them get going, it's chaos! I think he just may need some extra time to feel safe. Emmett, on the other hand, is our s-o-c-i-a-l one (don't want him to hear and then feel like he can't be s-h-y when he wants to). Parenting is hard freakin' work.
They are allegedly 7 or 8 weeks old, but Emmett got up on his brother with his machinery working. Gross. Nothing happened, but I'd be happier when his appetite is tamed by the chopping of his balls. Does anything even work at this age? Talk about babies having babies.
They are crazy kids. Lucas is a bit on the s-h-y side (don't want him to hear any negative talk) but when they two of them get going, it's chaos! I think he just may need some extra time to feel safe. Emmett, on the other hand, is our s-o-c-i-a-l one (don't want him to hear and then feel like he can't be s-h-y when he wants to). Parenting is hard freakin' work.
Sunday, October 23, 2005
I'll never donate to Tulane
This school is an absolute nightmare. I have been having rather unhealthy email exchanges with one of the staff in my department at Tulane. I emailed a bunch of questions and concerns that I have about school, including the very important question of where the hell is my money? It's Oct. 23rd and Tulane faculty and staff have been getting their full salaires.. but students still haven't seen a penny of their financial aid. Since the school closed, we all scattered across the country as guests at other universities. We are expected to pay Tulane tuition, regardless of where we are. Fortunately for me, I am attending a superior institution. Some of my friends aren't so lucky - some couldn't even enroll in school and are working instead. Either way, at $750 a credit, Tulane is expensive, which I knew when I applied. My guest university is much cheaper than that. Ok, so I took out loans to pay for my tuition at Tulane even though I am getting nothing from Tulane. The school is taking our money and not providing anything, not even the loan money we took out for living expenses!
Well, ok, that's not completely true. N the staff is providing me with a headache. She is one of those pinchy-faced nasty people to begin with, who always has an attitude. Maybe it's because she doesn't have a master's and yet somehow oversees a master's level department. When I inquired as to why Tulane can pay faculty and staff salaries but can't give me an answer as to where my loans are, she said - and this is copied and pasted from her response: "I am not put off by your questions... The insinuation that we (faculty and staff) are not earning our salaries, I found insulting and unrealistic..." Not put off but insulted? Girl, you should really look up the words you are using in the dictionary before you send me an email.
I find it very interesting that Tulane is paying salaries to people who aren't providing anything. I don't have an advisor anymore, and no one has helped me plan the rest of my education. I don't have my 2 jobs I used to work, including the one I had at Tulane. (Student workers have not remained on the payroll, in case you were wondering.) I took out loans for living expenses, but I have yet to see the money. Ultimately, I am paying interest on money that I haven't received. Pinchy-faced N is getting paid her salary to send me nasty emails when I ask questions. Damn, I wish I had her job.
I am tired of having no advocate. Students have no representation. Tulane is making a killing on this fabulous idea that their students can attend another school yet still pay Tulane. If you are thinking about going to school, stay far away from Tulane. We still live with no financial aid, but the president puts out a message on the website asking us to donate money to the school for rebuilding. How about this? How about you worry first about your constituents? If it was financially sound for me to withdraw, I would. But I'd lose out. Schools only take 12 credits when you transfer, and I've completed 35. I can't spend the next year as a re-do year. I am stuck with a Tulane degree. I'm living in hand-me-downs and the rich keep getting richer. Oh america. So just.
Well, ok, that's not completely true. N the staff is providing me with a headache. She is one of those pinchy-faced nasty people to begin with, who always has an attitude. Maybe it's because she doesn't have a master's and yet somehow oversees a master's level department. When I inquired as to why Tulane can pay faculty and staff salaries but can't give me an answer as to where my loans are, she said - and this is copied and pasted from her response: "I am not put off by your questions... The insinuation that we (faculty and staff) are not earning our salaries, I found insulting and unrealistic..." Not put off but insulted? Girl, you should really look up the words you are using in the dictionary before you send me an email.
I find it very interesting that Tulane is paying salaries to people who aren't providing anything. I don't have an advisor anymore, and no one has helped me plan the rest of my education. I don't have my 2 jobs I used to work, including the one I had at Tulane. (Student workers have not remained on the payroll, in case you were wondering.) I took out loans for living expenses, but I have yet to see the money. Ultimately, I am paying interest on money that I haven't received. Pinchy-faced N is getting paid her salary to send me nasty emails when I ask questions. Damn, I wish I had her job.
I am tired of having no advocate. Students have no representation. Tulane is making a killing on this fabulous idea that their students can attend another school yet still pay Tulane. If you are thinking about going to school, stay far away from Tulane. We still live with no financial aid, but the president puts out a message on the website asking us to donate money to the school for rebuilding. How about this? How about you worry first about your constituents? If it was financially sound for me to withdraw, I would. But I'd lose out. Schools only take 12 credits when you transfer, and I've completed 35. I can't spend the next year as a re-do year. I am stuck with a Tulane degree. I'm living in hand-me-downs and the rich keep getting richer. Oh america. So just.
Thursday, October 20, 2005
Why can't I get a kitty?
Lady and I have been talking about starting a family. Upon hearing this, my sister freaked out and thought I was going to adopt a baby. Well.... sort of. A feline baby, that is. Or 2.
I found 2 gorgeous kittens online, rescued from New Orleans in the post-Katrina rescue that is probably still going on. I called my landlady, got her permission, then called about the kitties. They were already gone. Damn! Lady had already found a kitty online that we thought was cute, and she's gone too. And that adorable little feral cat who runs from the bar to the post office keeps avoiding capture by your's truly. Is this all some sort of message that we shouldn't get a lil' furball?
Hells no. We're thinking about being a foster family for kitties and then adopting them. Turns out agencies can't adopt out kittens until they are fixed, but in the meantime, they need to place the kittens as they grow large enough for the surgery to be done. Saturday, we get to meet and *hopefully* take home kitties!!! Yay! I already bought kitty treats. I figure that can't curse my luck anymore than giving baby gifts to an expecting mom can curse her luck.
Isn't that a nice way to think about it? Oh! I should throw myself a Kitty Shower! Free presents!
I found 2 gorgeous kittens online, rescued from New Orleans in the post-Katrina rescue that is probably still going on. I called my landlady, got her permission, then called about the kitties. They were already gone. Damn! Lady had already found a kitty online that we thought was cute, and she's gone too. And that adorable little feral cat who runs from the bar to the post office keeps avoiding capture by your's truly. Is this all some sort of message that we shouldn't get a lil' furball?
Hells no. We're thinking about being a foster family for kitties and then adopting them. Turns out agencies can't adopt out kittens until they are fixed, but in the meantime, they need to place the kittens as they grow large enough for the surgery to be done. Saturday, we get to meet and *hopefully* take home kitties!!! Yay! I already bought kitty treats. I figure that can't curse my luck anymore than giving baby gifts to an expecting mom can curse her luck.
Isn't that a nice way to think about it? Oh! I should throw myself a Kitty Shower! Free presents!
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
meh.
Today, the threat of rain keeps creeping into the sky and then disappearing. I just returned from class. There was a guest speaker and she mentioned Katrina, the looters and the distorted media surrounding that whole mess. I could barely contain my tears. Why am i such a cry baby? My roommate thinks I should talk to someone.
Just thinking about talking to someone professional is too much effort.
My apartment is sandwiched in between a bar and the post office. I didn't get much sleep last night, due to a number of factors. The bar was hosting heavy metal night. Guns'N'Roses at 1am, 4am garbage pickup, and 7am strange announcements from the post office loud speaker. "Joel, Joel, Joel, I haven't heard back from you yet.... Joooooeeeeelll. Answer me." Who is this Joel and why is that lady announcing it over a loudspeaker? Is he my mail delivery person? Is he a slacker? Where the hell has my mail been lately, anyhow? JOEL! Get crackin'!
The most aggravating part of this urban noise is that I AM THE ONLY ONE WHO HEARS IT. My lady has yet to be disturbed by a single garbage truck slamming the giant metal containers around. I don't know why, but I think I'd feel better about this if she was awoken as well. Oh! That's so meanpants of me! I should be pleased that at least one of us can sleep. Why do I want her to suffer with me?
I tell you what, if we have kids, I'm screwed. No way she'll hear a baby whimper if she can't hear the drunk guy violently ralphing outside our bedroom window. Never thought I'd long for the country, but damn, a girl can't get any sleep here!
Just thinking about talking to someone professional is too much effort.
My apartment is sandwiched in between a bar and the post office. I didn't get much sleep last night, due to a number of factors. The bar was hosting heavy metal night. Guns'N'Roses at 1am, 4am garbage pickup, and 7am strange announcements from the post office loud speaker. "Joel, Joel, Joel, I haven't heard back from you yet.... Joooooeeeeelll. Answer me." Who is this Joel and why is that lady announcing it over a loudspeaker? Is he my mail delivery person? Is he a slacker? Where the hell has my mail been lately, anyhow? JOEL! Get crackin'!
The most aggravating part of this urban noise is that I AM THE ONLY ONE WHO HEARS IT. My lady has yet to be disturbed by a single garbage truck slamming the giant metal containers around. I don't know why, but I think I'd feel better about this if she was awoken as well. Oh! That's so meanpants of me! I should be pleased that at least one of us can sleep. Why do I want her to suffer with me?
I tell you what, if we have kids, I'm screwed. No way she'll hear a baby whimper if she can't hear the drunk guy violently ralphing outside our bedroom window. Never thought I'd long for the country, but damn, a girl can't get any sleep here!
Monday, October 17, 2005
ouchie!
In the spirit of all gifts painful, my best friend S gave me a Brazilian for my belated birthday gift. This was no ordinary wax job, though.. it's all gone except for a manic-panic dyed pink STAR! Oh yeah. And there's some added bling to decorate my box. Bejeweled and pink! Woo-hoo! http://www.flyingbeauticians.com/ (if you are interested..)
The morning bike ride was a bit ouchie, though. Where the hell did I put my Advil?
The morning bike ride was a bit ouchie, though. Where the hell did I put my Advil?
Friday, October 14, 2005
Test Subjects
I was part of a study today, all in the name of research... and the $20 I got out of it. It was kind of distressing, actually. They made me watch horror movies and continuously rate how I was feeling (happy on the X axis, scared on the Y). I gotta admit, I am a baby when it comes to horror movies. I was 100% scared the whole time. Wonder if that will throw off the data.
Thursday, October 13, 2005
One. Gray. Hair.
It's official. This whole hurricane nonsense has turned me gray. Ok, ok, just one of my hairs has gone gray. And it's not really gray, more like a coppery color, but it's in the front of my head and it stands up to greet me in the mirror.
Eh. Guess this is just part of the aging process. Next the boobs will start to sag, along with the arse, and my arms will start that bothersome jiggle, you know, the one that keeps your arm waving long after you've stopped.
Oh well. Can't race time, can't beat it.
Eh. Guess this is just part of the aging process. Next the boobs will start to sag, along with the arse, and my arms will start that bothersome jiggle, you know, the one that keeps your arm waving long after you've stopped.
Oh well. Can't race time, can't beat it.
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
budget truck, storage unit, and a cosmo, please!
I am back in CA after one helluva birthday. I tell you, celebrating the first anniversary of your 30th birthday by flying into Houston, driving 6 hours into a hurricane and flood stricken region, putting all of your moldy stuff into a truck, and driving it 6 hours out to Houston, strategically moving it into a storage facility that is a *little* too small, and then driving 130 miles back to Lake Charles to drop off the truck, then 130 miles back again to Houston, all to find a glass of wine waiting for you... that is one perfect birthday indeed. I promise all of you that I will happily throw a similar party for your birthdays!
As my lady and I drove from Houston, we saw the damage that Hurricane Rita left Beaumont, TX to face. It was really intense and it severely limited our eating options. Everything is still closed, trees are down and the land looks like it just survived, uh, a hurricane. But it was the tents that got to me. For as far as the eye can see (and my lady's eyes can see further now, thanks to the Red Cross giving her some glasses), tents dot the landscape. Never a big fan of camping, I still cannot fathom what it must be like to wake up everyday inside a tent. Weeks later and you have to roll up your sleeping bag every morning? Think about it for a moment. These "camps" don't have lakes nearby with powerboats to rent. No water-skiing at this type of camp. I find it very hard to believe that this is a viable solution for a month. For a few days, perhaps; a week, that's pushing it. But still, today? Wrong. Wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong.
Then we crossed the TX/LA state line. Now, to be perfectly fair, LA always kind of had a particular scent to it. Kind of swampy, kind of dirty, very earthy mixed with a healthy dollop of eau de industry. Now? Yikes. It is a slap in the face. We didn't know if we should even breathe it in, but since we left the oxygen tanks at home, we had no choice. Lake Ponchatrain, never an idyllic lake, has lost any charm it once had. That lake is red, a red-brown color that isn't remotely natural. It wasn't long before we came across the devastation. Right by the airport, on I-10 in Kenner, buildings are torn up. The first thing I saw was a storage facility with the side wall missing. People's belongings were falling out of the side of the building, couches and clothes and boxes of personal belongings now turned to trash. My landlord's Metarie office building, once a mirrored high rise, had most of the windows blown out (oh, how I hope HIS office is destroyed! Is that evil? Do I even care if you think I'm evil?) We made our way into New Orleans through River Road and there was far less damage there. Carrollton was wrecked and St. Charles Ave is clear enough to drive down only because all of the downed trees and branches are on the neutral ground. No street cars are running, no surprise there.
My house was fine enough, save the moldy smell that made our eyes sting and itch and the fridge with the maggotty bugs crawling out of it. Landlord scum told me "Don't open it until it's outside," to which I said "I can't move it outside, so I'll leave it alone then." Truth be told, I had already opened it for a peek. All I could see was black, even though the lightbulb is functioning just fine. The whole fridge is covered in blackness. Not sure if it is alive-like-mold black or alive-like-creepy-crawlies black. Rather nasty. My lady almost got sick a few times, but stepping outside to get a fresh air helped a little bit. Once we emptied my place, we head over to her's. Thankfully (?), her place had a brick go through a window, so there has been fresh air coming in and no moldy smell. We packed up the truck until we literally ran out of calories, so we went out in search of food.
You may be thinking that I should have taken heed to the many warnings about lack of food in the city. Well, you are right. I should have. We tried the few open places, and they either just ran out of food or they just closed. One dude told me "We open at noon tomorrow! Please come back!" I restrained the urge to bite off his head and eat it for dinner. Magazine Street seemed to be a good bet, and when we saw the lights on at Slim Goodies Diner, my tummy got all excited. All for nothing, because when we walked in, a woman said "Come on in! Help yourself! It's a party! Woo! Drinks, red beans and rice, beer - whatever you want, grab it!" Woooo-hoooo whatever. Damn red beans and rice is never vegetarian. My lady is so sweet, she poured us each a cranberry juice and led me out of the place. She could have eaten that food, but she didn't. That is some true love, folks.
After getting pretty disgusted with the reality that people are out getting drunk at a time like this, we finally happened upon the Italian Eatery, right next to Whole Foods (which is completely empty). Oh, darn, they *just* ran out of pizza, but the appetizers are still available! Dinner of a shared Abita beer, mozz sticks and fried ravioli reminded me of what I hate about New Orleans food. Never a fresh vegetable in sight.
We went back to her place and slept for a few hours. It was creepy - ever sleep in an empty city? There was a piece of metal hanging off of a shed that kept slamming around in the wind all night. I was too tired to be scared. We woke up and finished packing up the truck. I took a cold shower (still no gas at her place). We were almost done when Kate stopped by! What a lovely surprise! It felt strange to see her, only because it should be normal but it was extraodinary that she happened to drive by and see us outside. I don't know when I'll see her again. I don't know when I'll see any of my New Orleans friends again, or if I will.
And the rest of the story is recapped in the first paragraph. My birthday was spent on the road. I had many calls and many a song sung to me, and Michael was kind enough to leave just the right amount of wine in the bottle for me to enjoy some with him. My lady promises that next weekend, we'll celebrate. Getting my mom's gift before I left certainly made it better. She mailed me a smiling lamp, "because you always sound so sad!" And yes, Ma, it makes me smile - it worked! :)
Oh, and as far as the landlord issue goes, the end of the story is that he let us sublet. I have not enough energy to recap the conversations with him, or to channel the anger that still pulses in my blood. He was mean, he was nasty, and karma is heading his way. I will fight for our security deposit, but that fight will not happen for a little while, so I can gather up my strength in the meantime!
And if you go to New Orleans to gather your things, be sure to wash your clothes before wearing them. I made the mistake of wearing a shirt that seemed fine, and now I have a lovely rash on my belly. Yeah, the city is safe enough to live in. Sure. Thanks, Tulane, you sure have students' best interests in mind, don't you? It's not your bank account you are thinking of, is it? Nah, that's crazy talk! You care about STUDENTS, not money!
Right?
As my lady and I drove from Houston, we saw the damage that Hurricane Rita left Beaumont, TX to face. It was really intense and it severely limited our eating options. Everything is still closed, trees are down and the land looks like it just survived, uh, a hurricane. But it was the tents that got to me. For as far as the eye can see (and my lady's eyes can see further now, thanks to the Red Cross giving her some glasses), tents dot the landscape. Never a big fan of camping, I still cannot fathom what it must be like to wake up everyday inside a tent. Weeks later and you have to roll up your sleeping bag every morning? Think about it for a moment. These "camps" don't have lakes nearby with powerboats to rent. No water-skiing at this type of camp. I find it very hard to believe that this is a viable solution for a month. For a few days, perhaps; a week, that's pushing it. But still, today? Wrong. Wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong.
Then we crossed the TX/LA state line. Now, to be perfectly fair, LA always kind of had a particular scent to it. Kind of swampy, kind of dirty, very earthy mixed with a healthy dollop of eau de industry. Now? Yikes. It is a slap in the face. We didn't know if we should even breathe it in, but since we left the oxygen tanks at home, we had no choice. Lake Ponchatrain, never an idyllic lake, has lost any charm it once had. That lake is red, a red-brown color that isn't remotely natural. It wasn't long before we came across the devastation. Right by the airport, on I-10 in Kenner, buildings are torn up. The first thing I saw was a storage facility with the side wall missing. People's belongings were falling out of the side of the building, couches and clothes and boxes of personal belongings now turned to trash. My landlord's Metarie office building, once a mirrored high rise, had most of the windows blown out (oh, how I hope HIS office is destroyed! Is that evil? Do I even care if you think I'm evil?) We made our way into New Orleans through River Road and there was far less damage there. Carrollton was wrecked and St. Charles Ave is clear enough to drive down only because all of the downed trees and branches are on the neutral ground. No street cars are running, no surprise there.
My house was fine enough, save the moldy smell that made our eyes sting and itch and the fridge with the maggotty bugs crawling out of it. Landlord scum told me "Don't open it until it's outside," to which I said "I can't move it outside, so I'll leave it alone then." Truth be told, I had already opened it for a peek. All I could see was black, even though the lightbulb is functioning just fine. The whole fridge is covered in blackness. Not sure if it is alive-like-mold black or alive-like-creepy-crawlies black. Rather nasty. My lady almost got sick a few times, but stepping outside to get a fresh air helped a little bit. Once we emptied my place, we head over to her's. Thankfully (?), her place had a brick go through a window, so there has been fresh air coming in and no moldy smell. We packed up the truck until we literally ran out of calories, so we went out in search of food.
You may be thinking that I should have taken heed to the many warnings about lack of food in the city. Well, you are right. I should have. We tried the few open places, and they either just ran out of food or they just closed. One dude told me "We open at noon tomorrow! Please come back!" I restrained the urge to bite off his head and eat it for dinner. Magazine Street seemed to be a good bet, and when we saw the lights on at Slim Goodies Diner, my tummy got all excited. All for nothing, because when we walked in, a woman said "Come on in! Help yourself! It's a party! Woo! Drinks, red beans and rice, beer - whatever you want, grab it!" Woooo-hoooo whatever. Damn red beans and rice is never vegetarian. My lady is so sweet, she poured us each a cranberry juice and led me out of the place. She could have eaten that food, but she didn't. That is some true love, folks.
After getting pretty disgusted with the reality that people are out getting drunk at a time like this, we finally happened upon the Italian Eatery, right next to Whole Foods (which is completely empty). Oh, darn, they *just* ran out of pizza, but the appetizers are still available! Dinner of a shared Abita beer, mozz sticks and fried ravioli reminded me of what I hate about New Orleans food. Never a fresh vegetable in sight.
We went back to her place and slept for a few hours. It was creepy - ever sleep in an empty city? There was a piece of metal hanging off of a shed that kept slamming around in the wind all night. I was too tired to be scared. We woke up and finished packing up the truck. I took a cold shower (still no gas at her place). We were almost done when Kate stopped by! What a lovely surprise! It felt strange to see her, only because it should be normal but it was extraodinary that she happened to drive by and see us outside. I don't know when I'll see her again. I don't know when I'll see any of my New Orleans friends again, or if I will.
And the rest of the story is recapped in the first paragraph. My birthday was spent on the road. I had many calls and many a song sung to me, and Michael was kind enough to leave just the right amount of wine in the bottle for me to enjoy some with him. My lady promises that next weekend, we'll celebrate. Getting my mom's gift before I left certainly made it better. She mailed me a smiling lamp, "because you always sound so sad!" And yes, Ma, it makes me smile - it worked! :)
Oh, and as far as the landlord issue goes, the end of the story is that he let us sublet. I have not enough energy to recap the conversations with him, or to channel the anger that still pulses in my blood. He was mean, he was nasty, and karma is heading his way. I will fight for our security deposit, but that fight will not happen for a little while, so I can gather up my strength in the meantime!
And if you go to New Orleans to gather your things, be sure to wash your clothes before wearing them. I made the mistake of wearing a shirt that seemed fine, and now I have a lovely rash on my belly. Yeah, the city is safe enough to live in. Sure. Thanks, Tulane, you sure have students' best interests in mind, don't you? It's not your bank account you are thinking of, is it? Nah, that's crazy talk! You care about STUDENTS, not money!
Right?
Thursday, October 06, 2005
landlord scum
ggrrrrrrrr! I hate landlords. I especially hate landlords that are lawyers. OK, that's pretty harsh - I have a nice landlady now. Well, I have 2. One bad and one good. The good landlady is in CA, my new home post-hurricane. My bad landlord is in New Orleans, and he's a LA lawyer to boot, which should have been a big enough warning sign for me to know to stay away from him to begin with.
Today I am flying back to New Orleans to assess damage and collect my things. I have to miss school, pay tons of money, and fight with my landlord lawyer scum. AND it's my birthday this weekend.
Here's the situation: when Katrina hit, we all left the city with *maybe* 4 or 5 days of clothes. I haven't been back since, and for good reason - the city has been closed. It was closed for over 30 days. Now that the mayor has opened up my zip code, my landlord is looking for us to pay him rent. My lease is up Nov 30th. He wants rent for September, October and November.
In the 30+ days of being essentially homeless, I had to find another place to live. You would too, right? I mean, how long can one live in a hotel or on a friend's floor? Really. At what point does a lease become void - after 30 days of the place being uninhabitable? 60? 180? When is it, exactly? And what of September? NO ONE could live in the city. How he thinks we'd owe rent for that is beyond me. Completely beyond me.
Now, I know many a corrupt landlord in New Orleans has been evicting tenants and throwing their stuff out on the front lawn. The Governor has issued a halt on any evicitions until Oct 25th. So the rat bastard can't evict us - but nothing has been said about those who need to get out of their leases. What is fair? Who will the Governor protect, given my problem? Remember, this is Louisiana. Napoleanic law. Crazy backwards.
I lost my jobs. My grad school closed. I had to move. Yet no one, not Tulane (thanks for nothing President Cowen, but it's good to hear that you're enjoying Tulane football games and feeling inspired), not the gov't has said a word to protect renters. My landlord scum thinks I am supposed to give him my FEMA money. For real.
Scum: "What have you done with your FEMA money?"
Me: "What have you done with YOUR'S?"
Scum: "That money is for you to pay to me, to cover your rent."
Me: "FEMA left me a message on my voicemail saying 'This money is to be used to find a new place to live.' You want to hear that message?"
Scum: silence
The kick of it all is that this jerk could cut our lease (we would all agree to that) and rent the frickin' place at triple the cost, like the rest of the corrupt landlords in New Orleans. One of my roomies thinks he wants to live there, but he wants to get us to pay for it - how would we even know if he moves in? We are 2 in CA and one in the Republic of Georgia. (If you don't know where that is, you know it is damn far away.)
I have a not-so-secret hope that the place is ruined (no one has been inside yet), crawling with mold and smelling to high hell. That way it's a wash. No one can argue with that kind of condition. Plus, I've all pretty much forgotten about all of my shit by now anyhow. I'm used to having 2 pairs of shoes to pick from. The hand-me downs aren't that bad. Who cares if I don't have a week's worth of underwear? Really, we all have too many things to begin with. Ok, so I wear the same outfit every Monday. It's like having a uniform. It's not so bad.
waaaaahhhhhh!
Today I am flying back to New Orleans to assess damage and collect my things. I have to miss school, pay tons of money, and fight with my landlord lawyer scum. AND it's my birthday this weekend.
Here's the situation: when Katrina hit, we all left the city with *maybe* 4 or 5 days of clothes. I haven't been back since, and for good reason - the city has been closed. It was closed for over 30 days. Now that the mayor has opened up my zip code, my landlord is looking for us to pay him rent. My lease is up Nov 30th. He wants rent for September, October and November.
In the 30+ days of being essentially homeless, I had to find another place to live. You would too, right? I mean, how long can one live in a hotel or on a friend's floor? Really. At what point does a lease become void - after 30 days of the place being uninhabitable? 60? 180? When is it, exactly? And what of September? NO ONE could live in the city. How he thinks we'd owe rent for that is beyond me. Completely beyond me.
Now, I know many a corrupt landlord in New Orleans has been evicting tenants and throwing their stuff out on the front lawn. The Governor has issued a halt on any evicitions until Oct 25th. So the rat bastard can't evict us - but nothing has been said about those who need to get out of their leases. What is fair? Who will the Governor protect, given my problem? Remember, this is Louisiana. Napoleanic law. Crazy backwards.
I lost my jobs. My grad school closed. I had to move. Yet no one, not Tulane (thanks for nothing President Cowen, but it's good to hear that you're enjoying Tulane football games and feeling inspired), not the gov't has said a word to protect renters. My landlord scum thinks I am supposed to give him my FEMA money. For real.
Scum: "What have you done with your FEMA money?"
Me: "What have you done with YOUR'S?"
Scum: "That money is for you to pay to me, to cover your rent."
Me: "FEMA left me a message on my voicemail saying 'This money is to be used to find a new place to live.' You want to hear that message?"
Scum: silence
The kick of it all is that this jerk could cut our lease (we would all agree to that) and rent the frickin' place at triple the cost, like the rest of the corrupt landlords in New Orleans. One of my roomies thinks he wants to live there, but he wants to get us to pay for it - how would we even know if he moves in? We are 2 in CA and one in the Republic of Georgia. (If you don't know where that is, you know it is damn far away.)
I have a not-so-secret hope that the place is ruined (no one has been inside yet), crawling with mold and smelling to high hell. That way it's a wash. No one can argue with that kind of condition. Plus, I've all pretty much forgotten about all of my shit by now anyhow. I'm used to having 2 pairs of shoes to pick from. The hand-me downs aren't that bad. Who cares if I don't have a week's worth of underwear? Really, we all have too many things to begin with. Ok, so I wear the same outfit every Monday. It's like having a uniform. It's not so bad.
waaaaahhhhhh!
Saturday, October 01, 2005
the luckiest refugees
tonight, we were treated to a shopping trip at target and dinner by two strangers. well, they are strangers no more. when we were living in the dorms, we met a student (E) who told our story to her aunt/godmother and said aunt's partner. these two were so moved by our story that they asked E for our contact information. they called and we scheduled a date for tonight. we were told to "make a shopping wish list and be ready at 5pm to be picked up."
how do you make a wishlist when strangers are taking you shopping? it feels so greedy.
they took us to target and bought us all that we need for our kitchen. i mean ALL that we need. pots and pans, knives, glasses, spatula, salt'n'pepper shaker, a toaster - the list goes on and on. then, they took us out for a dinner that beat the hell out of the dining hall food. we were told "whatever you want, you order. anything. ok?" i had a delicious portobello mushroom entree, my lady had some chicken entree, the roomie got salmon. we had salads to start and dessert to finish. and though they all mocked my bread pudding choice for dessert, almost everyone tried it and liked it! heh. i showed them!
i just cannot get over the amazing evening we just had! my tummy is full (and it isn't full of gas-inducing dining hall food) and my kitchen is stocked. who are these people and why did they choose us? i mean, other people displaced from new orleans are still living in shelters and we three are eating at fine dining establishments. we are so lucky.
so very lucky indeed.
how do you make a wishlist when strangers are taking you shopping? it feels so greedy.
they took us to target and bought us all that we need for our kitchen. i mean ALL that we need. pots and pans, knives, glasses, spatula, salt'n'pepper shaker, a toaster - the list goes on and on. then, they took us out for a dinner that beat the hell out of the dining hall food. we were told "whatever you want, you order. anything. ok?" i had a delicious portobello mushroom entree, my lady had some chicken entree, the roomie got salmon. we had salads to start and dessert to finish. and though they all mocked my bread pudding choice for dessert, almost everyone tried it and liked it! heh. i showed them!
i just cannot get over the amazing evening we just had! my tummy is full (and it isn't full of gas-inducing dining hall food) and my kitchen is stocked. who are these people and why did they choose us? i mean, other people displaced from new orleans are still living in shelters and we three are eating at fine dining establishments. we are so lucky.
so very lucky indeed.
Wednesday, September 28, 2005
we'd like you to speak, from your seat
yesterday, there was an event at my new school re: hurricane katrina. an email was sent out to all displaced students, inviting us to speak about our experience during the hurricane. i jumped at the chance - the microphone never intimidated me, and i have things to say about my life during and since katrina hit new orleans. the damage sustained is no act of nature. the gov't knew this would happen and blatantly refusal to strengthen the levee system, which ensured flooding. said flooding has left me a "refugee" in my own country. and so i landed in california, happy to speak at this forum.
turns out i was the only student who said i'd talk. the others didn't want to, and that's fine - not everyone likes to do public speaking, and for some folks i think they'd rather not be in the spotlight but in the audience. the organizers emailed me before the event and said "oh, well, if you don't want to speak, that's fine too."
i said that i did want to speak.
when i got to the forum with my lady and roommate, fellow "refugees," the organizers told me i could just speak from my seat. hmmm. i said i was fine with standing in front of the room, just like the other speaker would. she is a doctor (MD) who went to LA sept 5 - sept 12 to help. the organizers were all very excited that she was going to share her experiences in the gulf coast. her name was on the agenda. mine was not. i was "Tulane Students." not my name.
the doctor told "her" story. she talked about how she visited different people living in hotels and talked to them about their medical needs. she told a story about a woman who used to work full time and now has to depend on gov't assistance. i wonder if she meant to imply that was should have more compassion for this lady than for the poor folks who were on gov't assistance before the disaster. then she said "now is the time for analysis."
then i got up to speak. and i told my story, about the kitty i evacuated with and her UTI (she peed on me the entire way north), about arriving at my parent's house with little red suitcase and nothing more (my mom calls me paddington bear), about the tears i shed every single day, still. and i said it's not time for us to sit back and talk about this. we still need to act. there are still people living in shelters, sleeping on cots, with no idea as to when they can return home.
my lady told me i'm a hard act to follow. i don't know about that.
the kicker? during the Q/A session, who did the audience post their questions to? not to the displaced students. nope. put two fancy letters after your name and you suddenly know everything about anything.
the nicest thing? a man came up to me, shook my hand, and genuinely said "i'm sorry for your loss."
lady said, afterward, "i feel like we're at a funeral."
we kind of are.
turns out i was the only student who said i'd talk. the others didn't want to, and that's fine - not everyone likes to do public speaking, and for some folks i think they'd rather not be in the spotlight but in the audience. the organizers emailed me before the event and said "oh, well, if you don't want to speak, that's fine too."
i said that i did want to speak.
when i got to the forum with my lady and roommate, fellow "refugees," the organizers told me i could just speak from my seat. hmmm. i said i was fine with standing in front of the room, just like the other speaker would. she is a doctor (MD) who went to LA sept 5 - sept 12 to help. the organizers were all very excited that she was going to share her experiences in the gulf coast. her name was on the agenda. mine was not. i was "Tulane Students." not my name.
the doctor told "her" story. she talked about how she visited different people living in hotels and talked to them about their medical needs. she told a story about a woman who used to work full time and now has to depend on gov't assistance. i wonder if she meant to imply that was should have more compassion for this lady than for the poor folks who were on gov't assistance before the disaster. then she said "now is the time for analysis."
then i got up to speak. and i told my story, about the kitty i evacuated with and her UTI (she peed on me the entire way north), about arriving at my parent's house with little red suitcase and nothing more (my mom calls me paddington bear), about the tears i shed every single day, still. and i said it's not time for us to sit back and talk about this. we still need to act. there are still people living in shelters, sleeping on cots, with no idea as to when they can return home.
my lady told me i'm a hard act to follow. i don't know about that.
the kicker? during the Q/A session, who did the audience post their questions to? not to the displaced students. nope. put two fancy letters after your name and you suddenly know everything about anything.
the nicest thing? a man came up to me, shook my hand, and genuinely said "i'm sorry for your loss."
lady said, afterward, "i feel like we're at a funeral."
we kind of are.
joining the masses
ooohhhhh kaaayyyy, i want to write stuff. i like to write. but i suck. damn, i don't even use capital letters - too formal. i have ideas that i want to get out of me and since i type faster than i write, i figured i'd blog and it can be my own personal journal. but you get to read it! what a treat. (we'll see about that.)
here i go...
hmmm.
blank. damn! to hit writer's block so early in my writing career! it's tragic.
here i go...
hmmm.
blank. damn! to hit writer's block so early in my writing career! it's tragic.
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