A Little Trivia

A small contest for you: Yesterday I did my LEAST favorite job as a homeowner. Can you guess what it is? If you can, the job is yours!!!!

Here are some clues:

• It's dirty, in the Dirty Jobs sense of the word
• It involves matter in 2 states: solid and liquid
• It scared me to be doing this job without health insurance, for fear of accidents

Any guesses?

Who Are We?

I saw Michael Moore's Sicko tonight, and it brought together for me some things I've been thinking about. I've seen Michael Moore movies before, and although they're interesting and funny, they always leave out about half of the discussion. This time, I'd seen a discussion about the movie on Oprah, and I thought it was a bit melodramatic the way Oprah was carrying on about what our real, core beliefs are about who deserves health care.

Then the whole SCHIP story came to the forefront. I just cannot understand not funding healthcare for children. Call me a bleeding heart liberal, but it just doesn't make sense to me that people can make too much money to have their children's health care covered by the government.

I was also (and still am) uninsured when the debate came up. I thought about how difficult it would have been for me to buy health insurance for myself, despite very few expenses. Although I wasn't paid much as a temp, I was paid above minimum wage, probably 1/3 more than a lot of people. While I was temping, I did get sick. It was minor, a sinus infection, but I waited to go to the doctor almost 2 weeks longer than I would have if there were insurance to cover the bill. I'm sure that decision would have been magnified ten fold if it was my child who needed to go to the doctor.

Also at the same time, I saw the film The Reckoning, a story of a number of Dutch Resistance members during the Holocaust. For me, the story of Diet Eman is one of, if not the reason to see the movie. I've been interested in her story since I heard her speak in my high school. I read parts of her book to my 8th graders when we studied Anne Frank. So when I heard her speak, after the film premier, I was listening with rapt attention as she answered questions. A friend sitting next to me thanked her for participating in the film, for telling her story so that others could pass it along. Diet's response was determined, but sounded almost naive to my ears--she said you would've done the same thing. If I remember right, she said something like "I know you would have." Diet seemed to know, without a shadow of a doubt what had to be done, and she was confident that others would unquestioningly do the same.

But I don't know...I'm not trying to be melodramatic, but I look at these things...insurance, healthcare for children, resistance, and I'm not sure what we as a nation, individuals, actually believe and do. I'd like to blame it all on the Bush camp and the crazy conservatives, but I think it's more about me, and the small choices. As much as I like Obama, I don't think he'll fix this. Politics will not give us the moral integrity to make some of these choices.

I don't really have an end to these thoughts. I'm just thinking....

Cow is pretty relaxed when she's taking a nap.....

while Princess Pantaloons sleeps with one eye open.

Good Times, Good Times

Donna was here this weekend, which was totally good times. Although I've been feeling more at home in SF lately, it was good to see someone from the "old neighborhood." Donna and I also have a lot of interests/hobbies in common, so that's fun too. I'm almost positive we were the only ones who were doing our Advanced Grammar homework together on the weekends in college, for fun. Interspersed, of course, with a few rounds of Trivial Pursuit.

Especially for Donna's visit I tried my hand at tater tot hotdish, and I think it went pretty well. After the hotdish we played some Trivial Pursuit, and for once I beat her. It was sweet. Not that I'm competitive, of course...

Anyway, Donna and her parents introduced me to a new event Saturday--the estate auction. I'd sort of heard of them, and knew they happened, but somehow in my mind it seemed like you should be over 50 to attend and wearing a seedcap.

I was wrong. It was awesome! It felt like something Kathleen Norris would write about as a way to showcase what a community values. And if you're sick of me framing things in terms of Kathleen Norris, too bad. I like her.

One of the interesting things about the auction to me was that it was also a display of the N'west Iowa classic menu--taverns, creamed chicken buns, hot dogs, chips, pop, bars and cookies. Next to the cash box and the ladies collecting the dollars and change was a sign about the food. It was coalition of churches who apparently are catering. How inventive!

The auction itself was very cool. I spent most of the time just thinking about the process of it. Like where do you go once you auction off all your stuff? To a nursing home? A retirement home? I also wondered if I would go to the auction if it were my own stuff being sold to the highest bidder. As the items were brought to the front, boxes of stuffed kittens or a rocking horse whose horse looked more like a long-nosed dog, I really wanted to know where they came from.

A better question at some points was where were the items going? Some people bought things that were so strange to me, like the box of stuffed cats. Someone also bought a box of bobble-head dogs...what would you do with them? Some of the items seemed to me to have a predestined home--the Midwest mandatory clutter collection that resides on tops of cupboards, entwined with fake ivy or other viney plastic plants.

Auctioneering itself is also a marvel to me. I wasn't as interested in the auctioneer himself as the....other man....well, I don't know what the second guy is called. He was dressed like the auctioneer, but his job was to watch the crowd, point at the bidders like a kid pointing a toy gun at an opponent, and yell things that sounded like "Hep!" and "Yes!" His eyes were opened extremely wide, making me wonder if that's his natural look, or an "auction face."

Maybe auctions are old hat for people who grew up around here, but as my first one, I loved it. I'll leave ya'll with one image, that almost had me and Donna laughing out loud. As they auctioned things off, they had helpers whose job it was to hold up the items being bid on. One of the guys was Hispanic, and obviously the only Hispanic man in the building, wearing an AC/DC t-shirt. The auctioneer, whose job it is not only to auction things off, but also to make jokes, asked the man to hold up a kid's wooden pull toy, in the shape of a puppy. It was maybe a foot and a half long, and about 6 inches high. As the man held it up, the auctioneer showed off his wit, and quipped "Hey, did you ride that in here, amigo?"

I'm not sure it's funny in print, but it was hilarious.

Just for Fun

Princess Pantaloons shoots laser beams out of her eyes while sitting in the blanket basket.

Childrens Do Learn

8 1/2 more days at Schmells Bargo!!! I had a skip in my step this morning as I walked in, despite the pouring rain and dark clouds. The woman who sits nearest me was searching the job listings again, and just generally looking unhappy. But I'm moving on! Oh, and the 1/2 day is to go to the doctor with my mom, who has a fractured vertebrae. Ouch!

So after the days of Schmells Bargo, I start my new job. There'll be a day or two here getting the office organized, then a week of training in Rapid City. I haven't been to the Black Hills since I was probably 10, so it should be a fun drive (barring snow).

As excited as I am about the job, I'm getting nervous too. It seems like there'll be a ton to learn, and lots of goals to meet. I'm sure I'll be able to do it, but I think it'll be a lot of learning and figuring out how to do things like marketing and outreach. I've never thought of myself as someone who would like marketing and sales, even in a nonprofit setting, but during the interview I was asked if I was competitive...uh, yeah. I've been thinking about it, and being a bit competitive is probably what'll help me reach the number goals even though some parts of the job might be challenging.

I think the best part of this job is that it's still in education. I was reading part of the policy manual tonight (nerdy, I know), and there's a whole section about ELL (English Language Learner) students, and I got really excited. It's great to be able to use my interests and background in a job that's not actually teaching.

And even though I'm nervous about it, I'm sure I'll learn a ton. As Bush says, childrens do learn, and I plan to.

Just some stuff

1. I'm really excited about my new job! I drove past the office (aka cubicle) tonight, just for fun. I just realized last night that in doing this job I'm kind of living my idea of what should happen to drop outs.

Let me explain. I've always thought that it would be AWESOME if kids could drop out when they get attitudes and decide they don't like or need school, say 7th or 8th grade-ish. But, the good part of the plan would be that when they get into the real world and realize education is essential, they could come back and finish their degree.

Well, the program I'll be working for is kind of like that. Kids from 16-24 can do their GED, take ESL classes if necessary, and then do job training and get help being placed in a career. I feel like it's something I can really be passionate about.

2. I have declared my loyalty:Though my vote in the primary will be almost completely symbolic since we don't vote until JUNE!!!!, and I'm generally cynical about politicians, Obama has inspired me. I'll have to get a picture of my "Got Hope?" t-shirt sometime too.

I also realize that the bumper stick taped in the back window is kind of ghetto, I just couldn't permanently affix it to the bumper. What if Hillary wins and I'm driving around 2 years later with an Obama bumper sticker?

3. My cats Cow and Princess Pantaloons have started grooming one another, a good sign I think. Actually, right now it seems to be just Cow grooming Princess. I'm not sure there's reciprocation. They still chase each other and occasionally hiss, but the grooming seems like a step forward.

4. This week I listened to interviews with Sarah Silverman and Steven Colbert on Fresh Air. The Sarah Silverman interview wasn't outstanding, but kinda interesting, and the Steven Colbert interview made me laugh out loud in an office setting while wearing headphones. An interview with Shalom Auslander was really good, too, though I felt a little weird searching for his book title on the library catalog.

5. It's getting friggin' cold, and I'm a whimp. It's California winter right now here in South Dakota, and I'm so not prepared. I need to go shopping for warmer clothes. And I don't know what you do with the propane tank from your grill....does it stay outside? Do you cover it? (with a blanket?)

6. The lady I bought my house from is crazy. There was already evidence...she nailed the curtains to the wall with 3 inch nails, she remodeled the house but forgot to put a fan in the bathroom, etc. etc. Yesterday it was confirmed again.

Before I moved, my parents were watching the house for me. Twice my dad found packages here for the lady, from Neiman Marcus. The first time he brought it to her. The second time he brought it to her, and wrote her a letter to change her address with Neiman Marcus.

When I moved in, I assumed the issue was handled. Nope. So I got a package for her from Neiman Marcus. I called FedEx, and they came and got it. I then called Neiman Marcus, and they said they would fix it. I joked with the lady that if it happened again, I was keeping whatever was inside.

This week I got another one, the 4th package from Neiman Marcus. I was so frustrated that this wasn't being fixed, and she was being such a flake. And after 4 of exactly the same box, with her apparently not caring if she got them, I decided to open this one. I was definitely considering keeping the contents. So I opened it up, and found 2 facial moisturizers, one night and one day. I was curious what she was actually buying, so I looked them up online. They were worth.....$300 a piece!!!! She had been buying $600 worth of skin care lotion, and not paying attention to whether she received it or not!

So had I kept all four packages, I would be $2,400 rich in skin moisturizer. Alas, my guilt kicked in, and I called Neiman Marcus again. For the 2nd time. And finally they say it's worked out. We'll see. If it's not, my mom is getting some damn fine moisturizer for Christmas.

Celebrating!

Today is a day of celebration. I heard about the interview I had on Friday, and I got the job!!!! Starting in November, I'll be working as an Admissions Counselor at a nonprofit gov't job training program for at risk young people. Yea!

I feel bad for South Dakota's image

Since I left teaching, I decided it's probably time to rollover my retirement account. So I got on the phone tonight, and actually got to talk to a real person, and one who actually knew what he was talking about.

I was a little nervous because I'm not so good at the financial stuff, but the whole process was pretty professional. He even asked me multiple choice questions to verify my identity (which of the following counties have you lived in?).

Then, after I asked for some forms I need, I realized I hadn't changed my address from CA. So I asked him if I could do that. Sure, he says. I tell him my new address, and he says "Uh, can I ask you....one question?" I was hoping it was another verifying my identity questions, but I had a hunch it was something else.

You got it. He asked me "Why in the world would you move from California to South Dakota?"

Poor, poor South Dakota, always such a bad image...

Listening/Wisdom

Speaking of Faith is a podcast I listen to most weeks. The weeks I don't, it's usually not because of the guest, but because of the host, Krista Tippett. She doesn't have the normal weird-o public radio voice like Sarah Vowell or David Sedaris, but she uses what seems like too many pauses for emphasis, and I get the impression from her voice that she's smiling way too widely while she speaks, like there might just be saliva hanging from the corners of her mouth.

Not that I dislike her, really. She's flaky sometimes, but often asks interesting questions. This week's interview with Sister Joan Chittister was great. Sister Joan is a Benedictine nun, and a woman of amazing wisdom. I won't attempt to summarize the interview, but from listening it struck me that she's someone who doesn't buy into a lot of false dichotomies set up in religion.

And she's interesting as a nun. Kathleen Norris got me interested in learning more about monastics, and then one summer at camp I worked with a woman who had taken vows, and then left the order. She still kept her vows although she had left, which fascinated me. Sister Joan is just as interesting. One thing in particular I liked was hearing her talk about monastic life as liberating for women.

Anyway, just one podcast I really enjoyed this week. If you want, you can listen to it here.

The Slobification of America, and Schmells Bargo

An admitted tv junkie, lately I've been watching Tim Gunn's Guide to Style. I love Tim Gunn because he's honest, but kind. In the latest episode he was dealing with a mom who wore nothing but capri pants and t-shirts, and he made a comment that it was the "slobification of America."

Well, this week I have witnessed the slobification of Schmells Bargo, where I'm temping. It's a "casual" work environment, which means jeans and t-shirts. Well, and sweatshirts and knit pants and I've even seen shorts. So when they started to sell "dress down" stickers for a United Way campaign, I couldn't imagine what that would bring.

The answer? Sweatpants. And more sweatshirts. I was shocked to see one person actually come to work in sweats and slippers. My take? Well, I think Dave says it best...something like a sweatshirt says you've just given up on life.