Blast from the Past #1

Awhile ago I was cleaning out my hope chest and came across a bunch of letters I saved from high school. (This was obviously before e-mail BUT still in the 90's! I'm not THAT old!) I've decided to post one letter a week. The sender will remain annoymous and I shall not edit the letter in any way. Just remember, I was in high school, I was crazy, and I lived on a rural postal route. That said here is the first of many.

Feb. 21 1995
A letter from DB talking about my move from Olympia (pop. over 100,000) to Prosser (pop. rural). Age: 16


K,

Hey there little mama. So among the hicks are you. HA! HA! We'll we certainly do have alot in common now my hair was copper red now its more of a strawberry blonde. I don't skate but I'm a grunger. My hair covers my eyes but by the time I see you it'll be up to my chin (maybe). That be cool for you to come over here. If you do get into Yakima call me at XXX-XXXX and we can go do something! I'd come see you if I went to Prosser but I seriously doubt I could get over there. But maybe someday. Shit maybe I forgets where Prosser was. I was thinking by Pasco but Duh. Well I'm just jammin' to Jimi (he's my God.) Yea.
I'm sure you'll meet some freaks or friends sometime. No Hicks now. I also dislike hicks but as long as they're fucking their horse and not me or my mom it's ok! Well I better go write back por favor.

Love, DB
P.S. I'll be your friend!

Awkward moment #312

How exactly do you ask your classroom whose gynelotrimin was found on the closet floor?

Do you:

A.) Pretend you didn't see it.

B.) Add it to the lost and found.

C.) Send memos home to all students.

D.) Drop in a random student's bag to take home.


So far it has been A but I'm rethinking D if the tube shows up again.

FF: 188

Appetizer

Name something you would categorize as weird.

Nipples. It was the first thing to come to mind. I also had a conversation about them earlier with my breast-feeding sister so I'm sure that's why it was fresh in mind. I should say that they CAN be weird but in general are quite normal since everybody has them.

Soup

What color was the last piece of food you ate?

green, white and pink---sushi--California roll. Why is it called that?

Salad

On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how much do you enjoy being alone?

Love it! I want more of it! I think you can learn a lot about yourself when you stop to spend time with yourself.

Main Course

Fill in the blank: I will _________ vote for ___________ in _______.

I will not vote for any American Idol in the next month.

I cannot stand that show.

Dessert

Describe your sleeping habits.

HA! Funny you should ask...I am one of those ladies who wears a sleeping mask to bed. I also have to have the tv on which helps me fall asleep faster and Farmer Ted stays up much later than I do. I find it easier to sleep when our lab is next to me too. For some reason I also get the privilege of the alarm. I don't know how I got this responsibility but it's mine.

A busy and bad day

I've been busy. Really busy. We have decided to move to Las Vegas so I can attend law school. We've decided that we should probably get married. We've decided that we have no time for anything anymore. I'm sitting here reflecting on my day, my week, my last ten minutes listening to Flogging Molly's Float and reading the wise words of my favorite 8 year old.

My bad day? I am tired of spoiled brats. And when you work at a private school you see more than enough. I'm tired of the parent notes to get out of P.E. when their children are the ones who would benefit most from it. I'm tired of the spoiled brat complaining that she is not getting enough attention from me. I'm tired of remaining calm, composed and patient. The good news is I have less than a month left!

And those wise words from the 8 year old could not have come at a more perfect time.

If the hill is on fire go to safety.
No one can climb a tree with candy in your hands.
The man who is not hungry says maybe later.
Remember the time of the dinosaurs.
He who plows gets snow out of the way.
If you travel with wisdom, you will find great stuff will happen.

--L.G.

Springing

Do your reading habits change in the Spring? Do you read gardening books? Even if you don’t have a garden? More light fiction than during the Winter? Less? Travel books? Light paperbacks you can stick in a knapsack?

Or do you pretty much read the same kinds of things in the Spring as you do the rest of the year?

Yes, my reading habits change when the weather warms up. I actually tend to read less and switch over to reading magazines, gardening tips, landscaping ideas--mainly short pieces. However, I have my yearly reading goal so I think this spring and summer will be different. I've noticed that when the days get longer I tend to work more and skip reading before bed. It's sad, I know but at least I've recognized it and know that I need to change that schedule since I miss not reading!

FF: 187

Appetizer

Name a color you find soothing.

Green. It also happens to be my favorite color. There is just something about green that calms me and makes me feel like me.

Soup

Using 20 or less words, describe your first driving experience.

Horrible, interstate, father reading the newspaper, and raining outside.

Salad

What material is your favorite item of clothing made out of?

Right now it would be velour. It's warm and comfy and I'm addicted to track jackets so when Juicy Couture combined the three I bought em up.

Main Course

Who is a great singer or musician who, if they were to come to your town for a concert, you would spend the night outside waiting for tickets to see?

Well, when Elton John came my way I quickly grabbed tickets. The same for Bob Dylan. I would have to say David Grey, Madonna, R.E.M., or Pearl Jam. Now that I am moving to a major entertainment area I will have more opportunities to see some of these if they ever tour! Hopefully with R.E.M. having a new album out I will have that chance!

Dessert

What is the most frequent letter of the alphabet in your whole name (first, middle, maiden, last, etc.)? E with 4 which beats L with 3

BTT: Vocabulary

I’ve always wondered what other people do when they come across a word/phrase that they’ve never heard before. I mean, do they jot it down on paper so they can look it up later, or do they stop reading to look it up on the dictionary/google it or do they just continue reading and forget about the word?

If Farmer Ted is in the room I will usually ask him if he knows the meaning. If not I write the word down with the intention of looking it up later on. This part usually doesn't happen though. If I have a dictionary handy I will look it up. There have been too many times where the context of the writing has been lost due to one misunderstood word for me. I guess it also depends on how into the book I am.

BTT: Writing Challenge

• Pick up the nearest book. (I’m sure you must have one nearby.)
• Turn to page 123.
• What is the first sentence on the page?
• The last sentence on the page?
• Now . . . connect them together….
  (And no, you may not transcribe the entire page of the book–that’s cheating!)

"Raising rewards and punishments pushes the child into more self-deception, precisely when more self-reflection is needed instead. So we writers need to invest in a self-image as people who get something done every day, and self-deception helps us achieve that."

From Discover Your Inner Economist: Use Incentives to Fall in Love, Survive Your Next Meeting and Motivate Your Dentist by Tyler Cowen. It's a great, enjoyable book!

Who's more of a feminist?

I read an interesting piece this morning titled, "Who's more of a feminist? Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama?" As the election nears and Democrats scramble to earn delegates I am still undecided. I suppose this is acceptable since I won't be choosing between McCain, Obama and Clinton. But it nerves me that I have not been able to confidently stand behind a candidate. And maybe I won't be able to this election. This is ok in my mind since I would be making a rational decision to not vote for a president.

I'm an Auntie!

My nephew, Camden Harley, was born on Friday after 23.5 hours of labor. He is an absolute gem!

FF: 186

Appetizer

Invent a new flower; give it a name and describe it.

A great question for a florist! It would be lime green and a cross between a dendrobium and tuberose. The dendrobium more for looks with the tuberose for scent. It could be called a dendrose.

Soup

Name someone whom you think has a wonderful voice.

I am going to read this question as if its asking for a singer. I really like Amy Winehouse's sound, that deep voice. I also like Louden Wainwright's voice which I find calming and fun. In terms of people I enjoy a local DJ's voice, Kate McGuire, from Mix 106. She is hilarious to listen to and has this great raspy, but not smoker, voice.

Salad

On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being highest, how clean do you keep your car?

I would say a 6. It's not cluttered but dusty at times and could use vacuuming more often. We do wash it often though.

Main Course

How do you feel about poetry?

I enjoy poetry and wish I was more patient to try it. I'll write something and then give up because I don't have the patience to work on it. As an undergraduate I would listen to poetry every Monday night.

Dessert

What was the last person/place/thing you took a picture of?

Myself upset and silly over how long it was taking to order our Idaho ice cream potatoes. I was also peeved that our group plans had changed so quickly.

Lit-Ra-Chur

• When somebody mentions “literature,” what’s the first thing you think of? (Dickens? Tolstoy? Shakespeare?)
• Do you read “literature” (however you define it) for pleasure? Or is it something that you read only when you must?

Anything that requires reading whether it be the newspaper, a magazine, research, non-fiction or fiction. I believe this comes from my many years as a student where professors would ask us to look up "literature" on various subjects. They tended to use it as a synonym for research. When I hear classic literature I think of authors such as Dickens, Tolstoy, Austen, etc.

Of course I read literature for pleasure! I love reading and our house is full of books. My bedside stand has, on average, seven books waiting to be read. I read more than one book at once so as soon as I finish one I can quickly grab another if I feel like it. There is part of me that thinks the question "or is it something that you read only when you must?" a silly question since everyone that participates in Booking Through Thursday enjoys reading and/or discussing books.