The Big Valley

Pro's Ranch Market

This morning my dad woke me up to go shopping with him and my mom. The original plan was to go to the Costco Business Center for a projector so we could watch a movie while relaxing in the pool (this has been one of Pop's fondest dreams for years...in his perfect plan, my whole family floats on inner tubes while watching Jaws).  Well, as usual with my parents, any trip on a Saturday morning includes multiple stops at yard sales and random stores, and somehow or another we landed at a Mexican grocery store.

And not just any store, this one might as well be located Mexico. I love stuff like this. 

I'll never forget my first experience in a Asian grocery store (thanks to Carol Farr), but this was so much better! Now, I LOVE grocery shopping, and I think I am one of the few people in the world who likes to "window shop" in grocery store. It's the Denny blood in me...what can I say; we just love food.

       

           

 

        

Food from other cultures is so fascinating to me. It's amazing that we have pretty much the same ingredients but use them in such different ways. 

For example:  Cow stomach can become menudo (which I sampled, by the way),

and chicken feet must be delicious if prepared properly!

                                                

I could have stayed in the store forever, wondering up and down the isles, but alas, all good things must come to an end. Unfortunately, the end came before I was ready when a manager informed me that taking pictures of items in the store was not allowed. I did manage to sneak in a few more, but not without feeling a trifle guilty. Oh well, it was time to be on our way. 

 

                                                     American stores are so boring.

MZUNGU! MZUNGU, PHOTO ME!

Eng 217 - Personal and Exploratory Writing :) My first homework assignment in over two years....

Pick one of the following prompts: 

1)Using vivid words and details, describe your personality. 
2)What is the best thing you ever did? (Most Honorable? Most effective? Most fun? 
3)If your mind where a house, what would it look like?

                                MZUNGU! MZUNGU, PHOTO ME!

I suddenly found myself totally surrounded by small, black, smiling faces. I made no attempt to get away, although if some fresh air had made it through the odor of unwashed bodies, I would not have complained. I never expected my slightly outdated digital camera to create such a response.

I’m not sure what I did foresee when I headed halfway around the world to visit an orphanage in Uganda. I knew I would be saddened by the poverty, the constant reminder of death, and the cultural differences. What I never imagined, was the fun I would have. Every morning for five days, I showed up at the orphanage and just played and played. I can’t remember a time when I have given so much of myself. The little girls literally fought over holding my hand, sometimes I had as many as five hanging from each one! The boys just tried to make me laugh, each one trying to out do his friends so that my eyes would focus on him alone. The older girls hung back, but a simple smile or word from me would cause their faces to light up with pride at being noticed.

With the language barrier, I needed someway to connect but was unsure of what to do. When I first pulled out my camera, it was for personal reasons. I wanted to remember the details of this new world around me. Of course, they wanted to see what I had photographed, and pretty soon the crowd of children around me doubled. Everyone shouting “Mzungu” (meaning “White person”) “Muzungu, Muzungu, photo me! Photo me!” At first there was some order. I would take a picture and then show it to the crowd, but I was quickly surrounded, lost in a sea of faces…I couldn’t even see sunlight! Soon, I was just snapping photos. I took as many pictures as I could, and each time I revealed a new one, the children giggled with glee at the sight of themselves.

With all the media coverage over the last few years, I knew that I would see physical hunger. But the emotional hunger, the need for the affirmation that comes with a hug, a smile, a hand or a picture…that was a surprise. It was also something I could give, a small way that I could help. I have never felt such a sense of purpose, before or since. Taking those pictures, holding those hands, being there for a short time, just to love those kids…it was the best and most rewarding thing I have ever done.

First Day (Kind Of)

Today is the first day of school. All students know the first class is (at least in community college) a total waste of time. After going around the room and introducing yourself  ("Hi, my name is Stan  I'm here because I love to learn , let's see, something about myself, I love cats! ") you then have to sit there and hear the instructor read the syllabus (which you are perfectly capable of reading yourself), after 20 minutes of torture you are dismissed early, only to have to wait an hour and twenty minutes for the next class, which is the exact same thing.
Luckily, I had an out. Something thing even the strictest attendance gurus allow as a good reason to miss a day of nonsense. 


Jury Duty.  


Yes, I was EXCITED to receive my summons. I've been waiting for this since the day I registered to vote! Even now that I am here, sitting and pretty much doing nothing, I am still excited. I hope I get called for a panel. If I do, I'm sure all my faithful readers (if there are any) will hear alll about it.


Which brings me to my next topic - I will be blogging more. As I was saying before, I started school again. I haven't been in school for two years now, not since I graduated with my AAS (Associates in Applied Science). I have always loved school, not homework or tests, but learning and being in a classroom. It's one thing I have really missed, but I didn't want to get student loans for a university when I have no idea what I even want to study. However, the need for (free) health insurance has recently convinced me I ought to go back to school. So this time, it's about fun. What I want to learn, not what someone decided I need in order to graduate. What classes am I taking? Well, I'm glad you asked.  


ENG 217 - Personal & Exploratory Writing, 
ART 161 - Ceramics I, 
and  
DAN 131 - Ballet I. 


I plan on having a great semester! I already picked up my syllabus for the writing class, and my first "writing exercise" is as follows: 
"Pick one of the following prompts: 
1)Using vivid words and details, describe your personality. 
2)What is the best thing you ever did? (Most Honorable? Most effective? Most fun? 
3)If your mind where a house, what would it look like?"


I love creative writing, so I am especially excited for this class. I plan on using my blog for homework practice, so stay tuned, I'm sure I will be able to draw from my ballet and ceramics classes for funny material!

Our Alternate Reality: The Internet

This post may seem to be, for indeed it is, a squeal to my earlier post Girl Vs. Machine, but this time I would like to shift my focus from technology in general to the narrower, but ever growing, world of computers. Theseus Statement: I HATE the way the internet has infiltrated every aspect of our daily lives. Don't get me wrong, google maps has definitely made driving easier, and I've waisted a fair amount of time uploading pictures to facebook...but are these good things? I mean really good for us both as individuals and as a society?

For example, the other day I was talking to my younger brother who just recently got his drivers permit. He mentioned he needed to start paying better attention to where streets were and in response I started explaining how the roads are laid out in Arizona. He interrupted me and said "You don't have to tell me, I'll just get a GPS".  Now I have nothing against the GPS, I have one and has been known to come in handy. What I do have a problem with is the mindset that we shouldn't bother learning something that a computer can just tell us. When I started driving, I didn't have a choice, I had to figure out the roads or else be perpetually lost, but now all I have to do is type in an address and good Ol' Madge (my Magellan GPS), will give me step by step directions. Really cool? Absolutely. But be honest, isn't this a little pathetic? We have become so used to various forms of computers (you don't even want to get me started on ipads and kendles) that we have grown both addicted to and dependent on them.   Which leads me to the real issue, and my true annoyance, the continual facebooking and text messaging (which I guess can even be combined now) of pretty much everyone. 

We invest so much of our time into written conversations that are not in person, we forget how real face to face conversations should be. This effects two areas; first, the dumbing down effect: instead of typing like we speak, we start speaking like we type. Phrases like LOL, OMG, JK and WTF which are stupid even when they are on a computer screen, but when people actually say them...we stoop to a whole new level of stupidity. And second, we tend to forget our natural inhibitions. When getting to know someone in person, there are certain things that we hold back. It's not natural to share deep feelings in a causal conversation. However, when the person you are talking to is not present, but merely a conversation box on a screen, we don't always follow these social rules, often delving into personal and deep conversations with people we barely know. While these conversations are not wrong, by any means, they can reverse the natural order in which you get to know someone, often resulting in awkwardness when actually talking in person. You see, a huge part of getting to know someone is observing them. How they talk, facial expressions, the way they treat others, body language, etc. It's actually possible in our modern world to become great friends with and even romantically involved with someone that you're not even able stand being around. 

The reason for this being that we can interpret written messages to be whatever we want them to be, depending on the tone and voice and inflection that we imagine the other person to be using. These conversations can almost become addicting. There is a freedom in expressing oneself through writing, historically people have been experiencing that freedom by writing in a variety of forms, but now with the lack of education combined with the digital age, we now express ourselves in a variety of forums.

Before I end this rant, I'd like to expand on the topic text messaging/cell phone internet. I don't have a ton say, only this: When you actually leave the presence of a computer screen, and venture out into society, try to interact with the people your with, especially if your only with one other person. Leave your phone alone, it won't kill you. We are so addicted to these devilish contraptions that five minutes away from them leaves us feeling like there is a void that needs filling. This is just another way that social skills are effected. We have created a need to be in constant contact via text (this is especially true in romantic relationships). 

Look, I'm not saying it's all bad. After all, I am blogging right now. I use facebook, I text message...if anything this whole post is direct towards myself, reminding me what what I know and how I don't want to be.  I just wish that life was a bit more simple. We need to remember what is valuable. 

Contemplation

Today is a blog day. I could feel it almost as soon as I woke up this morning (early afternoon). The problem is that I just can't quite thing of anything to blog about. I mean other than the fact that I have somehow been transported back into my high school years...
i.e. being dropped off, picked up, fighting with my mom as she is teaching me to drive (stick this time), trying to plan my future, watching Gilmore Girls, stuck at home with no car, etc. 


The point is that I am filled with clever and witty things to say, yet none of them seem to come to mind at the moment. I wish I could be more like my new favorite blogger lady (http://www.graspingforobjectivity.com/), who is very funny and weird (I mean, who makes bologna and bacon flower arrangements with their husband). I know in my heart that I'm the kind of person that is capable of weird quirky things like that, but I don't do them. Not that I have any real desire to make meat flowers, but I wish I did more things. I've always wanted to do so many things. If you were ever to ask me "What would you like to do before you die" I'm sure I could come up with a brand new lengthy list, right on the spot. If you ask me the same thing a week later, my list would be different. Here's the real point...my birthday is on Monday. Twenty-two. I know it's not forty-five, but really, twenty-two is practically grown up. you see, I've always been a girl who plans. I've been planning my life all my life. I always knew that I would have my life figured out by this age. I can actually remember specific conversations with my best friend about how I was NEVER going to be the kind of girl who lived with her parents and had no idea what she wanted to do. Suddenly, I am confronted with the fact that I am exactly in the place I never wanted to be.

Now, I don't want to come across as being highly depressed or grossly unhappy, because I'm not. I know that I am where I am for a reason...lots of reasons actually. I know that I have accomplished many good things in my life, had amazing experience, and that I have so much ahead of me. I'm optimistic....but also just a trifle disappointed in myself.  So much for not having anything to write about. Advise to other bloggers: Never start a post with no aim in mind if you are tired, melancholy, and almost twenty-two. Especially if you hate birthdays. It's just not smart.

Almost twenty-two. Hmm.

How to clean your room:

Step One: 

Make Bed. Turn on new Michael Buble CD. Gather all laundry from the floor, stuff it into whatever baskets you can find, and stack it on your bed. Take a break for Iced Tea and Facebook. 

Step Two:

Gather all books off the floor and stack them together. 

Don't worry about being to neat, this is just the first step of sorting books.

Step Three:

Realize that you have far to many books to fit on your already cramped shelf and wonder what the best fix would be. Decide a trip to Ikea is in order and call Sister and Cousin for a fun trip out to Tempe.

Get distracted by Dream Bedroom. 

Let Kids play with camera so that they will stop whining. 

                        

 

Look at baby nephew and wonder why they can't all be this happy and cute.

Step Four:

Buy cute new blue shelves for amazing price. Also buy new bedding. 

                                     

Go home and realize you have no where to hang shelf. Attempt to rearrange room, but discover this is hard to do when room is still very messy. Give up for the night and go to bed. Wake up early in the morning to go to work and forget all about messy room for the rest of the week. 

A few days later, go to Greek Festival in Tempe with the gals. 

                                        

Laugh at the man  who stopped working to do push ups. 

                                                  

Go home only to be reminded of how horribly messy room is. Go to bed and work next morning with dark thoughts about said room.

Step Five:

Invite friend to come and talk to you while you clean. Get rid of everything you possibly can.  

Wash laundry. Five loads of laundry to be exact. Hang shirts in bathroom to dry. Send Friend home and go to sleep.

Step Six:

Go to work super early. Get coated in chocolate and cheese. Come home and lurk facebook. See cousins request for Blog update. Write blog about cleaning room. 

Realize you still have so much to do....