The end, only maybe not.
masochism online May 31, 2008
God help me, I should have gone to Agnes Scott.
In a lot of ways, I’m dreading the thought of spending another year at the most closed-minded school this side of Bob Jones University.
And no, I don’t know why I keep tormenting myself by looking up course catalogues from women’s colleges. Okay?!?
new birth missionary baptist church May 31, 2008
Soulforce is a pro-gay Christian movement that is spending the summer sending delegate families to American megachurches for dialogue in something they’re calling “The American Family Outing.”
One of the churches they are visiting, New Birth Missionary Baptist, is right near here in Lithonia, Georgia (yes, the same town that is also home to one of only two liquor stores within 20 miles of my house).
One of the couples visiting this church, Steve Parelli and Jose Ortiz, also run a pro-gay ministry called Other Sheep.
A couple of months ago, I emailed Mr. Parelli to ask him to put me on the Other Sheep mailing list, adding that I really appreciated their upcoming visit to New Birth because I had grown up with friends from that church who felt very conflicted by its uber-conservative “prosperity gospel” teachings. He excerpted my email in the next Other Sheep email update. I was excited.
Tomorrow, Soulforce will be at New Birth (Carl, if you read this and are in town this weekend and going to church, please call me).
Yesterday, I had this in my inbox:
Dear Becky,
We will be in Atlanta this weekend. We leave on Friday morning and will be there for two nights. If you would like us to phone you while we are there, let me know by emailing us. We don’t have a cell phone.
Steve
Obviously I sent him back my number and said I’d be delighted to participate in anything they were doing, but I’m kind of confused by the wording here – what exactly would be the purpose of said phone call? It’s a mystery to me.
So all weekend I’ve been jumpily checking the phone to see if anything exciting is happening, while at the same time reminding myself that I really don’t have anything to offer this group that they couldn’t get from a million other people and therefore he’s not going to call me so I should just chill.
Awkward, awkward, awkward.
lull May 30, 2008
The two most important people in my life are both out of the country, and another of the top four is about to be in another state. I, on the other hand, have no social life. It gets harder to do the things you ought to be doing when there’s nobody around to talk to while you do them. Lack of interaction = lack of outside validation, which is not good for the psyche.
I think I’ve moved downward on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. A successful day is one in which I can keep my thoughts in control instead of being caught up in anxiety or loneliness; forget intellectuality and changing the world. I’m so unsocialized. Anyone want to give me a meaningful volunteer position and get me out of the house?
report from mexico May 27, 2008
Brooke and I, along with the Simpson clan, saw Lance and Taylor off at the airport yesterday morning about 4:30 (death!) and they made it to Guanajuato just before 2 our time (they’re an hour behind us). I’ve talked to Lance on Gmail chat a couple times since they got there, and since neither of them have had a chance to post on their blog yet, I thought I’d share some of their highlights:
.
10:16 PM me: !!!!!
you’re here!!!!
Lance: Yeah!!!!
and I love you!
me: i was just writing to you!
how is everything?
Lance: really?
me: yep
Lance: I just read your email!
me: 
Lance: It’s going really well
I’ve yet to sleep yet, but we had amazing food at the house
10:17 PM and then some really spicy corn on the street
me: haha
how’s communication?
Lance: and Mr. Silva gave us a tour of the city in the car
it’s okay
me: oh, how sweet
Lance: I understand most of what they are saying
me: yay!
Lance: and can kind of respond
there is NO english
me: exciting
10:18 PM so they’re really nice then?
Lance: Oh yeah!
and they’re kids are really sweet
me: aw, yay
Lance: Ms. Silva took us out walking to show us where the university is
me: are the kids shy or are they all over you guys?
oh yay!
10:19 PM Lance: they were shy but after we watched an entire barbie movie in 3-d with paula, they were fine
they all loved their gifts
me: hahahaa
oh, yay!
10:20 PM Lance: You should see this house
me: you had stuff for the kids?
yeah?
Lance: yeah, i got the girl a little carebear and the boy a train for toddlers with rattling beads and stuff in it
the house is amazing though
me: aww
oh, i wish i could see
Lance: we’re in the middle of a neighborhood
10:21 PM I don’t know how to describe it, pero mandarete fotos, o yo los publicare a mi blog (but I will send you photos, or I will publish them on my blog)
And thank you for my email
10:22 PM it made me super happy
I love you so much
me: aw, yay
you are so sweet
yea fotos!
Lance: yeah!
me: do you start class tomorrow?
10:23 PM Lance: yeah, a las nueve
we have orientation then anyway
me: cool!
and you have 2 clases?
Lance: apparently we are going to be in class all day everyday until like 6 or 7
me: ay, hot damn
Lance: I know
so, we’ll see how that works out
but any who
I’m so in love with you
me: aw, i love you
10:24 PM Lance: and thinking about you and loving you
me: i’m thinking about you too!
Lance: I think I’m going to go to bed
you are so nice
me: wait, you have internet at home?
Lance: Yeah!
me: that just hit me
YES!!!
Lance: wi-fi!
I know!
me: best thing ever!!!
Lance: that means I can call from here!
me: YESSSSS
YUUUSSSS
Lance: ;
10:25 PM ;0
me: YOU GOT TYPING PROBLEM
<3
Lance: yeah
me: sorry. i doped. my mom made me do it early
10:26 PM i think she was afraid i’d stay up pining for you
Lance: Aw
me: so i’m ditzy
Lance: I love you
me: i love you!
Lance: you’re not ditzy
I love you
me: i mean, just now i am
Lance: You’re wonderful
I’m going to go sleep for the first time in over twenty hours
me: oh. before you go. why does taylor’s status say nuclear baby?
Lance: woot!
me: yay!
10:27 PM Lance: check taylor’s blog
he says
me: oh, ok.
Lance: el dice (he says)
I love you!
tomorrow, I will post a blog entry.
so be on the look out!
me: ok!
con fotos? (with pictures?)
que bueno (how good)
Lance:
love you
10:28 PM goodnight beautiful!
.
Today I talked to both of them:
.
5:20 PM me: hola teo!
Taylor: Hey!
Whats up?
me: watchin the news, putting recipes in that box on food network that you showed me
5:21 PM how was y’all first day?
Taylor: Yes! You’ve been converted!
It was GREAT! The school is “padre” (“cool” - a purely Mexican slang term; usually this word means “father”) and the maestros son muy simpaticos (the teachers are very friendly/easy to get along with)
me: que padre (how cool)
Taylor: I think Lance may be in 7th heaven because one of our classes is all Mexican Literature
5:22 PM me: really? amazing!
Taylor: It’s pretty cool!
We have to be down in the centro in 40 minutes for our tour
me: with the students?
great!
Taylor: Yep! Last night we had one with the family
me: aw, too fun
5:25 PM Taylor: Ok I G2G
me: ok, bye
Taylor: ISA is calling my name
.
5:21 PM Lance: I love you!
me: hi!
i love you!
me: i was hoping you’d get on when taylor messaged me
5:22 PM Lance: Aw!
I love you
Lance: Tonight, it may be later when my blog gets posted
me: thats cool
Lance: I’m home only for a few minutes
me: he said you have a mexican lit class?
Lance: but I wanted to say I love you
yeah!
me: i love you!
Lance: it’s the history/lit culture class
it’s a lit class that does what a lit class should do
5:23 PM introduce you to the history and culture of the people involved in writing it
me: what, like it doesn’t take everything totally out of cultural context?
man, those crazy mexicans
Lance: I know
me:
Lance: our classes are from 11-3
5:24 PM and on saturday we are going to teotihuacan
me: oh, really? only 11-3?
Lance: yeah
it’s pretty awesome
but, I sadly i have to go 
me: are there structured activities in the afternoon?
5:25 PM Lance: we’re going on a tour with the school
me: i mean, todos los dias (every day)
Lance: no
me: oh! great!
so much better than you thought!
Lance: I know!
well, I gotta run
me: ok, i won’t keep you
i love you
<3
Lance: I love you!
me: have fun
Lance: my post may be late tonight
but there will be one
me: okeyday
Lance: adios love !
me: love you!!!
5:26 PM Lance: love you
black socks: an ode May 27, 2008
I love black socks.
To begin with, I hardly ever wear socks intended for women. They’re small and flimsy. I have big feet and am hard on my clothes. I prefer men’s socks. Men’s socks are durable. They’re big in the feet and long in the legs. You can pull them most of the way up to your knee.
But most importantly, men’s sock are warm. Those suckers are thick. The white ones are good, but the black ones… man, those men’s black socks are something else. So warm. So snugly fitted to my feet. I can just look at them and feel my icy feet thaw.
Cold-footed women, arise! Why do we persist in buying these flimsy women’s socks, or the bulky wool ones that stretch out our shoes and put cable-knit lines in the skin of our ankles, when this sockly wonderland is only an aisle over? Relief is at hand, my friends, in the form of men’s black socks.
Black socks conjure up mountain hikes in peak fall foliage season, peeking out the tops of brown leather hiking boots with a practical sense that all is right with the world. They sit patiently in the closet during the summer months, just biding their time in the knowledge that soon they will be slipped onto chilly toes to be held in front of the fireplace as their wearers joke about the weather with Heart’s “Dreamboat Annie” spinning on the turntable.
Black socks belong in the realm of Christmas spiced pecans, long men’s sweaters worn over leggings around the house, testing soup recipes, and friends dropping by with extra firewood.
Black socks are the baked macaroni and cheese of the hosiery world. I’m wearing them now. And you, my friend, I ask only that you take me at my word and experience it for yourself.
the golden rule May 21, 2008
Terry Pratchett writes that the greatest human sin is to treat people as if they are things.
I’ve been convinced for a long time of the soundness of this claim, but now here’s research that supports what I’ve found by experience to be true:
republicans May 19, 2008
Wow, guys. I’m sure Jesus would really appreciate being likened to a guy whose campaign staffers have also worked for genocidal dictators.
keepin’ busy May 19, 2008
I’m gonna do yard work today.
Man, I love yard work.
Apparently, so do most other women.
Interesting; I’d say I like cooking and yard work about evenly, although I’d rather dig a latrine than wash dishes by hand. How about you guys: favorite/least favorite household chores?
this ____ is bananas. May 15, 2008
I’m too excited to go to sleep ’cause Lance is coming to see me in the morning. 
I can’t wait. It’s so great to have him come to suburbia because he reminds me of my priorities. Every time I come back here I feel like everyone who’s stayed – if not here, at least in the same state of mind – is looking at me expectantly, waiting to see what new bauble I’ve brought to the table so they can start telling me how much better theirs is. It’s all about competition here, from the shoes to the summer plans.
“So… got any plans for the summer?”
“Oh, saving homeless children from abuse, jetting off to El Salvador for a bit to study under a world-class violinist, visiting my Parisian fiancé at his parents’ vineyard, you know… but I have a couple weeks off between my pilgrimage to meet the Dalai Lama and my cancer research; we should do lunch… why, what are you up to?”
“Err… I think I’m gonna work as a janitor… maybe eat some Cheetos.”
Take me back to my rightful place amongst the regular working-class people of Rome! Sure, they have the Official Middle-Aged Northwest Georgian Woman Hairdo and an unnaturally high teen pregnancy rate (must be the toxic sludge from the GE plant), but they never give me this shit.
They don’t have time for this shit.
