Real Fruit Juice + Energy

A Sobe energy drink and a cup of "borrowed" sugar free chocolate pudding for dinner. YES.

My blog title comes from the acclaimed Savannah school of random subject titles.

Eight O'Clock here at work on a Sunday evening. Nothing going on, just two weathers an hour and way too much down time. I am hungry. Looking back on my day, before my pudding, all I've eaten was a few nachos from Jessie's kitchen table and a Sierra Mist.

It's just that Food hasn't been primary on my mind today.

(The vitamin infused Sobe drink feels good in my tummy though.)

Josh visited yesterday. I was awkward, but it wasn't bad. He left this morning and the time that I haven't spent sleeping was spent reveling.

I am happy.

On Friday the Broshofskes hosted the "Before they leave us picnic." It was nice. After the parents left, Sara, Nicole and I had our last sleep over at Sara's house before we leave forever... We are actually quite lame. The most exciting thing we did was to go star-tipping which was great. After that we ate a Dairy Queen Ice Cream cake that was exactly 6 months old. It lasted surprisingly well. None of us threw up. Not even Nicole who ate the majority of it.

We watched the Notebook. Sara had never seen it before. It changed her life. Being that it was the second time I'd seen it in a month, I didn't cry as much as I did last time. I just can't get over how deep and awesome that movie is! IT is seriously the perfect romance film, setting our standards way too high... for Lon Hammonds and Noah Calhouns... Not to mention Ryan Goslings!

When that finished we put in Juno, but are too lame to actually stay up past three am.

I went to sleep by my own choosing, knowing that I had a big day on Saturday, and Nicole had to go to work... I guess that's what it's like to grow up and be responsible.

I could have gone Door knocking on Friday, and I said that I would without considering my own well being, luckily Tim had a meeting and I didn't have to. They went to Braham yesterday morning. I didn't go because of my visitor, even though I know he would have enjoyed it. Volunteering has become a drug for me, and it's great. I haven't done anything political since last Tuesday, and I'm already itching for more! I NEED more! I NEED to get out on the streets and door knock, I NEED to phone bank. I need to spend time with like-minded comrades who know so much more than I do. I Hope I hope I hope that I can do stuff in Minneapolis. I've come to realize how appreciated volunteers are. Sharon at the DFL meeting told me that they are going to miss me more than I am going to miss them. Even though I've only been involved for a little more than a month, I HAVE done a lot, simply door knocking and phone banking a couple times!

Plus, I am not going to get the credit and praise for being "young" and involved forever.

That always feels good.

I WANT TO VOLUNTEER!

Whew! Phone banking maybe on Tuesday... that will hopefully tide me over till the next door knocking event.

I should also get onto the DFL website and volunteer for the State Fair on the day Tim is going to be down there. Just a three hour shift! That's weak. I'd be there all day if I could.

! I can get more buttons! (I recently was able to add an Obama button and lapel pin to my collection!)

I'm going to miss the Miracle of Birth Center... that was another joygasmic volunteer experience.

13 days until move in. I'm not bringing that much stuff. Sara's pile is huge. I just have my little corner of my room by my closet, and my bedding stacked in the closet. It makes me happy to look at though. My own tape, my own highlighters, a file folder, febreze, laundry detergent... Then my handmade quilt and afghan for my bed... I feel prepared.

Soua already has a fridge. No microwave or tv. I don't know if we'll need either of those things...

We can decide later if we need to.

I'm surprised how satisfying this energy drink is to my hunger!

Is that your little girl?

I am blogging at work again, so this might not be a very quality post.

It's a cloudy, rainy day today, but I don't mind, it will be an ok.

I'm wearing my green converse, I feel powerful.

Today I work till five, and then I'm going to the Villa to visit with Kathy and get the quilt that she made me, and afterwards I'm going to phone bank. I'd rather be door knocking, but phone banking is cool too I guess. This morning I gave my check to Mary so that she can get Gabriel out of the shop tomorrow. I won't be able to have him in my possession until Thursday, and from that day forward I must practice until my chops are sore every day until placement auditions.

Yesterday I worked 2-5 as I will all week, but I also went to the bank (which is significant?) and when I got home I read, and later rented movies. I got The Other Boelyn Girl, The Notebook, and Lost season one, disk one for old times sake. I just watched the Notebook in Michigan, so I am not all that excited to watch it again, but I wanted a good romantic tragedy... it was that or Atonement again, and I don't think I could take it. We ended up watching the two Lost Pilots, and eating macaroni and cheese. It was amazing. Lost is a great show, and I can't wait until January.

Sawyer!

I plan on bringing the Notebook to our going away sleepover party.

While waiting to get my movies rented, the woman behind me asked, "Is that your little girl?" in reference to a button I put on my "new" bag in which I carry things. The button is of a little girl, maybe three? from waist up sitting in a wading pool, with wet auburn hair, sticking her tongue out. I laughed, "That's me actually!"

"Oh! That's cute!" She said, "I was going to say she looked just like you!"

Am I old enough to have a little one? yes... but gosh is that a weird thought. What will my future offspring look like?

............

Moving back in time to Sunday, Megan and I went to St. Cloud. I don't remember if I've recorded that yet. We would have really liked to have gone when the music stores were open, but none are on Sundays! Instead we went to Joann Fabrics, Savers, the Mall, and Plato's Closet with a special stop to treat ourselves to lunch at Olive Garden. Yum.

We didn't find what we wanted at Joann Fabrics, but it made me want to MAKE something. Too bad I don't have any time or space. I found a sweet vintage corduroy blazer jacket at Savers, and Megan regrets showing me a shiny white vest which I bought for $2 and will not share.

Thrift Stores are amazing. I love them. At first I was skeptical of Plato's Closet, but I got a pile of stuff for $30, and I am quite satisfied. It makes me miss Rita. She would pick out cool things that I otherwise wouldn't have noticed.

Tomorrow, Mom and I leaving first thing in the morning to go to Cambridge. I will put money into my checking account, and then go to Target to load up on everything else I need for college.

My own laundry detergent, laundry basket, notebooks, pens, post-its, paper clips, lamps, reading lights, bed sheets, a new pillow (:D) , febreeze...

As I've been telling those who ask, I am looking at move in day with more anticipation than terror these days.

I'm a Partisan!

I'm tired.

I must have done something today.

I DID!

I was super excited all day yesterday, and then this morning I woke up at eight, took a quick shower and trooped off to Mora. I then rode with Tim Faust to Sandstone for the Quarry Days Parade. I was there to support Tim Faust in his House run, as well as the other DFL candidates in the area. Our float was better than Judy Soderstom's... tee hee. We had lots of red white and blue, some flags, stickers and candy, but Judy had more people with her, so they had more people passing out stickers.

Besides Tony Lourey's son, and some real young-uns, I was the youngest there. People are always saying how great it is for the young people to be out helping like that. I had a great conversation about gay rights, the war, China and many other things with a lady, and I told her that she would really like Shutterbabe, and was going to write it down for her, but after the parade we all went our separate ways.

I MET TOMASIN FRANKEN!

Yes. She was there for the parade representing her father. I've actually met Al Franken himself, but at that time, I didn't really comprehend the magnitude of his prescence. This time, just seeing his daughter, I was grinning ear to ear, thinking, "This girl knows Al Franken... AL FRANKEN... SnL writer, Author of the book I'm reading... CANDIDATE FOR U.S. SENATE... breathe Lily... breathe... whoo..." I hope that when I have children they will march in small town parades for me.

The parade was short, and fun. At first I was really nervous, but that was in vain. I guess not everyone is as partisan as me. MOST people don't have a clue. One guy told me that I was on the wrong side, and that I should be a republican, I laughed and said, "NOooo."

When the parade was done, my day was just beginning! Tim and I left right away, and went off to Pine City, where we met up with Sam, and a whole posse of interns from Duluth to door knock. Because there were so many of us, I was able to split a walk list with Sam, which was fantastic because I've only door-knocked one and a half times, and on both of those occaisions I felt as if I was doing everything terribly wrong, even though I was assured I was doing fine. I accompanied Sam at a couple doors, and I realized that I was pretty close. We split the list into even and odd numbered houses, that way we would still kind of be together, and finish the streets really fast. Everything went smoothly, and even the Strong Republicans were friendly to me. (One of the interns had doors slammed in their face!) I was even properly hydrated this time! We finished around 3ish, and I had made it to ALL of my doors. The group of Duluth boys all took off for Rush City right away, Sam went off to do something else, and Tim and I, and the Duluth Girls got pizza at the "Pizza Pub" (We went there for all conference band once!) We got the biggest pizza I've ever seen in my life. Twenty Eight Inches!

MOm wants the computer now, so I am going to get off. I work tonight, and I am contemplating whether I should shower...

Megan and I are going to St. Cloud tomorrow for some school shopping. I'm excited.

Northern Slime I am told, is high fashion in some parts of the world

Too bad I'm not IN those parts of the world (Canada?) as I do smell of nothing other than NORTHERN SLIME! Mmmmm.

I 'm not exactly complaining though, I came about my slime honestly.

This morning I got up early (9:00,) got dressed, and helped my dad load bricks into the van. From there we went to the bank in Mora, where I found out what I need to do with my Cd, and then after a stop at the post office and gas station, we went to the Kanebec History Center. There, we unloaded the bricks, scraped off the crusty ones, and stacked them nicely on and around the History Center's future Pizza oven. I worked up a bit of a sweat and it felt wonderful.

We went home and I did some things I've been meaning to do... which really only was to call Soua, but she wasn't home. Then I just sat in my room writing down angst and shopping lists in my journal. When I couldn't take the pressure any more, I put Pirates of the Caribbean Dead Man's Chest sound track on my Mp3 player, and closed my eyes. I didn't actually get to sleep, but it was still exhausting. This morning I got make-up remover in my eyes, and I think it has added a false feeling of sleepiness to my day.

The reason I didn't have time to fall asleep was that my dad came home and we went fishing. We went to my dad's secret Walleye place, but we caught no walleye. My dad caught two bass, and a GIANT Northern. As for me, were I fishing to survive... I WOULD HAVE SURVIVED! Yay!

I caught two smallish Northerns, but I think they might have been the same one. On my first fish as I was trying to extricate the hook from his lip, he would not cooperate, flopping hither and thither causing quite the inconvenience. His flopping got slime all over my front, my arms and even my face. After I let him free back into the water, I wished I would have been able to eat him for the trouble he caused me.

So naturally I took out my rage on the next fish I caught, which I hope to enjoy when I get home from work.

Now I'm at work, eating. I've had two pieces of Pumpernickel bread with peanut butter, and one cherry toaster strudel. I would really like to have some pizza rolls because they are there, but I am not direly hungered, so their splendor would be lost a little I think.

In my dad's van there's a copy of Newsweek from July. In it there is an article about Lawrence King, the 15 year old boy who was shot by a classmate for being openly gay. It is a heart wrenching story, and I hope that the boy who shot him will be severely sentenced. What I am having a hard time with is where the lines should have been drawn.

Larry came to school with make-up, glitter, and stiletto heels, then going on to hit on other boys he knew weren't gay simply to watch them squirm. Should the school have stepped in? Would it have been wrong of them to tell him that he couldn't wear what he wanted to? Part of me says that they should have, that his dress and behavior WAS inappropriate, however it is his right to express himself. If the school officials had made him change his attire and behavior, would that have been wrong?

Would it have saved is life?

Tomorrow, Tomorrow

Blogging at work... let's see how I manage.

So far not so good. This is multi-tasking to the extreme.

I door knocked today for a half an hour in Mora. I just got through one street. For the most part it was positive in that all of those that were home, were staunch Faust Supporters. That was uplifting. One man talked to me for a long time about politicians, and young people. I couldn't understand much of what he was saying, and I almost had him written down as a "No" for getting his vote on election day when I asked, "So you'll be voting for Soderstrom then?" (You know, supportive, unbiased ...) He laughed and said that the only good thing that all that Soderstrom propaganda is good for is kindling. I then marked him down as a yes. I got quite the earful of why politicians shouldn't get so many benefits after serving their terms. It sparked thought.

I am not a good door knocker. I am definitely getting better... but I am sure I am doing something wrong... and Sam is just too desperate for volunteers to tell me otherwise.

I need to get over my self-consciousness and fear when it comes to approaching strange doors. Most of the time I'd rather just walk by a house if someone is already in the yard... Aren't door knockers annoying? Should I care?

Thursday I work the Mille Accs county fair, and then there's the possibility that I could phone bank in Pine City, but that could get complicated. Saturday morning is more Door knocking in Pine City. I am going to try to get Sara to go with me. That would make it more fun, and then we could swap stories afterwards. I don't know who else I could drag along... no one else who cares enough... They're not all weird like me.

A few requests came in. I was in my glory as I rocked out to "Hey Jude" (They just said Beatles, something we haven't heard in a while, so I chose.) After that the request was "Under Pressure" So I sang along loudly to that too. You can't just play any song after Under Pressure, so I went for Jimi Hendrix's "Purple Haze."

'Scuse me while I kiss the Sky!

WOO HOO!

Just an hour left, and if I keep this up, it'll be done in no time.

I have tomorrow off entirely, we have delightful company, so I don't know what is going to happen. Something fun I hope, involving food perhaps? There might even still be fun stuff happening tonight when I get home! Yay!

And if not... I'll just shove the clean and neatly folded clothes from bed onto the dirty floor and go to sleep.

Let's see. Things are looking up on the College front. I haven't yet straightened out my Perkin's loan, and mom is sure to get on me about that. I really hope that my mom's fears aren't confirmed and I'm going to find out that I owe a huge slab of money out of no where. Eeek. I'm looking into it.

At the bank today I discovered that I DO have enough in my savings to buy a computer, and that is very comforting.

I can't wait to go school shopping, and I've already made a list. I can't wait to meet with Soua and decide what kind of air freshener to get.

Ahhh...

But again I have put everything off for one more day. This is going to back fire, and it certainly isn't going to be pretty.

TOMORROW! I say confidently, Tomorrow I will follow through!

Shutterbabe

Perfect Balance.

Shrouded with solitude and silence.

Life...

Is perfect.

Contrary to the internal turmoil I have been experiencing as of late, time at this very moment, is serene.

I have just breached the 100^th page of Shutterbabe, and with that, I feel full of musing, inquiry, and speculation. Before I move on to part two, “Stop,” I feel that I must share what is on my mind.

Deborah is a slut. By all means of High School definitions, she is a promiscuous ho bag. Men to her, as she puts it herself, are like books:

“... To be read, or skimmed, studied or forgotten, enjoyed for the moment or digested in a forever kind of way. A few go back on the shelf and gather dust, others I might pull out now and again to reread a passage or two or three or fifteen. What I mean is that they can’t all be Anna Karenina, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t enjoy them just the same... And just as each book I read changes me in some small, or perhaps large way, each man I bed, to be perfectly hyperbolic, makes me feel that much more attuned to the transcendence and bounty and beauty of life.” (Kogan, 81)

That passage doesn’t sound nearly as crude as what one might associate with “Slut.” So is she? No! She’s empowered, free and in charge of her own life. Reading the book makes me feel empowered myself. It makes me feel proud to be a woman, and ready to embrace life in the fullest.

This is much like how I feel while reading Tom Robbins books, most recently Still Life with Woodpecker. Tom Robbins’ writings glorify female being. Sexuality, beauty and mystery. With his blatant, yet poetic descriptions of such things as “Peach Fish,” I feel exalted with what I am.

I’ve got Tom Robbins with me, encouraging the acknowledgment of pure feminine beauty, and Deborah Copaken Kogan flaunting the empowered existence of Womanhood, but then there’s the view held that these things are unacceptable.

Were I reading a memoir of a man who spoke of women the way Kogan does of men, would I not cast him angrily aside as a chauvinistic pig?

As I walked through the kitchen this morning, out the door to work, I had an intense flash of "Back to School."

I didn't want to get out of bed this morning, I hit the snooze button on my phone alarm for almost an hour, until I finally decided it would be beneficial to get up.

For some reason, I felt it necessary to "dress up" today. Striped pants, which to my delight I can't pop the zipper by simply exhaling anymore, Cirque Du Soliel Shirt, silver shoes, Side pony tail (!?) eyeliner, earrings... the whole shebang. I suppose I do have a lot going on today, and I must present my self with style right? So there, it's perfectly justified. Dressed then, as I was, set and ready for my big day, back pack slung over my left shoulder, stepping onto the door step into the cool but green Summer Morning, it's no wonder it felt like I was going back to High School.

Ah my friends, that is where it deviates, for I am NOT going back to High School, and no matter how hard I try, I'll never have that First Day experience again.

... I am at work right now, shopping for computers, and I just discovered I have less than $200 left in my checking account. That hurts, especially after all that graduation money... I don't berate myself for spending it, but golly... that's a lot of money! I have a Computer picked out, it's a refurbished HP notebook and it's definitely in my price range... well... not less than $200... but it is reasonable. Donny even gave me the go ahead!

Today, Mom told me that we get to go to Office Max and get school supplies sometime soon, and yesterday I got this college thing with a checklist of what to get. I GET TO GET MY OWN POST IT NOTES! Call me strange, but that is thrilling. There were other office supply items on the list, but I think I was most excited about the post it notes.

We'll probably coordinate that trip with a stop at Target to get my bed sheets, that is also really exciting. Bed sheets, a water pitcher, some lamps, and desk lights, shower stuff... Of course I am going to be broke from my computer... but... it is going to happen.

I successfully stalked my roommate on the Augsburg website today, so at least now I know what she looks like. Still no luck in the email yet... so that means I'm going to have to call her. Oh dear. Maybe tomorrow? Monday? Hmmm.

Well, I got home from Michigan yesterday afternoon. My flight was smooth except for a little turbulence coming into Minneapolis, which is just fine, because I love turbulence. Positive G-Force! Or maybe Negative... which ever one feels awesome, not to mention the adrenaline rush of thinking you could crash and die. It was really sad leaving though. Faye, Jack, Claire and Rose all came to the Airport with me, I didn't want to leave!

Upon getting home, I experienced some hard core reverse culture shock. Almost immediately I became restless. It didn't feel like I belonged in my home anymore. Jess was restless too, so we went for a short walk, then her mom fed me. Mom and I went on a late night snack run, and I satisfied one of the most extreme munchie fits I've ever had. I attribute it to hormones and stress.

Cheetos, wrapped in sandwich ham, followed by a mint chocolate chip ice cream sandwich, and washed down with Pepsi.

It felt great.

I am missing the Back to the Tower Parade, so that makes me a bit sad, Sara lamented to me that she will have to play first trumpet. I really would have liked to play.

Gabriel (Trumpet) is still in the shop, Al hasn't called me back yet... and... ugh... that's $95 more dollars... ARGH!

After work tonight I am off to Back to the Tower days anyway to get some deep fried food, then it's to Larry's Grad party, and from there it's Edstock. WOO HOO!