This weekend was great. I really needed it, too. I've been going through a rough time emotionally and feeling depressed for about a month. So this weekend really helped pull me out of the dumps and made me happy so I thought I'd share some of it with you and remind myself about the good things in life.
This post is really really long. So in summary, I went to "New Moon" on Thursday with my good friend. Friday I was hanging out with Tashi. Our original plans fell through but we ended up getting Ben & Jerry's and watching "Brokeback Mountain" at her place. It was a sad movie but good sister time.
Saturday I had AMP which is something I look forward to every month. And later that day, I went to my friends' house warming party for a bit then went to Wendover with Brandon and Tashi. It was my first time there and I feel pretty lucky because I borrowed $20 from a friend and left with $50 in my favor.
Sunday was good too (with the exception of church which I will talk about later), my family had a birthday dinner for me and Tashi. My dad made a delicious vegetarian meal and a red velvet cake for me and a white cake for Tashi.
For a more detailed description along with an overly deep discussion on Twilight, read on :)
So it all started Thursday with my Art History presentation. My group has been great to work with first of all and I've made some friends in the process. Which is pretty awesome considering that sometimes at the end of group projects you end up hating your group members. Our presentation was on the importance and influence of canons in Egyptian and Greek art and the connection between the two canons.
We dressed up in togas and to open our presentation, we did a short interpretive dance showing the evolution of art from the Egyptians to the Greeks. I love that class. The teacher is so great and fun. She was laughing and really engaged. She told us that we "wouldn't get penalized" if we used power point lol but she discouraged it.
It made me think of a project I did once in Jr. High where we had to create something to show our understanding of a Greek myth/god instead of writing a paper or presentation. I made a stop motion video using illustrations I had drawn on the computer. It was so much fun and I wish school in general was more open with artistic presentations and alternative ways of presenting what we have learned. Sorry for the tangent but I just think art and creativity are so important and a great way to learn about things and to learn about ourselves.
So, back to my weekend. After my classes ended that evening, I went to "New Moon" with my friend Kelsey. For those of you who know Kelsey and my other girlfriends from High School, you will appreciate the back story here. Kelsey's cousin's friend (ha ha) had rented out an entire theatre for the opening show and given tickets out to her friends. Kelsey didn't ask for any tickets for us girlfriends because we are known to poke fun of Twilight during our annual summer camping trips. Kelsey is a big fan so she doesn't really appreciate our teasing. The other thing is that most of us are Jacob fans and Kelsey is in the Edward camp, which also leaves her standing on her own during our Twilight discussions.
She ended up having an extra ticket, however, and decided that I could be invited because by myself I couldn't tease her too much or make too much fun of the movie. Kelsey's family all came in shirts and sparkles (so they would be like the Stephanie Meyer version of Vampires in the sun). And the theater was full of young girls and middle aged moms in similar get up. When the movie started, the room was filled with screams which continued throughout the film everytime a key character appeared for the first time or whenever a boy removed his shirt.
Overall, I thought the movie was enjoyable. It's almost just fun because of all the hype around it. It is cute, too, despite and maybe even because of the cheesiness and bad acting. I am firmly, however, rooted in the Jacob camp it's time to get a little bit Twilight geeky here which gives me a small amount of shame to admit).
I have too many mixed feelings about Edward. Yes, his connection with Bella is interesting and intense and we all love the idea of true, invincible, eternal love that pretty much knows no limitations but he is also emotionally controlling and capital C creepy. Stalking her and watching her sleep? CREEPY. Telling her that she is the only one who can hurt him and that he only lives for her (where she to leave his life would be meaningless), then turning around and leaving her by lying and saying she isn't good for him, all in an attempt to 'protect' her, and then attempting to kill himself because he thinks she is dead, while slightly romantic and endearing in a vampire kind of way, is, I think, emotionally abusive and controlling.
Is Edward really the kind of guy that teenage girls should be fantacising about? I think Jacob is a much better pick. He's a real guy. He has hobbies and other interests. He has a sense of humor that extends beyond the morbid irony of his relationship with Bella. He makes Bella laugh. He makes her happy. And, honestly, can you really say that Edward is hotter? I don't think so, not after seeing the bare back and smooth chest of Jacob compared to furry pale Edward coming out of the Vulturi strong hold. Jacob's hair is also a million percent better than Edwards, long or short. He also smiles instead of having a pained, sulking face on all the time. And with that I'll get off my Jacob team rant lol.
In other Twilight news, a communications professor at Westminster, Christy Siefert wrote an interesting article about the books for Bitch Magazine called "Bite Me! (Or Don't)". She's getting a lot of attention recently because it was selected for an anthology of writings about sex (which is kind of ironic because the article is actually about abstinence).
Twilight is a fun series and I will see the other movies that come out but I think it's a little scary when people go crazy over it (ha ha, like I just did). I think the huge impact it has had on popular culture deserves some critical attention. But, like I said, I did have a good time and generally enjoyed the movie.
O geez, I am sorry, this whole Twilight rant could have been a post on its own.
So, finally moving to Friday... :) My sister Tashi and I have been taking pole dance lessons. No, it is not a stripping class. Nor is it skanky. It IS a lot of fun, hard work, requires strength, flexibility, stamina, etc. just like any other excercise. We learn a lot of cool tricks like the following:
Fallen Angel (also called the Butterfly)
Scorpio
Gemini (very similar to Scorpio)
Chopper
But we couldn't afford the class for November but we knew of a bar in Odgen that has amateur pole contests on Friday night and we decided to go to bet some practice in. However, our plans were thwarted when I realized I still haven't renewed my liscense. They wouldn't let us in because they thought it was a fake. Lame.
We decided to just kick back after that. We got some Ben & Jerry's and watched Brokeback Mountain at her apartment. It is a sad movie. Kind of slow moving and doesn't get deep enough into the characters I thought but it still tugged at your hearstrings for all of the characters.
Saturday morning I had an Alumni Mentoring Program (AMP) meeting. AMP is a program at my school that sets students up with alumnis working in fields they are interested in. The students in the program also meet once a month to talk about personal development. I love AMP. It's like group therapy for me. I don't even know the people in my group on a personal level but I would be willing to share nearly everything about me with them. It's a safe place where we all care about each other and talk about things that you just don't really talk about regularly. Any weekend with AMP in it is a good one.
Saturday night, I went to a housewarming party for my friend Sage and his roommate Ryan. Sage and I met through my best friend Tara. We started all hanging out (me, Sage, and Tara) when we all lost our significant others within three months of each other. Sage and his long time gf broke up and Tara and I periodically lost our bfs to missions. So ever since then, we've been hanging out and supporting each other. Our situations have changed. Sage has a new gf and I lost my love for real, but we still understand each other in ways that other people don't. So it was good to celebrate with him and Ryan and friends and see their new place.
After stopping by for the party, I left for Wendover with my twin sister and her bf. We went to the Rainbow and met with some friends. I don't really have any money, so I borrowed a twenty from a friend. At the end of the night, I left with 50 bucks in my pocket. It was definitely luck. I got some really good hands in black jack. But it was so much fun playing. I could see how gambling would get addictive. Especially if you lost a bunch, because then you'd always be looking to get it back with a bit of luck and the rush of a big win.
Brandon, Tashi and I were all to tired to drive back that night so we stayed in the cheapest hotel we could find. Brandon affectionately nick named it 'crusty sheets'. Gross. lol but really, it wasn't bad.
We drove back Sunday so I could be back in time to go to church with my friend. I will talk about that in a separate post because it was kind of upsetting and will detract from the rest of the weekend.
That night, we had Tashi and I's birthday dinner (only like a week late lol) but it was good. My dad made a yummy vegetarian meal with a great lettuce wrap appetizer. We had cake and ice cream and sat around the table playing games and exchanging birthday wishes (each member of the family wishes something for the birthday girl for the next year). Good times, that. :)
Well, we made it through. I am impressed if you managed the whole thing.
Monday, November 23, 2009
My Fabulous Weekend
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Of Birthdays and Moms
My twin sister and I were born a month early, which isn't unusual for twins. But because of this, my parents had only attended one class of many that teach new parents about the birthing process. Since my mom and dad didn't really know what they were doing, they decided to just hang out for a while (lol why? I have no idea)before heading to the hospital. My dad began calling his family telling them we would soon be on our way.
When they got around to calling the hospital, they were told to get there quick! They called my mom's parents as they were heading out the door. My Grandma Maddie and Grandpa began the drive from Logan.
Last Tuesday, Grandma Maddie called me to wish me a happy 22 birthday. She said she knew the moment I was born. My mom explained that while Grandma Maddie and Grandpa were on their way to Salt Lake, Grandma had a sudden, sharp pain in her stomach that caused her to buckle forward in pain. When she arrived at the hospital and found that Tashi and I had been delivered by C-section, she discovered that the pain happened at exactly the same time my mom was being cut open.
I love when my mom tells the stories of how her children were born (as happens on our birthdays in a tradition of sorts). In the stories, I sense the spiritual power of life and motherhood. It has given me a desire to learn more about my matriarchal history. I wish I knew more about my Grandma Jar. I wish I took more advantage of how close I live to my Grandma Maddie and even more so, my Mom. God knows I was difficult to her in my teenage years. I think sometimes it was because Tashi and I had each other so we didn't need her as much.
I thought about my mom a lot on this birthday, because she was my age when I was born. Also, because I spent the night with her at the movies. My friends were all working, busy, or are married. My sister was out at dinner with her boyfriend. In my recently single state I felt doomed to spend the night alone after a long day of work and school. But my mom made it special. And even though we don't talk very much, she somehow knows just what to do, which is why I will remember this birthday as one of the best.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
New Moon trailer spoof
If you've seen the New Moon trailer, this is bound to make you laugh. The guinnea pig part is dumb but looking past that, Devon delivers another great performance as "Bella."
Guinew Moon from Electric Spoofaloo on Take180.com |
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Mother Eve
So, I haven't spoken to many people about this, but I have been going through a religious upheaval. (Is that the correct spelling?) I've decided to "come out of the closet" and talk to people about it here.
I have a lot of questions and many more doubts about things I have been taught as Truth as well as things that are more implied/socialized than taught under the same category.
One of the things I struggle with about the LDS church is the role of women. I label myself a feminist. I think men and women are equal. I believe the church would claim that as well but I think in practice, there are some discrepancies between what is said on the surface and what is actually done or expected of both men and women.
Being under the impression at an early age that my religion was flawless and guided by the direct influence of an all-knowing God, I was disappointed to find flaws and inconsistencies. I still struggle to reconcile what can be considered revelation and what are simply the feelings and (presumably good) intentions of old men.
I'm starting to get a little side-tracked so I'll try to focus again. One issue I have struggled with is the story of Adam and Eve. I had become frustrated with the Creation story found in the Bible and the contradiction of the two commandments. There also is a dichotomy with Eve. LDS people say they honor Eve for her forsight in the garden but then also say she was punished for it, even though it was right. Eve's power and intelligence were never made clear to me until I read this article.
In Copper Woman, Old Woman says that women from all corners of the world have bits and pieces of the truth that we once had about women. There is Truth in Copper Woman and there is Truth in that article. I am just starting out on my journey to find my spirituality and truth again. I wanted to share the revelations I found with you.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Some Recommended Reading
Daughters of Copper Woman:
I don't even know where to start. I am not finished with this book yet, I'm just a little more than halfway through. Already it has made my heart sing with gladness, challenged my old ideas about creation and Time, made me angy and cry bitter tears, and made me cry tears of sadness and compassion. The stories are mythical and magical and they hold Truth that we have forgotten. It celebrates women and their sacred power, magic, and love. I can't wait to finish so I can start reading again.
Mistborn:
This book was recommended to me by my past boyfriend, Blake. It was a captivating read. I spent an entire Saturday just reading it (which was not good -- I had a couple of midterm projects I should have been working on; which is why I'm putting off starting the second book until I get caught up). The characters are interesting and dynamic. The heroine, Vin, is awesome. She starts out a strong and clever but beaten down girl living on the streets and at the end she is the most powerful awesome woman, unafraid to love and fight for what is right. Kelsier is Vin's teacher and he is amazing, too. He totally kicks a$$ in this big fight near the end. It's got some good underlying thematic questions as well about equality and ethical use of power.
The FOB Bible:I haven't read the whole thing because I don't own it yet (I intend to order it when I have money. At the moment, I'm completely broke). But there are some excerpts online at this site. It is a collection of literary works re-examining and re-imagining the Old Testament. I particularly liked "Blood-Red Fruit" and "Abraham's Purgatory." I think B10 Media put it best, "At once irreverent, whimsical, sexy, feminist, and poignant, this ain’t your mama’s Bible, and you sure didn’t learn this in Sunday school." The stories are insightful and even spiritual. I'd love to discuss these with you if you read them. Leave a comment about what you think or which one was your favorite/least favorite.
Same for the other books. If you've read them, let's chat :) I love discussing literature.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
A wish
Tonight, my sister and I were driving home from our weekly (in theory at least) game night at her boyfriends house. At an intersection, we saw a woman get out of a big white truck. She was halfway out of the truck with the door open for a while like she was gathering her things. Then she started walking away in the direction that we had come from. We thought it was a bit odd so we kept an eye on her when our light turned green. The truck made a U turn and followed her to a gas station. The driver was aggressively following her, he even pushed her to the side with his truck.
We turned around. When we got back to where she was, the guy in the truck had sped away and she was walking on the sidewalk in the dark. It was probably around 1:30 am. We gave her a ride to where she needed to go. She cried a little but was strong. I hope that we helped her in some small way. Actually, I am certain that we did.
I thought about the incident on the whole way home. Women, girls, we need to look after each other. There are so many creeps out there. Let's take care of each other. Not only with bigger things but in small things, too. Let's love each other and be kind to each other. Women get abused all the time, we as their sisters cannot support or continue abuse in any shape or form, under any title or definition.
If we all just made a more conscious effort to love and care for the women in our lives; our mothers, sisters, lovers, friends, neighbors, aunts, nieces, any woman you meet; if we shared with them our strength when they feel weak or oppressed, think of what a difference that would make! I know that many of us feel this is important already, but reaffirming this conviction will make it stronger and will make women stronger.
I hope that young woman to whom we gave a ride can get a big hug tonight from her mother/best friend/sister/anyone who truly loves her. When she does, I hope she feels my love and Tashi's love in it, too.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
The Dirty Dozen
Here is another healthy eating pointer from Meatless Mama, the Dirty Dozen. These fruits and veggies are normally loaded with pesticides and residues. So if you can, always buy them organic. It will make you and the planet healthier :)
The Dirty Dozen
1 Peach (highest pesticide load)
2 Apple
3 Sweet Bell Pepper
4 Celery
5 Nectarine
6 Strawberries
7 Cherries
8 Kale
9 Lettuce
10 Grapes - Imported
