I hate using the phone for more than a couple of calls in a row.  Additionally, I hate using the phone to call to tell people big news, especially when I don't really have a big reason to call except to tell them news that they might not even really care about.  But when I've got big news, it's kind of a problem because I don't actually SEE a lot of the people that I care about. i.e. you guys.

So, before you find out over facebook from not-me but facebook,

Noah & I are engaged. :)

 I don't remember the strangest advice I've ever received from a fortune cookie.  But I will tell you a strange fortune cookie story:

Once upon a time in high school, I was dating a boy named Rob.  This story begins after we'd been dating for a pretty long time-- one day we watch a couple of movies and eat Chinese food.   Whatever it was we watched and ate, the meal ended with a fortune cookie.  My fortune cookie's advice to me was: "Stop searching forever, happiness is just next to you."

I melted a little.  

Well, I didn't get to stop searching forever because that relationship ended, as relationships do sometimes.  Rough ending, but things got better, I went to college, moved on, etc.  One February, almost exactly 2 years ago, a friend from summer camp and I got together for an afternoon, just for fun.  We went out for chinese food at the end of it-- I got a fortune cookie that had the exact same message. 

I couldn't stop giggling.  And then I couldn't explain, because it was way too awkward.  He probably thought I was a loon, but he asked me out on a real date anyway.

We've been together ever since.  

Providence? Maybe.  Coincidence? Possibly.  Really, really strange?  Definitely.

 Really.  I am pretty psyched about this.  Thank you, President Obama et. al. 

Maybe it makes me a "pinko-commie-socialist" (in one man's extremely redundant and not entirely accurate words), but I'd love to see more of this stuff.   How can one justify giving oneself so much money in a bonus ever, not to mention when you just begged Washington to give you a bunch of cash so that your company would not go under?   Lifestyle changes, please!

In other "pinko-commie-socialist" news, I watched this video yesterday-- it was basically a summation of everything I learned in my sociology classes and in environmental classes.  Love it!  It's a little bit propaganda-ish, and I find Annie a little bit annoying from time to time, but the illustrations are fun and the overall message is good (if not extremely familiar...).

In other non-communist news, I'm going to spend a little bit of my "snow day" (okay, so I'm not employed yet so snow day doesn't mean very much except that I can't leave the house) experimenting with making truffles (the experiment might not last very long, since I can only use what is in the house)... How very bourgeoisie!

I don't know why it seemed like a good time to blog, but it did.

Ugh, I can't believe it is still almost a month until I start my job.  I want to start NOW!

Mike-ski, 

I didn't know you that well, but you always remembered my name.  I didn't always remember yours (though eventually, I did).  Thanks for that.  It's something that makes a day brighter, even on the worst of days.   I probably wouldn't have seen you ever again, but the knowledge that your kind heart is no longer skateboarding this earth will make my heart just a little sadder.   Rest in peace, brother.

love,
Allison

 I just turned in my last papers.  Now all I have are the revisions to my french paper and I am officially graduated.

I don't really know what to do.

Really have no idea.

I realized something today:

I am now entering the years of constant unsolicited advice.

Seriously.  It's going to suck when I'm engaged; I can't even handle all of the unsolicited graduation advice, let alone unsolicited marriage advice.  That will be hell.  And let's hope that unsolicited baby advice is many years away.

Enjoy the non-advice years while you can.  That's my unsolicited advice to you.

I'm going to start telling people that I still have six years of college left.

 The library on Fridays is significantly better than the library on Mondays.  I am so into this.

The whole school is quiet right now, and I'm not sure if it's because it is snowing and classes may or may not be cancelled (Eastern's website is different and so I have no idea where the class cancellation page is)... but I'm hoping not, since I have 5 professors to interview today and my group collectively has 9 to interview.  Sigh.  I'm going to go to them all anyway, and hope that the profs are there.  This project needs to get done, and quick!

I'm kind of nervous about the interviews though.  I think it'll be fine.  

Yesterday it snowed, too, and I played with Baby (the child that I babysit.  I think it's kind of weird to call her Caitlin, because... I don't know.  It seems weird that she has a name for some reason.  Maybe that makes me a terrible person, but it just seems to me that babies should just be Baby for a while until you can pick a name that fits them.) in the snowflakes.  Generally, hanging with Baby makes me really not want to have kids until Obama is done his second term (haha), but playing with Baby in the snow and watching her discover snow for the first time was a really cool experience.  She's 17 months, so last time it snowed, she was so little that she can't possibly remember it.   All that to say that don't expect kids for a pretty long time, but feel more optimistic that they will happen sometime.  

I know I say this all the time, but life is so strange.  

My week of Thanksgivings starts this Sunday, but it kind of starts sooner only because Noah is coming over tonight and staying until Monday, which is something to be immensely thankful for.  And then we hang out AGAIN on Thursday, and then again again on Sunday.

Also, Tara is coming home, and my heart is so glad.  More thanks!  I am excited to see her in person, because I think when I try to talk on the phone with her, there is so much to say that I don't know where to begin.  Sorry, love.  I will see you soon!

Finally, I'm thinking about getting some lunapads, and it makes me want to tell everyone.  Including my sister, who was kind of pissed that I posted the website on her facebook wall.  Oh well.

I have to go interview soon!

<3!

Ah, the Monday entry... it has become kind of a trend, I think.

On Mondays, the week ahead usually seems so endless. But I think I'm coming to the realization that I'm going to wake up tomorrow and it will be Friday. Or so to speak.

That means a number of things: when I wake up, I will be closer to seeing Tara. I will be closer to Thanksgiving (Dad's stuffing and the smell of home and chatting with my sister and hugs from my brother and drinking coffee in the fireplace room with Mom... that just sounds so nice right now). I will be closer to more than one full day with Noah (thank God!).

But I will also be closer to donning the cap and gown and a big, big change in my life. A whole lot of uncertainty starts soon.

I don't think I've ever been so thrilled and terrified all at once.

I guess it's not that big, you know? I mean, high school grad was no biggie. It was exciting, new... I don't know. But this. This seems colossal. Overwhelming.

I'm feeling better after having talked to my mom last week about how I will probably be her unemployed daughter for a little while, seeing as Servant Year hasn't bothered taking the time to call me or drop me an email even though it's been almost three weeks since I sent my resume in and a week since I called and left a message. There's still a chance, but chances are, I'm going to be crashing with my folks for several months and trying to find a job close to home or in Philly. Something transitional but good. Preferably with at least minimal health coverage.

And then, and then, and then.

I just needed to get on here and blah, blah, blah for a few minutes. Sorry for my incessant chatter. I'm just tired of people asking me what's next, because I don't have an answer.

 Sigh, it is Monday.

I am seriously struggling against the urge to drop out of school.  Okay, not seriously.  I just want to have time to read what I want, and to spend a larger block of my time hanging out with people and a large block of that time hanging out with Noah, specifically.  

But this weekend, I went with Noah's family to York to see Kathleen Edwards-- we got Thai food first, because this outing needed to be a little bit extravagant because it is in honor of Barack Obama's victory.  Excellent.  I love thai food.  And Noah's family.  

And Kathleen was great.  Oh, I appreciate her music so much more now that I've seen her live.  She's cute, funny, a great performer, and an excellent musician; I was impressed at the instrumentational skills she had.  She played the guitar, the violin/fiddle, a mouth harmonica (simultaneously with guitar), and a tambourine with her foot.  Oh, and a Mando-guitar, which is basically a 12 string strung really high.  She played with John Doe, who was less of an excellent musician... but together, they were good.  John Doe was basically my uncle Darin, I think.

When we left, we were accosted by Repent America folks because David was wearing an XPN button (Heathens!) (and we were, you know, walking by).  I don't think I've ever seen RA folks so aggressive.  Well.  It was one adult man and a bunch of adolescents.  The adult man was very hostile toward David.  He actually called him hateful!  It's tough, I never know how to deal with those guys.  Like, I think that they're wrong but of course, we're brothers and sisters in Christ... and I don't want to be rude or mean to them because then I'm stooping to their level, you know?  But also, I have no interest in talking to them, because in my experience they'll keep talking until they can find something to pick a fight about.  And then blast you for it.  And call you hateful.  So it seems like the solution is to walk away.  Turn the other cheek?  It's just so hard when even that turns into a fight. 

Also, it's Monday and I'm in the library, and after my reprimands last week, the Monday Morning "let's talk in the library" crowd has quieted down.  Hooray!

Okay.  I've got to go write a paper for Monteiro.  

<3, allison

I saw this and it was just too good to pass up.  Mostly because I've been thinking about this a lot.  

I think that maybe safety is the opiate of the people.  All kinds of safety.  I don't have time to develop this entry fully because I really shouldn't be writing an entry at all.  But I feel as though the primary goal of people today is to remain safe.  And it causes us to do stupid and oppressive things.  And allows larger entities to convince us that we need to do stupid and oppressive things to be safe.  Financial safety, physical safety... all kinds of safety.  Or perhaps the reduction of risk?  My thoughts are being developed and undeveloped at the same time.  

That said, I think that religion is still the opiate of some people.  I don't know a whole lot about other religions besides Christianity, but...  it amazes me how many people use Jesus as an excuse to not do anything at all.  Or to do horrible and oppressive things.   However, there are certainly a lot of people who are seeing that being a Christian is something far more radical than maintaining the status quo and protecting 'murka.

Also, I made the comment in my globalization class the other day that perhaps fair trade is the opiate of the people pursuing justice (as in, it makes us feel good enough about ourselves for helping some people out that we don't worry so much about the larger systems...)...

And perhaps mindless television is yet another opiate.  We're so dumbed down and inundated as to not have the power to think revolutionarily.

Excuse the utter confusion of this entry; I haven't slept well in a week and my mind is elsewhere.  The writer's block was just too good to ignore.

 "So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism; of service and responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves, but each other."

That got me.  Very teary-eyed.

I love this man.  

 I'm reading about Jacques Roumain for a french presentation I have to give on Monday, but I'd rather be reading for sociology.  It's terrible how much I hate french these days.  

But I think it really says something when you'd rather be reading about depressing things like how much globalization screws everyone in the world except Western countries and rich people/corrupt governments in poor ones and about sex trafficking than doing anything having to do with French.

I am, however, pleased that Jacques Roumain was a communist.  It makes this whole thing just a little bit nicer; I've got the Communist Manifesto off the shelf and I think I'm going to talk a little bit about how the Haitian coumbite is kind of like communism, but on a smaller scale.  :) 

Also, there is a couple in the library having kind of a loud conversation, and I moved all the way across the library as to not have to listen to it, but it's so empty in here that I can still hear them.  I like them, and it's a good conversation, so I don't want to be a jerk.  But um, seriously, go somewhere else to talk. 

Also, also, I hate that sports teams winning make people really dumb and ridiculous.   Like, two days afterward, people are still being dumb.

Also, it is the third year in a row that I am doing nothing for halloween.  I think Noah and I are going to carve pumpkins and go in search of costumes for Viking Christmas tomorrow, though, which will be kind of hilarious.  Maybe I'll bring my camera.  Oh, and I might make pumpkin something tonight while Beth studies for the GREs and I write this french presentation.  Guess I should go buy a can of pumpkin.  Or maybe I'll stop at the farmer's market and pick up a butternut squash. 

Maybe Beth and I should be eskimos for Halloween, since we'll be hanging out in our apartment.

Okay.  I am getting nothing done.

Oh, and I like that tara uses tags, so I might start using them. :)

I sent it! I sent it! I sent it! (Servant Year)

All that's left to do is hope and pray. Keep your fingers crossed for me, ok?

But seriously, big burden lifted off my shoulders... now to focus on french paper, french presentation, and all kinds of other crap that I have to do in the next month-point-five.

Wee! Just wanted to share some excitement. <3, allison

Reading this makes me so sick.  So very sick.  Especially the comments afterward.

Homeless people are people, too.  I don't know why so few people understand this.  When it is impossible for them to find jobs, when difficult upbringings and terrible social situations and lack of education leaves people with no options, this is what happens.  Enforcing laws on the homeless of Philadelphia is not going to solve the "problem" of homelessness, it is only going to a) cause people to migrate to other locales where they will undoubtedly encounter more "NIMBY" ("not in my backyard") syndrome, or b) foster resentment and frustration that will lead to more drug abuse and more crime and more problems in general.  You don't want a large mass of people who have access to guns and drugs to be pissed off at you, Mayor Nutter.  

Our social system does little to aid those who most need aid.  Free market capitalism (which REQUIRES an underclass to function, mind you!) without any kind of restraint only exacerbates the gap between the rich and the poor.  There is so much more to this issue than getting the homeless off the parkway.  Give them a home.  Give them some food.  Give them someplace to work.  Offer them reasonable way to climb out of difficult situations.  Give them access to HEALTH CARE, damn it, if you want those with serious mental disabilities to be able to get off the streets.  Reduce inequality between and among different classes.  Offer equal access to education.  Offer family counseling. Require family counseling!   For God's sake, if you don't want people urinating and defecating in the streets, reopen public bathrooms!   Contrary to popular belief, being homeless and not having access to a bathroom doesn't make bodily functions stop.

I hate that people think the way to "solve" the "problem" of homelessness is to create more laws restricting what the homeless do.  This is hardly a solution.  This is a good way to make things way more difficult for people who already have a shitty situation.

I'm seriously shaking and a little dizzy right now.  I forgot how much a lack of social justice kills me.  My bubble of people who understand the causes of homelessness made me forget how ignorant people are. 

All that's left to say here is that if they require a permit to feed, all of YACHT will be going to jail on a weekly basis.   How about that?  

Continuing the trend of writing in my livejournal only when I really shouldn't...

Tara has been writing really long and wonderful entries lately, and it makes me want to write really long and possibly less wonderful essays all the time. But we'll see how far this one goes. The theme of this entry is Craigslist and why I love it so much.

I found another job opportunity on Friday by accident (on Craigslist), right after I finally submitted my stupid Americorps application (can I just say how annoying those things are? They only allow for 200 CHARACTERS to describe how you developed specific skills! Also, 200 characters to describe your duties at former places of employment. When I learned how to write resumes and apply to things, they always said to really sell yourself, which is REALLY hard to do in 200 characters. But I digress...). Anyway, it's this program called Servant Year, which is affiliated with americorps, but not listed on their site, and you have to apply directly. But you still get Americorps health care benefits and also

... some girl in the library just said very nonchalantly, "We're engaged. I'm using her ring. me and ben are."

what?

Anyway. You still get americorps health care benefits, the $4,250 award for paying back loans, and also housing, and a $500 a month stipend (not much, I know), but I'd get to live in a big house in Philly with a bunch of other people (Christians... but probably liberal Christians because they're social justice Christians), and they place you in a social service organization in the city. Not to mention that THREE of the listed organizations (I think 6 in total) are organizations I applied to last summer or thought about working for.

I just don't feel like I'm ready to plunge head-first into the world of working. This seems like a nice way to ease myself in. PLUS, everyone who lives in the house eats dinner together every Wednesday, and I love cooking for people, and yes. It sounds very cool. Not a good way to save a lot of money, but could be really good.

So we'll see. I have to do my application first.

My OTHER recent positive Craigslist experience came by way of my wanting to buy one of those hand mixer things so I could actually make cookies (creaming butter is nearly impossible without one. It seriously takes forever). So, I finally found one for $10 on Craigslist and was very pleased, since it was in Pheonixville, which is, I thought, about 20 minutes away (I work in P-ville).. So I dropped an email to the woman, who replied that I could pick it up that day, and then called Brian because we were supposed to hang out anyway, and I didn't really want to drive to a strange place by myself.

So Brian and I set off; it ended up being about 40 minutes away rather than 20, which was a bummer but still okay because I hadn't yet seen a nice mixer under $30. We drove through farmland (what???) and a ridiculous country song came on XPN (we thought we'd driven out of range, but we were wrong) all about how the singer "lost a girl to Jesus" and if he ever met him, he'd "kick his ass". Which was hilarious and terrible all at once.

We finally found the development, and, as Brian said, "They've got rolling hills in their backyard!"... it was an upscale development in the middle of a lot of farmland. We got out and went to the door, and a young woman answered and ushered us inside. The first thing she says is, "Are you guys over 18?"

um, what?

But then she continues, telling us that she can't drive and she's been stuck in the house all day, and all she really wants is a packet of cigarettes. So, if we'll drive to a Wawa 2 miles away and buy her a pack of Marlboro Menthols, she'll trade them for the mixer.

Guys, I bartered! It was like traveling in time! Farmland and bartering for goods!

So, I ended up getting the mixer for $4.45 (plus the cost of gas, but you know), and I bought the first packet of cigarettes I've ever purchased. I think the woman at Wawa could tell. She didn't ask to see my ID though.

Anyway, not that ridiculous or great of a story, but I enjoyed it. Bartering!

In case you were wondering, I made chocolate chip cookies that night. :)

Let me just say:

school has started, and I am hanging out in the library for hours on end. I don't know anyone else who is already over a hundred pages behind in reading who has actually been doing as much work as I have. This semester is going to be INSANE.

On another note, I went to senior orientation the other day and had to check the box on my senior form that said: After school ends I will be: "REALLY NO IDEA!!!"

yeah. that is actually what it said.

So, I ended up hanging out with Tess, the career counselor, for one brief moment... and signing up for a future meeting with her (not this Monday but the next one). But my assignment until then is to come with a list of no fewer than eight, no more than twelve jobs that I would love to have. SIGH. But here is my list so far (in no particular order..):

1. teacher-naturalist
2. interpretive park ranger
3. science/environmental educator 4-8th grade
---(possibly in an alternative school?)
4. houseparent/residential youth care at group home for runaway/homeless/throwaway youth
--- (the only problem here is that many of these jobs require you to be, you know, married. for at least a year. and your spouse helps out, too. Which would probably not be possible for at least 3 years.)

something involving the rural poor?

seriously, can I just hang out with kids and/or homeless people for the rest of my life? and get paid/benefits for it? and possibly do it in the woods?

If I decide to go the teacher-naturalist route, I've already got a part-time position available for me, which is cool. Even the interpretive park ranger job could come from the teacher-naturalist one. and the perks of being a park ranger can include government benefits, which are AMAZING, plus possible housing (cabin in the woods anyone? I mean, that's kind of my goal anyway!)... but... augh. I just don't know. Social justice! I need it! In my life!

plus, so many of the interpretive park ranger/teacher-naturalist jobs are way seasonal.

I AM SO COLD RIGHT NOW.

So I just stumbled across some stranger's blog (brother of a friend) who had this list of the top 100 books that, apparently, most american adults have only read six of. I'm almost positive I meet that goal. Let us investigate:

( the top 100 books & my adventures in them... )

I'm working on it, but I'm awake. Serves me right for looking at career opportunities before bedtime.

Now my brain is a-whirl with the possibilities of the future.

It is as if my brain is a toilet, and the possibilities are toilet bowl water and someone is continuously flushing so that the water is never still but always moving.

What is next? I have 5 months to figure it out. D:

ideas:
get tied up in an enviro-ed center for a few years (local... tough to find)
GCC for a few classes, then MA in elem. ed? or enviro. ed?
become homeless.

Tara did this, and I liked her one word responses to everything. I am going to attempt to do this meme as well, with the same level of brevity!

( a lack of verbosity )