Fargo news

So I'm watching the news tonight and they have a story about all the record-breaking @#*$% snow we have gotten in the past 2 days. (this was immediately after I had been out shoveling for over an hour and still didn't finish). Anyway, so they were interviewing this guy who drives a snow plow about clearing the Fargo streets and then he says he is just out there to "Git er done". And no one seemed phased.

Yeeeah.

While I hate Barbie for the unrealistic messages she sends young girls, I have to appreciate her willingness to clean up dog shit.

You better git to...

Amy Sedaris and a monkey.
Dolly and a riding crop.
Lib... Newhouse... this one is for you!

TDOR

Tuesday was a long day so posting didn't happen... but here is to our friends who live outside the gender binary.

Each year, remember November 20- Transgender Day of Remembrance

Jackson Katz

I have shown his video in classes I have taught. Tough Guise: The Crisis in Masculinity is an incredible film, created by a man, who holds cultural definitions of "how to be a man" accountable for the violence committed against women as well as other men. He talks about how feminists have been saying the same things for decades, yet because a man speaks, it is heard differently. Moreover, it is heard. I had the privilege of hearing Jackson Katz speak in Grand Forks last week-- his talk focused primarily on masculinity and violence against women. Following the talk, he and I spoke a bit about the Virginia Tech shootings. He holds a perspective that blows the media's hyped up accusations of a "school system that failed" or "slipping through the cracks of mental health".

Help

All hell is breaking loose. I need a new job. In a new land.

demali is my hero

North Dakota makes me sick. Seriously. Since returning I went from perfectly healthy to queen of ill. CA was fab- lots of conferencing, lots of alcohol, lots of Amber.

Last weekend rocked my feminist self. Martinis with demali ayo after hearing her killer talk about the ridiculous nature of white people's seemingly innocuous yet degrading actions and words spoken in our racist culture. Have you heard of How-to-Rent-a-Negro? She wrote it. Amazing. Two thrilling conversations with Jennifer Baumgardner over the course of a few days (and my gushing to her about how fabulous she is and how my friends and I all read Manifesta when I was at Tech). Hearing her speak twice was motivating as hell. I truly attempt to integrate my feminist values into my daily life, but damn, my wheels have been turning the past few days. All this excitement topped off with a drag show Saturday night. Yes. Drag. In Fargo. Who knew. Granted, the dyke community still has some seriously slim pickins, it was good to be out and out. And in excellent company. Sunday spent in pj's nursing the persistent nasal drama.

Today has been an ongoing dosage of cold meds and battles of the professional type. I'm purchasing stock in tissues and plotting how I plan to take over the world. Well, maybe just leave my mark in this town. And I will. I promise.

Happy National Coming Out Day!

Happy National Coming Out Day!

Going back to Cali, back to Cali...

I love my 'It's a beaver mug'. It reminds me of Lisa on the green chair, occasional trips to Austin, and my good pals in the Lonestar state. Today I need to drink my coffee out of my beaver mug. Nothing else would have done.

It's frantic rusharoundbecauseyouneverplanwell time again. Plane to the city of angels leaves tomorrow afternoon and I'm not packed. Top priority- meet a big D deadline BEFORE I board. I have to do it.

Thursday happens to be National Coming Out Day. I can't stand the HRC and their bullshit. But, this video is pretty good for raising awareness about NCOD. I'll be celebrating in LA with one pervy girl, and I can't wait. Although she thinks I should wear something "hip and cute". Um, yeah. About that. After a few months in the MidWest, in a town where the only gay bar for miles recently closed, I have been completely deprived of my people. So soon, very soon, I will get my gay on.

Boone in all his glory.

STC

Three words have changed my life.
Synchronized Tractor Corps.
No seriously. This is an actual, um, sport (?) at my school. It's homecoming weekend so I decided to catch the parade and maybe a bit of early morning drunk people watching (for the students who started drinking before 8am for the 1pm game). So there I sit with my grown up friend and my 4 year-old-friend watching the drunk kids throw candy from homemade floats and then they appear. The tractors. With there little signs. Synchronized Tractor Corps. And I knew I would never the be the same.

Today also reminded me just how old I am getting. I want to say that the students just keep getting younger, but I think I might be fooling myself. Please. Don't confirm this. I want to fool myself for as long as possible. With age comes self respect and a little thing I call dignity. I have to say I was appalled at some of the t shirts the ever-so-classy frat boys were sporting. The worst included "Homecoming: I'm like a fat girl at the prom... I'm just happy to be here". I think this might have been one of the most offensive things I have ever seen. It lands at least in my top 3. I was at a sports bar with a few of my super cool new posse because tickets to the game sold out, when we spotted at least 4 or 5 guys proudly wearing their filth. 2 women from my new crew, who also happen to be H.O.T. approached 2 and pretended to bum smokes and then proceeded to tell said boys how lame they are and that they are never going to get laid with their lame shirts. Funny part- their friends started to make fun of them. Sad part- they probably are going to get laid by some unfortunate girl who thinks it's funny and won't be getting a call the next day.

Ouch.

Thumping music. Loud. Lights flashing. Sweaty bodies. Muscles flexing. Bump, bump, bump goes the beat. It sounds like I grabbed my favorite boys from Queer as Folk and hit Babylon for a night of debauchery. A happening bar in Fargo? Try again. My spin class. I joined the gym at school, mind you I am like an old fogie running around in there. Perhaps the constant reminder of what 13+ years does to the body will be a motivator? We'll see. Back to class. Who in the fuck decided that doing push ups off handle bars while pedaling at full speed was a good idea?? I hate them, yet do believe they are brilliant. A new friend of mine teaches the class, so I thought why the hell not? I just didn't realize she leads a double life as a drill sergeant on wheels. Gawd I love her.

Ah-choo!

Apparently I have moved to a place that is graced with the heavy presence of grain dust in the fall air. Yes, grain dust. It does a lovely job on the respiratory system. Grain dust creates a substance in my head like I have never known. I had never fucking heard of grain dust before last week when all the joy set into my sinus and nasal cavity. And the local news reports on wheat and sugar beet crops. More fun in the Midwest.

Ok, enough bitching. Things to smile about- actual work on dissertation this week, likely arrival of another mini person in my family (aunt x 4 tomorrow!), dinner party invites, success at dog class, 2 buck chuck, feminist lunches, Gray's is back, sunshine, Degrassi (shhh, don't tell), new friends, local produce, bangle spice tea, feeling like a grown up... sort of.

A little giggle haha

Here's a little guilty pleasure I like to indulge in every so often. Dorothy really tickles my fancy! Especially this time!

Things I have learned..

You pay for what you get, dog obedience classes included.

Being content and single is SO. MUCH. EASIER. Than being miserable and coupled.

Grind and brew coffee maker. Enough said.

Smiling attracts new friends.

Mowing the lawn, it’s not for the landlord anymore.

When things seem too good to be true, they usually are.

When a 4-year-old says grace and thanks God for you being able to eat lunch with her, you really do feel blessed.

Lesbians in Fargo are either 21 or LOAFs.

55 degrees and sunny is just about perfect. 3 years in Houston can help you forget that.

Dissertations don’t write themselves, no matter how hard you try.

Take Back the Night happens for a reason. Even Boone marched through the streets.

Cloth napkins can help save the earth.

No matter what is happening, the world keeps on going.

Feminism is not dead.

Old white guys are still in charge.

Virgin Post

Technically I'm not a blogging virgin. I mean, I have been with with other blogs. But they didn't last and they weren't important. They didn't mean much. So they don't count, right? I like to consider myself a born again blogger. Fresh and pure-- virginal. Because this time it counts.