I Heart...

...the Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack. Have I mentioned that yet? I love music. I have always loved music. But it's rare that I find I really like a soundtrack enough to buy it, let alone listen to it for weeks on end in the car. I remember commenting to Sheryl when we saw the movie together that I thought the music was incredible. I searched for a while for the soundtrack (Barnes & Noble let me down twice, which is odd, and it was finally Target to the rescue, which was also odd), and was concerned that it wouldn't live up to my expectations. But I was pleasantly surprised to find that it's a great stand-alone compilation. I'm quite certain I would've loved the CD without having seen the movie.

I saw the movie for a second time, after listening to the soundtrack for weeks. And it was even more stirring than before. The tempo, the insistence, the sorrow...the entire vibe of the CD is captured in the movie, even though I'm sure it's intended to be the other way around. And there's such strong association between the music and the images in the film - from running through the streets of Mumbai to the aerial view of the city to riding on top of the train and "working" at the Taj Mahal - I can't even begin to imagine music that would pair so well with the scenes for which the music was selected. It's one thing to have songs I recognize in a movie as there's a sense of nostalgia often related to hearing them. There's something altogether different with remembering music I've never heard before because the use of the music was done in such a powerful way. I think I'm done gushing for now. By the way, have I mentioned that I like the soundtrack a bit?

Back to Rational?

Almost, but not quite...

The production schedules came in, and for me, weren't as bad as I thought. We have two more weeks of downtime scheduled in March and April. The other plant is not so lucky as they will be dropping a shift. So, another 1,100 hourly layoffs and another 50 or so salaried layoffs. I'm sure this will mean a lot of shifting around at the various plants, and I'm guessing we'll have more new-ish faces to get to know and a lot of changes over the next few months. But we're scheduled for production all year, and while that can change as quickly as an email can be sent, for now it's a relief.

We have always teased Auntie Joanne about her amusing condition where as her stress level increases, her shoulders shrug further and further upward. You could tell when she was particularly tense or upset because you could barely see her ears. I realized a long time ago that I share the same tendency. It's either that or I clench my jaw. Fortunately, I haven't been clenching my jaw (no grinding, just clenching, which is painful at best), but every so often, and quite a bit yesterday, I had to stop, think, take a deep breath, and force my shoulders down. It makes me chuckle when I do it, as I picture Auntie Joanne and just think about all the shit we gave her over the years about that. I'm sure she's proud that the tradition carries on...

Completely Irrational...

So, after a "forced" vacation this past week, which was full of budgets for both work (I know - vacation, right?) and Jaycees, not enough relaxation, lots of fun, and not enough reading, I find myself a bit anxious. Or maybe a lot anxious. And I have no desire to sleep. The irrational thought is that if I sleep, I'll eventually wake up, and then will have to go to work. My rational side, which seems to want to hide right now, realizes that I have to go to work whether I sleep or not. Right now, irrational is winning out (quite obviously).

I haven't dreaded work in a really long time - years, maybe, even with all of the craziness of the last few months. So why now? I attribute it to submitting my budget, and having the finance guy email me back that it was exactly what he was looking for, but would have to be reworked because there's an upcoming announcement about the production schedule. *gulp* That's usually not good news. At least in this climate, that's not usually good news. I'll deal with whatever comes my way, but having been out of the loop for the last week, the anticipation is getting to me. And it doesn't help that I let my sleep schedule go to hell in a hand basket this past week, too. Or rather, I let it go back to what I feel my natural biorhythms dictate, which means going to sleep around 3 or 4 in the morning and getting up around 9 or 10, not to mention the occasional catnaps of this past week.

So, I guess I should focus on the positives, right? I took my Christmas tree down and put it away in the balcony storage area. My goal was to disassemble by February 1, so I met my goal! I didn't get around to any general cleaning in the living room, so it's in a bit of disarray right now, but should be easily fixed (which is something I could be doing instead of blogging, but this is more fun). I saw Slumdog Millionaire for the second time, and loved it, and fell in love with the music even more, which is crazy since that CD has been living in my car since I got it. And I saw Gran Torino. Hilarious throughout, and a tear-jerker at the end. I loved it, and will probably see it again. And I am grateful that I have a job to go to tomorrow, even if the dread is a little overwhelming right now. I know I'll quickly get into the swing and start figuring out what's going on. It's just quite a challenge. I think it's time to curl up on the couch for a bit...

It's fun to be a girl...

It's fun to be a girl in a time when Tupperware parties have given way to Passion parties. I went to a friend's Passion party today, and had one of my dear friends in tow. There's nothing better than taking a picture of a Jelly Osaki dual-action orgasm-giver and texting it to another friend, all the while knowing this is all completely normal and fun.

We followed it up by meeting my friend's husband at Sindhu for dinner. I haven't experienced Indian food in Lansing, despite living here for 8ish years. The food was great, and we shared three dishes family-style. I picked the Chicken Vindaloo (spicy, not medium!). We had another chicken dish in a creamy-ish tomato-y sauce and lamb in a spicy sauce. The company was better than the food, and I had a delightful day with my friends. No pressure, no worries - just funny conversation and general silliness - a diversion from all of the current stress and worries. Such a good feeling!

Hi, Soapbox...Pardon Me While I Hop On You For a Hot Minute...

Post-swearing in, I got into a lengthy discussion about the inauguration and my disdain for the view that civil unions should satisfy the LBGT population in their quest for equality. I was faced once again with the opinion that civil unions should satisfy the quest for equal rights. In my mind, gays (and their supporters) aren't really searching for equal rights. They are seeking equality. And at this point the semantics discussion enters in. The logic (flawed in my mind) follows that: If gays are granted civil unions, and civil unions provide the same "benefits" as the legal institution of marriage, then the term civil union should be sufficient. My logic is: If gays are granted the same benefits of the legal institution of marriage, then call it a marriage for crying out loud!

The only way I could try to get my point across was this: Women and men fought for women's suffrage. Women became voters, just like men. There was no distinction between male voters and female voters. They did not create another term for women as a subgroup of the ballot-casting population. They didn't call them Pickers or Selectors or Choosers. They called them voters when they were FINALLY granted the same right to vote that men (at least the white ones) had held for-seemingly-ever. To call women with the right to vote by another name denigrates that right and continues to promote a distinction between the two groups when that distinction shouldn't exist. So, if gay couples are FINALLY allowed to have their commitment to each other recognized legally as having the same benefits as the currently legal heterosexual marriages, it should be called by the same name to promote equality. It's senseless to me that a gay couple should seek a Civil Union License, while heterosexual couples apply for a Marriage License. Why don't we just take another step backwards (at least in some parts of our great country... in other parts, this would probably make sense) and have Interracial Marriage Licenses? Or Interfaith Marriage Licenses? If there's going to be one distinction, should every couples' differences be identified as well? Hell, why not break it down into nationalities and throw some slurs in there as well? Maybe a Wop-Mick Marriage License? How about more defining physical and emotional characteristics, like Fattie-Redneck Marriage License? And we can work on the specifics of the gay licenses, too...Bear-Queen Marriage License...Lipstick-Bull Dyke Marriage License... The possibilities are endless. Which is even more reason to just call it a damn marriage.

I Know...

Still remiss in blogging, I know... I haven't even mentioned my South Haven / Bangor adventure, have I? And Tia's visit? So good to catch up. It's funny how you can be friends with someone for not a very long time yet still feel a pretty great connection. It gives me that warm, fuzzy feeling. And weddings galore? And a cruise in March! So much work ahead of me!

But I saw this quote today that made me giggle:

"By all means marry; if you get a good wife, you'll be happy. If you get a bad one, you'll become a philosopher."
-Socrates

I think substituting "husband" should work as well.

So, one of my goals will be to catch up on blogging next week during my forced week off. We're rotating weeks off at work to avoid laying anyone off, so it's not really a bad thing. And I managed to roll over a few weeks from last year, so I have 5 weeks of vacation and a week of sick time. I just hate dipping into the "reserve" that I keep rolling over. Such is life - I am glad to have a job at the very least, and happy to keep my employees working...

Operation: Eat Healthy - Update

I have a lot of friends waiting until January 5 to start their healthy eating / exercise resolutions. I decided not to wait for a few reasons. First, I signed up for endurance swimming at the Y. It starts during the week of January 12, but I did not want to be dying in the pool during class from having not swam much in the last few months. So, it has been off to the pool for the last few days, which is working out nicely. Second, I figure the weight I gained over the holidays will come off easier if I work at it sooner. I'm sure there's absolutely no physiological basis for this, and I'm positive it's all mental. It's not like there is a LIFO accounting process for the increase in the number or size of my fat cells (for all you non-accounting people, LIFO means Last In First Out, and is a way of valuing inventory), but really, with a little time on my hands, I figured it didn't make sense to wait. And I thought it might be detrimental to wait.

So, I hopped on the scale this morning and I am +2 pounds from the beginning of December. I'm a bit shocked by that, as I thought it would be quite a bit more given what I ate over the holidays (mom & Nancy made the ridiculous caramel-covered pretzels rolled in toffee and dipped in chocolate - one of the few things I absolutely cannot seem to resist). So, we will see how all of this goes - I'm hoping to make the changes permanent. I don't have the urge to lose a bunch of weight and gain it back again as I've done in the past. And since I've lost weight in the past, I'm not scared or intimidated by the process of doing so, so much as the process of keeping it off. And, having a few weddings to stand up in this year helps just a little with the motivation! Sometimes, it's nice to have a timeline to work with. Wish me luck, and if you're up for a class at the Y, let me know - after all, variety is the spice of life!

Remiss Blogging: Birthday Kitsch

Yes, it happened again this year: I had a birthday. December 12, in fact. The year was 1974, the year of a huge snowstorm in Michigan just before I was born. If I remember some of the stories correctly, my dad was sick of lacing up my mom's boots, mom's blood pressure was a little out of whack, and the doctor was going to induce at some point (I like to think on Friday the 13th, but am not sure how accurate that is...). But, Thursday the 12th it was to be. It's hard to believe 34 years have flown by - so many experiences, so much learning, so much kitsch!

I've always been a fan of tacky. Not trashy tacky, but fun tacky. A case in point would be my adorable dog. I used to feel so sorry for people on Wheel of Fortune who had to choose their prizes from the showcase. It seemed they always got stuck with a five-piece dinette set (often of the wicker variety), and with only $100 left, they would be forced to purchase the poor ceramic dog, usually with a price point of $75. I thought it unfair they couldn't keep the money. Nobody seemed happy to "win" a ceramic dog. And it was exactly this diatribe that led Sara to give me a ceramic dog for my birthday (or was it Christmas? that's the problem with a December birthday...) several years ago. I finally named her Lucy May Haas (another long story with an anticlimactic ending) after having her for several years, and proceed to dress her up for the seasons. But I digress...

This year was no different from birthdays past. My friends did not fail me, and while I feel I'm almost a little too old to get birthday presents, I appreciate the thought that went into each of these in particular.

The first received was the Pi Plate. Nope, no misspelling there! It's a "Pi" pie plate! How exciting! Yes, I love the number pi. There's something oddly fascinating about a constant with infinite definition (or lack thereof??) - it just rocks my world. And the pi plate shall never be harmed by actually baking in it - it will remain proudly displayed.

Last year, Melissa bought me a Hillary Clinton nutcracker. We had a lot of fun with that at the holidays, especially my nephew. The nutcracker portion of course was between Hillary's thighs. So, this year, in the grand tradition, Melissa bought me the accompanying Bill Clinton corkscrew. And where else would the screw appear but from between his legs. Needless to say, we've also had a fine time with Bill (as many others have as well).


I don't know if I've posted much about my love of bacon (or really, almost any pork product...and pork wrapped in pork is a masterpiece all its own), but it's a frequent topic of conversation among my foodie friends. Somewhere, and I'm not sure where, one of my friends found Spam made with bacon. Who would've thought they would class Spam up that much?? I don't know that I've ever actually eaten Spam. I do remember in 12th grade AP Physics when some of my fellow students wrote an ode to Spam and brought the poem in along with a can, which was promptly displayed in Mr. Armstrong's weird food area (we got extra credit points for bringing in the weird food of the week - something Sara and I sorely needed! I particularly remember wandering the Meijer produce department and buying persimmons and star fruit).

And finally are the nuns. These will also fall into the category of religious paraphernalia, which in volume, seems to be in contention with the Elvis stuff I've received over the years. They are not just nuns - they are racing nuns! I'm sure the waitress at Chammps, where I went for my birthday dinner with the folks, was entertained by us racing the nuns across the table. I really had to take them for my mom to see, since she went to parochial schools growing up (including Mt. Mary Immaculate Academy in Ancaster, Ontario for a year - she couldn't take much more than that!). The nuns have been a fun addition to the collection.

So, another year has passed. I've been surrounded by good friends and good family. I somehow still have a job (not a pot shot at my work ethic so much as the current economic crisis...I think W. finally called it a recession? Who knew?). I really can't complain.

Church and Pointed Sermons

I started working with Dan in 2001 when he joined our team in Lansing. I eventually met and started working with his wife, Melissa, as well. It was at a time when I didn't know many people in this area, and they became my Lansing Family. Dan and Melissa had me over for dinner at least once a week for what seemed to be a few years. Life has gotten much busier for all of us - their girls are in school and dance, and I live my crazy life, too.

Melissa recently invited me to see their girls in the Christmas program at their non-denominational Christian church. I've known Jordan since she was just three, and I vividly recall when Dan beeped me on the Nextel on a Saturday morning to let me know Melissa had given birth to Morgan, an 11 lb. 12 oz. baby girl. The girls are now 10 and 6, and I am amazed at how much they have grown up. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to see Jordan have one of the lead roles, and both girls sing solos.

The day before, the topic of me going to church came up at breakfast with some good friends. Felicity mentioned it first, and I think she was the only one who knew I was going. A few eyebrows were raised and I explained what was motivating me to attend a service. Once they heard it was to see the girls, there seemed to be some collective relief, as if the reason made the world right again. We talked for a bit about church in general, and I remember saying that I hoped I didn't feel as uncomfortable as I did at my nephew's first communion in the Catholic church. I did feel tense the entire time at the communion, and it was a horrible feeling - knowing that I will likely attend church in the future for my nephew, but being at such odds with it personally is upsetting to say the least. But I digress - I drove to church on Sunday morning in the horrible wind storm that plagued the area, and actually arrived on time (surely to Dan and Melissa's surprise).

The program, written by one of the church members, was "Visions of Jesus: A Christmas Musical." It featured Dr. Humbug, a scientist who invented a time machine. She discovered that it worked when a shepherd magically appeared in the present. The shepherd, Rebecca, and Dr. Humbug, traveled back in time to various points in Jesus' life so that Rebecca could show Dr. Humbug the wonders of his life and death, and the importance of that for all peoples' spirituality.

The sermon that followed the program talked about how some people just can't (or won't) take that leap of faith to believe in God / god. These people seem to require proof of god's existence. The pastor went on to discuss how at times in our lives we all disbelieve something or another despite the evidence being clearly in front of us. And he rounded out the sermon with the idea that for all of the non-believers, the evidence of the wonders of god are really all around. So...did you ever feel like something was written specifically and pointedly just for you? That's how I felt at that moment about the program and the sermon, and it was off-putting at best. It was an interesting sermon to listen to, and I wasn't at all tense or upset by being at their church, which was a bit of a relief. I've been considering the sermon ever since, and I can't help but come back to the idea that yes, we are surrounded by many wonders, but why is god the explanation (or cause?)?

In summary, here's what I got out of the experience:
-It felt great to support the girls. I hadn't seen them in quite a while, and I got excited hugs and smiles, which was wonderful.
-It was wonderful to see Dan's parents and Melissa's mom and brother. I've gotten to know them over the years, and again, hadn't seen them in a quite a while. It was good to catch up, and is really one of my favorite things about the holiday season.
-I think I was more open to the ideas presented in the play and the sermon, and instead of immediately dismissing them because they are so different from what I believe, I have spent time pondering and letting the ideas roll around in my head (and I'll beat a few people to the punch - yes, I know there's plenty of space for that to happen...).
-I'm glad to know I can sit in a church and not feel tense and upset. It seems my old church is the root of what I feared was a problem with all churches. Interesting to have that disproved...
-I'm ever grateful for my Lansing Family.

To Do List

My list last year was purely mental...and the things I choose to remember are generally ones I worked on (recycle, exercise, travel...). Since I started the blog in May of last year, I figure this is as good a forum as any to jot down my notes to self regarding the upcoming year.

-Clean / organize spare room (long overdue - need to finish before going back to work)
-Organize tax stuff (yeay! for itemizing)
-Submit receipts for FSA reimbursement
-Plan camping trips by Feb. 1
-Take down Christmas tree by Feb. 1
-Go back into Operation: Eat Healthy mode...no more slacking!
-Register for classes at the Y (completed for current session but ongoing)
-Sign up for some kind of art class / seminar
-Put aside current read for book club selection
-Challenge mom on "Harder" level on Sudoku
-Maintain blog (78 posts beginning May 2008...I'm still a little shocked / impressed!) and revisit old blog posts
-Take more pictures
-Hang out with Jamie and Justin more
-Be a better friend
-Recycle more frequently (kitchen is driving me nuts!)
-Be more open-minded
-Maintain current Netflix habit (actually watching and returning movies in a reasonable amount of time)
-Explore the somewhat freakish current obsession with documentaries (see Netflix note - I've watched all documentaries received immediately but seem more lax on the movies - weird coincidence or is there something to it?)
-Revisit making measurable goals with actual deadlines :)