L'Shana Tova!

Happy Rosh Hoshana (5768), or Happy Jewish New Year! Last year I made a big spread for my Oregon friends (feel free to check out Sept 2007 blog posts to see the pix); this year, I'm a lot less motivated. I've made big dinners the last two nights and need a break tonight. Maybe Kika and Gregory House will whip something up for Mum?

Have a good night, everyone.

If You Could Read My Mind, Love...

...What a tale my thoughts would tell. Amongst them would be my excitement at seeing, for the second time in two years, Gordon Lightfoot. He's coming to Michigan State tonight and luckily Adam and the gang were interested in going. I'm particularly jazzed to go now that we've been up to Whitefish Point, near where the Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald occurred. The anniversary for that wreck is coming up in November, so you might keep your radios tuned that day for the song; meanwhile I'll get to hear it live tonight. Woo-hoo!

What's Happened to My Threesome? This Can't Be Good...

Okay, so first things first. You must (MUST) check out Jess Riley's latest blog. It's easy; there's a link to her blog on the left side of my site. Okay, I'll make it even easier-- www.jessriley.blogspot.com. Just click and read. If you love or hate nature, this one's for you.

Secondly, I am becoming increasingly more annoyed (and maybe a little disturbed?) by our local NBC news anchor, Jason Colthorp. Okay, sit back and get comfy because there's a story here (yes, Emily, I know you've heard enough already). For YEARS, our local NBC news anchor has been David Andrews, the 50-something, soft-spoken librarian-type who always seemed like the kind of guy who would read books to little kids. His co-anchor was Adela Uchida, a really nice, smart (not to mention hot) woman in her 30s. Rounding out the evening news was Andy Provenzano, our affable and wonderfully accurate weatherman. I loved that threesome like I love a thr....uh, okay, so anyway...
Getting back to my story, it was the Andrews-Uchida-Provenzano triumvirate that ruled our tv screen every night at 11pm, at least until Adam went to Iraq and I moved to Oregon. Evidently, Lansing just falls apart without us here to keep things in order. What do I find when we return? The young 30-something upstart who had been anchoring the local Fox news had defected to join the ranks over at NBC. Jason "cutie pie" Colthorp, the self-proclaimed MSU graduate, family man and community supporter, had bumped my beloved David Andrews from the co-anchor spot, to now share it with Adela Uchida. Needless to say, I was devastated. How could they reduce the time-honored, well-proven David Andrews to 2 minutes of trivial ramblings while giving the prime seat to the guy who made commercials for Fox News, saying "I always run into people on the street who say, 'Oh my God, I go to bed with you every night!' Well, I'm glad that they feel that comfortable with me to let me in their homes every night." Yeesh. Top it all off with the fact that he commonly refers to my main man Andy Provenzano as "Andy Pro." I always look for Andy's face to see how he feels about his new nickname; maybe I'm searching for trouble, but Andy doesn't look too happy about it to me! I've also noticed that Cutie Colthorp (really, he's only mildly attractive--he's got little beady eyes like he's up to something) has stopped broadcasting the news if he doesn't feel like reading it. Honestly, there has been more than one time, when he'll start reading a story, decide it's not relevant or worth his time, and just abandon it, saying, "Well, I guess that's not worth mentioning, is it?" The only saving grace in all this is that David Andrews isn't actually gone; in fact he might have asked to be taken off the anchorseat for the 11pm news. He still anchors the 5pm and 6pm news, so maybe he prerecords his 2 minutes for the 11pm news, and is actually happily snoozing in his soft, comfy bed (or his firm, comfy bed, depending on what type of mattress he likes) while I busily make internal protests on his behalf. On a side note, Jason Colthorp is really short; George and Emily saw him at a Panchero's getting Mexican food and they say he's a short little sucker. On an additional side note, David Andrews is not actually his name...well, not exactly. Emily had jury duty with him, and when they called his name, it was David Mischkebabble, or what have you. She said he turned to the other juror-to-be's and said, "Yes, yes, Andrews isn't really my last name!". She seems to think it might be his middle name, though, and he's using it as a last name.

One last thing--even though I don't like Jason Colthorp, at least he doesn't sound like that annoying-as-hell weatherman from the local CBS news, David Young. The single worst Michigan accent I've ever heard. Pinch your nose, and say in the most annoying voice you can muster, "In the SOUTH, we'll have rainSHOWERS for several HOURS..." Yeah, you get the point. But that's a whole other ball of wax.

I just googled Jason Colthorp. He has a MySpace page. His tag is "Breaking News: People Love Me!" See what I mean?

Jesus Was a Community Organizer

Many of you know that I am mentally tethered to National Public Radio, pretty much 8/7 (8 hours a day, 7 days a week). I am an NPR geek. You know, the type who sits in the driveway (known by NPR junkies as "the driveway moment") to listen to the end of a really good news piece, human interest story, or Click & Clack's car advice. Since my job has transitioned recently to me becoming a desk jockey, I have taken the opportunity to plug in my headphones as soon as I sit down, and joyfully spend the next 8 hours of my work day listening to "Morning Edition", "BBC World Service", "Diane Rehm", "Fresh Air", "Day To Day", and perhaps my all-time favorite "Talk of the Nation." I love call-in shows where people totally forget what they're going to say as soon as they're on the air. But I really love these shows when people let loose with the chutzpah and get downright ballsy.

Case in point. Neil Conen from "Talk of the Nation" was having a discussion about the comments that Sarah Palin made at the Republican National Convention about Barack Obama. You know, the whole, ""I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a ‘community organizer,’ except that you have actual responsibilities." Ouch. Considering the town I live in, and the people I meet and work with everyday, selling community organizing down the road doesn't sit very well with me. If it weren't for them, we wouldn't have our local farmer's market, the urban gardening course I'm currently taking, or many of the river cleanup days that are organized throughout the year. On a much broader scale, community organizers are the ones who helped build this nation--abolishing slavery, establishing voting rights for women, civil rights for blacks, labor rights for all. I don't know how anyone can be down on community activism. However, I'm admittedly a liberal leaning so far left I'm about to fall into the Pacific Ocean, so maybe I'm biased. However, one woman called into "Talk of the Nation" to express her opinion, and it totally threw everything into perspective.

When Neil told "Anne" she was on the air, "Anne" said, "Neil, as a Christian woman, I am very upset by Sarah Palin's comments about community organizers. We should all remember that Jesus was a community organizer; Pontius Pilate was a governor." The entire panel (and I) was completely dumbfounded. I wouldn't have even thought to go there, but evidently it took a Christian to do so. Hats off to you, "Anne."

Jeepers Creepers

Many of you know that I work parttime at the MSU Bug House, the outreach museum devoted to all things creepy and crawly. Sometimes we guides are booked to do demos at locations other than the main museum; this past weekend, I was sent to the MSU Alumni tent during the tailgate before the big football game (which MSU won!). We were getting torrential rains all day, and the streets were near-flooding, but the die-hards came out anyway and we got a good turn out at our table. Even Sparty dropped by for a quick visit. Check out the pics below.


Everyone wanted to see (and hold) the tarantula that day



Emily, "Sparty" and I with the Chilean Rose-haired tarantula

Remembering that Tuesday

Just a small reminder to take a few minutes to remember where you were, and how you felt seven years ago today.

People die in horrible ways everyday. Let today be a day for us to remember EVERYONE who has lost their life unfairly, unexpectedly, and too soon.

For All Who Are Thirsty...

My totally ferocious sister Shannon and her equally tight husband Jake opened up a Christian coffee shop called "The Filling Station" almost a year ago. In just a few short months, it has become a major hit in the town of Edinburg, Virginia. You can go to their website at www.theedinburgfillingstation.com. Every Friday and Saturday night is Open Mic Night, so anyone with talent (or guts) can get up and sing or play for the crowd. I am a very proud sister (and a happy visitor when I'm in town to pop in), so I thought I'd plug their shop for anyone and everyone who reads this site. Oh yea, and my sis is pretty durned talented, too. Since the theme of the cafe is cars, she painted all the tables in the shop with road signage. Pretty creative if you ask me. But I'm biased. I'm the sister.


The Filling Station



For All Who Are Thirsty!!! That's their motto.



"I turn left here?" "Right." "I turn right?" "No, left!" "But you said right!" "I meant, right, you turn left!"



Commandment #11: Thou shalt not enter without thirst!



They actually do keep a bunch of books and stuff on hand to read while you're drinking your cup o' joe!

Bang, Bang, That Awful Sound

Adam probably doesn't want me broadcasting to the world that we indeed live in the ghetto (you know, that whole internal monologue mantra he's got going), but last night proved it.

"As a crowd gathers round an angry young man,
Face down on the street with a gun in his hand,
In the ghetto".

Okay, maybe I'm being a little overdramatic, but there were shots that rang out, and there was a crowd of people fleeing the scene...once the cops showed up. I went to bed last night around midnight, only to be awakened at 12:45am by the sound of firecrackers--bang, bang, bang, bang. Adam was working in the office, but didn't respond, because people in our neighborhood set off firecrackers anytime of year. But it was the sound of screaming men and women afterward that made me think that this time the sound hadn't really been pyrotechnics. As the screaming and yelling grew louder and longer, I called out to Adam, who joined me at our bedroom window. We heard 3-4 more bangs, more yelling, then the sound of police cars arriving at the scene, which must have been only one street over from ours. A steady stream of people started pouring onto our street--several of them running, presumably, from the squad cars--talking trash, laughing or sounding really upset. We started seeing the police cars enter our street, and the officer got out and started frisking some of the individuals who had been running. I heard one officer yell out, "Why are you running?". We definitely live in a cop-aversion neighborhood, so to many folks, I think it's normal to avoid the cops. At one point, I saw a young man attempt to run up our long, dark driveway to hide; I yelled at him from the window to get off my property and he did, not knowing who the crazy lady yelling from the dark house could be. For the next two hours, squad cars patrolled my street, pulling over and temporarily detaining and questioning loiterers who were acting suspicious.

The whole debacle was a real let-down for me, as I have tried for 6 years now to prove to Adam that we actually do live in a decent neighborhood. The people here might be poor, I'd say, but they are just good people trying to do right by the community and get along. Last night was sort of the final straw for my increasingly weak argument. All of my ideas for community-building, neighborhood outreach and social activism seem to be gurgling clockwise down the toilet. How can I reach out and convince a neighborhood of people to take the next step to community improvement when they seem happy to watch it slide downhill? I'm not saying the entire neighborhood is like this; certainly there are people like Mrs. G. who have been here for years and years, and are just trying to live out a peaceful retirement. And folks like our other neighbors, young 20-somethings who work several jobs to meet their mortgage, keep their property neat, and are all the things one would want in a neighbor. However, it seems as though the more negative element--loiterers who hang out all hours of the day and night, blast their music at 2am on a weeknight, throw their trash all over the street without care, and conduct shady dealings in broad daylight--are slowly but surely taking over. I'm not scared, but I'm definitely feeling more cautious. Gone are the days when I'd prop the front door open at night to let in fresh air in the hot summer months. I watch everyone now with a slightly suspicious eye, especially since Mrs. G. saw a young man trying to get into her car a few weeks ago.

Thing is, I'm not ready to give up on my community. I still believe whole-heartedly that the right person with the right experience could change this place around. Problem is, I'm less and less sure that that person is me.

Four Mittmans and a Bailey

For Labor Day weekend, we went down to Maumee, Ohio (just outside of Toledo) to see the 2008 3-wall National Handball Tournament. Even more important, we met up with Adam's parents, their dog Canella, and Adam's brother Scott, who was competing in the tournament. Adam had taken me to this tournament once before, where he relived memories of attending as a teenager with his family. Once upon a time, the whole family competed. This year, only Scott did, but Adam got into an off-sides match with the junior national champion. After years away from playing competitively, Adam did well, but was ultimately no match for the kid 20 years his junior. Scott faired well in his first doubles match (he was beaten in the singles), but he and his partner just couldn't quite cut it against the second team they played. I couldn't believe how riled up I got by all the trash talk the other team's supporters were spouting. Adam told me it was all in good fun, and sure enough, the competing teams typically hung out and drank beer after the match was over. Fun was had by all, and it was fantastic to see Adam's family for a weekend. We tent-camped for two nights and got quite familiar with the port-o-potties, but managed to get showers and dips in the pool at the nearby hotel where Scott was staying. All in all, a GREAT holiday weekend. It was fabulous to spend time with the Mittmans. Next year, Adam's sister and her family and Scott's wife must fly in for the occasion. They'll absolutely LOVE the port-o-potties.

The official 2008 Mittman Family Handball Tournament shot. Where the hell did I get that cleavage from??

Scott early on in the tournament. Over 20 years of handball and still looking like a champion. Love the hat!!!

Calvin giving Adam a run for his money, but who's counting??

The Mittman men of handball

Adam after an exhausting duel with the junior national champion

I made sure to supply all the thirsty Mittmans with a bottle of Maumee's finest cheap wine. Adam and Linda are tipsily appreciative.