Sunday, Feb 10th

Soundtrack:
Small Brown Bike - Collection

I bought the Lake Street,USA book last night. I wish I had picked it up sooner. The longer I live here the more I get interested in the other cultures that exsist here. I'm curious about what they think of me as a white girl (good or bad), how they feel about living here and how they are treated by all of the other cultures and sub-cultures. I had seen some of the photos up when I moved back in 2000 but this goes more in depth obviously.

Along the same lines, this site is a good read.

Wednesday, Jan 30th

Soundtrack:
Kids Grow with Music

Things that have been keeping me motivated:

*The Twin Cities Green Guide
*mister ridiculous.com
*The good folks at Arise! Infoshop
*Jack Saturn
*Indy Media

Monday, Jan 21st

Soundrack:
The Jazz June - The Boom, the motion and the music
AVAIL - Dixie

Things that I would rather be doing right now:

* Camping in Oregon again, standing under my solar shower with the hot as fuck water streaming down my body, my eyes closed, listening to the birds chirp and chatter around me.

* Standing in the middle of a crowd at a show, the music so loud that I can feel it in your stomach, waiting for that one song so I can sing(scream) along with the singer and release pent up energy.

* Walking around the city in the middle of the night in the warm summer air, with a buzz and no reason to be doing anything other than this.

* Standing on that little moutaintop in Ellensburg, WA again, looking at all of the beautiful wildflowers growing out of the rocks and enjoying the unobstructed sunshine bearing down on me.

Saturday, Jan 12th

Aahh, It has been almost 1 yr since I have slept regularly on a bed or mattress. I think I am actually feeling it today. My old bones are aching. I also blame my car. I started driving again after a 4 1/2 or so month hiatus and my body has been protesting. It is just so cold (most of the time) though, I really don't want to stand at the bus stop shivering and chattering. And don't even suggest riding my bike {{growl}}.

Tuesday, Jan 8th

I went out for the first time in months Saturday afternoon. Me and a former co-worker enjoyed some mexican food at Little T's and some hot tea at Pandora's Cup. I don't know I haven't been into Pandora's before now, I've been missing out.

The husband and I had a very serious talk Sunday but I was unable to get him to understand the way I feel about our relationship. He just wanted to tell me how he is ready to change and things will be better. How am I to believe that when I have heard it SO many times before?

Saturday, Jan 5th

I'm feeling very uninspired right at the moment.

Friday, January 4th

I hope everyone else had a good New Year's. I didn't.

My New Year 2002:

Same variation of past holidays for me, just a different year.
We have some drinks. We have an arguement. The husband leaves to go drink more. He ends up so drunk that he can't remember what went on. I hear rumors and fragments of the night he had, including a possible fight. I see bloody knuckles on his right hand in the morning as I am leaving for work, when asked about his hand, he says he fell the on ice a couple times while walking home that night. Sounds odd to me. whatever.
Hopefully things will be different someday. Whether I'm still around or not. I'm tired of this life. I am tired of hearing "I'm sorry" and "I will stop drinking".

Sunday, December 30th

Hidey Ho neighbors!!
Great news!! We have a Dell being delivered to our doorstep this coming week. The not-so-great part of that is busting my ass to ensure that we can make our payments in a timely manner so it shall not be repossessed.

More later....

I'm back.

AAaah...I have been developing these silly little crushes lately. I've got a maddening crush on one person in particular, but he is completely unatainable for more than one reason, so I am safe in enjoying him from afar. Or should I say, I WAS safe. Sigh.

Then there's the coffee shop guy...Dark hair, quiet, cool tattoo, perfect vanilla latte's - what more could a girl ask for.

And last but certainly not least.
ICKI - Look to your right for his page.
I have a writer crush on Icki. I had re-read the special birthday issue (#50) of STY Zine that Mimi(his gal) arranged and put together for him and re-developed my writer crush on him.

Saturday, December 29th

I find myself setting into my old bad habits lately. Is it the weather or am I just a fucking idiot?
I'm drinking then come the next day I regret doing it, I'm spending money that usually should be spent on more important things and I'm feeling down all of the time.

On a positive note: I found a free Yoga class and I am going to give that a whirl. I also found another parent/child playgroup/class that I will starting in 2 weeks. Maybe those two things alone will improve my state.

Saturday, December 22nd

AAArrggghhh.

Leticia, the mama(at work) I mentioned below, quit. She is hooked up with the bad seed that is the father of her baby and he is stringing her along and is up to no good. I need to get ahold of her and make sure that he didn't force her to leave this job because of an incident that happened Tuesday. Bastard.

Monday, December 17th

AHEM!! Please excuse the HTML fuck-up, I have tried to fix it 5 times to no avail so I am ignoring it now.

Almost Winter Solstice and the big X-mas day. I have decided that in raising Ariana, I am going to celebrate the holidays as celebrating the change of seasons instead of a religon based party or celebration. As for gifts, this time I just bought a 2 year old a gift through the "Angel Tree" program @ work instead of something for Ari because my family got her a bunch of clothes and other goodies when I was back in Michigan. I will let them enjoy buying her things if that is what makes them feel good. From the next year forward, I plan on having Ari volunteer with me at a homeless shelter or something of that sort to help her learn compassion early.

I have also signed up to mentor a teenage mother for 1 yr, we will see how that goes. I have been trying to do this at work with a 17 yr old Latina mother and it is definately not easy.

My biggest goal for the new year is to complete the zine I started last spring. That goal is in a close tie with following through with school.

Tuesday, December 4th

I am back in my hometown (MI)this week visiting family. As I was running errands around this place I once called home, I was thinking about how goddamn glad I am that I don't live here any longer. If I did, I know that by now I would have become a mindless drone like most of the younger people left here. I can understand why the older, elderly population wants to stay, but why the the younger generation does is a mystery to me.
I thank the goddess that I haven't run into too many people that I know from my past as of yet.

Oh yeah! The hardcore band Converge and fellow tourmates American Nightmare came into the store the other day. I was walking through and I noticed all these punk guys wandering around so I asked someone in the know and he said that they had played a show the night previous and stopped in on their way out of town.
I also found out that same day that this guy in the deli was in the first incarnation of Mid Carson July. I just happened to have a CD of their's in my backpack right then. It's a small world, huh?

Tuesday, November 6th

Here is a short list of things that have happened since I last updated:
- The husband got jumped as he was stumbling home from the bar and got almost $1500.00 in stitches in his mouth. How a doctor fiddling with a bit of string and a needle costs that much is beyond me...
- I started a job @ Whole Foods in August (I know, I know, don't say it...) slinging baked goods. (and grubbing cookies and bread on the sly!)
- Ariana is starting to talk. She is more of a nut than ever.
- I haven't drove in 3 months (almost 4!), I can offically say that aside from winter, I could do without driving altogether.
- Went to theBareBones puppet show/production, "Petrafied" for Halloween. They performed with giant paper mache' puppets for the main production and had a firebreather and other sheenanagins before the bulk of the show.
- Went to the first show I have been to in a year and a half. It was Murder City Devils last show in Mpls as a band. Botch and American Steel opened.

Um, I think that's it.

Wednesday, October 10th

Ack! It has been 3 months since I have been on a computer!

So much has changed.

Monday, July 16th

Hey! It has been a LONG summer here in Mpls. The humid weather just won't end.

We had our first big blowout as Apt. Mgrs. We had to tow some cars last week because we were having the lot swept and despite all our efforts, the residents wouldn't move their cars. I was threatened with lawyers. It was not a pretty scene.

For the fourth, Ariana and I volunteered for Intermedia Arts at the Wheels as Art parade and Midtown Greenway Fest. The bicycle punks had a small appearence in the beginnning of the parade. Ariana got to be part of a "street performer's" act. I was laughing my ass off at him and about died when he dragged Ari and another baby into his act!

Other than that, things are just going at this point. My husband will be getting his last unemployment check this week so if he doesn't get his act together, it's up to me to find something other than this Mgr job. The U is hiring at the Vet. school so I am going to submit my resume' there and see what happens. I am still planning on starting school in October so in the long run that will help our situation I guess.

See you in a month!!

Saturday, June 16th

Today is Ariana's 1st birthday! Of course we had a small gathering for her. I made a great cake and some punch from one of Mollie Katzens (Moosewood Restaurant) books. It is hard to believe that one year ago today I birthed (well, kind of) a little girl.

I do have to say that I have changed alot since this time last year. I have been getting more interested in recycling/reusing, eating organic and non-GMO foods, walking EVERYWHERE I go and I am starting college in October!! It turns out that one of the guys from Dillinger Four is going to the same school, if I am lucky, maybe I will run into him.

There is a protest this coming Tuesday being held at Novaritis headquarters that I am seriously considering going to. I am just a bit concerned with taking Ariana along. If things get out of hand it is obviously not a good situation for a baby to be in.

Go to Matte's page and learn about gardening, bikes, unschooling and typewriters!!
Matte has been a great inspiration to me lately. He has me looking at my own lifestyle (which I have been questioning for a while now) and wanting to change alot of things. Living in the city is the other influence on that. It is just so much easier to live a "alternative" lifestyle in a place like Minneapolis. The area I come from, it just is not possible. And for him to live as he is and raise two children with his wife is great!

Another big influence as of late is Julia Butterfly Hill. I just finished reading her book detailing her 2 year tree sit in Luna. She is a very brave and strong woman. Pick it up! "Legacy of Luna" is the title, it should be fairly easy to find.

Friday, May 11th

The pixie and I went to the May Day parade at Powderhorn Park this past weekend and we had a great time. She loved the puppets and masks in the parade and we got some really good pictures too. I saw hip looking mamas and papas all over but me being the social butterfly that I am, I didn't say anything to anybody aside from smiling at them or whatever. One of the parade participants came up and kissed Ariana on the cheek as she passed. I am going to try and go to the theatre next year and make us some masks so her and I can walk next time.

I made one more attempt at the playgroup but felt like an ass because everyone else has older kids and Ari and I were just dinking around by ourselves so I didn't stick around long.

The apartment manager gig has been going pretty well aside from constant asshole behavior from the group of guys that are getting forced out of the building. They are being pissy about everything such as me showing their apartments when they are home. Oh, well, shit happens.

The pixie took 6 steps in a row last week but that is as close as she has gotten to walking on her own.

She also went to her first art gallery last month. Intermedia Arts had an exhibit of photographs taken by homeless men and women at St. Stephens Shelter. I purchased one of them .

Our furniture tally:

1 dumpstered velvet aqua chair

1 dumpstered drawing table and computer chair

1 new couch that comes Monday

1 table and 2 dining chairs

FINALLY!! :)

I'm sure theres more but the baby is getting restless.

Saturday, April 7th

I'm getting old. My husband thinks I'm out of my mind because I only listen to NPR or MPR (Minnesota Public Radio) while at home or driving, unless I toss a disc in.
Can I help the fact that I enjoy listening to the news and Garrison Keillor and Ira Glass and All Things Considered and The Changing Face of America rather than the shite that they call music on FM radio these days?
The fact that we had no form of entertainment other than my radio for the first two weeks that we were in Mpls reinforced my love for public radio. I can only listen to the same CD's over and over so many times...

But here is the real indicator that I am aging at an alarming pace:
I actually enjoy "Who wants to be a Millionare?" now. Last year I mocked the fool that would sit down and watch such a thing, now I've been sucked in...that is, unless the "Gilmore Girls" is on WB...
When did I become such a TV buff? Where is the me that only stared at the tube in moderation? Gone the way of the dinosaurs I guess...
Now that spring has sprung I will have to do something about that. Of course, I will have my trusty hand-held world band radio that I am planning on ordering from the Restoration Hardware catalog when I get my tax money back. Don't want to miss my public radio shows while out at the park with the pixie this spring!! I hope I can tune them in on it.

Oh yeah, we got a table and chairs!! I got a great deal on a scratched table from elements in Uptown and I bought two chairs to match it at Target. It ran us about $170 altogether and they look great! (just don't look too close)
Still no living room furniture other than the dumpstered chair from old roomate Larry's place and our two trusty fold up campground chairs. We were just about to go get a couch when this lay-off bug bit us in the ass. At least we got something for the place...

mama stuff
hipmama
bethany's project
Guerrilla Grrls
Salon-MWT

read
clamor
powell's books
ak press
reading frenzy
zines at pander
and at stickfigure
quimby's
be a poet...
utne reader

learn
indy media center
npr news
mpr
this american life
michael moore
arise

listen
modest mouse
built to spill
small brown bike
dillinger four
discount
alkaline trio
no idea records
k records
kill rock stars
intial records

misc.
stella marrs
buy olympia
archie mcphee
mister ridiculous
road notes
in passing
save a stray
save the big cats