llllllooooooonnnnngggg day

My day started really early… as I did not get to sleep until 5.3o this morning. I slept for a few hours and then woke up to run some errands before locking myself in the computer lab at school to work on a project due this Wednesday. In route to my first destination, Michael’s, I sat in this for 45 minutes:

I couldn’t figure out what was going on. “It’s Sunday… shouldn’t all these people be at home,” I said to myself. “Maybe there’s some kind of fair going on today that I was unaware of? Maybe Ikea is having a sale?” I thought. 

When I finally looked to my left, I saw this:

I realized what the big deal was. Part of the I-580 (MY INTERSTATE!) collapsed earlier today. An oil tanker ran into a guard rail around 3 am and the heat from the explosion and insuing fire melted the bolts and rods of the overpass, causing it to collapse.

After weaving through traffic, news station crews and pedestrians with cell phone cameras, I finally arrived at my destination. I collected my items and decided to cut the errands short, and just get to the lab and begin working. On the way there, I noticed that the gauge on my dashboard indicating the heat of the engine was all the way on red.

 

I had never seen it there before. Within seconds, the “Check Engine” light came on.

 

I got off the freeway and pulled into a parking lot just in time for my car (MY BABY!) to die. I spent the next 3 hours in the parking lot waiting for a tow truck to come and haul my little car away. Thankfully, my roommates joined me for the last couple hours of my parking-lot stint. While we were all sitting in their car, a little dog came bookin’ by, like a bat outta hell.

It’s owner was a few jogs behind it, red leash in hand.

One of my roommates jumped out of the car and joined the owner in the chase. A few minutes later, the owner walked by our car, NO dog in hand. She continued to walk out of sight. Then comes my heroic roommate, around the corner, with the little dog in her arms.

(the dog looks alarmingly similar to the one pictured above)

We searched for the owner (all this happening while I’m on the phone trying to track down the tow truck that was supposed to service my car 2.5 hours ago) and she was no where to be found.

I finally gave up on waiting for the original tow truck, and drove my car the little ways home, before it over-heated again. Not knowing what else to do, we brought the dog home with us. The next few hours were spent doing the following:

• getting another tow truck to come and get my car
• posting an ad for a lost dog on craigslist
• hanging flyers around the neighborhood in which we found the dog

Now, my car is in an alley in the city, all by its lonesome and a little brown dog is scratching at the laundry room door in my apartment.

My life tonight is different from my life this morning in the following ways:

1. I got nothing done for my project.
2. I have no car.
3. I have a dog.

The End.

inspire me.

As the final days of my undergraduate career wind down, all I have been doing is writing papers. Lots and lots of papers. Therefore, the last thing I want to do is write… even if it is a blog. Also, I have felt largely uninspired by recent news and events to say much. Soon though, soon. I can feel it.

Never have I been prouder of my astrological sign.

Today, scientists announced that a planet resembling Earth was found in the constellation Libra.

 

The planet has a similar make-up (water, temperature) to Earth and scientists are calling it the “X” on the planetary treasure map. For the time being it’s called Gliese 581c and it is 20.5 light years away (about 120 trillion miles).

It’s evidence that life like us could exist out there. WHOA!

Coast to Coast.

No, this isn’t a post about geography. It’s about the radio show, Coast to Coast AM.

This radio program has gotten me through the last five years, literally. I started listening to it when I was a Senior in High School. It airs on the West coast from 10 pm to 2 am, and it is perfect for a girl who struggles with insomnia. I think the worst part of insomnia is feeling very alone in the world. Not only is Coast to Coast entertaining, but, it’s company.

So, I suppose I can’t leave out that the show is totally weird. Yes, the topics can range anywhere from UFO encounters to phantom panthers, from genetics to climate change to ghosts. I remember the very first show I listened to was about secret societies (Skull & Bones), it totally creeped me out.

Spirit on the Side of the Road?:

(more creepy images from coast to coast listeners.)

The hosts (Art Bell on the weekends and George Noory on the weekdays) are really amazing. Bell was just nominated as an inductee into the National Radio Hall of Fame. Geory Noory has the best voice and seems to be the kindest man in the world. AND, it’s not like they don’t know the subject matter of the show is kinda strange. They know and can be skeptical, yet accepting all at the same time.

Art Bell:

George Noory:

I’m not even a sci-fi person, and I really like the program. AND, the show has millions of listeners (though I have yet to meet any). It’s popular!

I just have to say:

Dear “Coast” (as we groupies call it), I really appreciate the good times and company you provide when none of my other “friends” will stay up with me. And, I look forward to your show tomorrow night on UFO intervention. Ah-Thankyou.

the new caregiving.

I have always been intrigued by non-profit organizations… well, at least the ones with missions that address diversity, education, women, poverty, etc… My experiences in non-profits have only been good. Really hard-working people, devoted to a social cause, who eat and breathe change. I respect the work, I think it’s important, I don’t know where the world would be without it.

The Chronicle of Philanthropy says that 73 percent of non-profit workers are women. I find this astounding and interesting. In my experience there have been like ten women and one man working in a non-profit office. The one man is usually the “tech. dude.”

Here’s my question: Is non-profit work the new caring sector for women? Traditionally, nursing and teaching have been the jobs women were supposed to occupy. It goes along with the idea that women should be caring for others. Non-profit work seems to fall into this same category… though I have a hard time saying that because I know that not only are non-profits beneficial for society, but they are also really interesting work. Are women in this line of work because they really care about it, or are they just socialized to care about it?

economics: poverty and feminism?

70 percent of the world’s poor are women, according to a report on AlterNet. Additionally, women over 65 years old in the US are twice as poor as their male counterparts. The report attributes this to the “caregiving” work of most older women and a lot of younger women. In fact, salary.com says that a mother’s care work is worth about $100,000 a year.

The government in the US (and some other developed countries) completely fails to recognize the work of caregivers (female or male). It’s really counter-intuitive because without this caring work, there would be no economy. Examples of family-friendly business and governmental policies: Canada’s Healthy Babies, Healthy Children program and Sweden’s paid parental leave policies. Both offer financial support for caregivers and have had significant impacts on child developement. Really, it’s an investment in the future.

We (the US) should step up, man.

It’s raining.

I love rain. It always makes me so happy. I know it’s only because I have home and bed to curl up in when the weather is crap, but, none-the-less, I love it and I always have.

MY decisions about MY body…

are made by these guys:

Bathroom Politics.

I am formulating my ideas on bathroom politics.
Recently, I have been engaged in conversations regarding the bathroom. A friend of mine is so grossed out in public restrooms that she ordered devices that allow her to pee standing up. Another friend refuses to shit in public, and goes home (no matter where she is/what she is doing) to take care of her bidness. Another friend really enjoys going number 2 in public restrooms.

I know all of this seems rather silly, but I think I am onto something here.

Take Back The Blog.

This is kind of cool. I think I will submit… you should too!

Take Back The Blog! Blogswarm will be in support of the rights of women to participate fully in all aspects of our society without fear of harassment, intimidation, sexual harassment, online stalking and slander, predation or violence of any sort.

A blogswarm is an (hopefully) organized compilation of blog posts from a variety of bloggers on a given topic of urgent common interest. The goal is both to provide a convenient compilation of (undoubtedly excellent) content for readers’ benefit and to make a show of strength and organization within the blogosphere for the topic of concern (stated above), albeit from submitters with different perspectives on the topic of common concern.