I feel it's time for a break. I've been scribbling about a speech by Susan B. Anthony entitled: "Is it Wrong for A Citizen of the United States to Vote?" for the past, oh say, 20 minutes, at the very least, so it is clearly time for me to rest my poor cramping hand for a moment... yes, rest it by... typing a whole bunch. Actually, working on my paper about Anthony and her fightin' the good fight for the women of this country made my mind wander to other things I've been thinking about recently.

I started reading this book recently for my Gender and Communication class, which is a stupid, stupid class, by the way. But this book is not stupid. It's by bell hooks, who I had kind of heard of before... I vaguely remember reading through something by her last semester, then summarizing it for Chelsea so she could possibly answer a question on a final. Anyway, the book is pretty good. hooks' goal in writing it was to create a "primer" about feminism, and of what I've read so far, she does a pretty good job. At the beginning, she addresses a lot of the myths that people believe about feminism - for instance, that all feminists are man-hating lesbians. It just tickles me so that people just don't get what feminism is about or are so against it. It's especially surprising when those negative attitudes come from women and especially when I read a definition like hooks gives: "Simply put, feminism is a movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation, and oppression." It seems that feminism, when defined like that, should be something most women could get behind. I know I consider myself a feminist. I'm pretty sure it was just something I absorbed with all the other nutrients when I was a fetus.

Anyway... I kind of forgot what my point was, but if any of you want to learn more about feminism, Feminism is for Everybody is actually entertaining and a fairly quick read. I can even loan it to you!

It didn't get dark til nearly 7 today and daylight's savings ends this weekend. So you know what that means! Next week I'll be looking out the window thinking, "Damn you spring, where are you?" No, actually, I'll be looking out the window thinking, "Hey, it's still light out... I have plenty of time left to do my homework!" Then I'll realize that it's nearly 8 and I'll be a shakin' in my shoes 'cause I have so much left to do. Only 5 weeks left of class and then finals week and then spring semester is donesky! My first summer class doesn't start until June 7th, so I will have at least a few weeks of relaxation before I have to start school again.

Falling asleep to the sound of rain always reminds me of camping, even without the soothing sound of rain gently hitting the top of a tent. It makes me think of evenings spent in the foothills of northern New Mexico... being huddled inside my brother's Wayzata athletics sweatshirt under my dad's arm, listening to my brothers and the rest of the guys tell dirty jokes and scary stories. It makes me think of being protected in my sleeping bag under my dad's old army-issue tent while water dripped off the canvas onto the forest floor.

I love that it's raining right now. Our window is wide open to the sound of it... the noise of it hitting the ground, the splash of cars as they pass by on St. Marie. That is my soundtrack for bedtime tonight.

crying jags and seagulls

For whatever reason, I, like Amanda, have been suffering from random attacks of tears. The crying in itself isn't that unusual, as I am a bit of a cryer. This movie as well as this movie brought me damn near close to sobbing, and even this movie will bring a tear or two to my eyes. Particularly sappy Kodak commercials will make me misty. Some books will induce tears, too.

But recently I've been crying, sometimes without any provocation. I started crying for no reason at all when I was hanging out in my room in Vegas. I was on freaking vacation and so happy that I wasn't at school!, and yet the tears started to flow. Then I was crying while watching Queer Eye. Well what the hell. Few things make me laugh as much as Queer Eye, and yet there I was, misting up. And then I have no idea why I'm crying, of course, so then I cry about crying and get a little bit more energetic with it and it turns into a full-blown crying fiesta. I was glad to know, however, that Amanda has also been crying unexpectedly, so it didn't make me feel quite as bad... I'm not alone in the crying.

Today is a little bit chilly but there are clear signs all around that spring is finally reconsidering making an appearance here in Duluth. The snow banks are receding, much like the hair on my brother's head. And AND! It's raining today - it's refreshing and I take it as a sign of good fortune.

Unfortunately, the increasingly improving weather has brought on the most horrendous, dreadful part of living in Duluth. Seagulls. Seagulls. Seagulls. Seagulls everywhere!! The seagulls like to hang around outside the dorms and the on-campus apartments, where there are plenty of dumpsters for them to raid. They fight over the remnants of ramen and mac and cheese and rotting vegetables and whatever the hell else ends up out there... and they scream! Outside the buildings! So, ya know, when I'm not being woken up bright and early by snow plows backing up, I'm woken up by screeching birds fighting over garbage. I think this Scandinavian band and I would be best friends.

Let me see. It's been nearly two weeks since my last confession. Do you want the long version of what I've been doing in that time or the quick recap? Yeah, I actually don't care if you want the long version--I ain't got that kind of time, kids! So, here's the quick recap.

Before I left for Las Vegas last Friday, I took what I thought was one hellish Spanish midterm. It was painful. I was required to write a letter to a congress of Hispanic leaders about why all the Latin American nations should form one large nation. WHA?!
Real Hispanic leaders have months and months to prepare stuff like that and tons of resources at their disposal, not to mention assistants and actual fluency of the language... granted, I got to use my notes and book, but I only had 55 minutes, no assistants other than the girl who let me use her Spanish dictionary, and I am not quite fluent. But I wrote one hell of a paper, I guess, 'cause Eileen, my professor, gave me an A! And she posted it on her website, which is slowly becoming a shrine to me and my Spanish essays. And she THANKED ME for being in her classes. Crazy!

After that (breathe a sigh of relief), I drove home, got in the big ol' van with my parents and made the 24-hour drive to Las Vegas. On the way, I heard a commercial that featured a cheesy faux-Irish accent "leprechaun" voice and bad Celtic music, advertising for the St. Patrick's Day specials... at Doc John's, an adult "pleasure" shop, as the ad termed it. I don't know, it made me giggle. It was also 1 in the morning and I was in the middle of Nebraska, so, ya know, it probably wasn't funny at all.

I won $50 the first day in Vegas! Go me! It was on a Monopoly Free Parking slot machine. Turns out Monopoly was pretty good to me the rest of the week, as well as the rest of the slots - I came back with $20 more than I went with! I badly needed that, as well as the money my parents so freely gave me. I was having a hard time affording my rock and roll lifestyle.

Other than gambling, I took in a couple shows (I like that saying - "took in some shows") and spent a lot of time with my parents. I actually ended up getting somewhat sick of my parents by the end, what with their constant questioning about grades and school and where my life is headed, blah blah blah. Okay, it wasn't constant, but I was on vacation and my brain was just not dedicated to thinking about any of those things at the time. Luckily, Dave, Brian, Josh and Jenny were there as an outlet for escape, and escape I did.

Josh and Jenny got married last Monday in Vegas! That's right, I went to a Vegas-style wedding! It wasn't spur-of-the-moment, nor were they married by a sequin-bedazzled Elvis impersonator or in a drive-thru. However, they were married at a place called "Heavenly Bliss Wedding Chapel," which is open 24 hours and has a luau room! After the wedding, Josh's mom took everyone to dinner at the Buffet at the Bellagio.

The rest of the week was pretty typical Vegas fun... a little bit o' gambling, a lot o' walking around and seeing the various casinos, a lot o' enjoying the weather, and a little bit o' drinking. For one Brian the diabetic, however, there was a bit more than a little drinking... he drank an entire plastic football filled with Captain Morgan and Diet Coke! Gross! Afterward, he called Aurora and left a surprisingly sober-sounding message at me and Dave's urging. Dave, Brian and I also enjoyed an oxygen bar and water massage around midnight one night. That was really cool and I've always wanted to go to an oxygen bar. It was perfect timing.

All in all, a good time was had by all. Or at least me. But I definitely could not go to Vegas frequently. A whole week is kind of too much; I could have left after the fourth or fifth day and been happy... and I wouldn't cry if I didn't go back there for several years. It's a fun town but it's so crowded everywhere you go and everything is made for tourists. Call me crazy, but I like to get away from obnoxious people and loud crowds and seizure-inducing lights when I'm on vacation. Yeah, I know, I'm weird.

Spring break was definitely needed, even if it was spent in the manmade monstrosity that is Las Vegas. I didn't think about school a single time, only when my parents made the aforementioned mentions of it. It was bliss.

Then I had to come back to school. Back to Duluth's frigid air and piles and piles of dirty, ugly snow. And class. And work and more incoming freshmen with their dumb (I mean, insightful) questions. I drove up here Monday morning with Amanda and her laundry bag in tow (I had to mention the laundry bag, I don't know why) and then went straight to class and spent the rest of the afternoon at work. I crawled into bed around 11:30 Monday night, so exhausted and so ready to go to sleep, knowing full well that when my alarm clock went off Tuesday morning, I would not be ready to wake up, no matter how well I had slept. (Alarm clock? More like a banshee announcing the death of my mental stability.)

So... this is way longer than I meant for it to be. Quick recap, my ass. Nonetheless, hope that everyone who had spring break last week enjoyed theirs as much as I did mine.

"Would Donald Trump be pre-judged guilty for arrogance and conspicuous consumption? Better still, would Martha Stewart be considered decisive and even charming when she says 'You're fired!' to a reality show contestant vying for her favor? Hardly."
-Elain Lafferty, editor-in-chief, Ms. magazine
As much as I may not exactly like Martha Stewart and her brand of perfectionism, I have to agree with this article from Ms.

More terrorist acts as everyone should have heard about by now*. I can't even understand it. I don't know why anyone would kill so many people, or even just one person. There's not really a whole lot that can be said (that hasn't been said already) about a senseless tragedy like this, especially for Americans. I hope that Americans don't just shrug this off, just because it's happened across the Atlantic, in another country entirely. Bush has already offered condolences. Take the time to read what Shannon (Anne's friend from Richmond) has to say. She's in Spain right now, studying abroad in a town called San Sebastián. It's pretty much a first-hand perspective; plus, she's studied the ETA so she knows a lot more than most people here in the U.S. I am keeping the victims and their families in my thoughts. Tanya, a girl I know from both Spanish and Communication classes, is studying in Madrid this semester, and I hope that she is safe.

I may be slightly irrational, but stuff like this really makes me nervous about going to South America. This massacre happened in Spain, which is a nation of the European Union, with a stable form of federal democracy, which has been in place for many years. Though moving slowly moving out of and reconstructing after many years of corrupt elections, military coups, and repression, South American governments are less stable than Spain. There are still so many violent outbreaks and riots, and groups similar to the ETA (though not quite as terroristic) that threaten the stability of the government. The Argentine goverment is pretty stable; their only difficulties in recent years have come from their economic situation and financial problems... but it still worries me.

But then I think that I'm just being stupid and young and so American - in that I'm too used to living in a well-established and steady democracy (though I know people have their problems with the U.S. government, for the most part we got it good here)... and I can't leave my nice, safe little world to go someplace where poverty, hunger and malnutrition are rampant, and sanitation is poor in most places... and people will kill other people just because an election didn't turn out the way they wanted it... who would want to do that? For whatever reason, I do. I'm not afraid that I'm going to get hurt or robbed or lose my life, at least, not really ... it's a small hesitation on my part, because I've wanted to go to Latin America all my life. Blame it on my heritage of wanderlust, blame it on my Dad for all those trips he took to Latin America when I was little... but I want to go and see how the other Americans live and I want to stretch myself to my limits. Watching Chelsea go off to Australia and knowing that Anne is leaving soon for Germany, a small part of me feels like I'm being left behind, but I know that I'll have my chance and that it will be, most likely, one of the most rewarding experiences I'll ever have.

Anyway.... I had class this morning and then went to work, where I suffered three of the more annoying students I've had to advise so far. I seriously don't know why some of these kids are going to college, other than the obvious fact that there isn't a whole lot you can do (that you want to do) without a college degree. The main objective for two of the kids was to skip class just about every day and drink as frequently as possible. I'm not trying to pretend like I have never imbibed alcohol or skipped a class, but I'm here for an education. I actually like school, I love academia, which is crazy and I know most people don't share my love, but most people at least like to learn, even if they don't like school. It just makes me sad to know that these incoming freshmen will be my peers and possibly even classmates at some point in the future. And - they could be applying for the same job as me in some distant future time! Hooray!

Okay, sorry, I guess I'm just full of words today. They just came tumbling out all of a sudden and there wasn't any way to stop them. I think that mainly I'm just avoiding studying for my midterm and folding the massive pile of laundry that is on my bed and has been there since before I went to work at 12:25. Hehe. Anyway, I really should attempt to be productive right now.

Tonight: more midterm studying with a break featuring packing for Vegas and possible television viewing...
Tomorrow: it's off to Las Vegas for a week of losing money, gaining weight (from eating at ginormous buffets), getting some sun (hopefully), and thoroughly enjoying myself! To my UMD readership, have a fun and safe spring break no matter where your week may take you... to Anne and Eric, have fun together the next week and have a safe trip to Germany, Annie, and Eric, you better give Anniekins a hug for me at the airport!...

Back in a week.




*If we're all keeping up with the responsibility of being well-informed citizens of the world.

Birthdays and vacation, with some school in between

I think I'm tired and seeing as how spring break is coming up, my brain has already packed its bags and gone on vacation. It just called from Vegas... it's lying poolside, soaking up the rays and waiting for the rest of me to get there so the real party can begin. I would think that tanning would probably not be good for my delicate pink brain, but then again, neither is the lack of sleep. I tried to persuade it to come home because I need it for my Spanish midterm on Friday, like, really really badly, but it just wouldn't listen. I guess it deserves a break, so I'll just have to struggle through the midterm on my own. Stupid brain.

It's David C. Wruck's 21st birthday today! Brian and I took him out to Superior for his power hour, which was fun and amusing. Dave was pretty silly. My only regret is that we didn't get to sing karaoke. Oh well, another time, perhaps? Hehe. The last bar we made a stop at was the End Zone... which, coincidentally, was the last place I went to on my 21st, and was the bar that assisted with me getting truly plastered... way more drunk than I have ever been, ever wanted to be, and let me just say... never again. But it was a good time nonetheless (all the puking notwithstanding), and here's a belated thanks to everyone who made my birthday such a riot! Thanks everybody! (you know who you are)

At any rate, I'm really excited to go to Las Vegas and meet up with my brain. My parents and I are leaving on Friday, and driving all the way through (which should be interesting)... so I leave in 3 days and then we'll be there on Saturday. Then... Dave and Brian, and their friend Josh and his girlfriend Jenny are showing up on Sunday! It's going to be a good time and there will definitely be some interesting stories.

Tonight: studying will be done and LIFE will be played. Oh yes, I am talking about the Game of Life. Or, Game of Life, The.

Hi there. I'm Klutzy Alexis. You may remember me from such incidents as The Great Sledding Collision (I co-starred with Rachel in that one), the Falling on Head on the Playground and Falling Backward off the Top Bunk Double Header Disaster, and the Trampoline Ankle Spraining Catastrophe (all of 2003). More recently, I was featured in the Unicycle Flat on my Face Accident and the Amazing Patch of Ice on the Stairs Mishap, as well as numerous minor Slips, Crashes, and Woes in general.

That's right. My klutzy side has resurfaced, though not with quite the vigor it had spring semester of last year. That stint of clumsiness lasted me into the summer, resulting in the sprainage of the left ankle at the beginning of June, thus tainting the rest of my summer fun. The clumsy streak seemed to taper off after that, possibly because I was forced to be mindful of my movements and also because not being able to run or climb or jump severely limits my ability to injure myself. I was accident-free, for the most part, for the rest of the summer and all of fall semester.

Recently, I have suffered a spate of baby accidents. Running into things, getting all sorts of little knicks on my hands, hitting my head, tripping over stuff, and falling down... sometimes I'll have several in a day and sometimes none for several days. Nothing too bad, too harmful. Ain't nothing I can't handle, cause after all, I have experience with these things. Now, I hate to condemn myself and believe me, I'm knocking on wood right now, but I can feel it coming. Something Big. The Big One, if you will. These tiny, petite calamities are all paving the way for some potentially big bodily harm. It's bound to happen. Um, pray for me so I don't snap in two, mmkay?

In other news, sorry I haven't written for a bit. I've been sort of busy the past week... academic orientation has commenced here at UMD, and thus advising has begun. I've been busy indoctrinating, erm, I mean, guiding incoming freshmen through the registration and advisement process, as well as brainwash - I mean, informing them about the things this school has to offer. Nice work if you can get it, and I did!

I'm sending in my application for Argentina sometime this week before I head to Vegas over spring break. I hope I'm accepted, not that I'm too worried about it, but cross your fingers just in case!