Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Update on the kitten
I just heard that the little gray fuzzball who played with my knitting is now in the life of luxury. She is scooped up after her 'owner' gets home from school, rides around her neck as she completes her chores and homework, sleeps with her at night, and comes running whenever she hears the faucet turned on - she loves playing in running water. How cute is that?!
Monday, March 26, 2007
KITTENS!!!! WE HAVE KITTENS!!!
Mercedes had her kittens Saturday March 24th. There are 4, 5 were born but one was stillborn. Three are gray and one is black, they are all healthy, strong, and look like little rats. Baby kittens take about a week or so before they start looking like kittens and being cute. Mercedes is a very good mother, she doesn't like where we have her kittens (she wants to move them outside back into the Mercedes where they were born (hence her name). If she had her way, no one would see the kittens until they were running around on their own and too aloof to start socializing with.
Meet the Parents
Today my boyfriend met my parents. He came over to see Mercedes' kittens (they were born yesterday) and Dad decided that they would go ahead and meet the guy I have been going out with. I don't think anyone was not nervous, except the kittens. My parents and I were nervous because this was a first for us, my boyfriend was nervous (well, wouldn't any boyfriend be? He hid it very well though), and Mercedes was nervous - she doesn't like a lot of people around.
After meeting the parents we headed off for dinner at Macaroni's with a friend and my brother, they met us at the restaurant. It was great fun, talking and learning more about others. Having friends is a great way to broaden horizons and learning capabilities. Everyone is different and the viewpoints and past history help to keep conversation interesting and not at a stalemate.
After dinner we got back into the chick-magnet and headed back toward home. We stopped at Coldstone Creamery for icecream. I had peanut butter cup perfection and he had founder's favorite. After a drive around town, we headed home.
A perfect end to a wonderful evening.
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Bogey's Funeral
Today was Bogey's funeral. My boyfriend picked me up at work and we headed off toward Athens. It was the first time that I had been to a pet funeral, the first in a long time I had been to a funeral. The cemetary was nice, there was an area for horses, and a K-9 memorial garden. I believe it was called the Garden of Honor. Several K-9s were buried there. It was hard to let go of Bogey, I know that his owner and my boyfriend were having a more difficult time letting him go. How could anyone not love the class clown, the life of the party, and the happy-go-lucky pup who loved to prance and show off? It was a very sad time.
After the funeral my boyfriend and I went out to Scalini's for dinner. It is wonderful to be able to go out for dinner, not worry about the time or how soon you have to leave. I do enjoy the leisurely meals we have together.
Scalini's is a great Italian restaurant with Jacobean and Victorian style furnishings. This was the 2nd time I have been there, the first was 2 years ago for my boyfriend's birthday. It is definately worth coming back to another time.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Colleges just want Money
You might say that I am very angry, and you would be 100% correct. I found out last week that I cannot graduate. I sent in my application to graduate to the college around Thanksgiving. Well before the start of my "final" semester. I got an email telling me that I am needing to take 2 more classes. I went into major panic mode, emailing, asking, calling. Now I only have 1 class that I need to take, hopefully I can CLEP macroeconomics. But that is the hopeful part. It is a shot in the dark, a longshot, something that I may not be able to do. Math has never been my forte, it has been my weakness. But that is the ONLY CLEP test available for me to take. I have taken all other courses.
What bothers me the most is that I sent my application in around Thanksgiving. It is right before Spring Break when they tell me I cannot graduate. All I am taking this semester is one class!! If I had known, I would have taken two! The University system is not there to help students, if it was I would not have this problem. Applications would be evaluated within a week or two of receipt. After all, my check was cashed in a timely manner. Within 14 days. But my application was not even looked at until it was too late for me to schedule extra classes.
I am sooooooo angry right now. The university system is out there just to make money for itself. Employers help the university monster get bigger and bigger. You are required to have a bachelors degree to answer the telephone and be a receptionist, especially if you want to have only one job. To flip burgers you probably need to have an associates degree. To do work that I am capable of I have to waste time in the school system and pay them money so they can give me a piece of paper saying that I withstood the initiation process of reading, writing, wasting time, paying money, traveling to and from class, and learning how to manipulate the system. It isn't what I learn, it is how much I pay, both in time and money.
What bothers me the most is that I sent my application in around Thanksgiving. It is right before Spring Break when they tell me I cannot graduate. All I am taking this semester is one class!! If I had known, I would have taken two! The University system is not there to help students, if it was I would not have this problem. Applications would be evaluated within a week or two of receipt. After all, my check was cashed in a timely manner. Within 14 days. But my application was not even looked at until it was too late for me to schedule extra classes.
I am sooooooo angry right now. The university system is out there just to make money for itself. Employers help the university monster get bigger and bigger. You are required to have a bachelors degree to answer the telephone and be a receptionist, especially if you want to have only one job. To flip burgers you probably need to have an associates degree. To do work that I am capable of I have to waste time in the school system and pay them money so they can give me a piece of paper saying that I withstood the initiation process of reading, writing, wasting time, paying money, traveling to and from class, and learning how to manipulate the system. It isn't what I learn, it is how much I pay, both in time and money.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Play Date
My boyfriend and I had a play date yesterday. He was working late with Total Detection Systems, a security company, and went to his regular night shift job late. So I went over to his house, let the dogs out for a few minutes and he came home. We played with the dogs, got a soft drink, split a munchie and parted ways. I have great photos of the dogs at play. I really don't know who had more fun, the dogs or us. Belle is a ball hound, but Sam, her puppy, has her beat - he can fit 2 tennis balls in his mouth at the same time. Harry loves to play with the Kong, and Sizzle just loves to play.
St. Patty's Day at Johnny's
Saturday we went out to Johnny's Pizza, one of our favorite haunts. We got there and the place was pleasantly full. After trying to figure out whether we wanted garlic bread with cheese or cheese bread (cheese bread is our normal appetizer) we ordered our pizza and sat back to enjoy the evening. We talked about work, English literature (how did that one get in there?) and speculated on how long the guy at the table near us would wear the oversized green glasses and the green sparkly headband with shamrock antennas. We had our regular order of pepperoni pizza with half sausage and half black olives. After a leisurely meal, we watched as the little league baseball teams poured in, 20 minutes before closing. We then went for a short ride in the chick-magnet, decided we wanted dessert but realized that there was not a place nearby for dessert.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Farewell to Bogey
My boyfriend's dog drowned this past Saturday. He was a happy-go-lucky Golden Retriever puppy under 2 years old. He was born 12-12-05 and passed away 3-18-07. His owner took him out for a jaunt at the park and let him go swimming on a mild afternoon. She threw a stick into the water and he retrieved it, threw it again, when he got it and swam back he went under. She dove in after him and grabbed his collar. When she started to drown she let go and never got hold of Bogey again.
It is with deep sympathy that I am writing this, both for the owner and my boyfriend. Everyone who met this dog fell in love with him. He was a dancer, full of life, and a big goof who could charm a room full of people.
We will miss you Bogie!
She is about to Pop
Our cat, Mercedes, is about to have kittens. The first litter she had 3, the second she had 2 (one died within 2 weeks and the living kitten pictures can be seen on my knitting blog). She is on her 3rd litter right now, her tummy is 3 times as big as her head. She waddles back and forth from the front to the back yard. I thought she was going to have her kittens Sunday but she is holding back on us. I think this time she may have 4 kittens, but I don't know for sure. All I know is that Mercedes is keeping us in suspense.
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Spring is on its way
This has been a beautiful week. Right now I am in my office wearing short sleeves, yet by the end of the week it is suppose to be cool again. Next week is spring break, so I will have a little reprieve from Philosophy. I am envious of the people who can just pack up and head to the beach or mountains for spring break. I wish I could join them! Instead I have a full time job (which helps pay bills, etc) and that keeps me tied down to one location.The pear trees are about to be in full bloom. Because there are so many in the area I have become intolerant to the fragrance they produce. Well, if every subdivision, store, and office park didn't use them in landscaping it wouldn't be so bad.
I am currently working on cleaning out my closets. I have taken several bags of shoes and clothes to the local thrift store. I found a bag of McDonald type happy meal toys, I need to take those to the local hospital along with books. Hopefully they will keep someone occupied in the waiting rooms..... one of the happy meal toys has lost a nose as Carsen, my brother's cat, has chewed the dog to bits. He had it for less than one week. Carsen is Mercedes' kitten from her 1st litter.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Apple Galette
I am a 'test cook' for a cooking magazine. It is fun, interesting, and, hopefully helpful to the editors. I suppose that they want people to help test recipes and see how they fare with the general public. The one I tried was the Apple Galette. It was good, I would not have made it so large, so square, or have the apples on a diagonal (that was just a bit difficult). I have included the recipe as well as photos, as well as an addition to the recipe that the editor forgot. :)
Apple Galette
Makes one 14-inch tart, serving 6 to 8
The two common brands of instant flour are Wondra and Shake & Blend. They are sold in small canisters in the baking aisle usually alongside the cornstarch. The galette can be made without the instant flour, using 2 cups of all-purpose flour and 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. However, you might have to increase the amount of water in the dough slightly. Although any apple will work in this recipe, the test kitchen preferred crisp, tart apples that were moderately sweet like golden delicious, granny smith, and empire. Make sure to cut the apples as thinly as possible. If they are cut thicker than 1/8-inch they will be hard to shingle. If your dough becomes soft and sticky while rolling, transfer it to a baking sheet and refrigerate for 10 to 15 minutes. Check the bottom of the galette halfway through baking, it should be a light golden brown. If it is darker, reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees. Serve galette with sweetened whipped cream, crème fraiche, or vanilla ice cream.
Dough:
1 1/2 cups (7 1/2 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (2 1/2 ounces) instant flour (see note above)
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
6 to 9 tablespoons ice water
Apple Filling:
1 1/2 pound apples (about 3-4 medium or 4-5 small), see note above
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons apricot preserves
1 tablespoon water
1. FOR THE DOUGH: Combine flours, salt, and sugar in food processor with three 1-second pulses. Scatter butter pieces over flour mixture; pulse to cut butter into flour until mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs and butter pieces about 1/4-inch remain, four to eight 1-second pulses. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon water over mixture and pulse once quickly to combine; repeat until dough begins to form small curds and holds together when pinched with fingers.
2. Empty dough onto work surface; dough will not be cohesive (if dough has large dry areas, sprinkle additional 2 teaspoons water over dry areas and incorporate by gently fluffing entire amount of dough with fingers). Using bench scraper, gather dough into rough mound about 12-inches long and 5-inches wide (mound should be perpendicular to edge of counter). Beginning at farthest end, use heel of hand, pushing firmly away from you, to smear about 2 tablespoons of dough against work surface, flattening dough into shaggy pieces. Repeat until all dough has been worked. Using bench scraper, gather dough again and repeat (dough will not have to be smeared as much as first time). Dough should now be cohesive. Form dough into 4-inch square, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate until cold and firm but malleable, at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.
3. About 15 minutes before baking, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Peel, core, and cut apples into 1/8-inch-thick slices, about the thickness of two dimes.
4.TO ASSEMBLE AND BAKE: (If dough has chilled longer than 1 hour and is cold and hard, let stand at room temperature 15 to 20 minutes before proceeding.) On 12 by 16-inch piece of parchment paper lightly dusted with flour, roll dough until it reaches about 8-inch square. Dust both top and bottom of dough with flour and continue to roll so that it just overhangs all four sides of parchment and is about 1/8 inch thick, dusting dough and rolling pin with flour as needed. (If dough sticks to parchment, gently loosen and lift sticky area with bench scraper and dust parchment with additional flour). Transfer parchment paper and dough onto a baking sheet. Trim overhanging dough. Fold each edge of dough over by 1/2-inch and press lightly. Re-fold each edge over again creating a ½-inch tall border. (If dough is too soft at this point, transfer parchment paper and dough to baking sheet and refrigerate for 10 to 15 minutes to harden).
5. Starting in one corner, shingle sliced apples, evenly across bottom, overlapping the previous row of apples by half. Dot apples with butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar. Bake until bottom of crust is deep golden brown and apples have caramelized, 45 to 55 minutes. Cool on baking sheet on wire rack for 15 minutes.
6. While tart is cooling, heat apricot preserves and water in small saucepan over medium heat until bubbling. Pour mixture through fine-meshed strainer to remove any large apricot pieces. Brush apples with glaze. Using edges of parchment paper, transfer galette to cutting board. Cut in half lengthwise and then into 1 to 2-inch strips; serve. 
Apple Galette
Makes one 14-inch tart, serving 6 to 8
The two common brands of instant flour are Wondra and Shake & Blend. They are sold in small canisters in the baking aisle usually alongside the cornstarch. The galette can be made without the instant flour, using 2 cups of all-purpose flour and 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. However, you might have to increase the amount of water in the dough slightly. Although any apple will work in this recipe, the test kitchen preferred crisp, tart apples that were moderately sweet like golden delicious, granny smith, and empire. Make sure to cut the apples as thinly as possible. If they are cut thicker than 1/8-inch they will be hard to shingle. If your dough becomes soft and sticky while rolling, transfer it to a baking sheet and refrigerate for 10 to 15 minutes. Check the bottom of the galette halfway through baking, it should be a light golden brown. If it is darker, reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees. Serve galette with sweetened whipped cream, crème fraiche, or vanilla ice cream.
Dough:
1 1/2 cups (7 1/2 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (2 1/2 ounces) instant flour (see note above)
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
6 to 9 tablespoons ice water
Apple Filling:
1 1/2 pound apples (about 3-4 medium or 4-5 small), see note above
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons apricot preserves
1 tablespoon water
1. FOR THE DOUGH: Combine flours, salt, and sugar in food processor with three 1-second pulses. Scatter butter pieces over flour mixture; pulse to cut butter into flour until mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs and butter pieces about 1/4-inch remain, four to eight 1-second pulses. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon water over mixture and pulse once quickly to combine; repeat until dough begins to form small curds and holds together when pinched with fingers.
2. Empty dough onto work surface; dough will not be cohesive (if dough has large dry areas, sprinkle additional 2 teaspoons water over dry areas and incorporate by gently fluffing entire amount of dough with fingers). Using bench scraper, gather dough into rough mound about 12-inches long and 5-inches wide (mound should be perpendicular to edge of counter). Beginning at farthest end, use heel of hand, pushing firmly away from you, to smear about 2 tablespoons of dough against work surface, flattening dough into shaggy pieces. Repeat until all dough has been worked. Using bench scraper, gather dough again and repeat (dough will not have to be smeared as much as first time). Dough should now be cohesive. Form dough into 4-inch square, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate until cold and firm but malleable, at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.
3. About 15 minutes before baking, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Peel, core, and cut apples into 1/8-inch-thick slices, about the thickness of two dimes.
4.TO ASSEMBLE AND BAKE: (If dough has chilled longer than 1 hour and is cold and hard, let stand at room temperature 15 to 20 minutes before proceeding.) On 12 by 16-inch piece of parchment paper lightly dusted with flour, roll dough until it reaches about 8-inch square. Dust both top and bottom of dough with flour and continue to roll so that it just overhangs all four sides of parchment and is about 1/8 inch thick, dusting dough and rolling pin with flour as needed. (If dough sticks to parchment, gently loosen and lift sticky area with bench scraper and dust parchment with additional flour). Transfer parchment paper and dough onto a baking sheet. Trim overhanging dough. Fold each edge of dough over by 1/2-inch and press lightly. Re-fold each edge over again creating a ½-inch tall border. (If dough is too soft at this point, transfer parchment paper and dough to baking sheet and refrigerate for 10 to 15 minutes to harden).
5. Starting in one corner, shingle sliced apples, evenly across bottom, overlapping the previous row of apples by half. Dot apples with butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar. Bake until bottom of crust is deep golden brown and apples have caramelized, 45 to 55 minutes. Cool on baking sheet on wire rack for 15 minutes.
6. While tart is cooling, heat apricot preserves and water in small saucepan over medium heat until bubbling. Pour mixture through fine-meshed strainer to remove any large apricot pieces. Brush apples with glaze. Using edges of parchment paper, transfer galette to cutting board. Cut in half lengthwise and then into 1 to 2-inch strips; serve.
Monday, March 12, 2007
Sunday Ride
Sunday was a perfect day for a ride. So, enter the boyfriend. Having taken the t-tops out of his trusty chik-magnet, we went for a ride down what use to be country roads. We saw horses, cows, and yep, you guessed it, buffalo! With the wind through our hair and an open road before us, who could not have a good time? Add great company and a discussion of whether buffalo are bison (yes, the blonde started this conversation) a fun time was had by all.
Thursday, March 8, 2007
Spamalot!!
My boyfriend's birthday is coming up soon, well, in 2 months. He is a big Monty Python fan (I have to admit I do enjoy John Cleese) and Spamalot was here in Atlanta for a short time. Since he is such a big fan I couldn't resist the opportunity of treating him to a play. I went to the play with a little hesitation, having seen The Holy Grail dvd last week. However I was pleasantly suprised and thoroughly enjoyed the play. I don't think there was an act that was too droll or didn't have enough slapstick humor to delight the audience. Nothing was sacred, not even the play itself. If you have the opportunity to go, I thoroughly recommend it! Afterwards we went out to the OK Cafe to eat, it is a retro diner in Atlanta with Southern style cooking. It was a good thing that the servings were large as we both were extremely hungry by the time we arrived! Needless to say, we were stuffed as we left.
Friday, March 2, 2007
Little Miss Sunshine Journal
Is life a paradox? Why is it that we tend to value what we do not have, and may not ever have, over that which we do have? Our quest in life is similar to that of Don Quixote, continually pursuing monsters and dragons, only to find that our dreams are not what we thought them to be. Our dreams fit the viewpoints that we currently have in life, showing the different stages of development. It shows that we want to grow, to do better in our life than we currently are, to change the world that we live in. We look around and peer into the lives of people who surround us, wanting what they have or knowing that we are better off as we are.
In the movie ‘Little Miss Sunshine’ an average American family was shown trying to achieve their dreams. The father was trying to make it big in the realm of motivational speaking, the grandfather had a ‘Fonzie’ complex (all women love me and want to make out with me), the son wanted to be a pilot in the Air Force, the mother wanted to have a successful family, the uncle wanted to be recognized as the top scholar he was, and the daughter wanted to be a beauty queen. Every one of their dreams was bigger than life itself and would take all of their energy, both physical and mental, to achieve and fulfill their dream. Although it was not impossible for their dreams to come true, the amount of dedication and determination would eventually make it highly improbable.
So why do we value that which we do not have? Quite possibly because we only see that which we want to see, we pick and choose what is of value as we look at life through our rose colored glasses. Or we do not know how to obtain that which we want. Richard, the father, saw people making money through motivational speaking. He knew it was possible to maximize income by adding book, audio, and video/DVD sales alongside a national speaking tour. What he did not realize was the need to promote his name and himself in order to lay the groundwork for publishing sales. Richard knew he wanted fame and fortune, but he did not realize the groundwork necessary to obtain it. Olive wanted to be ‘Little Miss Sunshine’ and quite possible Miss America, but she did not know how to obtain that status. She knew what she wanted but had no idea of how to get there.
Why do we feel like we may never obtain that which we want? Life tends to get in the way of us achieving the goals which we have set. Some unforeseen event occurs and causes delay in reaching the goals we have set for ourselves. Dwayne wanted to be a pilot in the Air Force. He made a vow of silence until he reached his goal. As a teenage boy that might not have been such a big deal to not speak, especially since he felt awkward in his own family. But the major obstacle he encountered was the fact that he was colorblind. That, to him, seemed like Mount Everest and for a while he gave up on being a pilot. For Olive there were a multitude of obstacles, those which she saw and those which she did not see. She did not see the problem in transportation, the cost of the trip, or the fact that no one really wanted to make the trip. What she did see was her Grandfather pass away, her brother’s frustration in being color blind, and the exasperation of road networks that make it difficult in reaching the final destination (even though they could see the hotel where the Little Miss Sunshine pageant was being held, they could not get to it from where they were).
Value is not placed on that which we have because, simply put, we already have it. There is no mystery about what we already have, there is no struggle to obtain it because it is already in our possession. But it is a good question. Why do we not value things that we already have? We are greedy people by nature. We see what others have and if ours is not the same or better we become envious. What we already have seems dull and lifeless, not worth having because we have seen better.
Why is it that we tend to be disappointed when we obtain the things we want? We tend to put an unrealistic perception on what we desire and what we want. For instance we can go into a bakery and see the most delicious looking crème horns. They are big and fluffy, the vanilla crème looks like it has been piped into the horn to the fullest capacity. With drooling mouth, the crème horn is ordered, paid for, placed on beautiful plate, drizzled with a little bit of dark chocolate, and handed over the counter. We sit down, lick our lips, and take the first bite. Our mind can already taste the buttery pastry and the oversweet vanilla crème. Our first bite, however, reveals that only one end of the crème horn had filling in it, the rest was just dry puffy pastry with a little chocolate drizzled on top. From the bakery window the crème horn looked appealing but the first bite revealed that it was mostly empty and only a crusty shell.
Life is full of vanity, trying to obtain that which we do not have, ignoring that which we currently possess. Many families go through this, especially when children are young. The parents are working hard to support the lifestyle they want, to ‘keep up with the Jones’ and miss out on being part of the child’s life as they are beginning to explore the world around them. Because the parents want to provide a life that is better for their child than what they had, they tend to overwork themselves and ignore the children. This provides a mental pattern for the child, to always be looking for something better than what they currently have. It is like looking for the rainbow’s end and a huge pot brimming with gold and a leprechaun beside it. It is something that we always look for but somehow in the back of our minds we know that it will never be ours. It is just a figment of our imagination, like the dragons and monsters Don Quixote was always seeking. No matter how much we want it we will never obtain some of our dreams.
So how much is too much or too little for us to dream? That must be determined by the individual themselves. It depends on how strong they are physically, mentally, and whether they are determined to achieve the goals they set. But whether they are satisfied or not, that is a personal choice. Disneyland, the ‘happiest place on earth,’ can have unhappy people there. Is it Disneyland’s fault? No, it is a personal choice. Everyday we make the choice to value what we have or to be disgruntled with our possessions and greedy for what belongs to others. We look on as others succeed in the workplace, while we diligently attend to our own work. We see others less skilled than we are getting promotions, pay increases, and notoriety. Yet we do most of the groundwork for them and all of the work we do is totally ignored. Others who are less loyal and squander company time and money are given a higher paycheck and a better compensation package. People who have been with the company less time than we have are given the promotions that we are working for, hope for, and need. We see people with less job experience have no problem getting a good paying job and yet the job we have barely makes ends meet. Is it that they know something that we do not, they know how to promote themselves and the channels they must go through in order to obtain what they want. Are they really succeeding and as happy as we think they are or are we just deluding ourselves?
In our lives we have gone past the basic desire to live. We surpass that state of mere existence and add to it the desire to have an untouchable item. Whether it is fame, fortune, things, or love, it does not matter. We want something that we know we cannot have. We go for the forbidden fruit, so to speak, and while we try to obtain it we can easily be told by Dwayne ‘Welcome to Hell’ because the misery in obtaining what we desire can be unbearable.
In the movie ‘Little Miss Sunshine’ an average American family was shown trying to achieve their dreams. The father was trying to make it big in the realm of motivational speaking, the grandfather had a ‘Fonzie’ complex (all women love me and want to make out with me), the son wanted to be a pilot in the Air Force, the mother wanted to have a successful family, the uncle wanted to be recognized as the top scholar he was, and the daughter wanted to be a beauty queen. Every one of their dreams was bigger than life itself and would take all of their energy, both physical and mental, to achieve and fulfill their dream. Although it was not impossible for their dreams to come true, the amount of dedication and determination would eventually make it highly improbable.
So why do we value that which we do not have? Quite possibly because we only see that which we want to see, we pick and choose what is of value as we look at life through our rose colored glasses. Or we do not know how to obtain that which we want. Richard, the father, saw people making money through motivational speaking. He knew it was possible to maximize income by adding book, audio, and video/DVD sales alongside a national speaking tour. What he did not realize was the need to promote his name and himself in order to lay the groundwork for publishing sales. Richard knew he wanted fame and fortune, but he did not realize the groundwork necessary to obtain it. Olive wanted to be ‘Little Miss Sunshine’ and quite possible Miss America, but she did not know how to obtain that status. She knew what she wanted but had no idea of how to get there.
Why do we feel like we may never obtain that which we want? Life tends to get in the way of us achieving the goals which we have set. Some unforeseen event occurs and causes delay in reaching the goals we have set for ourselves. Dwayne wanted to be a pilot in the Air Force. He made a vow of silence until he reached his goal. As a teenage boy that might not have been such a big deal to not speak, especially since he felt awkward in his own family. But the major obstacle he encountered was the fact that he was colorblind. That, to him, seemed like Mount Everest and for a while he gave up on being a pilot. For Olive there were a multitude of obstacles, those which she saw and those which she did not see. She did not see the problem in transportation, the cost of the trip, or the fact that no one really wanted to make the trip. What she did see was her Grandfather pass away, her brother’s frustration in being color blind, and the exasperation of road networks that make it difficult in reaching the final destination (even though they could see the hotel where the Little Miss Sunshine pageant was being held, they could not get to it from where they were).
Value is not placed on that which we have because, simply put, we already have it. There is no mystery about what we already have, there is no struggle to obtain it because it is already in our possession. But it is a good question. Why do we not value things that we already have? We are greedy people by nature. We see what others have and if ours is not the same or better we become envious. What we already have seems dull and lifeless, not worth having because we have seen better.
Why is it that we tend to be disappointed when we obtain the things we want? We tend to put an unrealistic perception on what we desire and what we want. For instance we can go into a bakery and see the most delicious looking crème horns. They are big and fluffy, the vanilla crème looks like it has been piped into the horn to the fullest capacity. With drooling mouth, the crème horn is ordered, paid for, placed on beautiful plate, drizzled with a little bit of dark chocolate, and handed over the counter. We sit down, lick our lips, and take the first bite. Our mind can already taste the buttery pastry and the oversweet vanilla crème. Our first bite, however, reveals that only one end of the crème horn had filling in it, the rest was just dry puffy pastry with a little chocolate drizzled on top. From the bakery window the crème horn looked appealing but the first bite revealed that it was mostly empty and only a crusty shell.
Life is full of vanity, trying to obtain that which we do not have, ignoring that which we currently possess. Many families go through this, especially when children are young. The parents are working hard to support the lifestyle they want, to ‘keep up with the Jones’ and miss out on being part of the child’s life as they are beginning to explore the world around them. Because the parents want to provide a life that is better for their child than what they had, they tend to overwork themselves and ignore the children. This provides a mental pattern for the child, to always be looking for something better than what they currently have. It is like looking for the rainbow’s end and a huge pot brimming with gold and a leprechaun beside it. It is something that we always look for but somehow in the back of our minds we know that it will never be ours. It is just a figment of our imagination, like the dragons and monsters Don Quixote was always seeking. No matter how much we want it we will never obtain some of our dreams.
So how much is too much or too little for us to dream? That must be determined by the individual themselves. It depends on how strong they are physically, mentally, and whether they are determined to achieve the goals they set. But whether they are satisfied or not, that is a personal choice. Disneyland, the ‘happiest place on earth,’ can have unhappy people there. Is it Disneyland’s fault? No, it is a personal choice. Everyday we make the choice to value what we have or to be disgruntled with our possessions and greedy for what belongs to others. We look on as others succeed in the workplace, while we diligently attend to our own work. We see others less skilled than we are getting promotions, pay increases, and notoriety. Yet we do most of the groundwork for them and all of the work we do is totally ignored. Others who are less loyal and squander company time and money are given a higher paycheck and a better compensation package. People who have been with the company less time than we have are given the promotions that we are working for, hope for, and need. We see people with less job experience have no problem getting a good paying job and yet the job we have barely makes ends meet. Is it that they know something that we do not, they know how to promote themselves and the channels they must go through in order to obtain what they want. Are they really succeeding and as happy as we think they are or are we just deluding ourselves?
In our lives we have gone past the basic desire to live. We surpass that state of mere existence and add to it the desire to have an untouchable item. Whether it is fame, fortune, things, or love, it does not matter. We want something that we know we cannot have. We go for the forbidden fruit, so to speak, and while we try to obtain it we can easily be told by Dwayne ‘Welcome to Hell’ because the misery in obtaining what we desire can be unbearable.
Thursday, March 1, 2007
Little Miss Sunshine
The second of three journals I have to write about is Little Miss Sunshine. This movie shows a dysfunctional family and by the time you finish watching it your dysfunctional family will not seem quite as dysfunctional as you thought. Other than the fact that the script writers seem to only know one word, the movie was good. Well, downright humourous. I haven't laughed that much watching a movie in ages. You can actually see the torment and pain in the actor's faces as they complete the dysfunctional picture. As Dwayne said "Welcome to Hell."
A History of Violence Journal
What does “peace” mean anyway? Peace means the absence of violence. It means living in harmony with the people who surround you, whether they are family or neighbors, co-workers or bosses, fellow students or faculty. But does peace go so far to mean that we are submissive to those with more authority or those who are stronger than we are? Or does it mean that we pick and choose our battles so that when we make a statement people know that the point we are trying to make is important to us? In ‘A History of Violence’ Tom Stall decided that he wanted to pick and choose his battles carefully. He was tired of the violence of his mob past and chose to live the simple life of a small town businessman, the owner of the local diner. He buried his violent past to live in harmony with the ‘ideal’ small town America. He had the ‘ideal’ family, a wife and two children, and even owned his own home. But was he fooling himself by thinking he could live peacefully?
Tom Stall believed that he could live peacefully, and he did, for 13 years. That must have seemed like a blessing to him, no bloodshed, no fighting, he possibly had even stopped looking back to see if he was being followed by the mob. But a series of circumstances brought his peaceful world to an end, circumstances he could not ignore because he knew the type of person who had just walked through his diner door. He knew because 13 years prior to that day he was involved with those same people and thought he had escaped. Through the action to save the lives of people close to him a torrential chain of events quickly ensued. The media attention, his photo and home announced on local and national TV, the quick rise to celebrity status allowed the mob to find him. He thought he was in a peaceful environment, but his violent past followed him to his safe haven.
Does peace mean that we are to be submissive to those who have more power or those who are stronger than we are? Are we to be in a state of fear of violence or emotional turmoil so that we give way to those who are stronger or more cunning than we are? Does peace mean that we are to always be submissive? I do not believe that peace means to be submissive. If we live in a submissive state, always bending for others to have their way, we will end up with a meaningless life. If our life is not meaningless it will be impossible to do those things which we deem important in our own psyche. By denying our psyche we can end up with mental problems or we could become irrational and physically violent and harm those who are around us. If someone is always submissive to others it is quite possible that they have been abused, oppressed, or brainwashed. That is not living in peace, it is living in fear or a state of ignorance. If we allow ourselves to remain in that state we are not living in peace, we are living in a sub-life. It also means that when someone stronger or more cunning comes along we have to bend and change to please them. So if we are always submissive we would always be doing the whims of those who are stronger or more cunning than we are. This was shown through the life of Jack Stall and his interaction with the local high school bully. Even though Jack was more cunning with words, the bully seemed stronger and was definitely more aggressive than Jack. All through the school year Jack took the verbal and emotional abuse from the bully and he tried to maintain his own ground through cunning words. Jack was submissive to the bully because he did not want physical abuse. He wanted to avoid pain and injury so he submitted to the verbal abuse that the bully gave him. May be it was a sense of empowerment after he aided his father in what he believed to be defending their home and the turning point was when he picked up a shotgun and shot one of the mobsters, but after that attack he gave up cunning words to escape his bully. The next time his local school bully verbally assailed him, Jack became physically violent. Afterwards, when Tom questioned Jack about his mode of handling difficult situations, Jack retorted that they don’t solve problems by hitting people, they “just shoot them.”
Are we really fooling ourselves by thinking we can live in peace? After all, there will always be someone in this world who is stronger or more cunning than we are. If we are to live in peace, how is it to be done? Who is the person who decides what peace is and how it is to be enforced? Or do we each go to an isolated area where there is no contact with other humans so that we can live in peace? What is peace? Is it achievable? Or is it an impossible dream that we gaze wistfully at from our strifeful world? I believe that we can live in peace, and that it is obtainable, but people must be willing to live in peace with each other. There must be a putting aside of differences, a choice to live in harmony, the desire for peace in order for there to be peace in the world. Peace is achievable through the antithesis of peace by standing firm for our beliefs even if it means fighting for them. In order to have peace in the future we must put aside peace for a short while. We must choose our battles carefully to make our statement for peace have more meaning. If we pick and choose our battles carefully what we stand up for will have more meaning. This can be demonstrated through language. If someone constantly uses colorful metaphors, slang, and four letter words all through their speech it becomes commonplace. In today’s society almost all forms of media widely use these metaphors, four letter words and slang. However when ‘Gone With The Wind’ came out and Rhett Butler said “Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn” the language was more impressive and made more of a statement. All through the movie he could have used language but he didn’t. He waited until the time when it would be the most effective and when it would make the greatest impact. We must pick and choose our battles carefully to make the most effective statements possible. If we find that smoking cigarettes is dangerous do we go up to every smoker and forcefully take away their cigarettes? Or do we find a more effective means? Taxation of cigarettes, making them less accessible, restricting areas where they can be smoked in public, etc. would be more peaceful and would have to be agreed upon by the majority of people before it was passed into law.
So who decides what is peace and how it is to be enforced? I believe that the majority of people in the society should decide these matters. It is a tricky subject because people should be allowed to voice their own opinions about peace, what it is, and what steps of action will be taken to enforce peace. But to obtain these opinions people must be free to make their own decisions without undue distress. Another tricky matter is that in making the decisions concerning peace everyone should have a voice and no one group in society should be pinpointed for correction without having the ability to voice their opinions as well. Society should not pinpoint one group to discriminate against or annihilate just because they are different. But the question keeps going back to who decides these matters? What if the society as a whole decides that people who write with their left hand are deviants and should be annihilated? What should be the determining factor that society is wrong and that left-handed people are not deviants that should be removed? The questions are a never-ending cycle, always going back to who. Who decides? Who enforces? Who is the one responsible for maintaining peace? The answer that keeps coming to my mind is that peace lies inside each one of us. It is up to each person to decide whether something would cause turmoil or maintain peace and to take the proper steps of action in order to maintain peace. It is up to us to decide who to put in authority to maintain civil peace. It is up to us to decide what laws to agree upon to maintain peace in society. Peace, ironically, is individual. When individuals are peaceful, society will be peaceful. When societies are peaceful, the nations will be peaceful. When the nations are peaceful, there will be peace in the world.
Tom Stall believed that he could live peacefully, and he did, for 13 years. That must have seemed like a blessing to him, no bloodshed, no fighting, he possibly had even stopped looking back to see if he was being followed by the mob. But a series of circumstances brought his peaceful world to an end, circumstances he could not ignore because he knew the type of person who had just walked through his diner door. He knew because 13 years prior to that day he was involved with those same people and thought he had escaped. Through the action to save the lives of people close to him a torrential chain of events quickly ensued. The media attention, his photo and home announced on local and national TV, the quick rise to celebrity status allowed the mob to find him. He thought he was in a peaceful environment, but his violent past followed him to his safe haven.
Does peace mean that we are to be submissive to those who have more power or those who are stronger than we are? Are we to be in a state of fear of violence or emotional turmoil so that we give way to those who are stronger or more cunning than we are? Does peace mean that we are to always be submissive? I do not believe that peace means to be submissive. If we live in a submissive state, always bending for others to have their way, we will end up with a meaningless life. If our life is not meaningless it will be impossible to do those things which we deem important in our own psyche. By denying our psyche we can end up with mental problems or we could become irrational and physically violent and harm those who are around us. If someone is always submissive to others it is quite possible that they have been abused, oppressed, or brainwashed. That is not living in peace, it is living in fear or a state of ignorance. If we allow ourselves to remain in that state we are not living in peace, we are living in a sub-life. It also means that when someone stronger or more cunning comes along we have to bend and change to please them. So if we are always submissive we would always be doing the whims of those who are stronger or more cunning than we are. This was shown through the life of Jack Stall and his interaction with the local high school bully. Even though Jack was more cunning with words, the bully seemed stronger and was definitely more aggressive than Jack. All through the school year Jack took the verbal and emotional abuse from the bully and he tried to maintain his own ground through cunning words. Jack was submissive to the bully because he did not want physical abuse. He wanted to avoid pain and injury so he submitted to the verbal abuse that the bully gave him. May be it was a sense of empowerment after he aided his father in what he believed to be defending their home and the turning point was when he picked up a shotgun and shot one of the mobsters, but after that attack he gave up cunning words to escape his bully. The next time his local school bully verbally assailed him, Jack became physically violent. Afterwards, when Tom questioned Jack about his mode of handling difficult situations, Jack retorted that they don’t solve problems by hitting people, they “just shoot them.”
Are we really fooling ourselves by thinking we can live in peace? After all, there will always be someone in this world who is stronger or more cunning than we are. If we are to live in peace, how is it to be done? Who is the person who decides what peace is and how it is to be enforced? Or do we each go to an isolated area where there is no contact with other humans so that we can live in peace? What is peace? Is it achievable? Or is it an impossible dream that we gaze wistfully at from our strifeful world? I believe that we can live in peace, and that it is obtainable, but people must be willing to live in peace with each other. There must be a putting aside of differences, a choice to live in harmony, the desire for peace in order for there to be peace in the world. Peace is achievable through the antithesis of peace by standing firm for our beliefs even if it means fighting for them. In order to have peace in the future we must put aside peace for a short while. We must choose our battles carefully to make our statement for peace have more meaning. If we pick and choose our battles carefully what we stand up for will have more meaning. This can be demonstrated through language. If someone constantly uses colorful metaphors, slang, and four letter words all through their speech it becomes commonplace. In today’s society almost all forms of media widely use these metaphors, four letter words and slang. However when ‘Gone With The Wind’ came out and Rhett Butler said “Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn” the language was more impressive and made more of a statement. All through the movie he could have used language but he didn’t. He waited until the time when it would be the most effective and when it would make the greatest impact. We must pick and choose our battles carefully to make the most effective statements possible. If we find that smoking cigarettes is dangerous do we go up to every smoker and forcefully take away their cigarettes? Or do we find a more effective means? Taxation of cigarettes, making them less accessible, restricting areas where they can be smoked in public, etc. would be more peaceful and would have to be agreed upon by the majority of people before it was passed into law.
So who decides what is peace and how it is to be enforced? I believe that the majority of people in the society should decide these matters. It is a tricky subject because people should be allowed to voice their own opinions about peace, what it is, and what steps of action will be taken to enforce peace. But to obtain these opinions people must be free to make their own decisions without undue distress. Another tricky matter is that in making the decisions concerning peace everyone should have a voice and no one group in society should be pinpointed for correction without having the ability to voice their opinions as well. Society should not pinpoint one group to discriminate against or annihilate just because they are different. But the question keeps going back to who decides these matters? What if the society as a whole decides that people who write with their left hand are deviants and should be annihilated? What should be the determining factor that society is wrong and that left-handed people are not deviants that should be removed? The questions are a never-ending cycle, always going back to who. Who decides? Who enforces? Who is the one responsible for maintaining peace? The answer that keeps coming to my mind is that peace lies inside each one of us. It is up to each person to decide whether something would cause turmoil or maintain peace and to take the proper steps of action in order to maintain peace. It is up to us to decide who to put in authority to maintain civil peace. It is up to us to decide what laws to agree upon to maintain peace in society. Peace, ironically, is individual. When individuals are peaceful, society will be peaceful. When societies are peaceful, the nations will be peaceful. When the nations are peaceful, there will be peace in the world.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
