Friday, March 07, 2003
I've been listening to a lot of NPR since I gave up TV for Lent (well, I didn't really give it up cold turkey, but I have strict guidelines involving no violence, no negative messages as the final outcome, and no dysfunction, and that just rules out everything on TV nowadays). And so far, it hasn't been bad. I even caught myself salsa-ing to the Latin jazz featured on the Jazz program while I was making dinner. I never realized exactly how much I rely on TV for background noise while I type, knit, clean, cook, etc. I'm convinced TV does rot your brain, as I feel somewhat smarter in the few short days since I gave it up. I've been keeping up with the news via the internet, as to avoid news channels that drone on and on about a particular subject, analyze it dull, and talking heads that bicker constantly over who is right or wrong. NPR doesn't do debates.
And I've been reading a bit more. The newest issue of BUST came to my door yesterday, and, per my usual BUST self-pleasure ritual, I took myself out to Aunt Sarah's pancake house and read it over French toast and a damn fine cuppa coffee. This issue focuses on women and age. It features Frances McDormand on the cover (have loved, loved, loved her since she was Fargo Marge) and basically says that everyone who tells you that you should base your life on a number should screw off. It also features Moolah and May, two lady wrestlers over the age of 79 (one is scheduled to wrestle a WWF superstar on her 80th birthday- how f***king cool is that?) as well as various other age-celebrating articles, as well as an article praising Kelly Osbourne for being who she is in a pop music world of Britneys and Christinas. Once again, a well-done issue.
My cousin Kristen and I took in the Spring Show. On the way, we discussed how Bruce Springsteen is the epitomy of cool. Kristen bought a bag with cherries on it, and I bought some banana and pumkin bread loaves as well as candy from my coworker Carolyn, who has a catering business on the side.
One our way home, the Better Half called Kristen's cell phone, saying he had to go to a post-retreat meeting. He made it sound that he had no choice- that his sponsor told him that he HAD to attend the first three meetings, despite the fact that he was really tired and wasn't keen on going. He said he would go to the first meeting, but after that, if they pissed him off, he'd have no part of it.
To be honest, the whole structure and concept of this retreat that he attended gave me the creeps. When he described it to me, it reminded me a bit of the Pope youth day- conservative and rah-rah religious (My bridesmaid and great pal Marian gave me that line. Thanks sweetie!) but sort of empty when it came to spirituality. Whereas the one we both attended at St. Mikes was very personal and intimate, and included the family, this one was sort of detatched. Of course I am biased. I was told that I was to attend the sunrise litergy and the closing ceremony so I could hand flowers to my man in a surprise visit. I went out and bought two roses- a red one from me and a pink one from Chessie, and showed up at 6:30AM with a smile on my face. It faded when I handed my flowers to a man hoping he'd give them to the Better Half, but instead handed them to a total stranger! I guess they wanted people to just bring flowers so that the men would have enough to go around. After approximately five minutes of singing, the men went into the breakfast hall. I was told that there was a change of plans, and that only people who had been on previous retreats could go to the closing ceremony so as not to "spoil" the events for people who had not yet gone on the retreat. I thought it would have been better for me to support my man than to have a surprise ruined, but, not wanting to piss people off, I stayed home. Later that night, the Better Half said he thought that what was said to me was utter poppycock and that he would have loved to have seen me there, and he would fill out an evaluation sheet with that complaint.
As for me, I'll stick with St. Mike's retreats. I'm really biased, since they work best for me.
And I've been reading a bit more. The newest issue of BUST came to my door yesterday, and, per my usual BUST self-pleasure ritual, I took myself out to Aunt Sarah's pancake house and read it over French toast and a damn fine cuppa coffee. This issue focuses on women and age. It features Frances McDormand on the cover (have loved, loved, loved her since she was Fargo Marge) and basically says that everyone who tells you that you should base your life on a number should screw off. It also features Moolah and May, two lady wrestlers over the age of 79 (one is scheduled to wrestle a WWF superstar on her 80th birthday- how f***king cool is that?) as well as various other age-celebrating articles, as well as an article praising Kelly Osbourne for being who she is in a pop music world of Britneys and Christinas. Once again, a well-done issue.
My cousin Kristen and I took in the Spring Show. On the way, we discussed how Bruce Springsteen is the epitomy of cool. Kristen bought a bag with cherries on it, and I bought some banana and pumkin bread loaves as well as candy from my coworker Carolyn, who has a catering business on the side.
One our way home, the Better Half called Kristen's cell phone, saying he had to go to a post-retreat meeting. He made it sound that he had no choice- that his sponsor told him that he HAD to attend the first three meetings, despite the fact that he was really tired and wasn't keen on going. He said he would go to the first meeting, but after that, if they pissed him off, he'd have no part of it.
To be honest, the whole structure and concept of this retreat that he attended gave me the creeps. When he described it to me, it reminded me a bit of the Pope youth day- conservative and rah-rah religious (My bridesmaid and great pal Marian gave me that line. Thanks sweetie!) but sort of empty when it came to spirituality. Whereas the one we both attended at St. Mikes was very personal and intimate, and included the family, this one was sort of detatched. Of course I am biased. I was told that I was to attend the sunrise litergy and the closing ceremony so I could hand flowers to my man in a surprise visit. I went out and bought two roses- a red one from me and a pink one from Chessie, and showed up at 6:30AM with a smile on my face. It faded when I handed my flowers to a man hoping he'd give them to the Better Half, but instead handed them to a total stranger! I guess they wanted people to just bring flowers so that the men would have enough to go around. After approximately five minutes of singing, the men went into the breakfast hall. I was told that there was a change of plans, and that only people who had been on previous retreats could go to the closing ceremony so as not to "spoil" the events for people who had not yet gone on the retreat. I thought it would have been better for me to support my man than to have a surprise ruined, but, not wanting to piss people off, I stayed home. Later that night, the Better Half said he thought that what was said to me was utter poppycock and that he would have loved to have seen me there, and he would fill out an evaluation sheet with that complaint.
As for me, I'll stick with St. Mike's retreats. I'm really biased, since they work best for me.
