For David

(Cuz that's what heartbroken ones do: we write bad poetry)

There once was a boy named David
Who sat in his room and hated
The world and the women in it.
His heart had been broken
By she who was chosen
As his love forevermore.

So alone David sat
Like a mouse from a cat.
Sad eyes never lie
But to say goodbye
To a love that is nevermore.

There once was a boy named David
Who sat in his room and hated
The world and the women in it.
Till the door cracked open
And David found hope in
The love he would share once more.

Somethings Gotta Give

I, along with so many other women, seem to catch so much slack from men for getting sucked into the same predictable, two-dimensional, often-times sappy "chick flick." And I admit it: nine times out of ten, they really are terrible. But I love them anyway, something I often feel secretly ashamed of, as if this somehow detracts from my credibility as a woman. The truth is, there are reasons why chick flicks are so successful and why so many of us fall victim to their charms. They give us hope. They remind us of the possibility, the potential for love. And if we are lucky enough to have already found the loves of our lives, well, we still devour the chick flick if only because it serves as a reminder of the preciousness of what we already have. Somehow, we see ourselves in the characters, no matter how quirky or mysterious they may be. We see ourselves in their faces and suddenly it is our eyes that sparkle and dance. That beautiful man is suddenly falling in love with us. We feel beautiful again. We feel worthy of love when otherwise all seems lost.

So do not chastise and do not tease. The heart is, indeed, a labyrinth of ups and downs. Thank God we have the ever-present chick flick for support, to help us rejoice when we're in the clouds and get back on our feet after the falls.

Top films of the year (2008)

The Top Five:

5.  Rock-n-Rolla

     This was a surprising little treat of a film by Guy Richie (Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels; Snatch; Layer Cake; etc.).  In true Richie fashion, the film follows a couple of amateur criminals as they become more and more entangled in the web of London's mob world, only to surface miraculously unscathed and, arguably, all the wiser for it.  It's witty, complex, and beautifully filmed.  Definitely worth a watch!

4.  The Dark Knight

     What could be more enjoyable than a mass-marketed, blockbuster piece of nihilism in which the damsel in distress dies, no one wins (least of all, Batman), and the actor behind one of the most disturbing, frightening villains in all of film is dead in real life?  Ooooooh...sends chills of pleasure down my spine just thinking about it!  :)

3.  Vicky Christina Barcelona

     This is actually the newest addition to my list, having finally seen it this morning!  However, I must admit that, being a fan of Woody Allen, I was secretly reserving a space for this little menage a trois of an adventure, knowing I would fall in love with it at first sight.  Predictable, I know.  Still, I just couldn't help myself.  Even if you are not particularly fond of Woody Allen, you may very well like this film.  However, I must forewarn you:  the ending is a bit unresolved, so if you like your movies nicely packaged, wrapped, and tied with a bow, skip this one and move on to #2.

2.  Wall-E

     I know, I know.  If everyone would just take a moment to stop drooling all over Wall-E they might actually realize it is an animated film!!!  Animation simply isn't supposed to be this damn good!!!  Right?  Guys?  Hello? 

     WRONG: Not only is it good, it really is that good.  Hell, I'm drooling all over the keyboard   as I speak.  I freakin' loved this movie.  The artistry is absolutely breathtaking, the not-so subtle dystopic undertones are still quirky enough to rule out snooty condescension, and above all else, it's endearing in a "the world may be going to hell but at least there's still loooovveee" kind of way.  (I mean, let's face it, I've never felt such an overwhelming compulsion to give a robot a hug.  Ok, maybe a kiss on the cheek too... I am a sucker for heaps of metal with a heart, after all.)

1.  Milk

     It's really quite simple: An inspiring man, an inspiring story, an unforgettable portrayal of both.  The acting is superb, the writing is perfection, and the cinematography is spot-on.  Why on earth Harvey Milk is not in the history books right there next to MLK, Ghandi, Stanton and others just goes to show how warped our society really is.  To Harvey--and all the other nameless faces of equality--here's to you! 

Honorable Mentions (in no particular order):

Doubt

Priceless

Iron Man

Man On Wire

Pineapple Express

Most Overrated Movies of the Year:

1. Slumdog Millionaire

     I could--and probably will--write an entire post on why this film doesn't deserve all of the attention and accolades it is getting as of late, but I'll save that for another day.

2. Benjamin Button

3. Tropic Thunder

Subbing Moments, We Salute You!

It has been over two months now that I have been substituting here in Portland and, unfortunately, things simply haven't picked up the way I had hoped.  I am still only getting one, maybe two, calls a week (this week I didn't get any!), and quite frankly, such sporadic work simply isn't sustainable.  Tutoring at Huntington has proved equally lackluster.  And so, it looks as though it is back to the drawing board!  Hoorah!  But before I leave my distinguished sub career behind, I thought I would share a few highlights from the road:

5.  Arriving to a school where the teacher left absolutely NOTHING to do.  No sub plans, no worksheets, no movies.  Nada.  Luckily, the Assistant Principal was good-hearted enough to scrounge together random DVDs from surrounding classrooms.  The day's lesson evolved into a film fest of the following: The Incredibles, Why Dog's Smile and Chimpanzees Cry (a Discovery Channel documentary), The Lost Boys of Sudan, and Speak, a film about a young teen who is raped summer before freshman year of high school.

4.  Being totally and completely DOMINATED by a 7th grade Dance Class.  Thirty-three thirteen-year-old girls.  One unfortunate substitute.  'Nuff said.

3.  Being referred to as "the super strict one" in the hall of a particularly rowdy middle school.  Silent high-five to me!  Woohoo!   yes, I believe this was the crowning glory of my subbing experience.

2.  Same day, same class:  boy eats paper.  Seriously.  Is moved to another desk- and away from the squealing girl sitting next to him- and continues to glower at his classmates as he chews on another 5 x 3 index card.  Creepy.

1.  One of my most productive, stress-free days?  Teaching a middle-school Intro to Spanish class.  yes, my friends!  Miracles do indeed happen!  

So I was just perusing the internet and came across a fun little book game and thought I would try it out!  (read:  massive dorkiness to follow.  be prepared.)

Basically, the point of the game is to take a book, any book, and let it fall open on a random page.  Then read a pre-determined number of lines (lines 7-12, for example).  Post these lines as a "teaser" for the book, a literary appetizer.  A small helping of fresh out of the oven bruschetta, if you will.  

Doesn't that sound absolutely delectable??  Here, I'll go first.  

From my current read: Peace Like A River by Leif Enger

p. 56  lines 7-12

"'Of course not.  I know it happened.  It just shouldn't have.  Don't you see that?'

'No,' Swede replied.

But I saw what he meant, or I would eventually.  Davy wanted life to be something you did on your own; the whole idea of a protective, fatherly God annoyed him."

Actually, I'm still on p. 38 myself, so this little exercise has served as a bit of a teaser for me as well.  Ooooh!  I can't wait to get to p. 56 so I can find out what they are talking about and why!  Perhaps I will get there this afternoon, during the hours upon hours of free time on my hands these days.

For now, I sit at Peet's Coffee and Tea in swanky Lake Oswego, waiting for 1:30 to roll around so I can go to the district office and register to substitute.  For the record, this will be my fifth district with whom I have offered my services.  Up until yesterday that number was stuck at three.  Three districts and only two jobs in the past month: one half day in a high school "Future Focus" class (in which I spoke about grande themes such as out-sourcing and globalization to a room full of blank faces) and a full day in a middle school "Keys to Music" class teaching keyboarding to sixth graders.  So now I am adding two more districts to the mix, in a desperate attempt to nearly double my odds.  Hey, it's worth a try, even if it means having to drive 45 minutes to a school on the other side of town.  

Meanwhile, I will be drinking copious amounts of tea and flying through two books and countless newspapers a week in a vague attempt at maintaining some degree of mental stimulation, while simultaneously creating the facade of an intelligent, worthy individual with worldly perspectives and an unnatural love of... wait, youtube videos?  Damn it.  My cover is blown.  

Now back to those titillating clips highlighting John McCain's anger issues...

Polit[ick!]s

Perhaps it is a bit overly dramatic of me to say, but let me just state, for the record:

If McCain/Palin win the election come November, I will be moving to Canada.  Seriously.  

I hear Vancouver is beautiful, quite progressive actually.  And let's not forget the federal health care (yes please!).  Yes, it's official.  If this country is swept away by an aging, obviously incompetent Republican and his busty no-brain side-kick, I will a) throw a conniption fit b) cry c)begin packing d)cry some more.  

Having come to this conclusion some time ago, I was shocked to discover that (gasp!) I was not the only one!!!  There are others who foresee a life in that great northern frontier!  Only, whereas I simply talk about the prospect to friends and write about it on here, my blog, they lift their voices to the heavens and SING, baby!  And oh, it is beautiful. 

The fact that this dire predicament is a rather substantial possibility is all the more worrisome.  Perhaps this explains why I felt so depressed after the VP debate this past week.  Like millions of Americans around the country, I so desperately wanted Palin to fall on her condescending little face and prove to the world what a fake she really is.  Unfortunately, that didn't happen.  She was well put together, gave a strong delivery, and somehow managed to formulate semi-complete sentences.  This in and of itself was an immense accomplishment.  Granted, if I heard the words "Maverick" or "Energy Policy" one more time I thought my head was going to explode.  Question dodging aside, as a debater, she scored top marks.  

Palin-bashing aside, my general disgust for politics was revived this past week, what with the "bipartisan" bail-out, McCain's grandiose decision to put his campaign on hold (talk about "gotcha" journalism-- how about "gotcha" politics, Johnny?), and the countless mis-statements from BOTH parties during the debates.  A couple of things that I wish they would get straight, once and for all:

1.  Obama/Biden:  the Iraqis do not have a $79 Billion surplus so STOP throwing that figure around like it's your last lifeline to the candidacy!  Just get it straight:  by now, it's probably closer to $60 Billion.  Doesn't quite have the same dramatic effect as the former, but still gets the point across, I think.  (not to mention it's TRUE!)

2.  McCain/Palin:  Obama did NOT vote againt spending for the troops!!  He voted no because of the TIMELINE, damnit!  How many times do we have to explain this one to you?  McCain did the EXACT SAME THING!  He chose not to vote for a spending bill for the troops because it contained a timeline, just as Obama chose not to vote for a spending bill for the troops because it did not contain a timeline.  Get it?  Good.   

3.  McCain:  There's no point trying to deny your closeness to George W.  (both in your personal life and in voting record).  Hell, when Bush heard the news about the devastation of  Hurricane Katrina, he immediately jetted off, not to New Orleans, but to YOUR Birthday Party, for God's sake!  Now that's commitment, my friend.  Besides, there's no covering up your average of voting with Bushy 90% of the time over the course of the past 8 years.  

4.  This last one is for all of ya:  please, please!  Stop quoting the other out of context, spinning whatever they say in a way that supports whatever point you are making, whether it is accurate or not.  I mean come on, Obama!  I thought you were supposed to be all about a "new" type of politics.  For the most part, I say you've done a fine job breaking out of the mold.  Unfortunately, the closer we come to Nov. 4th, the sloppier you're getting at holding true to your word.  

True to my word, I return with a real, honest-to-God, post!  Still, I find myself in a bit of a precarious situation.  I suppose such is the way of time and forward progression.  You see, I feel as though I simply have too much to say!  I would love to be able to sit down and wax poetically about the people I see and the places my feet have taken me over the past months, but I can't seem to pin myself down to describing simply one, two, or even three such observations.  Life is moving ahead and warp speed out here on the West coast and I am simply floundering along trying to keep up. Sigh...

Which brings me to the ever-dependable, yet perhaps over-utilized staple of the blog world:

The bullet by bullet update, a medium which magically allows the writer to catch up said reader in record time, with an efficiency that is quite mind-boggling.  So, enough preface.  Let's get to it, shall we?

• I have a home!!! For real!  And it is AWESOME!  1 br 1 ba, close to downtown and in between the Hawthorne and Belmont districts.  Basically, we are in the heart Portland, in a neighborhood bursting with life, youth, and creativity.  Our little house is actually part of a quad that is occupied by three other young couples.  I am so excited about our new neighbors!  Already we have shared dinners, game nights, good conversation, homemade milkshakes, and even some quality "Office" time!  I left the house this morning and have been wandering around all day, walking to a bakery this morning for breakfast and tea, then to starbucks to try and find internet, and finally to Hotlips pizza for lunch, where I am currently camped out.  There is a fresh produce market a block from the house and a grocery store four blocks east.  Movie theaters, coffee shops, book stores, music venues: all within a ten minute walk.  Like I said, it's freakin' amazing.
• Doug is loving his job, working as a Case Manager in Clackamas County.  He carpools there and back every day for roughly $10 a week and, starting this week, will begin a 4-day work week.  As in, he will be working 37 1/2 hours a week, with every Friday off.  What a punk.
• As for me, things are finally starting to come together.  I have registered as a substitute teacher with two districts already, and have an interview with Beaverton school district, a highly-sought after position, on Tuesday.  Meanwhile, on Monday I start shadowing for Huntington Learning Center as a test prep tutor.  
• My dear friend Liz will be joining me here in Portland in a couple of weeks, something I am absolutely ecstatic about!  As lovely as Oregon is, I have been seriously lacking some female camaraderie, something that is of upmost important to me.  Which is why I nearly peed my pants when, a couple of days ago, I found out that Ms. Wendy Higgins, another of my favorite people on this planet, will also be following me out West!!!  I feel as though the addition of these two beautiful ladies into my life is a blessing beyond words.  With them they bring a sense of peace and fulfillment that only girlfriends can offer.  So get on out here, girls!!!  pretty please?  :)

Well I think that is enough of an update for now.  I am quite confident that my next visit will be a little less structured, and perhaps slightly more specific.  Then again, who am I kidding?  The possibilities are endless, my friend.  And isn't that absolutely the way it should be?  

:)