I am not a soccer fan. Never have been. I appreciate the athleticism required to play, but I’ve had limited exposure to the sport and like most sports where scoring in minimal, I find it a tad boring.
I think my dislike of the sport started in 6th grade. In small town, MT, we didn’t have rec soccer for kids, so any soccer experience I had came from PE or the playground. In 6th grade, I was the goal. Didn’t matter where I was on the playground, the ball was kicked at me. 12 year olds are lovely people, aren’t they? Needless to say, my first experience with soccer was not a positive one. A few years later we had to play soccer for 10th grade PE. This girl and I went to kick the ball, missed the ball, kicked each others foot, and had to have our ankles taped up for the rest of basketball season. Again, not an awesome experience.
All of this led to my surprise that I was actually interested in the World Cup this year. Perhaps it was because it’s in South Africa and I’ve been there, or perhaps it’s just because I appreciate athleticism and dedication to sport in almost any form. Somehow, I’ve gotten sucked in to being a soccer fan during the next month.
I blame the guy who sits next to me. He invited me to participate in a pool, similar to how we do March Madness. Being the only girl that was invited to participate, I felt obligated to accept. Plus it’s always more fun to have a horse in the race. I found myself filling out a bracket (is it even called a bracket?!), picking my winners based on nothing that had to do with soccer. Currently I’m only 4 points out of the lead. I’m sure that will drop considerably, but I’m enjoying this moment.
Not only did I fill out a bracket, I started reading articles about soccer. I’ll admit, I started with the “5 Hottest Guys of the World Cup,” and “Extravagant ‘WAGS’ of Soccer,” but just now I clicked on an article reporting on the status of the US’ goalie, or “keeper.” See how I’m already picking up the lingo!? I even watched the game against England, surprising myself considerably when I jumped off the couch to celebrate the US goal, pitiful as it was.
I’m unlikely to become a full-time soccer fan anytime soon, but with the World Cup only every four years, it’s something I feel I could enjoy without having to become too die hard. Or even understand the game. Who knows, with PTown getting and MLS team next year, maybe I’ll be turned into a real fan yet.
June 14, 2010
June 8, 2010
The Intimacy of Running
I get a running quote emailed to me every morning. I signed up for this distribution list mostly because I love quotes. The secondary factor is the reality that more often than not, I could use a little motivation to get my running shoes on and out the door on a regular basis. One of my favorite quotes to come across my inbox thus far is one by Kristin Armstrong, “Do not underestimate the intimacy of running, and the people with whom you share your miles.”
I love to run, but over time it has become a very solitary thing for me. I have friends who run in pairs or groups and use that as their socializing time, but for me, I prefer to be on the road or treadmill alone. I set my own pace and am responsible for pushing myself. Running for miles on end with only an iPod for company not only gives you time to, but forces you to think and evaluate life. Running is my time, even if I’m on a treadmill surrounded by people at the gym. No phone, nobody to talk to, just me and the steady thump of my feet hitting the ground. The occasional person to pick off and pass is a welcome event as well.
This quote got me thinking though, about how intimate sharing that running time can be for someone who prefers to run alone. I never go out of my way to run with people, friends, coworkers or strangers in running groups. I actually prefer relay races because I’m part of a team, but still running alone.
Oddly enough, there is one person I actually enjoy running with. Maybe it’s because we have a route that we always run, or the fact that I typically get to set the pace. Or maybe it’s the fact that there is no pressure to chat or be social, just to run. As surprised as I was to discover I liked my brother as a person (and not just because I had to since we were related), I find myself even more surprised that I enjoy running with him. We are two very different personalities who despite our differences enjoy many of the same activities. So it’s not necessarily shocking that we both run, but that it’s something we can do together. Without being competitive (which is rare in our family).
For me, running is a private thing. Some people meditate, I run. It’s my time and I enjoy using it to get into my own head. However I found myself smiling when reading a recent email from my brother. I’m using his couch as a free place to sleep in a couple weeks and we were coordinating schedules when he told me that if I get there early enough, we can go for a run. Sometimes it’s nice to have someone to share the miles with.
I love to run, but over time it has become a very solitary thing for me. I have friends who run in pairs or groups and use that as their socializing time, but for me, I prefer to be on the road or treadmill alone. I set my own pace and am responsible for pushing myself. Running for miles on end with only an iPod for company not only gives you time to, but forces you to think and evaluate life. Running is my time, even if I’m on a treadmill surrounded by people at the gym. No phone, nobody to talk to, just me and the steady thump of my feet hitting the ground. The occasional person to pick off and pass is a welcome event as well.
This quote got me thinking though, about how intimate sharing that running time can be for someone who prefers to run alone. I never go out of my way to run with people, friends, coworkers or strangers in running groups. I actually prefer relay races because I’m part of a team, but still running alone.
Oddly enough, there is one person I actually enjoy running with. Maybe it’s because we have a route that we always run, or the fact that I typically get to set the pace. Or maybe it’s the fact that there is no pressure to chat or be social, just to run. As surprised as I was to discover I liked my brother as a person (and not just because I had to since we were related), I find myself even more surprised that I enjoy running with him. We are two very different personalities who despite our differences enjoy many of the same activities. So it’s not necessarily shocking that we both run, but that it’s something we can do together. Without being competitive (which is rare in our family).
For me, running is a private thing. Some people meditate, I run. It’s my time and I enjoy using it to get into my own head. However I found myself smiling when reading a recent email from my brother. I’m using his couch as a free place to sleep in a couple weeks and we were coordinating schedules when he told me that if I get there early enough, we can go for a run. Sometimes it’s nice to have someone to share the miles with.
June 4, 2010
Is Choosing Not to Have Children Selfish?
In the new Sex and the City movie, there is a scene where a couple questions Carrie and Big in regards to their plans to procreate. Upon hearing that it’s going to be “just us two,” the other couple is quite appalled at the lack of potential children and visibly shirks away. SATC 2 was far from the first place this issue has cropped up, but it raises an interesting question . . . is the decision not to have children selfish?
I borrowed the question from an article I read recently, partly because I was so appalled at the thought. When a couple decides not to have children, for any multitude of reasons, who exactly are they supposedly acting selfish towards? If I’m eating a big fat piece of delicious cake, I am unlikely to willingly offer to share it with even the best of friends. That is selfish. Or when I wouldn’t share my toys with my little brother, that is selfish. I’m very confused as to how people making life decisions that impact only themselves can be possibly construed as a selfish act?
For example, if I opt not to have children, how does that impact you? By my calculations, I’m actually doing you a favor. There is one less baby shower you have to go to. One less gift you have to purchase. So far I’m just helping you keep money in your wallet. Now let’s think about how difficult it is to get together with people who have children. The childless person or couple is one less participant that has to find/schedule/afford a babysitter. Now not only am I saving you money, I’m easing the stress of trying to coordinate schedules. And as my Jetta was not built for a carseat, I’m saving the world from a bigger, less fuel efficient rig on the road. I say all this only partially jokingly. In an already overpopulated world, it’s difficult to make the argument that it is your duty to procreate to continue the human race.
I know a couple who has no plans to ever have children. And their lifestyle is one of the few I actually envy and aspire to. They are completely unapologetic about the fact that they have no desire to have kids, as they should be. This doesn’t make them bad people or child haters. It simply makes them honest.
One of the things that my childless male friend mentioned above always says is that other people want you to do the same things they did, have a huge wedding, have children, etc., because it justifies the decisions they made in their own life. It’s something I repeat as a mantra to myself on occasions when people start asking me why I’m not married and have I thought about freezing my eggs, because I’m not getting any younger. Having kids isn’t something you have to do. It’s not something you should feel pressured about, unless it is something that you deeply and truly want to do.
There is a scene in the movie Elizabethtown, where two people are talking on the phone, trying to figure out who “they” are. You know, the “they” that comes up with all the rules of society that we’re supposed to follow. This elusive “they” that dictates what we’re supposed to do and how we should conform, but no one actually know who “they” are. I’m pretty sure that “they” are the ones telling society that we’re all supposed to procreate and that we’re selfish if we choose not to. Most people I know barely listen to their friends and family, why on earth would we listen to some elusive “they” when it comes to a decision as big as having a family? I’ve had friends or family tell me I have to have kids. My response is typically, “says who?” I have to pay taxes. I don’t have to eat things from the sea, watch reality television or have kids.
In a country where we’re all about having the freedom to choose to live our lives how we see fit, why do we judge others so harshly for not making the same decisions that we did? We have fast food menus with hundreds of available times because everyone wants something different. Doesn’t it make sense that if we want something as simple as to eat the food we want, that we also want to make the best choice for ourselves regarding much bigger decisions? But for some reason when people actively choose not to have children of their own, it makes many people uncomfortable. Not having kids doesn’t mean you don’t like them or think they should be banished from the earth. It simply means that you don’t care to or cannot have any of your own.
I think we need to give those childless people a break. They’re required to support other couples decisions to procreate – there is no check box on our taxes saying we don’t want our tax money to go to public schools, city playgrounds, or anything else tax related that supports kids. Childless people and couples don’t even want your tax money, just a little respect on the decisions they’ve made for their personal life. And for crying out loud, stop calling them selfish!
I borrowed the question from an article I read recently, partly because I was so appalled at the thought. When a couple decides not to have children, for any multitude of reasons, who exactly are they supposedly acting selfish towards? If I’m eating a big fat piece of delicious cake, I am unlikely to willingly offer to share it with even the best of friends. That is selfish. Or when I wouldn’t share my toys with my little brother, that is selfish. I’m very confused as to how people making life decisions that impact only themselves can be possibly construed as a selfish act?
For example, if I opt not to have children, how does that impact you? By my calculations, I’m actually doing you a favor. There is one less baby shower you have to go to. One less gift you have to purchase. So far I’m just helping you keep money in your wallet. Now let’s think about how difficult it is to get together with people who have children. The childless person or couple is one less participant that has to find/schedule/afford a babysitter. Now not only am I saving you money, I’m easing the stress of trying to coordinate schedules. And as my Jetta was not built for a carseat, I’m saving the world from a bigger, less fuel efficient rig on the road. I say all this only partially jokingly. In an already overpopulated world, it’s difficult to make the argument that it is your duty to procreate to continue the human race.
I know a couple who has no plans to ever have children. And their lifestyle is one of the few I actually envy and aspire to. They are completely unapologetic about the fact that they have no desire to have kids, as they should be. This doesn’t make them bad people or child haters. It simply makes them honest.
One of the things that my childless male friend mentioned above always says is that other people want you to do the same things they did, have a huge wedding, have children, etc., because it justifies the decisions they made in their own life. It’s something I repeat as a mantra to myself on occasions when people start asking me why I’m not married and have I thought about freezing my eggs, because I’m not getting any younger. Having kids isn’t something you have to do. It’s not something you should feel pressured about, unless it is something that you deeply and truly want to do.
There is a scene in the movie Elizabethtown, where two people are talking on the phone, trying to figure out who “they” are. You know, the “they” that comes up with all the rules of society that we’re supposed to follow. This elusive “they” that dictates what we’re supposed to do and how we should conform, but no one actually know who “they” are. I’m pretty sure that “they” are the ones telling society that we’re all supposed to procreate and that we’re selfish if we choose not to. Most people I know barely listen to their friends and family, why on earth would we listen to some elusive “they” when it comes to a decision as big as having a family? I’ve had friends or family tell me I have to have kids. My response is typically, “says who?” I have to pay taxes. I don’t have to eat things from the sea, watch reality television or have kids.
In a country where we’re all about having the freedom to choose to live our lives how we see fit, why do we judge others so harshly for not making the same decisions that we did? We have fast food menus with hundreds of available times because everyone wants something different. Doesn’t it make sense that if we want something as simple as to eat the food we want, that we also want to make the best choice for ourselves regarding much bigger decisions? But for some reason when people actively choose not to have children of their own, it makes many people uncomfortable. Not having kids doesn’t mean you don’t like them or think they should be banished from the earth. It simply means that you don’t care to or cannot have any of your own.
I think we need to give those childless people a break. They’re required to support other couples decisions to procreate – there is no check box on our taxes saying we don’t want our tax money to go to public schools, city playgrounds, or anything else tax related that supports kids. Childless people and couples don’t even want your tax money, just a little respect on the decisions they’ve made for their personal life. And for crying out loud, stop calling them selfish!
June 1, 2010
Baking Blogs
Lately I’ve gotten into following a few blogs about baking. They all tend to take a recipe and adjust it based on healthiness, ability or what ingredients they have on hand. To be completely honest, I look at the healthy one, but I never actually make anything from her blog since she uses a lot of ingredients I’ve never heard of. There is one that I enjoy looking at simply because the things she does are so complex. For at least half her recipes, I start to lose interest as soon as I see that the list of ingredients is as tall as I am. The third one does a lot of baking, nothing too complicated, and takes it into work. That’s my kind of baking/cooking.
What I originally thought was so interesting about these blogs is that these girls weren’t afraid to experiment with their baking or cooking. I kept thinking that I wished I was gusty enough to try that. And then I realized I already did to some extent.
In general, I am a rule follower. But there are a number of things in life that I don’t necessarily care for and so I change them to suit me. Piano music for example. I used to drive one piano teacher nuts because I’d always deviate from the music and change it so that I liked the ending better than the way it was written. Another one I discovered is recipes.
I enjoy cooking and baking, but I am also a picky eater so I frequently find myself substituting things I will eat for whatever the recipe actually calls for. I made a chicken casserole that was supposed to have mushrooms in it. I used peppers and onions instead. Or sometimes I’m supposed to use one kind of seasoning, only I don’t have any in the cupboard. So then I just throw something similar in. And in my eyes, all kinds of chips be them chocolate, butterscotch, peanut butter, etc. are all interchangeable in almost every recipe there is.
It didn’t hit me that I did this until this weekend when I was cooking and baking for some friends who have a brand new baby. I really wanted to go visit Ruby Rae, but didn’t want to show up empty handed. Especially since these friends feed me fairly often. I already knew I was terrible about properly measuring things, but then I started adding or changing the ingredients based on what I had on hand. And it all ended up tasting delicious. (Eating the cookies, aka quality control, is a necessity when baking.) Ruby’s parents were quite pleased, which is what really mattered.
I’ve given some thought to blogging about the recipes I try, but then I remembered I’m not good about keeping up with the blog I already have. Instead I’ve opted for making notes on the recipes so I know whether or not it’s worth making again. The cookies I made this weekend were good but not great. The casserole called for twice as much butter as was actually needed.
The great thing about baking blogs is not only do they have the recipes, they tend to include step by step pictures and discuss what worked and what didn’t. So much more useful than a plain old cookbook. Thank you baking bloggers for sharing your experiences. Your recipes and notes make my own kitchen much more approachable!
What I originally thought was so interesting about these blogs is that these girls weren’t afraid to experiment with their baking or cooking. I kept thinking that I wished I was gusty enough to try that. And then I realized I already did to some extent.
In general, I am a rule follower. But there are a number of things in life that I don’t necessarily care for and so I change them to suit me. Piano music for example. I used to drive one piano teacher nuts because I’d always deviate from the music and change it so that I liked the ending better than the way it was written. Another one I discovered is recipes.
I enjoy cooking and baking, but I am also a picky eater so I frequently find myself substituting things I will eat for whatever the recipe actually calls for. I made a chicken casserole that was supposed to have mushrooms in it. I used peppers and onions instead. Or sometimes I’m supposed to use one kind of seasoning, only I don’t have any in the cupboard. So then I just throw something similar in. And in my eyes, all kinds of chips be them chocolate, butterscotch, peanut butter, etc. are all interchangeable in almost every recipe there is.
It didn’t hit me that I did this until this weekend when I was cooking and baking for some friends who have a brand new baby. I really wanted to go visit Ruby Rae, but didn’t want to show up empty handed. Especially since these friends feed me fairly often. I already knew I was terrible about properly measuring things, but then I started adding or changing the ingredients based on what I had on hand. And it all ended up tasting delicious. (Eating the cookies, aka quality control, is a necessity when baking.) Ruby’s parents were quite pleased, which is what really mattered.
I’ve given some thought to blogging about the recipes I try, but then I remembered I’m not good about keeping up with the blog I already have. Instead I’ve opted for making notes on the recipes so I know whether or not it’s worth making again. The cookies I made this weekend were good but not great. The casserole called for twice as much butter as was actually needed.
The great thing about baking blogs is not only do they have the recipes, they tend to include step by step pictures and discuss what worked and what didn’t. So much more useful than a plain old cookbook. Thank you baking bloggers for sharing your experiences. Your recipes and notes make my own kitchen much more approachable!
Cutest Boy Ever
I got a phone call from the cutest boy ever yesterday. We have so many things in common . . . similar taste in music, we both like to play on the beach, we like to run, on and on the commonalities go. Did I mention he’s five?
He called with a special request . . . could I please make him a Rihanna CD? The kid knows his music. Last time I visited I brought Lady Gaga with me which was a huge hit. While driving around in Hawaii we had a great time listening to the hip hop stations (when we weren’t listening to Lady Gaga). Like I mentioned before, we have very similar tastes in music, although mine is slightly more eclectic, which likely comes with age. I haven’t quite figured out if enjoying the same taste in music makes him a really cool five-year old or me a really lame late twenties something year old. Or both.
Here’s the thing though, he doesn’t just like the music – he actually knows quite a lot of the lyrics. A kid after my own heart. I had a college roommate that once told me her goal in life was to know all the lyrics to songs like I do. I think I have a protégé in the making with my favorite five-year old. The best part of the whole conversation was not only did he know which CD he wanted, he had it all planned out how I could get it to him. He’s going to pick it up when his family drives through Portland in a couple weeks.
I love people that enjoy music as much as I do, and its amazing to me that he likes music as such a young age. Although if I’m going to be sharing my iPod playlist with someone so young, I should probably start thinking about buying the non-explicit albums. So far the worst thing I’ve taught he and his sister to say is “pardon me?” and I’d kind of like to keep it that way. None the less, the Rihanna CD will be made and ready to go for him when he gets to Portland.
He called with a special request . . . could I please make him a Rihanna CD? The kid knows his music. Last time I visited I brought Lady Gaga with me which was a huge hit. While driving around in Hawaii we had a great time listening to the hip hop stations (when we weren’t listening to Lady Gaga). Like I mentioned before, we have very similar tastes in music, although mine is slightly more eclectic, which likely comes with age. I haven’t quite figured out if enjoying the same taste in music makes him a really cool five-year old or me a really lame late twenties something year old. Or both.
Here’s the thing though, he doesn’t just like the music – he actually knows quite a lot of the lyrics. A kid after my own heart. I had a college roommate that once told me her goal in life was to know all the lyrics to songs like I do. I think I have a protégé in the making with my favorite five-year old. The best part of the whole conversation was not only did he know which CD he wanted, he had it all planned out how I could get it to him. He’s going to pick it up when his family drives through Portland in a couple weeks.
I love people that enjoy music as much as I do, and its amazing to me that he likes music as such a young age. Although if I’m going to be sharing my iPod playlist with someone so young, I should probably start thinking about buying the non-explicit albums. So far the worst thing I’ve taught he and his sister to say is “pardon me?” and I’d kind of like to keep it that way. None the less, the Rihanna CD will be made and ready to go for him when he gets to Portland.
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