6/29/2005 09:46:00 PM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|No, this isn't a book post.

Bees. I've written before about how much I hate bees. Loathe them. Terrified of them. I'm aware that no one likes bees. No one has ever gotten stung and said, "Hey, that's fun!" But my fear borders on the ridiculous. And the other night, I was talking to Rand about my fear of needles.

I hate needles, too. Once, when I was a reporter back home, I was doing a story on a local doctor who was practicing acupuncture. He invited me to come and watch a procedure, and I was fine. Fine. Until suddenly, I apparently passed out. I was standing there, taking photos of the acupuncture, and then I was sitting in a chair with a nurse beside me whipping out the smelling salts. The first time I had an IV inserted was when I was 23 or so, when I was having my wisdom teeth removed. I was actually in tears when the anesthesiologist came in, because I was afraid of the big, scary needle... Point? For the first time in my life, I connected these two fears. "Bees are like flying needles," I exclaimed. So there ya go.|W|P|112010004622124688|W|P|The secret life of bees|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com6/29/2005 09:44:00 PM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|

The survey was actually kinda fun. :)|W|P|112009946906412822|W|P|Cool...|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com6/28/2005 03:51:00 PM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|It bugs me when people pronounce important as if it contained a D. impordant That is all. :)|W|P|111999195296199192|W|P|Pet peeve|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com6/28/2005 02:27:00 PM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|So I've officially fulfilled my civic duty for the next eight years. Woohoo. :) I don't know if there are any litigators out there who would care to comment on this, but I get the distinct feeling that my level of education was an important factor in my not being chosen. (the other people in my group who had advanced degrees were also dismissed) That, and the fact that I know too many lawyers. (related to one, used to date one, living with someone who's *almost* one) As much as I joked about trying to get out of it, once there, I certainly wasn't going to do or say anything untrue to try and get out of it. As I was leaving the courthouse yesterday, some guy who was in my group said something to the effect that there should be a special punishment for people who try and weasel out once they're already sitting in the box. One of the attorneys said something yesterday during the selection process that struck me. He asked the prospective jurors to put themselves in the place of the defendant. "Now ask yourself if you're the type of person you would want sitting on your jury." Even though I wasn't in the box at that time, I knew my answer. Yes. Absolutely. I am exactly who I would want sitting on that jury. Too bad that's exactly why the lawyers don't want me sitting on a jury. ;) Duh, I almost forgot why I started this post. Sitting in front of me was a woman who said, when asked if there was any reason we would be uncomfortable or unable to devote our full attention to the case, that being in the city made her feel "anxious". Not the driving into the city part, but the actual being in the city part. I'm from Small Town America. Believe me, it's an entirely different world from city life. And it has not once occurred to me to be frightened of living (or being) in the city. I'm more cautious in some ways, yes, but I certainly don't live my life in fear. I have a lot of friends who feel the same way. So it occurs to me that it's not people from small towns who fear the city, it's people from the suburbs who fear the city. I find it utterly mind-boggling.|W|P|111998723140114971|W|P|Who's afraid of the big, bad city?|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com6/27/2005 07:50:00 PM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|

Upon passing a sign that looked a whole lot like the one pictured above, Rand turned to me and said, "Is there really caribou crossing for the next two miles?" Teehee. No, but it was a genuine Elk crossing zone. As you may or may not remember, I hail from Elk County, PA. And you can indeed see genuine Elk there. Back when I was a beat reporter, I had to cover Benezette Township, which is the heart of elk viewing. (and not much else. Believe me.) But I did once come face-to-face with a real live elk on one of my jaunts down to Benezette. I don't know if you have any concept of how big these animals are, but let's just say that in a showdown with my car, my car would definitely lose.

Elk are large animals, weighing from 500 to 800 pounds.

Oh, dear lord...there's a live Elk Cam. From About.com...Recommended elk viewing sites:

Winslow Hill - The most visited elk viewing site in Pennsylvania, with two established viewing areas, off-road parking, and portable restrooms. Other wildlife also commonly seen. Location: Winslow Hill Road, 3 miles from its intersection with Route 555 in Benezette.

An actual view from the Winslow Hill viewing area:

And here are some other links... The Pennsylvania Elk Herd PA Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources Pennsylvania Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation And I'm sure that's more than you ever wanted to know about elk. ;)|W|P|111992067800398588|W|P|What crossing?|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com6/27/2005 06:55:00 PM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|Ugh. I have to go back for day #2 of jury selection tomorrow. Not fun. But at least it's air conditioned. There was an obnoxious heavily-accented old woman there today who got to go home when she whined about her health problems. Aren't you supposed to put that on the questionnaire they send you in the mail? Ugh. She was *really* vocal about her displeasure in the courtroom. Whispering, sort of, but in that loud annoying way. I can't believe the judge didn't say anything to her. Whine whine whine, my hip, my knees, etc. I'm still about halfway through Solitude, and so far...ummm...I'm kinda bored. Well, I wasn't bored for a while, but now I'm bored and sort of stuck. Encourage me. :) I had a lovely visit in PA, first with my parents on Friday, and then with my friends on Saturday. My friends Jen and Mike got married a couple of weeks ago, in a small family ceremony, and had a picnic celebration on Saturday. It was really nice to see everyone, and they all got to meet Rand. Not that we had much of a chance to hang out and talk to people. :)

Jen and Mike

Me and Rand (is it me, or do I always look slightly sleepy in these photos with Rand? ;) )

The girls We came back to Buffalo late Saturday, because Rand's brother was speaking at a church service on Sunday morning. (more thoughts on the service itself later...) One interesting point...Rand's brother mentioned the 27th Psalm in his address. Heehee. :) No job news. The interview on Friday went fine. I might have a very, very short term temp assignment, unless I get picked for this jury. *grumble* I know there's a lot more that I want to say, but it's hot.|W|P|111991716418671914|W|P|Tired and hot|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com6/24/2005 02:12:00 PM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|Pretty accurate for a five-second quiz, eh? :)

Your #1 Love Type: INFP

The Idealist In love, you crave a long term, harmonious relationship. For you, sex doesn't come quickly - it takes time for you to open up. Overall, you are supportive, nurturing, and expressive. However, you tend to be shy and protective of your personal space. Best matches: ENFJ and ESFJ

Your #2 Love Type: INFJ

The Protector In love, you strive to have the perfect relationship. For you, sex is nearly a spiritual experience, a bonding of souls. Overall, you have high expectations for any relationship you're in. However, you tend to hold back a part of yourself. Best matches: ENTP and ENFP

What's Your Love Type?

|W|P|111964040143975235|W|P|And another (couldn't resist...)|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com6/24/2005 02:09:00 PM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|

Your Linguistic Profile:

75% General American English

10% Yankee

5% Dixie

5% Midwestern

5% Upper Midwestern

What Kind of American English Do You Speak?

Thanks to Rand for sending this to me. :) I know I've mentioned this before, but this quiz came up in conversation because I left the "to be" out of a sentence while talking to Rand the other night. I browsed through the "You know you're from....when" and found this under "Central PA":

Your version of the English language contains no form of the verb to be. For example, "the car needs washed" instead of "the car needs to be washed".

So I come by it naturally. ;)|W|P|111964022259023313|W|P|A Friday quiz|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com6/23/2005 01:37:00 PM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|Hey, faithful readers... Head over to Caren's blog. She's raising money for an excellent cause, and for $35, you can get one of her awsome handbags! Wish I had the $35, 'cause I'd love one, but I may just have to settle for making a donation. Please help her out if you can, and spread the word!|W|P|111955193993310235|W|P|A good cause|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com6/23/2005 12:11:00 PM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|Yeesh. I've been having an incredibly lazy week...calling each evening to see if I have to report for jury duty. And no, I have not had to report for jury duty. However, we are nearly up to my number for tomorrow, which is inconvenient considering that I got a call for a teaching job interview tomorrow. Fortunately, after being treated extremely rudely by someone at the commissioner of jurors' office, I was told to report on Monday. Phew. Monday, I slept in, accompanied Rand and his friends John and Amy to a long and leisurely lunch at Gabriel's Gate. I luuuuuuuurve The Gate. And I disovered something new...they have good dessert! I ordered cheesecake with raspberry sauce, and oh my GOD. It was divine. It was good and creamy, just the way I like it, not that harder, cakier type. I got a haircut, got my lip and brows sugared (far superior to waxing, IMHO), made a bank run for Rand...and yesterday, I decided to make cookies. Several weeks ago, Jen and I ventured into the Lexington Co-op, and I spied a bag of chocolate ginger...mmmm...so I got it, but was kind of disappointed to find that the pieces of ginger were much too small. I might as well have been eating a bag of chocolate chips, I said. Hmmm... Of course, then it got WAY too hot to turn on the oven. But now the temperature is comfortable enough to bake. We were out of a couple of things, so I had to run to the store. This was sort of funny...I stopped at the mini mart on the corner to pick up a small can of Crisco. They only had one left, and this was the price on it: $312c. The girl at the checkout looked at it, and said, "That can't be right." I shrugged. "Let's make it $2.49," she said. Fine with me. :) I found a recipe for "Chocolate Ginger Cookies," which were really just chocolate chip cookies with chopped ginger in them. Perfect. They turned out pretty well, I think. Bit of trivia I learned on the radio today...Anthony Head (Giles from Buffy) is Murray Head's brother. Who knew? Well, apparently Rand did. ;) I've got my friend Jennifer's wedding picnic this weekend, so Rand and I will be heading out of town tomorrow evening after he's done working. That should be a good time. :) Oh, and head over to All Things Jen(nifer) to see the photo of us from last Saturday that made it onto Buffalo Barfly! Heehee...|W|P|111954767673195411|W|P|So, how'd it get to be Thursday?|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com6/21/2005 12:25:00 PM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|Seriously. I don't know what the temperature is right now, but it's absolutely gorgeous. Sunny, warm, soft breeze, low humidity. I think I might have to get out for a walk and enjoy it! So this is the week that my postponed jury summons was up. I'm juror #13something, and thus have not had to report yet. I may have to tomorrow...we shall see. So the past two days I've been loafing. ;) We had a most excellent weekend. On Saturday, we took Susan out to Cozumel for dinner (I had the blackened salmon caesar salad...my appreciation to Rand for introducing me to this-yum!) and drinks...and more drinks...Jen and I each ordered a margarita on the rocks when we sat down, forgetting that we were supposed to order the grande margarita. It is infinitely better. Jen got the grande on her second, I went to strawberry. Stephanie introduced us to a new drink--the purple rain. Basically, a purple rain is a long island iced tea, but instead of adding coke, you add chambord. So yes, it's pretty much a big old glass of alcohol. We'd brought with us a big box of plastic leis...our goal, to "lei" people in exchange for a drink or shot for the bride (or any bridesmaid...ahem...) I'd have to say it was a fairly successful venture. I did not do any shots, which is probably a very good thing. Susan and her soon-to-be family members headed home around 1. The bridesmaids, however, still wanted to party. We went over to Roxy's for some dancing. I had to drag my roommie off the dance floor at about 2:30 so that we could put Stephanie to bed. ;) I understand that Susan had a great time, but paid for it a bit on Sunday. Sorry, sweetie! There's actually a fun Friday story, but I don't feel like going there right now. Maybe later. :) For now, I'm off to enjoy the sun!|W|P|111937546404865169|W|P|It's a beautiful day|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com6/20/2005 05:19:00 PM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|Please note the new image/icon on my sidebar and visit Buffalo Rising for the details. :)

We want to help build the nascent buzz about New Buffalo and thought these badges would be a great way to start. Spurred by an idea of BuffaloPundit's, we want to encourage folks to pass on the message and create the potential for growth in it�s exposure and influence. The message: Love it for the place it really is... Help make it the place it ought to be. This is New Buffalo.

If you are a resident or supporter of WNY, help spread the word!|W|P|111930611935193658|W|P|What's the buzz?|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com6/18/2005 04:36:00 PM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|Out on the town tonight with the girls...see Jen's blog for more details, and watch for an update after we recover! Heehee...|W|P|111913068773557240|W|P|Pretty in Pink, Part II|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com6/14/2005 02:59:00 PM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|I have a bunch of scribbled down notes of things I've wanted to blog about, so here goes. Hang on tight. ;) 1. Team America: World Police I watched this with Rand last week. It was a lot funnier than I thought it was going to be. The songs totally rocked. My favorite was "Pearl Harbor Sucked, and I Miss You." "Montage" was pretty cool as well. :) 2. Subbing at the end of the school year...oh my GOD. The kids are insane. They've either completely checked out or are bouncing off the walls. Last week in that AIS class, I had a girl who was spelling things in sign language to the kid across the table from her. Clearly, they were inappropriate things. I had another kid (high school) get all smart-assed with me when I asked him to keep his voice down. "That's why I would never be a substitute teacher," another student said. In this same class, I noticed one of the students' papers that they were working on during class. Their task was to read an essay, and with a partner, evaluate and make suggestions for improvement. The student wrote "could use better English skillz." Yes, he spelled skills with a Z. Sigh. And speaking of subbing at the end of the school year, my lord, are schools HOT. Ugh. See, most schools in this neck of the woods are not air conditioned but for certain areas (library, cafeteria, faculty room, office), so for a few weeks at the beginning and end of the school year, classrooms are a miserable place to be. Ugh. 3. Jack FM Buffalo has its very own Jack FM station! 92.9. It truly is like playing iTunes on shuffle...its beauty is in its randomness. The cheese factor is pretty high, so if you can't deal with cheese, you probably want to stay away. ;) But honestly, on what other station can you hear "Land of Confusion" and "Dancing Queen" back to back? 4. The Girl with the Silver Eyes I loved this book when I was a kid. *Loved* it. Today, I saw it in the classroom where I was subbing and wanted so badly to pick it up and read it again. I really need to get a new copy of it...mine was left in the attic of my parents' house. And finally... 5. Buffalo is the 3rd Cleanest City in America Yeah, I'm behind on this one...check out the full story at Buffalo Rising. :)|W|P|111878116117304916|W|P|Kibbles and Bits|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com6/10/2005 05:31:00 PM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|I was inspired by a post I saw over at Buffalo Rising to finally write the post I've been writing in my head for months about what it is that drew me to (and has kept me in) Buffalo. Back in 2000, I was living in my small Western PA hometown, which was a perfectly fine place to grow up...but as a mid-twentysomething, I was finding it disappointing. Almost everyone I knew had moved away. I had almost no social life, a job that was okay but certainly not worth sticking around for, and dating? Ha. My dear friend Jen(nifer) was here and kept repeating the "move to Buffalo" mantra until I listened. ;) Despite a couple of disappointing career experiences at the beginning, I started to like it here. I started to feel at home here. One of the things I like best about Buffalo is that it's a city that *feels* like a small town. People are friendly. During the Blizzard of 2001 (the one around Christmastime), when I got stuck at the end of my street because I had to go work at the evil financial institution (money transfers do not stop for snow!), a couple of neighbors helped dig me out. And while I'm not the biggest fan of snow (at least snow that lasts for six months), I can think of worse weather phenomena to deal with. ;) While I know that there are people who think I'm crazy for sticking with this city now that I have a teaching degree (you're trying to get a teaching job in Buffalo? *gasp*), I can think of plenty of compelling reasons to stay. Here are a few of them: Delaware Park Shakespeare in Delaware Park Thursday at the Square Toronto: only 102 miles away Home (my family): only 124 miles away The Low Shea's Performing Arts Center The Elmwood Strip Allentown The Allentown Art Festival Jackdaw (and loads of other great music) The Albright-Knox The food Good friends not to mention a certain someone special... As Jen said when we were talking one day, I'm 90% happy. ;) I just need that job to push me over the edge...and yes, while I know I could easily get a teaching job elsewhere, elsewhere is not where I want to be. I want to be here. And I'm willing to fight for it. :)|W|P|111844421952016205|W|P|Why Buffalo?|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com6/10/2005 05:20:00 PM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|You might remember me talking about this sign at a gas station outside my hometown. Although I get horribly offended by people referring to my home state as "Pennsyltucky", well, how can I argue with this?

|W|P|111844213884771118|W|P|Here's your sign|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com6/09/2005 10:43:00 AM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|So I'm over the little snit I was in last night about losing my not really very long or very important post...here are the highlights. Yesterday and the day before, I was in an AIS (Academic Intervention Services) classroom. Very small groups. Their assignment? Play Scrabble. Now *that* was a rough couple of days. ;) I even got to play a game the last period of the day yesterday. There were only three students in the group. It was kind of nice being in the AIS room...shared with three other teachers. See, ordinarily, substitute teaching is a terribly solitary experience. You spend the day isolated from other teachers. And at lunch, you constantly feel like the new kid. Even if you're subbing frequently at the same school, chances are, you don't frequently have the same lunch period. So every day, it's a new group of faces, all in their own little worlds. I swear, when I have a full time job, I'm going to make it a point to be extra friendly to the subs at lunch. ;) I went to the temp agency to try and get placed for the summer...so far nothing. I did do very well on the office skills tests. I type 66 WPM. Go, me. ;) I know I have lots more to say, but I have neither the time nor the inclination to do it now.|W|P|111833217653217090|W|P|The loneliest number|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com6/08/2005 08:51:00 PM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|I will never learn. Copy, copy, COPY the post before clicking publish. Grrr. Anyway, I said a bunch of crap that wasn't really important anyway. Been subbing. Busy. Been reading. See my latest entries in the 50 Book Challenge below.|W|P|111828194940536366|W|P|Blah blah blah grrr.|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com6/08/2005 08:33:00 PM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|*updated!* 37. The God We Never Knew: Beyond Dogmatic Religion to a More Authentic Contemporary Faith This is the second book I've read by Marcus J. Borg, and I very much appreciate his style. He's an academic, but manages to write readable, accessible prose that doesn't come off as condescending. One thing I found interesting was his description of a common image of God as king, judge or police officer, stating that in this monarchical model of God, God becomes the superego. I also found his commentary on social justice particularly moving. When I said I was reading this book, Jen said "Because you want to?" Well, yeah...I've always said that I wished I'd taken some religious studies classes in college. There's so much I don't know anything about. Luckily for me, I met a man who has a master's in theology. ;) 36. Matilda I really liked Roald Dahl when I was a kid...Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and James and the Giant Peach were among my favorite books...but I missed this one. Luckily for me, Rand happened to have it lying around, and once I got started, I couldn't put it down. A cute story, funny, well-told, with lots of heart. I simply adored this book. :) 35. Naked Pictures of Famous People Jon Stewart before The Daily Show. A fun little read of Woody Allen-esque essays. Quite entertaining. :) 34. Fahrenheit 451 How could a self-respecting English teacher not have read this book before? Ummm...I don't know, but I'm catching up now. :) I finished this during my free time this afternoon, completely engrossed. This is a short little book, but I literally devoured it once I started reading. Fantastically entertaining and thought-provoking, and definitely a story that holds up over the years. 33. Cat's Eye I have to say it again...I adore Margaret Atwood. I wouldn't say this was my favorite of her work (so far, that's a toss-up between The Blind Assassin andThe Handmaid's Tale), but I did think it was very, very good. The stories of Elaine's childhood are gut-wrenching. I would agree with some of the reviews I read that didn't think Atwood did such a good job of following Elaine into adulthood, of allowing the reader to feel that same emotional-connectedness, except that I think that was kind of the point. A side note about Atwood...a few years ago, I was applying to a creative writing program (which I later decided not to pursue) and asked one of my professors to write me a recommendation. He wrote me an absolutely glowing letter, and in it, he described my writing as "delightfully Atwoodian." At the time, I had read zero Margaret Atwood. I now take it as an amazing compliment. :) 32. Anthem This would be my first, and thus far only, experience with Ayn Rand. When Jen read this, she commented on how similar in theme Lois Lowry's The Giver was, and I would have to agree. What is clear in reading even just this short bit of Rand is her dissatisfaction with Communisim and Socialism, the theme that permeates all of her work. I had to roll my eyes at one of the Amazon reviews. I'll bet you can figure out which one. ;) What I get from Anthem and all of the dystopian fiction I've read is this...any ideological extreme carried too far can be frightening and dangerous. 31. Pride and Prejudice Part of my quest to read more classic literature. I enjoyed this, especially in tandem with listening to The Jane Austen Book Club. I didn't realize how much Helen Fielding *really* had Austen in mind when she was writing Bridget Jones. Now I definitely need to sit my butt down and watch the movie. (mmm...Colin Firth...) And wow, I just wanted to smack Lydia. Eek! 30. Catalyst I read and absolutely loved Speak, so I had to read more Laurie Halse Anderson. I picked this up last night at Barnes & Noble and finished it during my free time today. I really appreciate the way Anderson captures the teenage voice. I didn't enjoy this one quite as much as I enjoyed Speak...I thought that story was more compelling. Also, I felt that the protagonist's main storyline was left somewhat unresolved. Next book starts a new post...I'm almost at the halfway mark. :) See the rest of my list here.|W|P|111514558580337741|W|P|50 Book Challenge (continued)|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com6/06/2005 10:29:00 AM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|It's Monday morning and my thoughts are scattered. Please forgive me any incoherence. ;) I had a lovely weekend, but I have to start with Thursday. We met some friends of Rand's for dinner at Taste of India. Now, those of you in WNY who frequent these establishments, please chime in on this...Taste of India on Sheridan and India Gate on Elmwood are owned and run by the same people. I've eaten at both, and can't find any distinguishable difference between them. Rand and friends insist that Taste of India's food is much better. Thoughts? Anyway, it was fantastic as always. I'd always been a fan of the curry, but Rand's got me hooked on the Chicken Malai. Yummmm...and to think, if it hadn't been for X, I wouldn't even know I liked Indian food. Also on Thursday, Doug (Rand's friend) gave me an absolutely gorgeous painting, just because I said I liked it. :) It's a sunset over the ocean...exactly the sort of thing I like to paint. Friday night, Rand surprised me by taking me to the AAUW's annual used book sale. Mounds and mounds of books, with no mean crazy book lady to steal them all from me. Hehehe. I found a bunch of paperbacks, all of the "English teacher" persuasion. Good stuff. We watched some more "Six Feet Under"--Rand bought the Season 3 DVDs. Hurrah! We're about three episodes in. Lisa just quit her job with the insane woman. On Saturday, Jen and I traveled to PA for Susan's shower. On the way down, we listened to the Avenue Q and Spamalot soundtracks. I enjoyed both thoroughly and would love to see them. (I'd absolutely *love* to see Spamalot on Broadway with the original cast...somehow, I don't think that's going to happen.) The shower was, of course, very nice. Sunday, Rand and I drove out to his parents' house where we had a nice dinner and visit with his parents and brother and sister-in-law. And last night, it was too disgustingly hot to sleep well. Ugh. I have more to say, but I'm out of time for now. Hope everyone had a most excellent weekend!|W|P|111807246763904710|W|P||W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com6/04/2005 08:34:00 PM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|This looked like too much fun to pass up...via Eden. "Pick a band/artist now answer the questions using ONLY song titles from the chosen band/artists�add your answers and repost�let�s see all the different bands and songs�.get creative and.have fun!" 1. artist choice: Bon Jovi (Eden did Fleetwood Mac) 2. are you a male or female: Woman in Love 3. describe yourself: She's a Mystery 4. how do you feel about yourself: Livin' on a Prayer 5. describe your ex boyfriend/girlfriend: You Give Love a Bad Name 6. describe your current boyfriend/girlfriend: Born to Be My Baby 7. describe your current location: Two Story Town 8. describe where you want to be: Someday I'll be Saturday Night 9. your best friend is: Wild in the Streets 10. your favorite color: Bed of Roses 11. what�s the weather like: Wild is the Wind 12. if your life was a television show what would it be called: It's My Life 13. what is life to you: Blaze of Glory 14. what is the best advice you have to give: Keep the Faith 15. if you could change your name what would you change it to: Rosie (that one's a Richie Sambora solo song...) Glad to see so many joining in. Here are some other lists for you to enjoy! Eden (Fleetwood Mac) Jen (Ron Hawkins/Lowest of the Low) Stephanie (Jackson Browne) Squeak (Tragically Hip) Hawk (The Beach Boys) Ali (Prince) Michelle (Duran Duran) If you play along, please post your link! :)|W|P|111793709647983395|W|P|Blame it on the Love of Rock and Roll|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com6/01/2005 08:41:00 PM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|Just last week, I was having a conversation with Jen, and I noted that I no longer had an issue with public schools adopting uniforms. She was surprised that I ever did, because she always saw it as a way to avoid problems between rich kids who wear uppity, preppy clothes and the kids who can't afford those things. It made me realize that I was fortunate to have not had such problems in high school. Really, the town where I grew up had two discount department stores. My mom worked for one of them. (Both are no longer in business, and my hometown now sports a Super Wal Mart.) Probably sometime when I was in junior high, a Fashion Bug opened in the plaza. High fashion, we were not. About a half hour's drive away was a small "mall" with a Sears and JC Penney. Another hour away and you could get to a typical mall. But still, I don't remember it being a big deal to have "Bennetton" or "Gap" on my shirt. I don't think I could tell you a brand of jeans that I wore. (Jordache? Gitano? Lee?) And in my high school, I was considered a "prep". Go ahead, laugh. I sure do. Ah, times have changed. I was in town over the weekend. The big Memorial Day parade (two high school marching bands, scout troops, a bunch of dignitaries in cars and a whole crapload of fire trucks) goes right by my parents' house. My cousin is in the band, so we all stood out front to watch the parade. I made note of two teenage girls. One of them was wearing one of those silly short-short skirts with the ruffle and a Hollister t-shirt. The other was wearing an Abercrombie & Fitch t-shirt. I shook my head. It seems you can't even escape these things in rural PA anymore.

So today, I subbed at one of the suburban high schools. It amazed me that they either a) do not have a stricter dress code; or b) apparently don't enforce it. I saw kids (girls) wearing things that I certainly would have been sent home for wearing. The afore-mentioned super short skirts. Tiny tanks with bra straps showing. Belly shirts. Shorts so short they'd make Daisy Duke blush. Not even kidding. My mother wouldn't have let me out of the house like that, let alone go to school that way. I did have to give one little girl some credit...at first, when I saw her walking down the hall in a very Avril-esque outfit, I laughed, but when she got closer, I realized that the outfit actually appeared to have been put together in genuine punk fashion. Vintage pieces, rather than stuff bought at the mall. A side note to that...I had a 7th grader write me a persuasive essay about how there should be more punk stores...at the mall. Like Hot Topic. Snerk. And the preppy boys...ah, you could see the preppy boys a mile away,with their gelled hair and polo shirts with upturned collars (really. did this trend *have* to come back?) and shell necklaces. Gak.

I sit back and look, and I think, "Thank God I'm not them." ;)|W|P|111767823829985798|W|P|On kids and clothes|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com