Minneapolis Monday - Slow Times at Suburban High

2007-08-20 - 12:47 p.m.

Do other countries have the same rituals in school reunions as we do? This weekend, the Boy and I went to the Boy's 10th year high school reunion. It was two blocks from our apartment, and, well, we had no excuses to miss it.

It was pretty much what you would expect. It wasn't in a gym, thank goodness, but a local pub. The lights were low, probably to be kind to those whom time hadn't been as generous. Some women were decked out. We didn't talk to some of the women trying to pretend they were still in college, at least by their attire, but it was entertaining to see them try. Guys stood in groups, and I'm guessing it was former varsity squads of one type or another.

The Boy was excited once he was there, though, and it was fun to meet some of the people he had told me about previously. We also got to see people I had met previously, so it wasn't too weird. People were very friendly, and of course, the girls who were interested in the Boy in high school made a point of talking to me. That was entertaining.

Some strange things for me, having moved so much during my education: people KNEW each other. There were people who knew each other from kindergarten and were married. They went on vacations in groups. In fact, I didn't meet one other "outsider" like myself, but I met a fair share of married couples. Granted, my mother never goes to my father's reunions, but it did seem a little strange to me.

I don't know anyone from my high school that married someone else from my high school. None of us expected that would happen. I'm sure someone did. My class had 102 people--odds lean in that favor once or twice. But my mother's family had single sex education, so that wasn't possible, and the idea has generally seemed foreign to me.

On the plus side, I didn't need the name tags everyone had on to tell people apart. Although the Boy's brother has friends that somehow all look the same, the Boy's friends are different from each other, in personality and appearance. And my string of getting along with shorter-than-me dark-haired women continues, I'm happy to say. (I know one of you reading this is taller than me, but I think that's it...) To the one I'm writing about, check out that book in the lower right hand corner of my blog. It will give you the real experience of law school as a married woman. And I'd LOVE to go out with you sometime and talk about it, if you're interested.

Of course, the Boy has been checking his hair in the mirror more often since we got back. Most of the football players have done the noble thing and shaved the hair they have left. Testosterone does that, and I'm entertained he's trying not to be pleased that he's looking better than a good deal of them. (The Boy played football in high school for a while, but still did well academically.) It was also fun to watch his classmates who didn't know him as well jump back when he talked about getting his Ph.D. in physics. Nice to see him proud of himself, as he should be.

We stayed a lot longer than either of us expected to. The food was good. We may have someone for a real estate agent when we look for a place of our own. We hope that once the Boy surfaces from this f-ing thesis, we can catch up more with the people we got to see.

Chinahand? I apparently know what's going on with you more than anyone else at your reunion. Possibly including the Boy. And that girl that your other trio friend is married to? Looks a LOT like your mom. Moreso than you or your sister do. Why did no one warn me of this? (Lucky girl.)

What reunions have you all been to? Did anyone "crash" like I did?

Minneapolis Monday - Covered in Kittens

2007-08-14 - 12:47 p.m.

Well, I'm a day late. But it's been busy around Casa Alektraland. The Boy and I went out on Friday night and purchased supplies so that on Saturday morning, we would have the correct equipment for two very cute kittens.

The kittens, however, have consumed our will to do much else. They're really fun to hold, pet, play with. We took them to the vet yesterday. They also have colds, however, and we've also been worrying about them and their every move.

It's pretty silly. After all, it's a cold, and they're cats. They'll be fine. They have food, a litter box, a window to look out of. Life is good for them. But the sad little sneezes! I tell you, there is very little more satisfying than having a kitten jump up on the couch, cry a tiny little cry for your attention, and then climb on your lap and purr.

The kittens are a little on the small side, because they were sick when the shelter took them in. So they have really big heads and smaller bodies. But they're eating like champs and resting lots. They are nearly 3.5 lbs now. (That's 1.6 kilos, for you metric types.)

All we want, little kittens, is your love and our will to work back. We need to be able to work so we can support your adorable kitten ways.

Minneapolis Monday - DC Monday

2007-08-06 - 9:34 p.m.

I'm not in Minneapolis, so it seems a little disingenuous to have a Minneapolis Monday. I'm actually in Virginia, farther away from DC than walking distance. But here goes:

This week, thus far, I've been in New York, Virginia, and Maryland. And for the past three nights, I've had dinner in those three different states on different nights. I don't think anyone who has lived in a smaller sized country could really grasp how strange that is. It'd be like being in Ireland, then France and Spain. Or other similarly distanced countries, if you want to choose.

The thing about states that amazes me, though, is that most people take for granted that their "home state" is the norm. By this, I mean the laws in each state, and how much control a state has over those laws. For example, the legal drinking age in the U.S. is 21. Most people from my generation think it's a federal law. It's a de facto general law, but the legal age to buy or consume alcohol is actually left up to the states. Congress just promised money to states who raised it to 21, and everyone eventually came on board.

Because so many things are the same from state to state, it surprises a lot of people, both natives and visitors, that each state has its idiocyncracies. For example, in Connecticut, you can buy beer in a grocery store. But not on Sundays. In Pennsylvania, you can only buy beer from a beer distributor or at a bar, and then only a six pack at a time. In Texas, there are drive-through liquor stores. Given the desire to end drunk driving, this may seem scary or even laughable, but I promise, the drive through liquor store is a big business.

These differences can make it difficult to go from state to state. For one, if you move to a new state, you have to get a new driver's license from that state. In Connecticut and Pennsylvania, I did not need to take a new driving test, because I already had a license in another state. Minnesota required me to take their written test. If you bring a car into another state, you also have to get new license plates. All of this comes with fees to be paid. It's a frustrating process, because it isn't to move to a new country. It's simply a new state in the same country.

There is no official language in the United States, and although some states have tried to push English, it is not the official language of any state. This surprises many people again, because English is the language that the government and the media use to inform the public. It is the language used in all schools, except for a small minority. Even American Sign Language is based in English.

The state system is a system that allows for smaller governments to handle smaller, localized problems. The Constitution grants all powers to the states that are not specifically granted to Congress, the Supreme Court, or the President. This is a lot of leeway for the states, and there is always a great deal of struggle between what should be left to the states to decide, and what should be decided by the federal government. For someone like me, who has lived in at least seven states, including three time zones, I have very little allegience to a particular state. I see myself as a U.S. citizen, but many people in the U.S. do seem to identify with a particular state.

So, whomever is out there, if you're from the U.S., or have lived here a while, do you feel a particular bond with a certain state? Or are you a nomad in your own land, like me?

Okay

2007-08-02 - 2:04 a.m.

We're ok.

I'm in Buffalo, the Boy is in Minneapolis, our in-laws and friends are all safe, that we've heard.

Please, good thoughts to all the people who are missing right now, and all the people who have lost someone today.

If you don't know what I'm talking about, this is what I'm talking about.

More later. Just wanted to make sure you all weren't worrying about us!

The End is Here

2007-07-26 - 1:26 p.m.

I did, in fact, finish the bar exam yesterday. Thank you for your well-wishes and kind thoughts. The first day, not so bad. The second day? Well, I won't find out until October 8th or so, so keep thinking good thoughts when you have those opportunities.

It was an ordeal, an evil, awful, stupid ordeal. There were people who gave up halfway through. There were women crying in the bathroom (I don't know about the men's), but mostly? I just did my best to focus and get shit done. Because what else was I going to do?

On the flip side, I saw a light at the end of the tunnel, and that light was from a wand. Yes, I've now read Harry Potter 7. I finished last night after getting home at 5:30, and I think that makes me a little crazy. But I really don't care, because I behaved myself and didn't read any of it until AFTER the bar. Dammit.

So yes! Life is back, at least for a bit. I'm heading to DC. If you read this, and you live in DC, please email me. I want to get plans going, and figure out when I get to see you all!

Hugs and thanks to everyone again. Especially the Boy, who scheduled a facial on Tuesday evening for me.

Minneapolis Monday - Slow Times at Suburban High - 2007-08-20
Minneapolis Monday - Covered in Kittens - 2007-08-14
Minneapolis Monday - DC Monday - 2007-08-06
Okay - 2007-08-02
The End is Here - 2007-07-26

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