Monday

Mondays are not so bad when you don't have school... or a job to go to. This is only my second winter break since I became a full time student (meaning: not going to school and working 40 hours a week). I hate the feeling that I am not getting anything done. I have been making Christmas presents for a few weeks now and that has helped keep me active. I cross stitch and crochet like no body's business. I just wish my favorite hobbies involved some form of exercise. I feel like such a lump, at least when I am in school I have to walk two miles to and from classes and to and from the parking lot.

Some good news:
I finished my application for grad school, I just have to find one more professor willing to write me a letter of recommendation and get my transcripts sent to ASU. It is exciting to think that at this time next year I will be one semester into my master's work. Deciding not to go to law school was probably the second best decision I have ever made (the first would be marrying my husband). I feel excitement about the future and not dread, as I did when contemplating law school. I know I could have handled it mentally, but that gauntlet is not something I want to put myself through for a legal system that I no longer have faith in. The only thing in this world I have passion about is seeing the human race not extinguish itself before my niece is old and gray. We WILL NOT survive if we continue to live as the species of maximum harm on this planet. If you doubt that statement at all you seriously need to do some research. I am not just talking about global warming, I mean pollution, destruction of biomass, lack of clean drinking water and biodiversity. There is going to be a food war on this planet and the only way to slow it is by ceasing the planting of food crops on top of forest. Overpopulation is causing our biggest problems, but try telling that to a nation full of Catholics.
For further information on the information presented here please see the following books, or as I like to think of them, my personal sources of guidance:
1.) Beyond Civilization by Daniel Quinn (in my opinion the most important book ever written)
2.) Ismael, also by Daniel Quinn (may need to be read first in order to understand Beyond Civilization)
3) ANYTHING written by Jared Diamond; including: Collapse; Guns, Germs and Steel; and the one I am currently reading, The Third Chimpanzee.
I beg of anyone to read just one of these books (but all would be best), I guarantee it will change your way of thinking, and if doesn't, you weren't paying attention.

** I realize my posts make me seem like a bitter husk of a person, but I swear I am not, I love humanity and I love life, which is why I care about these things so much.

Old Lady

I turn 24 tomorrow. I have no idea where the time went. It seems to me that from age 16 to 20 all I wanted to do was get older. I am ready to stop now, will someone please tell time that I am done getting older. Thanks for the ride, but I think I will hop off the linear timeline right here.
Well that didn't seem to work, so I must accept it, but I will still whine. On the plus side, Adam and I are going to Sima tomorrow, a fabulous sushi restaurant, to "celebrate" that I am one year closer to death.
***
Some random thoughts:

*It is weird not having anything to do, being out of school and not having a regular job... I feel useless on breaks. It is time for my nerdy-ness to kick in, I will start reading and outlining my textbooks for next quarter. I must be doing something right though, checked my grades yesterday, and I still have my 4.0, even after having surgery in week 2 of the quarter. Busting your ass pays off. Not really sure what I am working so hard for now that I am not applying for law school anymore. But I like the challenge of setting the bar so high, and I hope to get some scholarships for grad school.
*Adam is sick, came down with the dreaded "Arizona virus", I am almost over it, still a little congested but am on the mend.
*Speaking of Arizona, having a rough time finding an area I want to live in in Phoenix. I drove around down there for 5 hours and found about 3 blocks I would be ok with living in. Not very comforting. But we will manage, and it is not forever.
* * Addendum: the Thanksgiving food was amazing, I have never had a meal so decadent. The mushroom gravy made by my cousin was awesome. Thanksgiving can still be awesome without eating a bird... or any other strange looking land-based creatures. (p.s., I am proud to be a tree hugger) =)

Thanksgiving

Time changes people. I learned this over Thanksgiving. I noticed more than anything that I have changed. I had a wonderful time with my family on Thanksgiving. I used to dread spending time with family, hated the feeling of being judged. But I learned that not everyone in my family is judgemental. I felt free to be myself and found that I had a lot more fun that way.
Thanks to my cousins for their hospitality. I feel I got to know people I have known for many years on a different level, and I love and appreciate those people that I have rediscovered.
OK, enough sap for one post.

Home Again, OR The Sweet Sound of Silence

I have spent the last 10 days in my own personal hell. I agreed to watch my ten month old niece while her guardian was out of the country. I had not clue what I was getting myself into. I have never taken care of a child overnight (alone) in my life. The situation was not helped much by the fact that the baby came down with a double ear infection, and needless to say was not a happy camper.
I am home again now, and so very, very thankful for the experience, why? Because I no longer have to wonder if my husband and I made the right decision when we decided not to have children. WE DID. Sorry to our parents but Adam and Nicole are not doing the daddy and mommy thing. Being an aunt is fabulous, because I get to go home at the end of the day, I would not trade restful nights and silent mornings for anything.

A Personal PSA

I was deeply disturbed by something I read on another person's blog. This person is a member of my family, and thus what I read concerned me even more. I felt compelled to research the following and "spread the word" (to use the phrase of those great folks at PBS):
FACTS:
1) Islam is NOT a religion of violence or hate. The groups who perpetuate such myths are those who are known as Islamic Fundamentalists and that is not the same thing as Islam. Like all classical religions some of the beliefs are antiquated, but the beauty of the religion is still relevant in today's modern world.
For more information please see "The truth about Islam in 600 words" at: http://www.religioustolerance.org/isl_truth.pdf
2) All religions have sects that are not true to the teachings of the religion that seek to pervert the good things about the faith in order to seek their own gain. For example: Christianity has some seriously frightening hate groups (if you do not believe me check out the Southern Poverty Law Center's website at: http://www.splcenter.org/intel/intpro.jsp

NOTE:By perpetuating the myth that Islam is a religion of terrorists and wife beaters we are perpetuating hate, something fundamentalists of any religion thrive on. I beg everyone to not fall into the trap of attacking a religion based on things that have no basis in truth. This will only cause our world to be more hate filled and hate only leads to violence and destruction (I am pretty sure Yoda may have said this too...).
You may be surprised that this is coming from an atheist, but know that I first began researching atheism because of how people have perpetuated falsities and corrupted beautiful ideologies. Again, please do not start slandering me unless you have some facts to back it up with. I will save you some time and clear up a couple of common misconceptions:
1)Atheist and "devil worshipper" are not analogous terms, we do not believe in a devil so how can we worship one?
2) This is a statement someone actually made to me, "You're an atheist?? But you're so... NICE!" Yes, morality can exist with out religion (I know, you are shocked). I believe in human respect, and a respect for all living things (which is also why I hold the political ideology of environmentalist (yes that is a REAL ideology as well). Any questions or comments about this are more than welcome.
Consider yourself informed, don't you feel better already?

Awesome Video

I love Deaf culture (and yes, it is a culture). I have been signing for nearly seven years now. My older sister is hard of hearing and she is the reason I started learning the language and why I have continued taking courses in college. This video is from the Deaf Performing Artists website. It is extremely powerful and a good introduction for anyone who does not really understand what struggles Deaf people face, and have faced for thousands of years. We are all waiting on the world to change, and here is what Deaf people are waiting for:
http://www.d-pan.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=36&Itemid=45

Update, by special request

The quarter is almost over (yeah!). I have been working my ass off trying to keep my 4.0 GPA. The surgery in the second week of the quarter really screwed me up. We shall see when grades come out in a couple of weeks if my efforts were successful.
I leave for Arizona on Tuesday to watch my niece while me mom is in Italy (soooo jealous). I am excited to see her and get to spend some time with her. Though starting in the spring I will get to spend a lot of time with her because:
WE ARE MOVING TO TEMPE!! I am so excited. I realized a few mornings ago when I walked outside and could literally feel my insides freezing that it was time to head home to the Southwest. I have already started the application process for ASU. I have decided to avoid law school altogether (perhaps someday soon I will feel like getting into all the details as to why I made that decision, now is not the time).
So I am applying for a masters program. I will be getting a Master of Urban and Environmental Planning, specializing in environmental planning. It is with the environment that my passion lies and so I am going to pursue my passion so that I have a reason to get out of bed every morning. My ultimate goal is to join the Peacecorps when Adam gets out of the Air Force and travel abroad and help the people of other countries learn to live sustainably. Perhaps someday America will be ready to accept the fact that its capitalistic ways have destroyed the planet, and some of that damage is irreversible. I am not going to wait to start fixing things until it is completely destroyed (thus, my reason for not being a republican, I don't want to let future generations have to deal with the problems I have created, did someone say deficit??) Sorry to any republicans who read this, wait no I'm not, its true and if you don't know that about your own party, perhaps it is time to get educated and if you are ok with letting future generations deal with your problems, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD STOP HAVING CHILDREN JUST SO THEY CAN BE PUNISHED FOR YOUR MISTAKES!!!
Wow am I snippy today, I am going to go watch Seinfeld reruns and cheer myself up.