...and it's off to Seattle we go

Oh yes! Shawn, his friend Grant, and I are coming to bring terror to the wonderful city of Seattle. You guys better get used to it because Shawn and I are moving back in three months and we look forward to vegan Thai food, pub quizzes, Pike Place, Pioneer Square, Bohemian food, and all that other shit that makes Seattle not suck as much as Olympia does.

But like we did previously, we are definitely NOT moving to the U-District. I like to think that we moved up in the world, or that we have better tastes than before. Something like that, I think.

Street Dogs tonight @ El Corazon. A bunch of people I know love them and so I want to see for myself.

That's it for now.

Guinness, Guinness, and More Guinness

...and so the party went incredibly well yesterday, I must say. It was a ton of fun, and many people showed up, which was quite delightful. We drank, ate corned beef, and watched Jackass 2, which is hilarious. Best of all, I did not have a hangover today. Yay!

So now, Shawn and I are left with a clean house, an ashtray filled with cigarette butts, and two recycling bins filled with beer bottles, mostly Guinness.

A St. Pat's Day/End of the Quarter PARTY!!!!

As you may have figured out already, I have been hella busy because it is the end of the quarter. I'm almost done... with the exception of the two finals I have left. The one seems to not be difficult, but the other is the opposite, and I'm stressed out.

But today I'm going to try to relax a bit more as Shawn and I are hosting a St. Pat's party. Originally, we were going to see KMRIA (kiss my royal irish ass), which is a Pogues cover band with members from the Decemberists and Casey Neil, in Portland. With the demise of our beloved car, we're stuck in Oly, which majorly sucks, so we're making the most of it all....

The party tonight may not be as kick ass as last year's St. Pat's in Seattle seeing the Real McKenzies with dopey Todd, Shawn, and TJ, but it should still be good. One thing I will NOT miss is old Scottish Canadian man balls in my face.... eww.

Lisa Has an Awesome New Hangout!!!

(Photo: A picture similar to what the Tumwater Forza looks like inside)

If you have been wondering about my whereabouts, I have been hanging out at my new favorite hangout. The name of the hangout is Forza and it is a cool coffee shop that makes really good drinks. In addition, the people are super nice and the environment is really comfy.

If you feel spontaneous and want to see what Forza has to offer, the address is:

Forza Coffee Company
125 Tumwater blvd suite #119
Tumwater, WA 98501

(it's by the Olympia airport off Capitol)

yay! I got into a car accident today!

(Photo: Our driveway filled with cars. Ours is in the bottom left hand corner.)

Pardon my sarcasm, but I'm trying to be cheerful despite the fact that I was rear-ended today in Tumwater off Capital and Trosper.

Fortunately, both the car and I are fine. Actually, I believe that the car might be in better shape than myself. Why? I was rear-ended hard enough that the seat belt I was wearing did it's job and kept me from going into the dash. Unfortunately, I still jerked enough where my shoulders, neck, back, and upper abs are sore and stiff.

Because there was no damage done to either car, we traded phone numbers just in case... and that's all I have to say about this incident, or at least for now.

Oh, and at least I wasn't driving a Pinto.

Marathon Writing Session or Otherwise Known As Busting My Tail

I have just completed a marathon writing session. Today, I brainstormed for two papers, including a final, and have typed 13 pages.

Yeah, you know you've been on the computer too long when you see a bright light and think it's heaven, only to be disappointed moments later when you realize your eyes are just exhausted.

Happy Casimir Pulaski Day, Folks

Yes, it is that time of year again. March 1st is not just a regular day, but yet it's PULASKI DAY!!!

Huh?

In Chicago and it's DIRECT suburbs, mostly in Cook County, Pulaski Day is a holiday. Kids get school off, a parade is held in Chicago, and I even think some local government offices might be closed. All this for this supposedly 'great' Polish man.

Honestly, I don't recall much about him, but what I do remember can be summed up by this entry in Wikipedia:

"Casimir Pulaski Day is a regional United States holiday celebrated on the first Monday of every March to commemorate Casimir Pulaski, a Revolutionary War cavalry officer born March 4, 1747. It is celebrated mainly in areas which have large Polish populations. This is a separate holiday from the federal holiday, General Pulaski Memorial Day, that commemorates Pulaski's death at the Siege of Savannah on October 9, 1779 .Illinois enacted a law on June 20, 1977 to celebrate the birthday of Casimir Pulaski and held the first official Pulaski Day celebrations in 1978. The bill was introduced by Senator Leroy W. Lemke (D)- Chicago. Chicago celebrates Pulaski Day with an annual parade, and many Illinois school children are given the day off. However, as the percentage of Polish Americans in Illinois drops and as fewer Polish Americans are elected to office, more and more schools in the state are opting out of observing the holiday. The holiday is also a special observance day in Wisconsin public schools, celebrated March 4th, as outlined in state statute 118.02 (although this is not universally observed). While not a state holiday, Indiana also marks the day as a commemorative day by governor's proclamation."

Everyday Jones Not an Everyday Duo

(photo: EverydayJones.com)

Tonight around 7 when Shawn and I were sipping our raspberry mochas and attempting to concentrate on our schoolwork, a duo that was unknown to me at the time started their sound check and grabbed my attention. Their name was Everyday Jones.

EJ is not your average coffee shop act, but yet have a young, fresh sound that entertains the ear. I did not come to Borders tonight to hear them, but I'm glad I was in the right place at the right time.

I'm not one for acoustic bands because to be quite frank, it tends to bore me. Everyday Jones adds a kick of technology into the mix with various guitar and vocal effects. What they really have going for them is the strong vocals from Alissa Jandt as well as strong guitar playing by Jason Green.

I think I've said enough for now. If you really want to know what I'm talking about, check out their website at everydayjones.com.

I'm Getting My Vacation!

So the rumor is true. Shawn and I are getting ready to invade Chicago.

After Shawn did his taxes last week, he found out that a nice chunk of cash will be deposited into his bank account at the beginning of March. The amount is big enough to pay our lease on our house and leave us with a little bit of change.

Guess where we are going? hahahahaha....

What sucks, though, is that the Polkaholics are not playing when we will be in town. Yes, disappointing, but we'll be around for 3 days or so, hopping around on the Chicago Transit Authority. Moreover, we will be seeing my parents. This will be the first time that Shawn will be hanging out with them, but it should be all good.

I'm looking forward to the most Bohemian food.... yummy!

The Rainbows Around Maya Angelou

(photo: mayaangelou.com)

Paying money to hear someone talk about rainbows may not be one’s idea of a fun night out, but it really depends on who is giving the talk. On Sunday February 28^th, 2007 I did exactly that and had the privilege to hear one of America’s treasures, Maya Angelou, discuss how important rainbows are.

From hearing this, one might think she is crazy, but this is not the case. Angelou told the audience of how there may be clouds in one’s life, but there will always be rainbows escaping from it. Moreover, how a person affects another positively is a rainbow and the length of the rainbow depends on how many people someone has affected.

Rainbows were not the only subject discussed during the evening, but yet it was deep down at the core of talk she gave, no matter what she discussed. One of the most interesting subjects discussed was centered on Angelou’s rape at the age of 8 by her mother’s boyfriend. She told the captive audience that she told the secret to her brother, who told some of her family members. When things climaxed, the man was killed by Angelou’s uncles, but this caused other problems. Angelou believed that her words caused this man’s death, so she became practically mute for the next 5 years.

Angelou also discussed her own personal experience with being homeless, and a scene she saw while in London that shocked her to the point where she became confrontational. While walking down the street, Angelou spotted two individuals who were apparently homeless sitting in front of a store. She also saw a man walking out on the store, clearing his throat, and spitting on the two individuals. Disgusted, Angelou confronted the man, but he went back into the store without saying a word.

Another important event in her life was when the United Nations was developing in San Francisco. She stated that she saw all the different people going in and out of the building and was intrigued. Unfortunately at the time, she was 16, pregnant, and about to graduate from high school. She said that she wanted to be a part of the United Nations and wondered if it would ever happen. This dream came true with the UN invited Angelou to recite a poem for their 50^th anniversary. Angelou said that it was one of the happiest moments of her life.

Rainbows fit into these events because she would not be who she was then and who she is today without rainbows in her life. She praised her grandmother as well as her uncle, and told the audience how they took care of her and how her partially paralyzed uncle taught her multiplication tables. She extends her uncle’s rainbow when she meets a man from Little Rock, Arkansas who was employed by Angelou’s uncle. Supposedly, her uncle gave him the job to help out him and his blind mother. He also learned his multiplication from him. Angelou met another man from the Carolinas who told her a similar story about how he was born to a disabled mother and Angelou’s uncle helped him and his mother out and also taught him multiplication as well.

These men are not everyday people in our society. Angelou stated that the man from Arkansas is now the mayor of Little Rock, and the man from the Carolina is in the US congress. The rainbow that affected these two individuals started with a partially paralyzed black man from a small town in Arkansas. Despite all of this, his rainbow was able to reach out not just to Angelou, but also to a mayor of a major city in the US as well as a US senator. This is the precedent that Angelou laid out on the table and hoped that we would follow. Despite the honking and fowl language in the Evergreen State College’s parking lot after the speech, maybe it hit some of the audience members. Only time will tell.

On the Northwest Trek

Shawn and I did something pretty cool today. We spontaneously decided to go to the Northwest Trek as well as drive around the area where Mt. Rainer is located. Of course, we had a fun day.

Since the trip was spontaneous, I didn't have gym shoes on, which kept my walking to a little bit more than a minimal. We did go on the Tram ride around the natural habitats of goats, bison, deer, etc. and we got pretty close to some of the animals.

Unfortunately, I did not have our camera with, but there's always next time, which will most likely be soon.

(photo courtesy of Eatonville News)

Britney Spears Shaves Her Head

(photo courtesy of KABC)

...and why do I care? I don't, honestly. I'm just a bit shocked. BTW, she copied off of me (I shaved my head at the end of summer last year). Maybe she'll be hanging around Dolly Parton so she can borrow some of her wigs. Who knows?

I don't think that she's finally lost it because I believe that she lost it a long time ago. Poor girl.

Dead Childhood Dreams

As I lay here in bed, a bit "under the weather", I was just spacing out and thought about things I wanted to do as a child, but did not get a chance to before my dreams were crushed by other students as well as teachers.

1) Acting- I always wanted to act, but I never had anyone help me. When I did try, many times I was told I couldn't because of my weight (which back in these days was 100 lbs lighter than what I am not, and a normal size). Also, I wasn't one of the teachers pets, which meant that I wasn't good enough to be in one of his/her plays because I didn't kiss the ground that they walked on (and other things as well, for that matter).

2) Basketball- I used to LOVE playing basketball, but again, I never had anyone encourage me or help me. The thing that really killed this dream was when I messed up both of my ankles by falling, which kept me out of gym class since the middle of 7th grade. I still have problems with them to this day, and many times on a daily basis.

3) Singing- I loved singing, and I wish my experience in school was similar to an anti-drug commercial that I saw on TV one day with Mary J. Blige. In the commercial, she talks about wanting to sing in school, but all the other kids told her she wasn't any good. She then says that a teacher she had encouraged her and helped her out. Of course, we all know what happened after that.

I do not know where this came from all of a sudden, but I felt like writing about it, so here it is.

Wishing for a Vacation

I want, and need, a vacation so very badly right now.

Since moving here in December 2005, I have left the state once, and that was part of a day to hang out in Portland.

To be very honest, I'd die to get out of the Pacific Northwest right now and go on a vacation. My requirement of possible vacation destinations are simple:

• Must be East of here
• Must be in a different state
• Must be in a different time zone
• Must have more people than cows, corn, llamas, or whatever
• Must either be a BIG city or have one nearby

One can only dream, right?

Hopeful I am, but realistic I am as well, which kills the hopeful part of this equation.

A Medium in a Super-Sized World

The other day I took a rare trip to Jack In the Box to pick up a quick lunch. Nothing unusual happened. I ordered my food, a medium-sized beverage, and paid what I owed. What I got in return somewhat shocked me.

No, nothing was wrong in reality, but something was wrong in my head.

My medium-sized beverage was HUGE! A whole 32 ounces, to be exact.

Why, oh why, does a medium have to be so damn big? Oh wait, we live in the United States of American (or at least I do), where bigger is better.

(Photo: 32 ounce beverage)

Tent City's Demise

For the last few days, around Columbia and 4th in downtown Olympia, a group of individuals who took a stand and wanted to be heard, did something that some people might laugh at and some might not even pay attention at all.

They created what has been called "Tent City" or otherwise known as Camp Quixote. About 20 homeless people pitched tent in the popular downtown area and didn't leave... until they were forced to. Even then, there are still some brave souls who aren't budging until they are heard... and understood.

On February 8th, 2007, I made a visit to Tent City and it's residents, many who were either packing up what little they owned or were already gone.

Around the campgrounds were fliers from the city of Olympia, telling them to leave. On the back is a list of numbers they can call in order to get shelter and other types of help.

The question is...

If they are homeless, how are they supposed to make a phone call?

Also, how are they supposed to get to a shelter if it isn't within walking distance?

As I saw, there were many other problems with organizations listed. A few of the residents came up with a list of problems they have had with these organizations in the past. Here's a few of them:

• Women only
• Religious requirements
• No privacy
• Not allowed to stay with loved ones
• Limited space
• No pets
• Early curfew, which can cause problems with an individual's employment

One individual even shared a story with me about a time not too long ago when he needed stitches and went to St. Peter's Hospital in Olympia. He stated that because he was homeless, they refused to treat him unless he believed in God.

As Americans, aren't we suppose to have the right to the freedom of religion?

Around the campsite were cops. There were a few biker cops on one corner, a few more cops in an alleyway, and there were various locations downtown where the finest of Olympia could be seen. It seemed quite weird to have all this police presence... and it kinda creeped me out as well.

As of that night, there were still people at Tent City. In fact, it seemed to me like there were more people.

I somewhat look forward to seeing what happens with this situation, but in another way, I am not because I know the reaction will most likely not be a positive one.

(For more photos from Tent City, click here.)

No Superbowl Shuffle... No Superbowl Win!

(photo: the Chicago Bears when they didn't suck...)

To the Chicago Bears,

You lost. I'm sorry, but I must say that it's your own fault. Yes, you worked hard, but you forgot one major part of the picture that could have almost guaranteed you a win today at the Superbowl.

You guys did not perform the Superbowl Shuffle '07.

Yes, you suck. At least you don't suck as much as the Chicago Cubs do, but that's a different story.

Sincerely,
Me

Lt. Watada Fights the "Big Guns" in Washington

On Wednesday, January 31st I had the pleasure of sitting in the front row of a speech that Lt. Ehren Watada gave at South Puget Sound Community College about why he refuses to be deployed to Iraq.

Right now, he is facing up to 4 years in jail if convicted of numerous charges by a court martial, but he's not worried about the punishment. Instead, he's worry about his fellow soldiers in Iraq, and those that will soon be sent. To Watada, Iraq is an illegal and unjust war, and according to the Nuremberg treaty and the United Nations, he is correct. Of course, the big guys in Washington DC don't see it that way.

During his speech at SPSCC, he made many points to his defense, and it is somewhat difficult to regurgitate them at this current moment because of the large amount of material he covered in his speech.

I'll leave it as this.... Sadam Hussein, the deceased former leader of Iraq, killed 40,000 Iraqis during his over 25 year reign as the president of Iraq, but yet the United States has killed over 100,000 Iraq citizens since the world started only a few short years ago. Sad, isn't it?

(To learn more about Lt. Watada and his refusal to deploy to Iraq, visit his website at: http://thankyoult.org.)

The Craziest Thing

Yesterday night while I was waiting at my boyfriend at the supermarket, I felt like grabbing a hot cider from Starbucks. As the barista makes my beverage and starts up small talk, he asks how I am. I answer him honestly, and then ask him how his evening has been. He tells me that it has been good and that he got his wisdom teeth pulled out right before work.

HUH?

Yes, it is true. What's more is that he has pain medication from the procedure, but HE WAS NOT TAKING ANY OF IT.

WOW.

I personally would never be able to do that. I seriously think he's insane. His response to my shock was, "It'll make me stronger."

Damn. I've got nothing else better to say than that.

A Car Wash in... January?

Oh yes, it is definitely true.

Today as I was driving around the Olympia, I noticed something that seemed quite strange to me. It is something that I wouldn't think of seeing in the middle of winter. This "something" is a car wash!

Now please understand that if this was the middle of summer, I most likely would have forgotten about it by now, but guess what? It's JANUARY!

This seriously has to be one of the weirdest things that I've seen since moving out to Washington. My boyfriend did not think it was strange, but I just don't get it. Why would someone want to wash cars in the middle of winter. Why don't they sell candy bars or do something else instead?

Weird.

(by the way if anyone cares, this took place at the corner of Littlerock Rd. & Trosper Rd. in Tumwater, WA)

Rally for Peace... Bring Our Troops Home!

This morning, I managed to get out of bed before noon and go to downtown Olympia where a peace rally was taking place. I wrote a paper about it for my sociology class. This is how it goes:

On Saturday January 27^th, 2007, a very important event took place in Olympia. I have to say that I was quite happy to be at this event with like minded people. This event was the peace rally. The idea was simple: objectors of the war in Iraq were to meet at the fountain on 4^th Avenue, across from Thriftway, at or before noon. They would then walk down 4^th Avenue in downtown Olympia, then stand in a single file line and protest the war in Iraq. This, of course, took place and it was a hell of a sight to see. By the time the people started walking back to the fountain around 12:40PM, there had to be at least 500 people there. It even got to the point where a few busloads of people coming from places such as Tenino, arrived to stick up for what they believe is right.

Many different groups were represented at the rally. I saw the Vietnam veterans, the ladies in black, and different people of different ages. There were people that one might see as being total opposites, such as punks and grandmas, joining together for this very important cause. The most shocking thing that I observed was a woman walking around with a flag folded into the shape of a triangle. I was compelled to ask her story, but I already knew what the answer was. At the beginning, I saw her trying to hide her emotions and I even thought that tears were going to start rolling down her cheeks, but it didn’t happen, or at least I didn’t see it happen.

Again, what did all these people have in common? They all disliked or hated the war. Also, they all supported the troops and wanted them to come home safely and not in a casket. The social problem is clear: US having a military presence in Iraq is a social problem to these people. They do not support increasing the number of troops. They do not support Bush. They are standing up for what they believe in and trying to save lives, not just the lives of American troops, but also the lives of innocent Iraqis who are not terrorists and who are not criminals, but yet are being treated as such by the American government.

People were holding up signs that said things such as “Bush’s War”, “Impeach Bush”, and “Not the people’s war” (which is a personal favorite of mine and which happens to be hanging up on the window of my house as we speak). 3,000 was a number that was seen many times. The number 3,000 represents the number of US troops that have perished since the US invaded Iraq. Another familiar face and name would be that of Lieutenant Watada. As you may already know, Lt. Watada was to be deployed to Iraq, but refused to go because of his belief that it is an illegal war. He is facing 6 years in military prison, but in his mind, body, and soul his belief is so terribly strong, he is willing to stand up for what he believes in, no matter if it sends him to jail for 6 years.

One more interesting point that was brought up by some individuals at the rally was the lack of acting pursuing Bin Laden for the terrorism that took place on 9/11. Because of the fact that I lived in DC during 9/11, this is somewhat of a sensitive issue for me. I actually talked about it with a gentleman who had a sign that represented this frustration. I told him exactly what I felt about the issue myself, and I also told him that many of my friends and I seriously thought that the world was going to end after the two planes hit the towers in New York City. Why don’t we have Bin Laden? Why do we have to bother the innocent people in Iraq? The two don’t connect other than for the reason that we are somewhere Bin Laden isn’t.

To conclude this incredible experience: I am extremely glad and quite grateful that I had this experience to attend such a wonderful event. The smile on people’s faces was somewhat bizarre because of the subject at hand, but they only did it because they were peace-loving individuals who don’t want others to suffer if necessary. I also have to comment that Shawn (my boyfriend) and I have been driving a car for a few months with a bumper sticker I put on there that says: 100,000 Iraqis dead. Got Morals? We’re proud of what we believe in. I asked him about it the other day after I was caught in a game of road rage on I-5 driving to Tacoma with some people who didn’t like the sticker. He said, “If I didn’t believe in it, it wouldn’t be on there.” I honestly think that says it all.

(Note: There are more pictures in an album from the rally at imagestation.)

the Sex Workers Art Show, or also known as pasties gallore!

Yesterday night, my boyfriend Shawn and I went to the Washington Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Olympia to see what I would like to call the raciest, yet most entertaining show that I've ever seen. Yes, that's right folks! I'm talking about the 10th annual Sex Workers Arts show!

The point of the show, other than to entertain, of course, is to let the sex workers express themselves instead of keeping them anonymous, as the public likes to typically go.

Diversity was wide-spread at the show. There were skinny girls, fat girls, young girls, old girls, gay guys, straight guys, bondage lovers, African-Americans, Asians, and much more!

Their website provides more information on the tour and the performers. Check it out!

(NOTE: I have also published more pictures from the Sex Workers Art show in an album. The link is at imagestation.com)

My First Post..... Awwww

Welcome to my first post.

First and foremost, let me state what the deal is. I am calling this blog "Me and 'We'" because it is just that.... me, myself, and I as well as WE as in me and other people. What will be posted on this blog are experiences of my life that have some point (hopefully) and will be still that you might actually find interesting.

(By the way, this would be the appropriate time to say some stupid, corny "let's go" type deal, but I'll just let YOU make something up!)