Category Archives: books

seven-month itch.

03 Sunday May 2009

Posted by in blogging, books, glasgow, insomnia, politics, scotland, smoking, work

≈ 1 Comment

i’m one of those people who say that if they win the lottery, i’d still have a job. because even though it would be pointless (since i’d obviously win the $150 million lottery and wouldn’t need to work, duh), i kind of like having a regular schedule.

then, after i quit my job in august of last year to go to scotland, i was gainfully unemployed until this past week. i can honestly say that i will likely never be unemployed like that again until i retire (at least, not voluntarily), so it was definitely a new experience for me. i remember thinking that it would be strange not having to get up every morning at 6am(ish), putting so much more time deciding what i was going to wear that day, or thinking how awful my hair looked and hoping no one would notice.

it was strange. and awesome. and i got used to it pretty quickly. in fact, i revelled in catering to my night-owlishness. i loved that i didn’t HAVE to get up, and if i woke up at 3am and couldn’t go back to sleep, i could just make some tea and blog, watch a movie or play lego star wars. and there were definitely times in the wee hours of morning when i would traipse down the stairs to go outside for a smoke. there was just something about being up and about in glasgow when it was so quiet, it was like getting to see the side of a busy city that most never do.

and because i had so much free time, i was also able to pander to another habit-that-i-should-probably-seek-help-for: reading. i have read so much in the last 8-9 months, it’s really amazing that my eyeballs haven’t just fallen straight out of my head. i ended up leaving a stack of books at neil’s flat that i bought while i was in scotland, simply because i couldn’t fit them in my suitcase. and that was after i had already packed some of them to bring back with me.

it was also during my time there that i discovered blogs. B.G. (Before Glasgow), i’d always read my friends’ blogs, and dooce’s blog (link at right because i’m too lazy to do it myself), but that was specifically when i discovered THE BLOGOSPHERE and all of the amazing writers that do what i do, only are much funnier and better with words than i am. and the best part? unlike books, blogs don’t end. they are ongoing stories about peoples’ lives, or political events (like, say, the presidential election) or pictures of cats with funny captions. i filled up my head with so many personal or political or activist blogs that i probably edged out most of the memories of my childhood.

however. after about seven months of being able to sleep in, reading to my heart’s content, and being more involved with my own writing, i started feeling really unsettled. i realized that i really missed having regular interaction with others, building new relationships and working with others towards a common goal (yay corporate lingo!). i had begun my job search two months prior to this realization, but afterwards, my job search took a much higher priority.

after searching for four months (!), interviewing with several companies and being offered three different jobs, i started my new job this past monday. while the past week has been pretty laid-back, the rest of the training (and the job itself) won’t exactly be a cakewalk, but i welcome the challenge. and having experienced working for 18 years, and then taking almost 9 months off, i still maintain my stance that i will have some sort of job even if i won millions in the lottery. although i may or may not take seven-month vacations.

being american.

22 Sunday Mar 2009

Posted by in 'merka, fuck yeah, al-kee-hall, blogging, books, politics, scotland

≈ 2 Comments

after spending 4 months in scotland last year, and after getting into many different conversations with scots about american politics and the iraq war, i came to the startling realization that i felt like i finally had met my match when it came to american politics. by this, i mean that i finally was able to meet a group of people that knew a lot about what was going on my country, and could have a (more than) halfways intelligent discussion about it. how strange, and so depressing, that i had to go to ANOTHER COUNTRY in order for this to happen.

sad, but true: i generally “turn off” when it comes to the news, but this is mostly in part because of the fact that our news is biased. it doesn’t matter which way it’s biased, it’s still biased. and while fox news (or “faux news” as i’ve taken to calling them) is laughably conservative in nature (i’m looking at you, mr. murdoch), msnbc tends to be more liberal, but that doesn’t mean it’s not biased. news outlets are privately owned by wealthy individuals who are most likely republican, seeing as they want to preserve their wealth by having a much smaller government who isn’t looking over their shoulders at all of their assets. the question then becomes: who do you trust?

right now, i’m reading a book called “no end in sight,” and while i’m only 63 pages (of 575) into the book, i’ve already realized that i knew absolutely NOTHING about what has been going on in iraq, and exactly how enormous of an influence american politics has played in the current status of the nation.

it’s a very difficult book to read, and while at times, the content is a bit “dry” for lack of a better word, it’s also difficult in the sense that while reading it, sometimes i want to throw the book across the room and punch a wall, or a person (donald rumsfeld or dick cheney, in particular). i’m pissed off that the bush administration was the representative of our country for so long, and that they ran our country into the ground (economically speaking), created a domino effect with other countries, and lost favor with many of them in the process. the only solace i have as a foreign american traveling to other countries is that i can proudly state that i never voted for bush, which is pretty slight, given the vast atrocities that the bush administration incurred over the course of 8 years.

the author of “no end in sight,” (charles ferguson) while leaning a bit to the left, wanted to create a factual account of the occurrences during the iraq war, and it ended up turning into an exposé, of sorts. while many advisors on military occupation and post-war experts offered their opinions on how the department of defense could best handle the war, rumsfeld and cheney completely disregarded their opinions and decided that what they already determined as the best course of action was…the best course of action. because of course, they were elected to office, and their opinion was gold, right? let’s not discuss the fact that neither of them had seen the front lines of battle, and that the vice president never served due to five (count ‘em, FIVE) draft deferments during the vietnam war. yet men in the State Department (including Republican Colin Powell) who had decades of military experience, and even men who had incredibly thorough knowledge of iraq, offered their expertise on how to handle the war, and were essentially blown off, because, well, the decision had already been made. (i think this is one of the main reasons why colin powell eventually resigned. i wouldn’t want to be associated with the subsequent fuck-up of the iraq war, either.)

…..

i’ve spent a good portion of my life not paying attention to these issues, and man, i’ll tell ya, it’s a much easier and happier life. but i’ve decided that educating myself on what’s going on in america is worth the unrest, anger and frustration, because at least i KNOW. i’m not just shooting off at the hip and spouting political platitudes about how great my political party is. i’m doing the research, talking to people – both republican and democrat – and reading a LOT.

i know that my blog has become increasingly left-leaning by nature, and i apologize to those of my readers who either lean to the right (mostly my family), or those who don’t give a shit either way. i don’t want to marginalize my readers by being so, but at the same time, i can’t help but be LIVID that people that the majority of us entrusted our nation to, were so completely short-sighted and close-minded. so many lives have been needlessly lost as a result of these things, and i feel helpless to do anything about it. the only way for me to get these things off of my chest is for me to write about it. getting into conversations about politics or religion with my family is a completely futile effort, and the majority of people who live in this city just can’t see where i’m coming from. to say that i’m frustrated would be an understatement.

so, i gracefully bow out from this blog entry, knowing that this will likely NOT be the last entry that i post on politics OR religion, and hope that you don’t all unsubscribe, or stop reading, or whatever (if you haven’t already).

…..

is it sad that i’m drunk after a martini and 3 glasses of scotch and i’m blogging about politics?

*hic*

Meme for 2008.

31 Wednesday Dec 2008

Posted by in 'merka, fuck yeah, books, feminism, friends, glasgow, iceland, love, movies, music, politics, scotland, travel, UK

≈ 3 Comments

(Stolen from Sundry Mourning.)

1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before? I lived in another country!

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I’m pretty sure I didn’t make any last year.  Mostly because I never keep them. That’s why I won’t make any this year, either.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? My best friend’s sister had a little girl.

4. Did anyone close to you die? No, thank god.

5. What countries did you visit? The Dominican Republic (end of March) and Scotland/England (August-December)

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008? More happiness, and better health. Although I think those two are closely tied together for me. Now all I gotta do is get my gym membership shenanigans sorted, and then maybe I can get both!

7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? August 12th (the day I left for Scotland) and December 10th (the day I returned to the US). 

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? I’m going with “living in another country” again.

9. What was your biggest failure? Probably not staying in school the whole year like I originally intended. But I had Scotland to experience, so I’m going to consider that part of my Global Business Management education. ;)

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Nothing major (thank god again).

11. What was the best thing you bought? This is a toughie…perhaps the coat I bought from Tesco? Or the DVD of Amelie that I bought for Sam (which I believe is currently in Lynne’s possession)? My CHI hair straightener (if you had my hair, you’d understand)?

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? America’s, in electing Obama.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? California passing Prop 8. Bad California, BAD!

14. Where did most of your money go? To support Scotland’s economy. ;)

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? That’s easy: the presidential election.

16. What song will always remind you of 2008? Tough one!

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? meh.
b) thinner or fatter? fatter. :(
c) richer or poorer? poorer. :(

18. What do you wish you’d done more of? Communicating (which is different from simply talking).

19. What do you wish you’d done less of? Worrying.

20. How did you spend Christmas? With the fam.

21. Did you fall in love in 2008? Is it possible to fall in love with a country?

22. What was your favorite TV program? House became one of my favorites this year.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? No. I very rarely “hate” people.

24. What was the best book you read? Damn that’s tough. Perhaps The Kite Runner, or My Best Friend’s Girl (not from the cheesy rom-com of the same name). And perhaps “Captain Corelli’s Mandolin” if I would have finished it. (The movie blew chunks; I’m guessing the book was much better.)

25. What was your greatest musical discovery? I’d say either Jukebox the Ghost or The Ting Tings.

26. What did you want and get? To see Sam (and Scotland) again.

27. What did you want and not get? To visit Iceland.

28. What was your favorite film of this year? “You Don’t Mess With The Zohan.” (Kidding.) I didn’t see a whole lot of movies this year, although I did go see “Milk” a couple weeks ago, and that was pretty amazing.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I turned 31 on May 2nd, and I went with my mother to see “Ella” (musical about Ella Fitzgerald) at Playhouse in the Park after dinner at Daveed’s.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Finding a job in Scotland.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008? Confused. Although, ever since I can remember, I’ve always worn what I liked even though I usually look like I mix 3 different styles every time I walk out the door.

32. What kept you sane? Reading: blogs (TONS), news, books, magazines.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Hugh Laurie, Simon Amstell, and Stephen Fry (although the last two are gay, but that never stops me!)

34. What political issue stirred you the most? Gay rights and/or feminist issues. (No change from the last few years.)

35. Who did you miss? 3 people in particular. Not naming names.

36. Who was the best new person you met? Oy. Lynne, Gareth, Andy, Katie, John, Ryzsard (sp?), Steven, Thomas, Mark, Ian, Donna, Des, Neil, Nicol, Gary, Paul, Cameron, Anne, and any other new friend I made when I was in Scotland that I may have forgotten to mention.

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008. Taking the “safe route” doesn’t always mean you’ll be happier; you might miss out on some truly amazing experiences if you do.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year. “You keep playing me like a fruit machine.” (Or: I should really start paying more attention to song lyrics.)

part 2.

12 Sunday Oct 2008

Posted by in al-kee-hall, books, smoking, UK

≈ Leave a Comment

so much to blog about, not a whole lot of time.

okay…left off on saturday night…ah yes, whisky.  okay, after that, sam, Boss and I headed outside to smoke cigars.  i don’t smoke cigars often, but i do enjoy them on rare occasion.  it seemed only fitting after having all of that scotch.  i’m no cigar aficionado, but i do know that i had a very decent cigar (or at least it tasted nice anyway and wasn’t as harsh as others cigars i’ve had).

the next morning i had no small amount of breakfast foods to choose from (have i mentioned that The Boss and Mrs. Boss are extraordinary hosts?), but unfortunately i didn’t feel very hungry so i couldn’t take advantage.  :(   after getting our stuff together, we headed home and had a very nice drive back with some rarely-seen sunshine, thankyouverymuch.

and it continued throughout the day.  i had to get photos of this rarity.

lynne had invited me to a book club that her friend katie was starting over in partick on tuesday night, so i had purchased the book (the clothes on their backs) and spent most of monday reading it (i’m a fast reader).  tuesday night saw me, along with lynne and her friends katey, emma and lizzie to sith cafe, recently opened  by two fantastic women with a love for cooking, knitting and organic products. it was pretty much perfect for our little get-together and the hot chocolate was fantastic.  :9  i’d never been to a book club before, and it was pretty much what i expected; discussing the book for some time, then conversation turning to other topics, relationships, life in glasgow, sex, etc.  girl stuff, you know.  not that i mind sam’s mostly-male group of friends (because i don’t, they’re all very cool), but it was nice to just sit with a group of girls and do that “female bonding” thing we do so well.  i felt right at home amongst the group of (mostly) strangers, which was A Very Good Thing.  we decided on our book for next month (the butterfly house) and parted ways on the tube with friendly goodbyes.  here’s a photo i took of the station nearest sam’s flat, which i found novel because it was so much smaller than i imagined (mostly because the only tube/subways i’ve been on have been in london, chicago, boston, etc.).

friday night sam and i headed over to john’s house for a wii party where i proceeded to royally suck at tennis, but didn’t do too badly at bowling and warioware (which is a really weird game, and really fun).  saturday sam was over in edinburgh for his friend’s stag do (bachelor party) and i headed over to lynne and gareth’s to watch the scotland-norway football match.  it was rather uneventful as both teams had great defence, but not-so-great offense, and neither team scored any goals (although there were a few close calls).  meh.  i had forgotten how much drinking during the day makes me sleepy, and after a few beers, i headed home lest i end up snoring in the middle of the england-kazhakstan game.

today has been a typical lazy sunday. sam returned from his stag do completely knackered and headed to bed early.  i, however, have been doing a lot of reading.  from blogs to books, i’ve been giving my eyes a workout from garnering information about the state of affairs back home to a fiction novel set during WWII.

so that’s it, that’s an update of my goings-on in the past week or so. it’s been busier than usual ’round here, hence my sporadic postings.  there’s more to come, but it’s mostly opinions as opposed to updates on events.

until my next rant, over and out.

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.