Thursday, January 06, 2005
HOLIDAY!
When I woke up today, it was to Madonna's Immaculate Collection. I listen to it because hearing "Holiday! Celebrate! It would be so nice!" when you know you have to get up and go to school and do the same old shit all over again is just annoying enough to make me get out of bed. Odd, I know. But I do have my odd-duck moments.
I used to listen to that cd rollerblading to school in Switzerland. I only went when it was brilliantly sunny and hot, and I felt like an 80s princess in my navy and baby blue capris, with hardly a care in the world. I always felt like running into people who had been mean to me on those mornings, so I could show them how much I didn't care with Madonna in my ears. Dumb, I know.
It snowed today, all morning and almost all day. And it wasn't snow this city is used to either. None of that gray slushy junk. It was real, honest, powdery snowflakes, the kind I used to pick up on my tongue when I was little and had the time to stand outside catching snowflakes on my tongue. That was also probably before acid rain was a big issue. I tried to make a snowman on my way home, but realised how truly lousy I am at it now. It didn't resemble a man at all, just a clump of falling-apart powder. All I could think of was that I wished I was skiing on it instead of walking through it. Two separate people on two separate occasions decided to brag to me today about how they were going skiing tomorrow. I hate humanity.
I finally made a snow angel, which I had been wanting to do all day but hadn't because I'm too old to not care about looking dumb, and I'm too young to be having American Beauty mid-life crisis, carpe diem moments all the time. Nonetheless, I did it and it was a million times better than when I was a kid because my angel was actually tall and imposing, the kind of supernatural creature I might pay attention to if it crossed my path.
Went to the 8:00 am section of the class I'm trying to switch into this morning, and the prof told me she had received an email from the other prof refusing my request to switch. The bastard didn't even email me directly. I'm really sad because I really just wanted the chance to be a part of a team and do something interesting and athletic that I really cared about for a change. It seems profoundly unfair that my profs are trying so hard to keep me in a state of forced nerdinesss. I'm 21 and I've worked hard at school most of my life and I just wanted something more. A chance to do something totally out-of-character, totally beyond what people thought I could do, just to break the mold for a while. I desperately need a little adventure in my life.
The Boy has frostbite (oh sorry, frostnip. Whatever). AGAIN. I'm mad because I told him to wear better socks. Two layers of cotton socks in -25 weather is just plain stupid. He doesn't believe me or take my advice. Nor does it matter that other people agree with me on the subject, like ALL these people:
http://www.worldclassgear.com/mountaineering_packing_list.asp
http://www.rei.com/category/4501317.htm (see side panel)
http://www.wainwright.army.mil/nwtc/BMC%20Packing%20List.htm
http://www.wcnet.org/~tmckibb/camping1.htm
http://www.1srg.org/Training/winter-skills-gear.htm
http://oregonstate.edu/groups/omc/mountaineering%20checklist.htm
http://outside.away.com/outside/gear/gearguy/200304/20030408.html
http://www.rmiguides.com/htmldocs/ski_conf_letter.asp#equip
http://www.alpineadven.com/ourservices/arrange/equip.html
Someday I hope someone will give me a little credit. A little bit of "Okay, Nome, I'll take your advice next time. You're really smart. And cute" would be great. Until then, I'll just have to continue trying not to brush up against injured toes while I'm unconscious.
Sigh.
Fern Canyon Man is fast-becoming one of my new favourite blogs. He gets pretty dark at times (honesty is a virtue, remember?), but he loves his kids -- which I really respect -- and he's a hell of a writer.
He's at: http://ferncanyon.blogspot.com
My other new favourite is a blog written by this English guy who drives an ambulance, and is understandably bitter about life. He's also really funny and very perceptive.
He's at: http://randomreality.blogware.com/blog/
And thanks to Cait for her email about memories. I suppose we all have memories of dark times, and sometimes reliving them is almost as painful as the actual events themselves. I still have no idea of how to organize them in my head or in my life, so maybe I just won't.
Bed's sounding pretty good right now.
-N
