If home is where the heart is, then mine is split in two.

Breckenridge will always have a special little corner in my heart. I can hardly believe it has been seven years since we drove down Highway 210 for the last time. Well, the last time as residents of the town on the other end. I can probably count the times we’ve gone back to visit on a hand and a half. Each time we go back it is a good experience. We see people we haven’t in years, we hug, and catch up. This weekend was no different. I didn’t have the time to see any of my friends and former classmates, but I did get to visit with old neighbors. It felt as though we should have simply walked through our backyards to our old house. I can hardly believe how much the kids I used to babysit have grown! Some of them are in high school now. I know I am only 20 (well, nearly 21) but it makes me feel way old. I saw my former piano teacher. I haven’t seen her in, well, about 7 years. That means I haven’t actively played the piano in that long. My little sister is the same age I was when we moved away. As I think back to how much I have changed in the past 7 years it makes me wonder what the next 7 have in store. Will I have a job I enjoy? Will I still be writing? Will I be married? Kids? That is too much to comprehend right now, especially when I am feeling as though I am already growing up too fast.
(I need to intercede here to let you all know that Emma, the cat is currently curled up on the couch sleeping and looks oh, so adorable.)

I realized a few things while visiting this weekend. One, is that I am glad we moved to Marinette. One shouldn’t have any regrets in life or everything would be negative. From time to time I would wonder what life would have been like had we not moved on January 1st, 2001. I know now that everything that I experienced in Marinette was for the better. I can’t imagine life without the friends I have made through the years. Even the education I received, dismal as it may be, was slightly better. There are good things about the little bay-side town. One thing I don’t miss is the smell of Minn-Dak during sugar beet season. (They are currently harvesting the ugly little things) It is like a fart, but slightly more rotten. It is also windy all the time, flatter than all get-out, and real small. Marinette smells fresh, has a lot of trees, and a beautiful bay view. Plus we not only have a Walmart, but a ShopKo, and a K-Mart. We’re so special over there.

I may be living in Minnesota currently, but I am both a Wisconsinite and a Minnesotan. One really can have the best of both worlds. I couldn’t live anywhere else. I cheer for the Packers and the Twins. I can have more than one hometown. But right now, I need to write a paper. As much as I love reminiscing, one can only procrastinate so much.

756*

Barry Bonds’ 756th home run baseball is headed to Cooperstown…with an asterisk. Thank you Mark Ecko. I couldn’t be happier.

The Cubs will never win! Jump off the bandwagon before you get hurt.

Did you know that the first book of poetry published was written by a woman? Her name was Anne Bradstreet, a Puritan no less! I am grateful that she stuck it to the patriarchal society (in her own way) and started the beginnings of the feminist movement. Although she was not entirely for throwing society upside down, she did test the staunch Puritan values, even if only a little. (We studied her today in my American Lit class.)

Last night I went with Doug, Danie, and Terry to go see Across the Universe downtown. Alas, when we arrived, there was a sign that said they changed the release to next weekend. We ended up seeing The Brothers Solomon instead, which was funny, but not what I intended to see. We also stepped into the bar Gameworks for a bit, because the movie wasn’t going to start for another hour and played some video games in the meantime. There was this really cool one that Doug and I played where we were racing these luge sort of vehicles in tubular track type of places, but you were laying back on the seat and the graphics really messed with your head. We played it twice in a row, and afterward were a little dizzy. Kind of like going on a ride that whips you around in the air twice in a row.

I am already sick of the Cubs bandwagon. Where did all these Cubs fans come from? Oh, yeah, they are doing well right now and everyone wants to say they cheered for them when they actually won. Except they won’t. I am still cheering for the Brewers, until it is officially the end. If the Cubs actually do take the NL Central (and only IF) I will not be cheering for them. Right now it is the Indians and Mets for me. Strange that I won’t be able to root for my own team, but sometimes you lose. Hopefully with the return of Liriano, we’ll go a little further in 2008. Here’s to a healthy Joe Mauer as well. Poor kid couldn’t catch a break (haha, catch…) this season.

I will be in Breckenridge, my true hometown this weekend. Why I am so scared and nervous to go, then heartbroken to leave is beyond me. It happens every time!

Goodbye, Metrodome…until April

What a loss. But we did get dome dogs.

This is what we won’t see in October:

That is the view from our playoff seats last year.

And then came the chills of October, and the fields were empty.

Tonight I will attend my twelfth and final Twins game of the season. (The Twins will play 9 more after tonight.) I must admit I had high, high hopes for the season. It was almost expected that we would have a fight to the end to reach the playoffs. Instead we are left with a final month of games that may or may not matter in the long run. Pride, of course, is a driving factor. That want to go out above .500 is another. The proof to the die-hards that they really didn’t give up, Cleveland was just a reckoning force this year is a big one. It is strange to think back only a year ago when I barely knew about the game of baseball. Part of me wonders if I would have remained blissfully unaware my entire life had I not met Christina. I did attend my first game in years without her, and was extremely bored because I had no idea what was going on. Now that I completely (for the most part) understand the game, I find it very exciting. I guess that is the dirty little secret baseball fans share. The reality that watching baseball is not like watching paint dry, but in fact more exciting than football or basketball. Just because they aren’t constantly moving doesn’t mean the action is not there. If you don’t watch for a second, you might miss a beautifully nasty pitch thrown by Santana, or a web gem-worthy defensive play that makes fans weep with excitement. Even if it goes against your team, those crazy catches are admittedly spectacular. I love baseball because I learned how it works. I continue to love it because the Minnesota Twins are amazing. Even though they’ve disappointed us time and time again this season, they always find a way to make us love them in the end. I think I like it better that we’ve had the time to get used to the idea that baseball will cease for us here in Minnesota come October 1st. At least we are okay with the idea before the regular season ends. We can continue watching the amazing plays, and thrilling home runs while stewing over the “what could have beens” and eventually come to terms with them. So, here’s to you, 2007 Minnesota Twins. I hate you…but I love you.

(Almost) Thursday Thirteen

It isn’t quite Thursday, but here are 13 things for your reading pleasure. But before I begin, my pirate name is Long John, in honor of International Talk Like A Pirate Day. I didn’t choose it, it chose me.

1. American Literature, at least the early stuff, is all fire and brimstone. Either that, or boring accounts of colonial settlement. One would think that a swash-buckling sailor like John Smith, who was a legendary adventurer could write an account that was a little more interesting. And Jonathan Edwards’ “Sinner in the Hands of an Angry God,” just makes you lose all hope for life and anything after. Fortunately, the visiting professor from the University of Michigan makes lectures a little more interesting than the reading material assigned.

2. I personally believe Brett Favre will never retire. I know I am in an utter state of denial, but really, he is all that has been constant in the entire Green Bay Packers organization in my entire life. He first came to the Packers when I was 5 years old. His eldest daughter is only 2 years younger than me–he could be my dad. The fact that I am less than 2 months shy of being of legal drinking age means he is old. He probably should have retired a couple years ago. If it were any other man, he would have. But Brett Favre is different. He decided to come back for at least another year, and look how well he is doing? Those few records he has left to break will be no more sooner or later.

3. I have a really good feeling about this semester. We are only 3 weeks in, but things have been great thus far. My classes are enjoyable and I’ve been able to keep up with all my reading for the most part. Having Doug as a roommate is great. We’ve been friends for so long, we’ve become family. I think we’ll both be good influences on each other. I also turn 21 soon, so the weekends will no longer be hindered by where I can and cannot go.

4. I keep changing my mind about who I am supporting in the whole strike situation. I wish I could just sit by, neutrally, but that cannot be. I just hope they are able to resolve this all very soon. At least for the sake of the fools who felt the need to go on a hunger strike for 1%.

5. Our house is now officially a home. Everything is unpacked and we are now all settled. It is probably in our best interests to remain here for 2 years, because we’ve nested and the thought of having to move again in only 8 months already tires me.

6. How awkward was the Emmy’s on Sunday night? The whole “in the round” concept fatally bombed, and the upsets were indeed upsetting. The Office’s Jenna Fischer should have won supporting comedy actress in my opinion. At least Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert delivered the funniest moment of the evening, in normal fashion.

7. Doug got an internship at the History Theater through on of his theater classes. Since next Labor Day weekend, the Republicans will be in town for the convention, it sounds like the Daily Show and Jon Stewart are bidding for the space! So he could very well meet some big names. How cool is that?

8. I am thinking after graduation I want to find a job in publishing somewhere. I’d like to stay in the cities at this point, but who knows where I will end up in life? I know literature. I love writing. Those are the only things I know for sure.

9. We set up wireless internet in our place a couple days ago. We were at first thinking we’d need the technical assistance of a friend, but the box came with a disc that was quite simple to follow. Who knew we could be so technically inclined?

10. The Twins’ General Manager, Terry Ryan announced that he will resign at the end of the season. It seemed to be out of nowhere, but I guess it is with good intentions. His replacement will have quite the task with Torii Hunter and Carlos Silva with their free agency. I have all but bid Hunter adieu, and if Silva leaves, there is no chance for Santana to remain a Twin after 2008.

11. Emma, the cat, likes to cuddle. If not cuddle, then to simply be in close proximity to her humans. Sometimes, however, I just don’t feel like it. I guess it is something to get used to, having another living being around the house. But I like it. We are friends. In fact, right now, she just crawled up onto the couch to watch the Twins play with me.

12. I am fascinated by Russian culture. I can’t explain why, I just love it. So, my Modern Russian History class this semester is very interesting. My professor’s name is Stavrou and he is a Greek man, accent and all, who has been teaching the same course at the U for 49 years. He studied at the University of Leningrad! (It has of course, changed its name since 1991.) On Monday night, we went over 10 minutes because he was on a roll and all the history nerds in the class like me didn’t mind at all. “Please teach us more about Peter the Great, Stavrou! We don’t care that it is 9 o’clock in the evening!” Are we really that dweeby? Perhaps.

13. I know I reiterate this fact many a time, but today was absolutely perfect, weather-wise. Was it 68 degrees and sunny, you may ask? Well, of course it was!

And there you have it, 13 things on my mind at this point.

I Knew it!!

“In real life, I assure you, there is no such thing as algebra.”
–Fran Lebowitz

I’m a Fan

“Just because your voice reaches halfway around the world doesn’t mean you are wiser than when it reached only to the end of the bar.”
–Edward R. Murrow

“What is written without effort is in general read without pleasure.”
–Samuel Johnson

Maybe next I will conquer the world!

Once in a great while I get ambitious when it comes to dinner. Often, I get lazy and either make a sandwich or maybe a tortilla pizza. However, this evening my roommate and I made a pretty spectacular (for us, anyway) meal! Cornflake encrusted chicken with potatoes and veggies. The fact that it took over an hour shows how in-depth this cooking was! We even bought an apple pie for dessert. (Did you really think I would be that into the meal? Of course I wouldn’t make it from scratch!)

Speaking of ambitiousness, Doug and I also set up our wireless router, and it actually works! Who knew we could be so technically efficient?! Now we just need to take care of the immense plethora of cords and such and get them in a more organized fashion. Then the living room will be complete!

The next thing I intend to accomplish, as long as I am being ambitious, is to figure out how the VCR can work effectively with the digital cable. See, the idiots in charge of NBC and ABC have mistakenly thought that putting The Office and Grey’s Anatomy on AT THE SAME TIME would be a fantastic idea!

Why I Love, Love, LOVE Autumn!

1. Do I even need to reiterate my feelings for summer? Today was actually cold. I could have/should have grabbed a coat, but I looooooooooved it! I am a fan of weather with the hint of a chill in the air. I would rather be cooler and able to layer it up, than so hot that I sweat sitting on my couch watching TV. Clearly I am not exerting any form of physical exercise sitting down, so why am I sweating? This way I don’t have to do laundry as often. I am not changing towards the end of the day because the clothes I put on in the morning are disgusting.

2. I really love books. I am a fan of school. I don’t want to leave college. Fall means school starts and I have an excuse to purchase an exorbitant amount of books. The beauty of reading in class is discussion! When you hear the ideas of your peers, you understand the prose so much better and everything starts making so much more sense! I learn so much more and am now able to make my own brilliant conclusions of various texts!

3. Scarves; I own several. Is there such a thing as too many? I think not! Especially since most of mine hail from the thrift store bins for the fantastic price of one quarter.

4. I enjoy wearing sweaters. (Sweating not so much.) I have so many more choices from my wardrobe when I am able to haul out the warmer wear.

5. My writer’s bump has returned! What is a writer’s bump, you may ask? Well, mine is located on the inside of my right index finger, towards the tip. It is a callus caused from writing too much! But why would one miraculously return if I am a writer? The writing I do is on the computer more, but once classes begin, I am taking pages upon pages of notes. I prefer handwriting to typing mostly, but alas, these days it is not possible. I am a fan of the bump however, I must say.

6. My annual common cold arrived this week! But I only had to blow my nose once or twice today, so that is progress! I grabbed a handful (read: ten) of tissues yesterday before I left the house for the day. Alas, I used them all in my first of three classes. So for the remainder I used toilet paper and brown napkins, as if I couldn’t afford the tissues, all homeless-like.

7. Our landlord who lives downstairs put blankets on his garden tonight. That means a freeze is coming! I enjoy the feeling of snuggling into various blankets at night. It is much better than having to kick of a sheet because it is too warm!!!

8. Halloween!

9. Thanksgiving!

10. My birthday!

11. Apple pie!

12. Silly little girls aren’t dressing like they are ready to get picked up off the street anymore!

13. Baseball season is almost over. Now this one needs some explanation. One of my reasons for liking Spring is the start of baseball season. However, about 2 weeks ago, they completely fell apart and now have the potential to be playoff spoilers. So, I am about over with 2007 and am looking forward to 2008. (P.S. I hate Cleveland)

Will that suffice? Am I a nerd? Do I have a life? Clearly it is 8 o’clock on a Friday night and I am blogging why I love autumn. But I do believe that plans are in the works, so I will no longer be sans plans. Maybe another story is in the works…