I have a meeting with Rashida Tlaib next week. She is my state representative for where I live in Detroit. I am super pumped to sit down with her. I will let you know how the conversation goes.
REI was incredibly busy during the holiday season. There was a never ending line of people. I believe consumerism is alive and well. I couldn't believe how much money people were spending on gifts. Blew my mind. In practicing my anti-spending ideas around Christmas, I settled for making some nice sets of cards for my family (if you would like a set...I could probably get one together for you for a small price...I mostly need to pay for the paper, clue and a little labor). I make the cards and envelopes (from magazines). I have to say they are pretty creative. Collin thinks I should sell them on Etsy but that might take the fun out of making them.
One day while working at REI, I was headed to the bathroom and I got to the door at the same time as this little boy and his mother. He was probably 6...maybe a little older. Anyway, as we both put our hands on the door to open it, he looked up at me and said, "You're pretty." I could barely stop myself from laughing and managed just to say thank you. Mind you I had been working all day...probably hadn't washed my hair in about 4 days...but you gotta love those unsolicited compliments from the mouths of babes. The only awkward part of this was going to the bathroom at the same time. The kid was in the stall right next to me. I hurried right out of there.
Yesterday I posted on facebook that if life were a contest I would be winning. Why you might ask? Well I managed to make all of the doctor's appointments I have been avoiding for years, a dentist appointment, a haircut appointment, set a date to get my car fixed with an autoshop and set up my meeting with Rashida. I am pumped.
As for work/school...I am thinking about going back to school or maybe getting an internship exploring some things I am interested in. Hopefully this experience will help clarify if I need more schooling or if my skills are transferable to a new field. I am doing a bunch of information interviews right now and hoping they will lead to some new options. I will keep you posted on this one...it is still in development.
I have definitely spent a lot of time reading. My only wish was to have more people to talk with about the books I have been reading. Here is a small sampling:
- The Oath by Jeffrey Toobin
- Cover the current supreme court and their controversial rulings
- The Nine by Jeffrey Toobin
- Covers the court of Sandra Day O'Connor and the lead up to Bush v. Gore.
- So Rich So Poor by Peter Edelmann
- This book is all about why it is so hard to end poverty in America...excellent read. And depressing. I strongly recommend it.
- It's Even Worse Than it Looks by Thomas Mann and Norman Ornstein
- If you aren't into politics, I would avoid this book. They do an excellent job outlining many of our current problems with deadlock in Washington. I should point out one is a liberal and the other a conservative so it is written from both perspectives.
- Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
- Fiction...murder mystery...I will leave it at that
- Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
- Most have probably heard of the movie...this is the book it is based on. Excellent read...the stories all overlap.
- How Children Learn by Paul Tough
- This one is really a must read for any educator or actually anyone with children. There is also an excellent chapter about teaching chess to middle school students (Ruth please share that with Mr. B. I thought of him the entire time I was reading that chapter). Here is an interesting review of th book...I agree with much of what the reviewer has to say: http://dianeravitch.net/2012/10/23/paul-toughs-how-children-succeed/
- People Who Eat Darkness By Richard Lloyd Parry
- Nonfiction about a rapist in Japan who preys on young women from mostly western countries who come to work in the hostess culture in Tokyo and around Japan. Disturbing to say the least but very eye opening.
There is only one book on that list I did not love....or at least enjoy quite a bit while I was reading it. I will let you try and figure it out. It was recommended to me by a friend. The two of us have very different tastes in books but I read it because she recommended it.
I have also been able to see quite a few good movies recently. I would recommend all of these if you haven't seen them yet. I am sure I have seen more but I just can't remember right now.
- Lincoln
- Promised Land
- Silver Linings Playbook
- Pitch Perfect
- Les Miserables
I also caught up on Downton Abbey and by that I mean I found season three online and watched it. Pretty good over all. I definitely cried...actual tears falling down my face on one episode. You will know the exact episode when you get there. I almost stopped watching the show after that episode. The Christmas episode this season was also pretty sad. I have no idea where they are headed with this plot. I will leave it at that so I don't give out any spoilers.
I finally started watching The West Wing as well. How I let that show go unwatched for so many years is a mystery to me. I loved it so much...I had no control. Seriously it was like crack. I would watch one episode and then another and then another. I finished season one in something like three days. That is definitely not healthy. It was at that point I gave most of the seasons back to my dad since I couldn't manage self control on my own.
Do you have any good reading recommendations for me? Or movies? I am always looking for thoughtful and inspiring books, movies, shows.
