Looking for a float to fit my 1970 carburator. It's the only thing standing between my VW Bug and the open highway. Ahh, soon. Also, my first home x-country meet is this Tuesday at Batchelor. Anybody who wants to see a frazzled coach and 8 awesome girls running their 2nd meet ever, come on out to Batchelor at 4:30 (Hint, hint, Jim, Carrie and all others that expressed an interest). Too tired (as usual) to write anymore. However, I am purchasing a lap-top this week, and hooking myself up to the internet. Soon, I can write from the luxury of my own bed. I promise!
posted by becky swanson at 8:01 PM

I need some advice on how to link things. I can't figure it out...
posted by becky swanson at 3:02 PM

posted by becky swanson at 3:01 PM

Sean and Sonya, I was curious to know what thoughts you had regarding your trip East. The last time we talked, you guys said you were going to check it out in terms of maybe a place to live. Did it meet your criteria? It's so hard to know what that is, I think. It's hard to know if what one needs is a move down the street, or a move across the country. The longer you stay anywhere the harder it is to uproot. In my opinion that is.

John, I can't say I always read your posts, due to a lack of time I put into blogging and reading blogs. But I am a changed woman, you are one funny fellow. I enjoyed your anecdote about shopping for your wife, and your take on Amy's butt-rubing scenario. I love getting a male perspective on stuff like that. I used to scorn the idea that men and women were different, have a different way of thinking, yada yada yada. All that "Oh he's a guy" as an explanation for one's behavior used to bother me. But the older I get, the more I believe and embrace that men have fundamentaly different perspectives on the world than women. I am not going to go into how that happened....I can hear Phil right now revving his society-created-and promoted-these problems engine. Regardless, I find it all funny. Ned, you too had some funny input with your flashback stuff. I love it. Many of you bloggers have a beautiful talent for capturing and expressing your thoughts in such a succinct and elegant manner that paint real pictures for me. I envy that. I have often viewed writing as an obstacle for my expression. Just last night Clint mentioned that he is working on, finishing actually, a novel. Wow! That's impressive to me. Anyway, tops off to you writers. I am working on it.

Sonya, I absolutely love the first painting on your resume page. I like them all, but that is super great. Sort of like urbanized Edward Hopper. Love it.
posted by becky swanson at 2:56 PM

Hey for you guys who were just in the Adirondacks. My brother and his wife own a lodge up there in Saranac Lake. It was built in th e20's with guest houses and a boat and house and the likings. Well, two nights ago a "micro burst" blast through there. I guess a micro burst is like a tornado. Anyway, over 100 trees were uprooted on their property alone, cars were crushed, houses smashed. They are devestated. I never even heard of a micro burst. Weird.
posted by becky swanson at 11:22 AM

I am so sad and frustrated right now. I am hoping that this exercise in writing will make me feel better. I left my family unannounced like a high school kid taking off pissed. I fled to the local library and am hoping that in 10 or 15 minutes I will be able to return to their house with a positive attitude. I always regret being pissy with my parents because it leaves me with such residual guilt. I came up here to spend some time with my folks before school starts and I get caught up in my own busy schedule. Also, I have been contemplating a move in the next year and I don't want to regret having not spent time with my folks while I was closer. Jesus, they treat each other like shit. It's my dad really. I seriously think they have maybe 10 good years in them, and if they live out the rest of their life like this it would be the saddest thing for me. Even as I sit here trying to vent, I can't bring myself to actually articulate the bad things I feel. I just want to take my mom and tell her it doesn't have to be like this. Life can be fun. Picking your nose can be fun if you don't have someone constantly questioning, lecturing, monitoring, revoking, limiting, belittling EVERY FUCKING THING YOU DO. Every car that pulls out is an inconvenience, every dollar out of his pocket might as well be a fucking gallon of blood. I think I am starting to feel better. There is very little love in my family. A shitload of loyalty and guilt and nurturing, but very little love. This makes me sad, and makes me wonder where I fall in this picture. Do my friends see me as a loving person? Whatever.
Why do I write this stuff on a public forum? Do I want sympathy? The weird thing is that if anybody actually said, wow, your family is fucked up, I would become very defensive. So I don't want confirmation. I guess I want to know how to show love for parents who make me sad. And I want to know how to not feel guilty about all this.
posted by becky swanson at 7:06 PM

I'm back! Trip was huge success. Pat was a sport to meet us at the teepee, Liz and Hetather were hostesses supreme, (sorry about the flat on your bike Heather) Amy and Sarah are doing great, and I was able to hang with other old friends as well. Everything went great. But it's back to the grindstone for me. It makes me anxious to think of all the posts that I can't possibly catch up on or respond to. However, I would love to see that baby! When's the baby open-house!
posted by becky swanson at 4:41 PM

Life has been one big party after the other these days! It's been so fun seeing everybody. And meeting new people. And seeing old friends. This week I pick up Jennifer Feeney and head for Chicago to catch WILCO (yeah!) at Grant park and hope to see Sonia J, Chris, Sean, Sonya R., Amy R. Bill and the Winechuggers, my friends Matt and Rose and others. I am so excited to see everybody in their own element. Plus I love Chicago in the summer. Everyone else groans about the Taste of Chicago because of all the people, but I love that shit.

Sounds like there have been Birthday's galore across the blogger board. Happy B-day to all, I have enjoyed reading all the I first met so-and-so when....

Happy Birthday to Liz and Licia, I will give you a big fat sloppy when I see ya. Happy B-day to Clint, Sean, Sonya: I will refrain from the big wet sloppy's on you guys, but my best wishes are truly from my wet and sloppy heart.

JimA--those were some of the best home fireworks I have seen in my whole life.. and believe me, I am a firework connoisseur. A big wet, sloppy thanks for those. And to you and Dani for the party.

Well I am off to take Ice-cube to the Swanson cat hotel for the month of July. Geez, I am going to miss that little asshole while he's gone.

posted by becky swanson at 12:16 PM

Too often I think I live my life like Toad. I will try to be more like Frog.

A LIST

One morning Toad sat in bed.
"I have many things to do," he said.
"I will write them all down on a list so that I can remember them." Toad wrote on a piece of paper:
A LIST OF THINGS TO DO TODAY
Then he wrote:
Wake up
"I have done that," said Toad, and he crossed out: Wake up. Then he wrote other things on the paper:

1. Wake up
2. Eat Breakfast
3. Get dressed
4. Go to Frog's house
5. Take a walk with Frog
6. Eat lunch
7. Take nap
8. Play games with Frog
9. Eat supper
10. Go to sleep
"There," said Toad. "Now my day is all written down." He got out of bed and had something to eat. Then Toad crossed out:
Eat Breakfast
Toad took his clothes out of the closet and put them on. Then he crossed out: Get dressed
Toad put the list in his pocket. He opened the door and walked out into the morning. Soon Toad was at Frog's front door. He took the list from his pocket and crossed out: Go to Frog's House
Toad knocked at the door. "Hello" said Frog. "Look at my list of things to do," said Toad. "Oh," said Frog, "that is very nice." Toad said, "My list tells me that we will go for a walk." "All right," said Frog. "I am ready." Frog and Toad went on a long walk. Then Toad took the list from his pocket again. He crossed out: Take walk with Frog
Just then there was a strong wind. It blew the list out of Toad's hand. The list blew up high into the air. "Help!" cried Toad. "My list is blowing away. What will I do without my list?" "Hurry!" said Frog. "we will run and catch it." "No!" shouted Toad. "I cannot do that." "Why not?" aksed Frog. "Because," wailed Toad, "running after my list is not one of the things that I wrote on my list of things to do!" Frog ran after the list. He ran over hills and swamps, but the list blew on and on. At last Frog came back to Toad. "I am sorry," gasped Frog, "but I could not catch your list." "BLAH," siad Toad "I cannot remember any of the things that were on my list of things to do. I will just have to sit here and do nothing," said Toad. Toad sat and did nothing. Frog sat with him. After a long time Frog said, "Toad it is getting dark. We should be going to sleep now." "Go to sleep!" shouted Toad. "That was the last thing on my list!" Toad wrote on the ground with a stick: Go to sleep
"There," said Toad. "Now my day is all crossed out!" "I am glad," said Frog. Then Frog and Toad went right to seep.

posted by becky swanson at 3:17 PM