That's so Punk Rock

I used to think "punk rock" was a type of music. That, it is. But it is so much more. It has become an encompassing definition for an attitude, or behavior that is characteristically anti-establishment. There is not one word synonymous to the expression "punk rock", but here are some that when combined best describe it; deviant, courageous, bold, unique, independent.

Rosa Parks, punk rock. Dalai Lama, punk rock. The Beatles, punk rock. Lady Gaga, definatly punk rock. Me when I was 16, punk rock. (although it never really leaves, does it?)

I watched Dogtown and Z boys this afternoon. All the while thinking of how punk rock the skaters in the film were. Their movement was way before the genre and really didn't have anything to do with music, but I couldn't come up with another phrase. As the movie shows, their fame doesn't stay within the scope of punk, as some sold out and became mainstream, but the origins of street skating was a movement that defines what I'm getting at.

After the movie, I dressed up fancy for a fundraising dinner for my work. I put on my prettiest dress, put on makeup, curled my hair and as I was saying goodbye to Brandon in the driveway I noticed that I hadn't dry cleaned my dress from the last wedding I went to, where I had drank a bit to much and probably spilled some wine all over it. Luckily, it had a pattern, so it wasn't too obvious and I didn't care. When I told Brandon with my lip curled to one side "Ah, whatever!" He laughed and said "you're pretty punk rock!"

It made me think, if I can bring a punk attitude in to kiss the asses of a bunch of rich people to raise money for charity and I cause I believe in--punk can follow me everywhere.

We could all use a little more punk in our lives. As greedy politicians take away the rights of fellow citizens, as media influences our thoughts, as our daily interactions constrain how we act and tell us how we are supposed to feel--I want to remind myself of what punk means and how I can use it to shape my life and thus, the lives around me.

channeling anger

People have told me the best way to deal with anger is to not succumb to it, not to feed into it. Just channel it into something, anything positive. Some people work out, some meditate. These words are my attempt.

These are the things that piss me off: Passive aggressive assholes who can't talk about what's bothering them, instead--they let their anger build up and when you're not around write a letter to your boss behind your back, trying to get you in trouble. I'm pissed at people who act like they are doing something for the good of others--but really they want something in return. Selfish Fucks. It is the exception to be anything different. Everyone's out for themselves-maybe if I joined suit, I wouldn't have anything to be angry about.

I'm pissed about the next generation and how kids are addicted to video games and how their parents are just as addicted to the time away from their kids. We are raising a culture of anti-social morons that are going to be adults very soon, and we should all be pissed about this.

I can find a hundred things to be pissed about, but I'm mostly pissed that as I get older I have less fun and am pissed all of the time. I suppose I can choose to not be angry, but then I'm just ignorant and selfish like the rest of them. Being young and blissfully dumb was great, I was just too dumb to know it.

The Neighbor Girl

Brandon and I bought a house on the Walton's block of Albuquerque. I think we are the only people in a 5 mile radius without a kid. I've had more pressure by neighbors to have a baby in the three weeks we've lived here than the entire five years we've been married. With all the kids and baby's around we were worried that we'd get noise complaints from Brandon's drum playing. The first and only complaint came from Emma, the 6 year old neighbor girl. She saw me in the yard one morning and barged over to me hands on her hips and said "when you play your radio that loud-my baby brother can't sleep!" Her mom came running behind her and clasped her hand over Emma's little mouth just a little too late. I got the distinct feeling that was not the first time she'd tried to block the floodgate. "No, no-it's fine, the music doesn't bother us."

I've only known Emma briefly, yet I could write all night about her ability to say the first thing that comes to her mind and her unapologetic attitude. Like the time she told me "thanks for having me over-I know I'll always be welcome." or the time asked for candy and told me her mom wouldn't mind only to tell me a few moments later with a mouth full of candy-"Don't tell my mom or we'll BOTH be in trouble."

Perhaps the funniest story about Emma so far happened yesterday when we pulled up to our house to find Emma sitting in a miniature lawn chair, legs crossed, palms facing the sky, thumb and forefinger in the shape of an "O", eyes closed and chanting-with a soccer trophy in her lap.

Brandon slowly pulled up to the curb, rolled down the window and waited to see how long it would take her to notice us. He finally gives up and interrupting her concentration says "Hi Emma, what are you doing?" she irritably replies "Oh, hi Brandon-I'm Me-di-ta-ting, can't you tell?" "We just lost our soccer game but we got a trophy anyway and I'm upset and I'm nervous because Lily is coming over for a play date and she's never been over before and I'm nervous because I don't know how it's going to go because she's never been over before so I'm
Me-di-ta-ting, okay?"

Just when you thought kids don't have problems.

Inquiring minds

Helping Dr. Alarid move his things out of the home he inherited and we were about to buy we found this letter, addressed to his daughter:

2/4/1980

Dear Rachel,
President Carter has asked me to thank you for your nice letter.
You want to know why there is no Children's Day, when there is a Mother's Day and a Father's Day?
The President works hard to help make this county a good place for mothers and fathers to bring up their children. He hopes that every day is Children's Day!
Also, he thanks you for being his friend.

Dan Chew
Director of Presidential Correspondence

Marvin Gaye in the G.O.

I was at the local Grocery Outlet on my lunch break, filling my basket with discontinued frozen dinners and enjoying "Let's Get it On" over the loud speaker, when the song was interrupted by a voice on the intercom that was all smooth and sexy like Marvin Gaye himself. This is what it said:

"Heeey Girlllll, I just wanted to let you know how much it means to me that you are shopping at the Grocery Outlet ta-day and I hope to see you back here reaaaaal soooon."

I thought I was going to die from laughter right there in the frozen food aisle. I guess none of the other shoppers were paying attention, because everyone just looked at me like I had lost my mind.

Oaks Puke

Delaney and I were so excited when she got free tickets to Oaks Amusement Park this week. I had just enjoyed the movie Adventureland and was feeling nostalgic about the huge rides I used to go on with my Dad when I was a kid. He used to give me tips to make myself taller when approaching the dreaded measuring stick that determines if you are big enough to get on the ride.

When we got there, the familiar Carney sounds and smells washed over me and I felt like a enthusiastic kid again. The first ride we went was the Tilt'a'Whril, which was super fun but I still can't figure out if throwing your body weight around actually effects the speed of the turns. I am convinced that the spins are pre-determined.

Next, we went on the biggest ride we could find (the screaming eagle) and waiting anxiously, just to be cut off by the gate until the next ride. Waiting gave us the opportunity to observe all of the glorious heights and turn we were now committed to. It was finally our turn and halfway through the ride I commented to Dee, "This isn't so bad, it's actually pretty relaxing". Famous last words before the pimply teenage kid kicked it up a notch sending us flying through the air at god speed.

We both got off the screaming eagle so sick and dizzy that we had to sit down for quite a few minutes before retiring to the Ferris wheel and bumber cars. We went home with our heads
down low, shamed and disappointed that once again, age was catching up to us.

Soap Box Derby

Every year Portland hosts an "Adult Soap Box Derby". Get your mind out of the gutter; there is nothing kinky about this event, just a bunch of grown ups designing and building engine free vehicles to fly down Mt. Tabor in. Brandon and I have gone since we first moved to Portland. Some of our favorites from the past include; a clawfoot tub with people bathing on wheels, an office cubicle complete with a computer, house plant and water fountain, and a mini Wineebago with six passengers.

This year won't be as memorable, I liked the leg-go car the best. Perhaps what I will remember the best is the crowd, as the years pass it gets increasingly more crowded. That probably won't stop me from going!

Mad Men

The contest is over! Thank you for voting/trying to vote for me. I'll let you know how I did at the end of next week. Last time I looked, I was in the "Contest Leader" category.

I've got mad style

You guys know the show Mad Men? I uploaded a photo of myself to enter a casting call contest. Please, please,please vote for me. I think it would be so much fun to win. You can vote once a day, so please vote today and tomorrow at this link:

http://madmencastingcall.amctv.com/photos/view/4025

If you feel so moved, could you please pass this on to people who know me, or you think would like to vote?

I really appreciate it!

Hope you are all enjoying your summer.Melanie

Long walks

Here is the progress on my craft kit:


The only thing that bugs me is that the guitar doesn't go through the mouth of the mask. Maybe it is a magic mask?



Brandon and I have been going on very long walks in the evenings. The weather has been so nice, and we are preparing for our long voyage on foot through Spain!

I saw this is someone's yard and the license plate made me laugh:

Favorite Wastes of Time

Here is a list of my favorite websites that keep me from jumping out the window from boredom:

http://www.failblog.org/
http://www.whythefuckdoyouhaveakid.com/
http://gofugyourself.celebuzz.com/
http://theboobs.blogspot.com/
http://thebloggess.com/

There are a couple of special interest parrot blogs and Mommy blogs that I am too embarrassed to post.

Friends! Please leave a comment and let me know some of yours.

Summer Part 2

Brandon and I went on a huge thrift store challenge Saturday all over the Northwest corner of Oregon (and into Washington). It was one of those good days where we found something cool everywhere we went. For instance, I found this 1960's craft kit illustrated below. Kind of like a paint by number, but really a multi-media by number using stones, crushed glass, glitter, cording and tiny tiles. I will keep you posted on my progress.
We also went to the board walk at Seaside and felt like we stepped into a warped world. We have been through Seaside a million times, but never stopped to go to the beach. I never knew such an awesome place existed. Bumber cars, tilt-a-whirl, carousels, arcades, candy shop after candy shop, tons of people. I couldn't believe I was on the Oregon Coast.

Summer=WATER

Friday I played hookie from work and went to beautiful Sauvie's Island and convinced a hand full of friends to do the same. Then we got a MAJOR craving for burgers and shakes at the Northwest's finest Burgerville. I don't know whose brilliant idea it was to put calorie and fat intake on the items ordered on the receipt but we all got freaked out that one meal could equal more than a recommended daily calorie intake. I don't think that's going to help them sell burgers.

Then Saturday I met friends at their apartment complex to swim which was kind of a fiasco. This was one of those HUGE complexes with twenty buildings and apartment numbers like 287649. Turns out it also had FOUR pools. After a series of phone calls that were all "We're next to a brown building, there are a lot of kids in the pool, I'm looking at apartment number 87653!" After--no joke-- 30 minutes and three wrong pools later, Brandon and I were so fed up we were walking back to the car to go home, we heard one shrill scream, followed by a splash and knew we finally found the pool with our friends.

Lastly, Sunday Brandon and I went to the Oregon Coast and froze our butts off. The above picture can demonstrate--that red nose is no sunburn! Going there is more about the fresh seafood, ice cream, taffy and beautiful drive.

Secret Falls

We went on a 7 mile hike yesterday in the rain! Since we didn't get on the trail until almost 3 we felt the need to hustle so we didn't get caught in the dark. It was hard, but worth it. If you are nice and promise not to tell everyone you know, I might disclose the location.

Musette Bracelet GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Musette Bracelet GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Independence and Freedom

We celebrated this year with a party at our place. We dressed up, grilled up some hot dogs, pissed off neighbors with an out door SM performance, pissed off the neighbors with a firework battle and then pissed off the neighbors by telling them to piss off and call the cops if they have a problem. That's freedom and independence at its best.

Life in the Country

I went to Baker City this weekend for a meeting. Since you all know where I work, you know this was not your average white collar convention at the Ramada.

We started off with a regular 'ol hodown at a family ranch.

The 10 year old kid was nice enough to show me around. I confided in him and told him my big secrect (I've never actually been on a ranch!) This was his 4-H cow. It was shy.


The next day I had to give a speech to this crowd:

I was really nervous. I'm supposed to be the expert and my first time on a ranch was the night before! I got some really good feedback, though, so I think I did okay!

I actually had a really good time and realized life on the ranch ain't so bad.

Intellect of a 5 year old, maturity about the same.

Ruby's favorite thing to do is let out fake juicy farts, followed by fits of hysterics. Tucker has always laughed when he hears laughter, so then he chimes in. Faz came over the other day to meet Ruby. The first thing he walked into was a slow, low juicy one followed by two parrots cackling. He rolled his eyes at us and smirking, shook his head pitying on our poor souls.

Ruby, agent "050", Possum

We have a new member to our "flock". We were not looking for a new bird, so I think it is fate that he/she (DNA results to come!) found us. We had contacted a lady before we got Tucker about her African Grey, Ruby. We talked for a while but never heard back from her, until last weekend. She was holding on to him as long as possible, but was frantic to find him a new home because she was going to boot camp the following week. At first, we told her we already had our hands full and didn't want another one. She pressed, and we ended up with a 2 year old baby for free.

African Greys are said by scientists to be as smart as a 3-5 human child. Remember Coco? The gorilla that used sign language in the 70's? Animal Scientists did a similar experiment with an African Grey named Alex. Alex was so intelligent, that he could add numbers and identify colors. Ruby is no exception, he learned the word "Tucker" in the first 24 hours. With in two days he was saying "Tucker, no. Quiet Tucker."

Tucker loves everything about him, and Ruby only wants to bite poor little Tuckie's toes off. Even though Tucker is Ruby's elder by 15 or more years, he is not nearly as smart. They remind me of toddler brothers, Tucker looking up to Ruby and wanting to do and say everything his brother does.

Ruby is not the name we would have picked, but as we learned with Tucker's unsuccessful name change to Taco, it just is what it is! We have, however, come up with some nicknames for him. Possum is fitting because he is grey and he sleeps at the top of his cage, completely upside down. We also call him 050, because he can recite the entire answering machience recording from his previous home, but for some reason gets stuck on "050" and repeats the number series several times in a row.

Ruby is a very sweet bird and we can't wait to find out the bird's gender. Either way, I am sure I will have more stories about the duo to come!

Peace on Earth

Today I saw a crow, a squirrel and a rat sharing bread crumbs peacefully. I thought to myself-"if only people could do that...."