Ode to my Headphones

I am not a fan of earbuds. I know they are trendy. And iPod cool. Don't get me wrong, I love my iPod, but I hate the earbuds. I use them if I am walking somewhere of at the store--they fit in my purse or pocket along with the iPod.

But at work? Big headphones. Big noise-canceling headphones. I also use them while traveling. They worked well to drown out the background noise on a plane.

I bought my noise-canceling headphones last fall before going to the MS Coast to cleanup after Katrina. I figured the cost of the headphones would be worth it after being on a bus with a bunch of other people for five hours. And they were.

Then I started using them at work. This is where they began to pay for themselves. I could drown out the general chatter that I have to deal with every single day. They helped keep me almost sane.

So, Friday I was boarding the plane to come back down south. I was trying to find an overhead bin that wasn't half full. While I was looking I felt the cord of my headphones catch on something and pull away (my iPod was in my pocket). I didn't think much of it since I have gotten the cord caught on things before--the plug would just pull out of the jack. I got my stuff situated and I turned around to go back to my seat. I picked up the cord to my headphones and all I saw were wires. The plug was still in the jack. I broke my noise-canceling headphones.

Crap.

I'm really bummed about this. What will I do at work? What will I do in three weeks during a gazillion-hour flight to Seattle? Sure, I can use the earbuds but they are uncomfortable. And they hurt. And they keep falling out. And they don't cancel noise.

I did a good job of screwing up my checking account last month so extra expenses are not something I cam do right now. Looks like I will be sans noise-canceling headphones for awhile. It isn't the end of the world, I know. But I do worry about my sanity at work. My colleagues will be extra chatty after not seeing each other for almost two weeks. And I will be forced to listen to them.

Double crap.

The Gobbler

I don't know if other parts of the country have supper clubs, but the Midwest is crazy with them. I had someone ask me once what the "deal" was with supper clubs in Wisconsin. The "deal"? This person had never been to a supper club?

We had supper clubs in Iowa, but the Wikipedia seems to think the are predominantly in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. The Wikipedia entry links to an article from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that describes the Wisconsin supper club. The description pretty much fits an Iowa supper club. My impression of supper clubs in Iowa were that they were always in rural areas. There were several supper clubs in the rural area surrounding my dad's town. I had always thought of supper clubs as a small town or rural thing -- like restaurants in the countryside between a couple of small towns. But, then again, Iowa is pretty much the countryside dotted with small towns.

Some supper clubs have died, some have flourished. One dead supper club is just off I-94 between Madison and Milwaukee: The Gobbler. I first discovered it while I was in Madison, but not by seeing it. I found it through this site. (This site is also the home of the Gallery of Regrettable Food. It is awesome.)

I got so excited when I discovered The Gobbler. I was hoping it was still open because if it was, I was totally going there. And if I ever got married (which I don't plan on doing) I was getting married there. It's complete and total kitch. It's round! It's from the '60s. It's fantastic! Look at the lobby! The hallway! The "Passion Pit"! The whole place is classic. You just can't make this shit up.

Now, The Gobbler was a hotel and a supper club. They served turkey and prime rib every day. Swanky. They have the Royal Roost Cocktail Bar. And a Rotating Bar. Now, this is what a supper club is supposed to look like. If this didn't work for you and you wanted something special, check out the Lavender Room. And the Dance Club. Check out the woman with the big glasses and beehive. She looks a little old to be hanging out in a dance club.

So one day while in Library School, my friend Amy and I were driving to Milwaukee to take some pictures and do a few things for a class project. We're going along all fine and dandy when I just freaked out. Why? The Gobbler! Right off the Interstate! Close to the Johnson Creek Outlet Mall! It was still standing! It isn't operational anymore, but it is still there! On the way back I tried to take a picture as we drove by. Amy even slowed down on the Interstate but no luck. She offered to pull off the Interstate so I could get a better shot but I declined. Damn, I wish I would've.

The Gobbler. Man, I hope someday someone restores the thing to its kitchy glory. I will make a trip back Up Nort' just to see it.

Edit: According to the Wisconsin HIstorical Society someone tried to unsuccessfully operate The New Gobbler in the original supper club building. And the original hotel building was razed in 2001. I passed by it in spring 2001, but I don't know if what I saw was the supper club or the hotel. My guess is supper club.

Saddam Hussein

Saddam Hussein is dead. It seems so strange. I'm not sure why, though. It just does.

I have no sympathy for the man. But the execution seemed so sudden. And there were other crimes he has done and had to be tried for (or so I thought). Sure, he was found guilty for what he did, but what about the victims and families of victims of his other crimes. So he's dead, but those victims never got their day in court.

And now they are saying there are pictures and video. That is something I can't deal with. Not being a supporter of the death penalty to begin with, having video and photos of an execution seems even more barbaric. It also reminds me of the execution of Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife. They were executed on Christmas Day 1989. I remember seeing a documentary Ceausescu where they showed pictures of the dictator and his wife, dead. It was creepy. Again, I have no sympathy for Ceausescu--he was an absolute barbarian--but seeing pictures of he body seemed so wrong in so many ways.

I guess I feel the same way about pictures and video of Hussein's execution.

Christmas Part II

This year Christmas involved a lot of coughing, sneezing, snorting, whining, and crying. And that was just from me -- and my nieces and nephew. For Christmas this year I received a cold that we have traced back to one of the neighbor boys. This is the cold that sucked all my energy on Wednesday and turned me into a whiny baby. Just ask my mom. Thursday morning I woke up with no voice. By Thursday night I was all flemy and really gross. Today I am not as flemy and gross but my head hurts and all I want to do is sleep.

The week has gone down like this:

Saturday: Arrived. Met by my nephew jumping up and down in his orange Columbia jacket, saying "I feel like Rudolph!" I don't know why. Two nieces were off to the side along with my brother. At one point I held my nephew upside down. Get to house. Meet new baby niece. For a few minutes I thought: "Maybe I need to get one of these." Then kid number one screamed which made kid number two scream and it all went downhill from there. I will say, though, after a week with the kids I have a much higher tolerance for children in public places. "Higher tolerance" in that I barely notice them anymore.

Sunday: Christmas Eve. Lots of tearing of the paper, lots of screaming and some crying. From the kids. The adults just sat around, watching.

Monday: Christmas. Morning with the family, afternoon in the IC with Mom. It was a rough afternoon. I won't go into details.

At some point my mom and I had an in-depth conversation about Jello salad and all the different things Midwesterners can do with Jello. I'm not sure if that was Monday or Tuesday. [Link of interest: Fun with Knox Gelatin here.]

Tuesday: Shopping. It was crazy, but I knew what I needed so we were able to get in and out of the mall and Target without me trying to murder someone for getting in my way or for being an idiot. That night I ordered a taco pizza from Happy Joes. Mmmmmm.... Taco Pizza. Then Mom's dog decided to sit next to me and lick my arm. A lot. It was gross.

Wednesday: Sick day. I slept like crap and woke up feeling worse. We had Thai food for lunch and it was good and I was hungry but I still didn't eat that much. And later I had to throw out the left-over Pad Thai because the smell made me nauseous. A bit more shopping but I kept getting increasingly more tired and more whiny as the day went on. Slept on trip back to brother's. That night went to a neighborhood party with my brother, et all. Lots of children, lots of adults drinking wine. I had some wine from the ginormous bottle of white Riesling my brother bought at Sam's Club. Then I switched to water. I was still feeling shitty. I know nothing about wine. Nothing. It's red or it's white. Other than that, it all pretty much tastes the same. I drink beer. And a few mixed drinks. But wine? It just seems so damn snooty to me. As my brother said, he lives in a wine neighborhood. He drinks beer so it all seems strange to him, too. That night? Slumber Party. I was so tired I was asleep long before the kids.

Thursday: I wake up with no voice. But after some throat lozenges and liquid, it comes back. But the coughing, sneezing, and general flemy grossness doesn't. We go to the Children's Museum (or "You-See-Um" as my niece called it). The museum was cool but we were there for, like, four hours. I had to find a place to sit down and wait. After an hour and a half of following my nephew around, I was worn out. That night I tried to teach my sister-in-law how to knit, but it was kind of a comedy of errors because I can't show someone how to knit when everything they are doing looks backwards to me. I finished the scarf I was working on. It looked nice until I worked the ends in. I fuck things up every damn time when I try to work in the ends.

Friday: Christmas with stepmom and one stepbrother. More presents. Leftovers. As I am telling the kids I am leaving, my nephew says, "You're leaving already?" My response: "I've been here for six days." I am currently in the airport, listening to John Hodgman's audio book trying not to think about how much this flight is going to make my head/sinuses hurt..... And hoping that MT will be at the airport to pick me up.

When I get home I should have a couple of things either waiting for me or on the way: A Best of 2006 CD from Jason. The K-Tel Knitter book I ordered. And a copy of Washington Goes to War by David Brinkley. I read Washington Goes to War in a military history class as an undergrad. It's a great book. I recommended it to a friend, and the more I thought about it the more I thought I should re-read it. Until I realized I didn't have my copy anymore. It's out of print so I found a used/remaindered copy online.

The boys should be there, lonely. And my bed. My sweet bed. I cannot wait to sleep in my own bed...

edit: I'm home. The boys missed me and are very, very happy to see me. I am going to be like an old lady and go to bed very soon. I am exhausted. Tomorrow: Iowa-UT football in the Alamo Bowl. And lots of lounging on the sofa.

Knitting

I rarely post about knitting, but it has really become an obsession.

My grandma (mom's mom) knit. (My other grandma crocheted and tatted). Grandma knit the most amazing things. She made sweaters with all these cables. She made me a red poncho when I was in elementary school. She made me a white one when I was younger. When she and Grandpa lived on the farm they raised sheep so she could spin her own wool. I even have one of her spinning wheels. I've never learned how to use it, though. I hope to someday. When I was in Germany in '86 my host mom taught me how to knit, she even gave me a skein of home-spun, hand-died wool. But I never went anywhere with it. Mom tried to teach me a few years later, but it didn't stick.

Fast forward twenty years, and I finally learned to knit. Earlier this year ME, LS, and a few others took a knitting class through University Outreach. It was rather amusing. We entertained ourselves to no end when we thought we'd invented the word "lapghan".... until we realized it was a real word. ME, LS, and I continued on with the advanced class. And then our instructor let us all keep meeting in the conference room in the business school. A few of use kept meeting every other week. That group has shrunk to four of us: LS, ME, MT, and me. We eat, we watch crappy reality TV, and we knit.

Last May when I was at Mom's she showed me Grandma's knitting scrapbook. She told me I could take it but I didn't have room in my suitcase. This time I do. After a quick round of shopping in the IC, Mom got out Grandma's knitting book and a few other things. I've looked through it a little. I can't wait to take the time to really look through it.

I love what I have seen so far. It's an old-school three-ring binder. It contains handwritten patterns, her swatches, mimeographed patterns, ads, instructions, etc. It is so very cool in so many ways.

A snapshot of the scrapbook. See the ads? The patterns? The swatches? That little red stocking? She made those for us when we were kids. We'd hang them on the tree and put candy canes in them. I just love this.


Some of the patterns are kind of frightening. Like this one. These people look like crafty bank robbers. I know this is the midwest and it gets cold. But, seriously, this is too much.


This, on the other hand, I love. Love the hair, love the headband, love the idea. I may have found something to do with some of that dollar yarn I bought in Chicago.


Then there were these: the K-tel Knitter. Two of them. A little Googling let me know these were from K-Tel, yes, that K-Tel. The K-Tel of the K-Tel albums. Seems that these things were made in the 1970s as a way to knit one-handed. The instructions make it seem a little more complicated, but it looks like a cross between knitting and crocheting. A quick eBay search led me to a K-Tel Knitter instruction book... which I promptly ordered, of course. I have no clue if I will ever use them since I am not that crazy about crocheting. (I'm one of those odd ones who thinks knitting is easier.)

So, now I will go back to the orange/poppy scarf I am making for K. Even though I think it may look better on his girlfriend. But whatever. The yarn is awesome and after five years of marathon phone calls, emails, life changes, etc., K (or Kevin as he insists on being called) and I will finally be able to have that drink that he owes me when I am in town for a conference next month. It's about damn time. He also owes me a snowglobe.

Lady Liberty of Memphis

Over the summer some friends and I took a caravan roadtrip to Memphis. We went to eat Indian food, Thai food, shop at Target, the William Sonoma and Pottery Barn Outlets, Wild Oats, Schnucks, the Apple Store, and the Asian Grocery Store off Winchester on Richland. As we were heading to the Asian Grocery Store we passed this:

Photo from NYTimes.com

It kind of freaked us out. I mean, the Statue of Liberty with a cross? And it's all lit up. It had been a year or so since I had been down this area of Winchester (now I seem to be there all the time -- a new, reliable car will do that), but I couldn't figure out how I had missed this. It's huge. Seriously.

I was curious so I Googled the statue, and you know what I found out? It's new. There's even an article about it in the NY Times. Man oh man.

A month or so ago I was up there again with LS and ME and I tried to take a picture of it, but it was night and I was using my camera phone. It turned out pretty blurry. That didn't stop me from sending the image to K and N. I mean, c'mom, it's Lady Liberty with a freakin' cross. Next time I'm in Memphis, I have got to take my camera so I can take a real picture.

Thing is, this doesn't even shock me much anymore. Three years ago I would have gone on and on about how this things was ridiculous and religious is personal and private and doesn't belong in a public setting, and now I thinks, "Excellent, another marker for directions." The Winchester Farmers Market (a store containing an odd assortment of various ethnic food and kitch) is across the street from lady Liberty. And just down the street? I know I've reached the Asian Grocery Store when I see the New Direction Church sign.

I guess public religion has a place in society: markers for ethnic grocery stores.

Christmas

My dad and I fought all the time about Christmas. Years ago the fights were about getting together over the holidays (it could be difficult due to my limited time off). Then it was about whether he would come to my brother's. Then it would be about this and that and whatever. The holidays caused more arguments than anything else. Because we fought so much about Christmas I didn't think this Christmas would be that hard since I didn't always see him.

But you know what? I was wrong. So very wrong. It's one of those vague feelings where it seems like something is just off or wrong but I can't quite put my finger on what it is. And then I remember. Dammit, I would give anything to argue with him about Christmas again. Anything.

Happy Holidays

Soon I will be heading back up north for the holidays. Then the shuffling between houses will begin. Won't be too bad this year since my stepmom will be coming to us this year.

Christmas is always fun and interesting. My brother will offer me a beer as soon as I get in the door (I will accept). On the 24th my brother and I will head off to the grocery store to get the things my sister-in-law forgot. Or we will go to Target (oh, how I miss Target; y'all I have to drive an hour to get to a damn Target) so my brother can buy Christmas presents. We refer to the Christmas Eve Day trips to various stores as our "brother-sister bonding time." We've been doing it for years.

Christmas Eve is pretty casual in our family. We eat chili and oyster stew. The kids get antsy and want nothing more than to open presents, of course. We finally move into the living room and mass paper ripping commences. Someone (a kid, of course) cries for various reasons.

My brother and I drink some more and do whatever we need to do to get the toys set up. That's our other tradition: Getting liquored up and putting the toys together. One year I put the mountain on the Thomas the Tank Engine train table together backwards.

Christmas morning involves more paper ripping and lots of excitement. And breakfast.

Normally we would go to my dad's at some point. Or meet him somewhere. We won't be heading up there this year. Last year at Christmas is when I found out about the chest pains, erratic pulse, and shortness of breath Dad had been having. Last year is when I realized he wouldn't live through the year. And he didn't.

On a fairly personal note, this Christmas is a form of closure for me. This is when it started last year. This is where it will end this year. I normally don't see New Years as that big of a deal. It never has been. Anniversaries of other events are more important to me than New Years. But this year I see New Years and Christmas as a starting over point. A time to say goodbye to a year that was both great and absolutely horrific. It's a chance to start over. And right now, that is all I want. I am looking forward to both. Very much.

I didn't mean to end on a sad note. I hope that everyone has a Merry Christmas, had a Happy Hanukkah, or a happy whatever you want it to be.

Mary What?

Sign seen at a local Mexican restaurant: "Mary Cristmas"

Packers-Vikings

The Packers may be pretty much sucking this season, but you know what? They beat the Vikings. Twice. 9-7. Nice. It's the only thing that makes Packer fans happy when the team generally sucks.

Not that I was able to see it on TV, of course. Why? Because of the idiotic NFL and their even more idiotic NFL Network. See, this was "Thursday Night Football." It's this idiotic idea by the NFL to charge people to watch games on Thursday nights. Because they can't get enough pro football on Sunday afternoon, Sunday night, and Monday night. Thing is, though, this is the Packers last home game this season (their last game is against the Bears at Soldier Field; it will be an ugly ugly loss for the Packers). So? The last game? Who cares? Well, I do. Because with every season that goes by, us fans are reminded that it might be Brett Favre's last season, and if it is, this would be his last Lambeau game. It would be good to go out on a win against the Vikings at home, but judging from the score (and winning on three field goals) it wouldn't be a proud win.

Anyway... I have said this to other people at other times, but Brett Favre, in my incredibly biased opinion, is the best quarterback to ever play the game. If not for the raw talent he has exhibited over the years, but for the absolute love of the game. For his devotion to His Team. For his understanding that this is a team sport. Now, I know there are people who say he should retire or that the Packers should trade him to another team. I'd prefer to see him retire than wear another jersey. I want to see him go out as Packer. I have a feeling he would, too.

I just hope when he retires that he tells someone. That he doesn't decide over the summer that he won't be coming back. I want to see his last game. I want to see the over-the-top sentimentality that will be exhibited by those fans in Lambeau. I want to hear the roar (even if it is on TV) of those fans. I want to see him go out with a bang. I don't want him to just walk off. I also would like to see the Packer Organization retire his jersey that very day. Because no one in Green Bay will ever wear no. 4 again.

You think I'm making too much of this? You think I am over the top, too? They you have never experienced the Cult of the Packers in person. It isn't just a religion, it is a way of life. People Up Nort' live and breath the Packers. Their week revolves around the Packers. And everything revolves around Brett Favre.

See, the thing is that Favre can still play. He really can. He doesn't take the chances he used to. And the games aren't wet, sloppy, muddy, and messy now that they have a field that won't get muddy and sloppy. He can't throw into coverage like he used to and he doesn't take the chances he used to. But, damn he can still play. He's leading a new team with a new coach. Will he back? I don't know.

And his best game ever? The Monday Night game against the Raiders, the game a few days after his dad died. I sat in my apartment and had goosebumps during that game. Seriously. I have never, ever seen a game like that. It was an amazing thing. Now, Favre said he wanted to play, and as every fan of football knows, a quarterback is only as good as his receivers. Favre played because he knew his dad would want him to. But you know that the GB receivers knew this was a big game for Favre. They knew they had to perform, because this wasn't just any game. And it wasn't. It is a game that will go down as one of the best, the most amazing ever played.

So, see, this is why I don't want Favre's last game to be broadcast only on some fledgling pay cable network designed by the NFL as a moneymaker but does nothing more than alienate (and piss off) fans not in the home market (Green Bay and Milwaukee). Bastards.

It's like going to a strip club with my mother

Y'all, I don't even know where to start.

We have an Elvis impersonator that comes to our library. He's a regular. He uses our computers for various and sundry things: Looking up pictures of Elvis, Elvis lyrics, and porn.

Yes, porn.

So imagine my surprise when Elvis made an appearance at our annual Christmas party. To sing. Dressed like Elvis. In a jumpsuit. Oh, god. Sally may have a talent show with praise dancing, but we have porn-loving Elvis. We win.

Elvis sang all kinds of things: "Blue Christmas," "Hound Dog," something else I don't know, something that started with "Dixie"... When it was asked if anyone had requests, ME shouted out, "Suspicious Minds." I glared at her. Elvis worked the crowd. Shaking hands, hugging people, clapping. I couldn't look at him because I was afraid that would be an invitation for him to touch me. He told us that if we "loved America and Christmas" to yell out "Merry Christmas." Oh dear lord.

I was told my face was bright red. It was bright red because not only do I know that Elvis looks at porn, I know what sites he looks at. I felt I kept my composure until he started in with "Burning Love." That's what killed me. A student worker took a picture with his camera phone and mumbled, "That's gonna be good." I asked for a copy because I knew no one was ever going to believe this.

Shortly after Elvis made his entrance, someone from access services (who knows what Elvis does in the library) said, "I feel like I'm at a strip club with my mother." I think I'd choose a strip club with my mom over Elvis and porn any day.

Bands I Useta Like

My friend Jason pointed out the comic strip, Bands I Useta Like to me. It's from Stomp & Stammer, an Atlanta music magazine. Pretty damn amusing.

However, I make no apologies for my absolute love of XTC and Duran Duran.

Mama Don't Take my Kodochrome Away

These images are from Daily Kos. Daily Kos talks about how they are America pre-Pearl Harbor -- and they are. But more than that, they show The Depression in full Kodochrome color. When I first looked at these my brain had a difficult time wrapping itself around the fact that these were from the 1930s and '40s. They are so incredibly vivid and rich. I'm so used to seeing these images in black and white -- in color they look completely different.

Kos also links to some images available through the Library of Congress' American Memory Project. They have them listed by subject, creator, and geographic index. Being the dork that I am, I went straight to the subject index and then to Women. There is a List View and a Gallery View of the photos.

These are amazing. Color images of women from the 1930s and 1940s. Depression-era, WWII-era. Women working in factories, women quilting, women doing what they need to do for their families and their country. And to have them in Kodochrome is even niftier.

Take some time, look at these images. They're worth it.

The Iowa Underground

Awe-some.

The Secret History of the Cedar Valley.

Itinerary of the Last Three Days

Interstate, Airport, Airplane, Airport, Airplane, Airport, Hotel, Dinner, Hotel, Interview, Interview, Presentation, Interview, Interview, Interview, Interview, Hotel, Search for Restaurant w/Vegetarian Food, Mall, Hotel, Airport, Airplane, Airport (for four hours), Airplane, Airport, Rush Hour, Interstate, Home, Pizza, Beer, Sleep.

sigh

Elvis has Left the Building

I saw Elvis Perkins and The Pernice Brothers Friday night. I knew nothing about the Pernice Brothers beforehand -- nothing other than the name. And that many people have told me to check them out. Unfortunately Friday night was not the night to do so because it was a typical Proud Larry's audience -- lots of chattering and talking and general annoyance while the band played. It has happened every single time I have seen a show at Larry's.

But, the opening act (not the opening opening act that Sally describes so well) was Elvis Perkins. I had my doubts as they (full band name: Elvis Perkins in Deerland) were setting up and as he warmed up. As he was soundchecking and whatnot I kept thinking his voice was going to annoy me. But then the set started. Holy shit did his voice not annoy me.

He has an interesting background but I am not going to go into it as it kind of overshadows him and his music. But much of his past plays into his music. His music is folksy, maybe a bit bluesy. It is very personal and just lovely.

I picked up his CD, Ash Wednesday, after he played. He took cash only and all I had was $6, a checkbook, and a debit card. Seriously, who carries cash anymore? I was told to talk to Elvis and see if he would take a check. He chose my $6 over a check. If I ever see him again, I am totally giving him $4.

I did some searching after I got home. Perkins recently signed to XL. He played at Lollapalooza. I wish I would've known so I could've seen him there, but I am not sure his sound would transfer well to an open-air stage. He has been touring a lot this year and has been getting a lot of radio play on KEXP. I stopped listening to John in the Morning on KEXP because I was tired of what he played. But maybe it's been long enough that I need to go back to that, especially if he is playing artists like this.

I have been playing the hell out of his CD, and he is my new favorite artist of 2006. And this may be my 2006 favorite.... even though I haven't bought much this year... XL will release Ash Wednesday in February 2007.

Oh, and a plug for Darius Weems. This kid is amazing. Check out his site. Look for the documentary at a festival near you.