Blogging from the lone star state

I realize that I have been remiss in terms of blog consistency...the half-dozen faithful readers of peacegrrl's world are surely lamenting the fact that it's been over a week since I've posted. I have a good excuse. I was dealing with the end-of-semester funfest that is Winter Closing. It was all worth it, though to see that beautiful sight on Saturday morning...an empty parking lot. So now it's "vacation" time and I'm back in the south, where the folks are polite and the temperatures are bearable. Six inches of snow...not really my bag! But I'm happy to say that after landing on my ass no less than twice during the first 24 hours of snow, I bought myself some fancy L.L. Bean boots and it hasn't happened again. I'm acclimating, slowly but surely. Now that I'm mildly used to it, I've headed for the 70-degree Texas weather so that when I go home in three weeks I can experience the shock and misery all over again!

I have nothing exciting to report on the man front...Blind Date boy and I have gotten together a few times since the last post, and I'm still not sure where we're going, if anywhere. And I can't decide if I care enough to actually ask. I'm visiting my married friend in Houston right now and while I'm cerainly not quite ready to commit to the idea of sex with only one person for the rest of my life (not to mention having to share both the bed and the bathroom), marriage seems like a pretty sweet deal in a lot of ways. A built-in date, someone who will drive when you don't want to, regular sex (well, I guess that depends...) and no more cooking for one. Hmm. It bears consideration.

Okay, better go, getting up early to head to the funhouse known as my mom's house. Whoo-hoo! I'll do my best to blog from the home base and pass along some holiday dysfunction for all to enjoy. Happy Christmas/Channakah/Kwaanza/Solstice/Festivus! (Did I forget anyone?)
-pg

A few more things...

First of all, why in the hell should I care about this? A rich white guy kills his wife and unborn child. Yes, it's sad. But poor people do it all the time and no one cares. Who gets to decide what's "news" and what isn't? And why is Peterson's death sentence the lead headline, with "Seven Marines Killed In Iraq" buried underneath it? This country is so fucked up...

Hey, at least my no eye-contact "date" wasn't this bad. Yikes.

Winter break bootie-call updates: Cute grad school boy isn't going to happen, and I'm pretty sure The Guy is going to (wisely, though disappointing for me) choose fidelity. Although he was im-ing me from his girlfiend's place earlier...he totally misses the peacegrrl lovin'. Damn the 1,200 mile distance! So it's looking like I'll have to wait for a nice, stable relationship and table the idea of meaningless sex, at least for the time being.

That is all...
-pg

Oh, dear God.

It's here. Finally, after all of the hype and stories people tried to scare me with, after the extensive coat shopping and boot advice, it has arrived.

Snow.

So far I've only fallen on my ass once, but that's not exactly good news, since it's only been snowing since Saturday and there's only about an inch on the ground. How many more times will I eat it over the next three to four months? Should I start wearing knee and elbow pads? And although I've avoided it thus far, sooner or later I'm going to have to drive in it. Shit...

To my readers from the warmer climates, here's some fun stuff about snow. Yes, it's pretty and turns everything all white and it's fluffy and makes snowballs and you can go sledding down the hill on your cafeteria tray. Whoo-hoo. It's also slippery, gets dirty and gross, requires you to spend 20 minutes dusting off your car before you can go anywhere, stings when the wind blows it into your face, and causes you to slip and fall in front of people. So far I think I'm going to give the snow a thumbs-down. Remind me again why I moved here?

Other news--Mr. Blind Date (I really should give him a better nickname. I'll get right on that.) and I finally got together again on Saturday and spent a most enjoyable evening watching The Office, which, by the way, is seriously hilarious. No action for peacegrrl, so don't get excited. I've decided that I'm about 50/50 on whether or not I like him. He's very attractive and has a nice body, and he's into good movies, music, and TV. He has a fairly healthy sense of humor. However, he also makes very little eye contact, which irritates me to no end. What's up with that? Is it just a bad habit? A nervous thing? Or am I that ugly? No way, couldn't be. I looked hot that night. I also don't particularly care for the way he eats popcorn, or, how when I offered to hang up his coat, he just sort of tossed it at me. Am I being picky? Probably. It was really nice to spend some time with a non-work person, a rather hot one at that. I'm just doing my stupid second-guessing thing now...but I think maybe we're just doing the platonic thing. I don't want to go getting a crush if it's going to be a wasted effort! But it seems to early to ask for clarification...but then again, a blind date, by definition, assumes the person is indeed interested in dating, and subsequent meetings, I would imagine, should be assumed to be "dates" as well. Shit, shit, shit, what happened to arranged marriages?

That's okay. I will focus on non-sex/relationship issues and that will get me through! I have a coworker who needs some serious cheering up, so I'll work on that tonight. Work presents an onslaught of stressful last-minute crap that I have to take care of before the halls close this weekend and I finally get a much-deserved vacation. There should be plenty of distractions to keep my mind off of boy-girl games. I hope so. Let's face it, peacegrrl is boy-crazy. It's sad, but true...
-peacegrrl

Friday observations and babbles

See, lots of people agree with me! I like that Howard Dean is trying to kick some DNC ass. Maybe now we'll become a REAL party. How exciting would that be?

Okay, no more politics. Today is Friday and I have no plans. Tommorow I'm SUPPOSED to finally go out with Blind Date Guy again. Over the past three weeks we have had two planned dates and two cancellations. True, one was my fault, but one was totally his. If we don't go out soon I'm going to give up. Yes, he has been calling, and according to He's Just Not That Into You (my new dating bible, of course) this is a good thing. But unless we actually start going on dates, this is a relationship that exists only in theory. I don't need a phone buddy, for crying out loud! So we'll see if tommorow works out or there's some great excuse. And if we do go out, there's still the question of whether or not I actually like him. And whether or not we're dating or doing the friendship bullshit. Will a connection be made that's deep enough for me to cancel my winter-break bootie-call plans? Not that I have plans, exactly... There's this one guy I had a crush on in grad school, and two of my friends have informed him of said crush and also not-so-subtly let him know that I'll be around for a while this month (this is SO high school!), so we'll see if something develops there. Not that I'm a fan of anything long-distance, but I'm not necessarily looking for a relationship... And then, of course, I had originally hoped to line up a visit with The Guy in Austin over the break, but the advent of a new girl in his life has, much to my disappointment, thrown a wrench into that possibility. I'm not sure how serious they are....no, I won't be the other woman. If we do meet up, I'll just have to keep my hands off. The question is, would he be able to do the same and resist the Peacegrrl hotness? (<---positive self-talk! That therapist I had five years ago would be really proud!)

So, to stop talking about men for just a minute, I haven't even started on my Christmas shopping. Except for myself, that is. In fact, I just went out and spent so much money on yarn that I got a free tote bag. How scary is that? I was going to go to the mall tommorow but they're predicting snow and that scares me. Not sure I'll venture out. Maybe I'll stick with amazon.com. I did make some cute Christmas cards, though. (I'm starting to sound like pre-jail Martha Stuart. I need to get myself a life!) It's cold and dreary and depressing here and I think I have that SAD thing. Maybe I should drag myself to a tanning booth and pretend I'm in Florida. Three weeks in Texas, where a 75-degree Christmas day isn't rare, will probably be really good for me. How do people in Seattle survive?

Okay, I've been working on this post too long and I need to get something accomplished before I finish the workweek. Happy weekend!
-pg

Some stuff

So first of all, I'm going to bitch about today's weather. After a few weeks of nasty cold weather, the gods have smiled down and given us a 60-degree day. Unfortunately they've also given us 60-mph winds. Now come on. Is this necessary? I consider myself to be, well, a pretty solid girl. So when I walk outside and the wind knockes me off of my feet and blows me into the side of a building, that's a little scary. What the hell is this, a typhoon? Damn Ohio.

So new developments in the Peacegrrl manhunt...well, blind date #2 guy and I seem to be on the road to some kind of...something. At the very least, he's been calling on a regular basis and we are supposed to go out on Thursday. Does this mean a relationship is in the works? Who knows. In other news, I have been informed that The Guy (for those of you playing along, The Guy is the one I dated, got a big ol' crush on, and then moved away from so I could come to this crazy-assed state) now has a girlfriend. This is sad. I mean, yeah, he had no desire or intention to come to Ohio, and I couldn't turn down the job for a fledgling relationship. But it's still a bummer. Bleh. I guess whatever's meant to be is meant to be, right? Maybe this chick is his soul mate, and maybe blind date guy is mine. Or maybe when I get a master's and move back to Austin (that's this week's plan, anyway) the fates will bring us together. I am never a realist when it comes to men, remember. And then, finally, there's the cute coworker who doesn't know of the peacegrrl love. He's still cute, and still unaware. And alas, this is how it will more than likely remain. I've given up on the dating/sleeping with coworkers thing, remember?

Now to get to some kind of meaningful exposition...I've noticed that on my favorite blogs today, everyone seems to be talking about God. Normally I'd probably join the debate with one of my quasi-spiritual posts about my beliefs and why I have them. Maybe I'm just a little talked out on the subject. The last few guys I've dated have been, in order, an atheist, a theology/youth ministry major who sort of ignored the whole "no sex before marriage" decree, and two more atheists. At my last job, we were always talking God (God wants us to do this because we're a Christian university, yadda yadda yadda), and at this one, He's sort of off-limits. I have a lot of Catholic friends who do God once a week and on holidays, and then there's my father, who's so into his southern-baptist version of God that I refuse to allow my visits to him to overlap with a Sunday, lest I be dragged to church and lectured on how it's my duty as a single woman to find a good Christian man to lead me. I like to think God and I are pretty tight, and that He's more than a little irritated about how people keep using His name as justification for such horrible things. I understand why it turns so many people off of religion. I think of my relationship with Him as a fairly personal thing. Maybe religion says it's my duty to "save" people and bring them closer to God. But I'm not good at it. My feelings about faith come from the experiences I've had in my life that have lead me to believe, without a doubt, that He's there. I can't force people to see things through my eyes, and I can't prove anything. I just know I believe, and maybe the best "witnessing" I can do is just to be there for people in the hopes that they'll have faith in the goodness of people, if nothing else.

Now what other blog gives you simultaneous bitching, boy gossip, and spirituality? None that I know of. It's time for dinner, so I'm out...
-pg

Whoa there, democrats...

Heads up... This is one of my posts where I digress from my normal menu of complaints about men, my job, and the ridiculously freezing cold Ohio weather. I'm going political for the next paragraph or too. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Now, on to business. In times of adversity, it's natural for us to get a little jumbled up and forget our goals. Case in point: the Democratic party. We ran the wrong candidate, we got our asses beat, and now (in between continuing to bellyache about 2000 and opening our "i'm sorry" form letters from the Kerry campaign) we're starting to look ahead to 2008. There are a lot of rumors flying around about who we'll groom for the end of the Bush dynasty. And this is when it gets a little scary. We're bitter about losing, and in a hurry to get through this administration and move on to the next one, but we need to proceed with caution. Before we start tossing names around, let's think about what we really want from our next president.

What pisses me off about the Democrats is their lack of a clear party platform. I might not agree with Republicans, but no one ever accuses them of not making their agendas pretty clear. We know what the Republicans want to do: push forward in Iraq, put more conservatives in the Supreme Court so as to preserve (or re-instill) the "morals" of our country, increase military spending, protect gun rights, give tax breaks, solve the oil issue by drilling in the wildlife refuges. Ask a Republican if he's proud to be a conservative, and you'll get a pretty strong affirmative. They don't apologize for it. So why do we?

Democratic candidates are very nervous about making their agendas clear. They are so afraid of pissing off middle America with "liberalism" that I think they manage to alienate their left-wing base. Are Democrats pro-choice? Sometimes, sort of, but we prefer not to bring that up in speeches or debates that swing voters might watching. Do they want to raise taxes so that federal funding for welfare programs and health care will be adequate? Yes, but we prefer not to actually say that out loud. Gay marriage? Well, even though most of the US gay population belongs to our party, we can't say yes, because we'd lose too many votes, so let's split the difference and say civil unions are ok. Was Iraq a bad idea? Yes, even though most of us voted for it. See what I'm getting at? All we seem to be consistent on, as a party, is making sure we stand at the opposite side of whatever Bush wants. That, my friends, does not a succesful political party make. We need a clear platform, and a candidate who can be proud of his or her left-wing roots and yet have the personality and eloquence to appeal to the South and blue-collar Americans without talking down to them. Remember Clinton? I mean, before the whole intern-blue dress-cigar nastiness. He was a liberal, but he was also a good-old-boy. Someone we'd want to have a beer with. Kerry? Do you think Kerry actually drinks beer? Come on.

I keep hearing Barak Obama's name tossed around for 2008. This is exactly what makes the Republicans laugh about our party: our biggest hope for the future is a freshman U.S. senator. Don't get me wrong--I've been talking about Obama for a while, and I'm positive that his time will come. He's smart, personable, and and incredible speaker. He defines multicultural America. But he hasn't paid his dues yet. I don't think we should be looking for the next Mr. President. We need to get our act together as a party first. Let's not jump the gun and do what we did this time around: get so excited about bumping out the right that we put the cart before the horse and forget to shape a clear party platform. Then maybe we can run a candidate with some conviction.

Irritations

In the spirit of winter grinchiness, here are a few things that are pissing off the Peacegrrl today:

1. The rude guy at Einstein Bros. messed up my order today. Who puts turkey on an egg sandwich?
2. One of my friends is kind of getting on my nerves, and I feel guilty about being so irritated by it. I know we're supposed to love and support our friends no matter what, but is there some kind of "dumbass" clause included in that rule?
3. Early morning meeting with my least-favorite staff member tommorow...bleh. It's worse than bad coffee.
4. Female college students who dress up like sluts, wear too much makeup, and walk around with their stomachs hanging out even though it's only 35 degrees outside.
5. The male obsession/fascination with aformentioned college hoebags.
6. I really want Chipotle for dinner, but it's already dark, my tailights aren't working, and I'm not sure a delicious vegetarian burrito bol is worth the risk of being pulled over. Decisions, decisions...

Okay, I'm trying to keep a lid on the whole "negativity" thing, so I'll end it there, but really. It is SO time for a serious vacation...
-pg

Winter...blehhhh

So I have returned to Ohio after my six-day holiday in Texas. When I got on the plane on Monday morning, it was 70 degrees. And when I landed three hours later in Ohio, it was 35. Ick...I'm back in the land of bare trees and wind and general cold nastiness. It hasn't snowed yet (at least I wasn't here to see it) so I guess that's something to be happy about. Why don't they publish a manual of some kind for people like me who don't know how to deal with temperatures below 35? Really what I'm most afraid of, regarding the cold, is that when the sidewalks ice over I will slip and fall and people will laugh at me. That's it. I guess I'm shallow...

So, about the Texas Thanksgiving...good, stressful times with the family. It's strange to idealize "home" when you're far away and then when you get there, it's basically the same as when you left it--too many people under one roof, two dogs, and a crazy aunt. But the food was good, and Peacegrrl did indeed indulge. It takes a lot of carbs to maintain these curves, people! I did not hear from The Boy. I suppose that's finally over, and for the best. Besides, there are new dysfunctional relationships to be had! Blind Date guy has called a few times and who knows, we may actually meet again. I'm not sure how well-suited we are to each other, but he seems to be at least mildly amused by me so we'll see how it goes.

Other peacegrrl news...well, work sucks, but what else is new? I have a staff member I'd like to beat up, a few coworkers who annoy me, and a job that half the time I don't know how to do. I'd say I'm doing about average as far as the work world goes. I'm starting classes in the spring, and while the nerd in me is excited (oooh! School!), I'm not quite sure how I'm going to be able to balance the 50-hour workweek with the added stress of six hours of class and a ton of homework thrown into the mix. At least it's free. And maybe the whole "not having a life" thing will seem more convenient when I get even busier than I already am. However, the advent of me starting yet ANOTHER grad program means that I am getting ever closer to having to make the decision of what the hell to do with my life. I would be much more content to sort of float along taking classes and doing whatever I need to do to pay the bills...or better yet, marrying rich and staying home with the kids while I progress my supremely successful freelance writing career and eventually open up a bakery so all I'll do all day is make cookies. However, I suppose being an adult means doing adult things and having adult responsibilities. So decisions have to be made, and I'm not particularly good at that. Maybe I should be a high school guidance counselor. They don't seem to do a whole lot. Obviously mine wasn't very helpful.

On the bright side, it's almost Christmas baking time. I'm going to do my best to get into the holiday spirit, even though I'm not quite feeling it at the moment. I miss being a kid and getting giddy about Christmas carols and wrapping paper. These days it feels like the holidays aren't anything special--the folks at Wal-Mart are a little ruder than usual, but that's about it. But maybe if I break out the cookie sheets and put up some lights I'll get more into it. On Saturday we're putting on a winter gala for the neighborhood underpriveliged children, and my students are in charge of cookie-decorating. If 150 kids up to their elbows in red and green frosting doesn't get me in the chrismas mood, I suppose nothing will!

Alrighty, actual "work" beckons so I'd better go for now. Since I know three or four people are actually reading this on a regular basis, I'll try and be better about updating more often. Thanks for your interest in my silly life!
-pg