From the porch--8/12/10

Call your parents.  Right now.  For no reason except to say hi.  In my family we are close, but maybe not calling everyday close.  Today, without direct intention or even realizing it until now, I brought flowers from the yard to my mom’s work and called my dad for a quick chat.  Just for shits and giggles.  It was nice and sort of gave me a warm fuzzy that was unplanned.  It’s good to be able to be geographically closer to the ones I love.  So, call your parents or send ‘em flowers or a letter.  I’m sure they will appreciate it and so will you. 

Today is the start of Ramadan.  Millions and billions of Muslims are praying, fasting, being mindful of their thoughts and actions, and spending time with family today.  And will do so for a whole month.  I’ll be honest…many a Ramadan has passed in my day without a 2^nd thought going through my brain.  The only reason I’m thinking of it now is because I’ve recently made a new Muslim friend from Algeria.  I’ve been thinking about him a lot for various reasons but I have to say that I find it hard to grasp his day-to-day in Algeria.  I’ve been reading tons of books about Algeria (thank you Waukegan Public Library…living 2 blocks away from you is just the massive awesome geek fest I needed!).  But still I find it hard to mentally create a palpable existence for him from something I’ve only read about in books.  Especially a life steeped in religious guidelines and discipline so clearly absent from my own life.  Plus to think that millions or billions of people are all moving together in the same motions today all because of some dude called Mohammed…wow.  I don’t know…it’s just kind of interesting to let my mind wander in that.  Physics, time, relativity, etc dictate that different universes and planes of existence may or may not exist in parallel with our own.  But we don’t have to look far or use calculus to see other worlds.  Other planes of existence or reality.  It’s a big old goofy world out there and even a person walking down the street in front of your house is occupying a different orbital of life.  Your mission is empathy  and understanding for each person you encounter…and even those that you don’t.  Not easy…yes.  But try hugs, smiles, friendly words, and the underlying fact that humans are humans are humans.  Umuntu ngumuntu ngumuntu.  These tools work wonders.  You don’t need physics or Einstein to get that. 

Side note:  How much random shit do we get into cos of our hearts?  I tried Pink Floyd in high school (minus the drugs) because of Alex Radosevich and now I’m on some crazy Algerian tip.  All because some cute boy spoke French and smiled at me.  But at the end of the day…I’m learning and pondering in new directions because of it.  Life is strange and takes us in so many directions, some good some bad, because of cute smiles. 

PBR aka Pabst Blue Ribbon beer is a solid ass beer.  So cheap and doesn’t exactly taste like crap even though it’s union made in Milwaukee, Wisconsin…the home of shitty beer production.  Yeah, it’s resting on its laurels from some prize (a blue ribbon prize…) it won in 1-8-9-whatever, but right on.  PBR…you rock my silly American world.  Thanks for being on draft almost everywhere.  You always got my back.   

Yeah…I’d rather drink Oberon with a slice of orange, but I still loves ya PBR! 

Teenagers…eat a dick.  I was so happy to get back to being around you.  Shooting the shit, being silly, being a guide if you need that.  But today the balance was thrown off and you annoy me.  Thank goodness for PBR to help me release the tension you built up between my ears.  I haven’t given up on you.  You are bright and beautiful…even when you are working my nerves with your brilliant testing-the-waters glare.  Let’s get along tomorrow cos I don’t want to have to eject you from my class. 

It has been said, or at least heavily implied, that I have a problem with authority.  Right now this little rebel yells 2 blocks from the Waukegan Police Department.  I have not calculated how many squad cars pass by per hour (calculation coming soon, no doubt), but it is many.  One thing that strikes me about all these cops is that they never look at me sitting on the porch as they drive by.  Sorry to sound like an egomaniac.  I am still not acclimated to all the cops so as soon as I see one pass by my eyes instantly zoom to their car.  Habit, I suppose.  I think even the most chaste nun will think twice about how straight and pure her steps are in the midst of the law.  Shame, really.  That we should feel guilty and examine our most innocent presentations in the presence of the police.  We are trained.  All of us.  But aren’t the cops serving and protecting (and being paid by) us?  And we feel guilty…?  Strange.  I digress.  This was not my original point, but words are flowing and Rage Against the Machine is on the speakers…

I meant to conclude that it is likely that the cops would calmly pass me by without a blink even if I was naked and smoking a massive spliff on my porch.  Sometimes the best place to get away with something is in the home territory of the beast.  Theory to be tested later…

There is SO a cassette deck in the driver’s ed car I am using at work!!!  I am about to get massively crazy to all the old jams!  If you see me dancing in my seat and singing at the stop light…just chuckle and forgive me.  Kid in the candy store syndrome.  I have not rocked the tapes in a good 5 years.  Mostly cos I haven’t had a deck that doesn’t eat tapes in that long.  Nice and Easy, Mo and Al’s wedding tape, Lynsee and Kai’s tape for long stoned drives, A syringe of joy, Local 101/Empire records…you will all soon get play.  Dust yourselves off.  Today I grooved to a Derek house mix…5 minutes of “condom song” (aka DJs @ work “go down” song) between driving lessons and classroom.  More to come.  Plus the addition of windows-down-hair-whipping-joy.  Wait…does the tail end of this summer keep getting better or what???

The mosquitoes are crazy bad this year.  Mosquitoes are something everyone has an opinion about.  I haven’t been around so I just have to listen to the theories.  Too much rain and blah blah blah.  I heard the City of Waukegan is dead broke…like California and Illinois broke.  Side note:  check this hilarious Onion article on what the State of Illinois is doing to make ends meet in this budget crisis (http://www.theonion.com/articles/illinois-does-a-few-adult-films-to-make-ends-meet,17823/) “I just want to be clear on one thing…IL does not do anal.”  LOL)  If I remember correctly, Waukegan sprays for mosquitoes.  Or they used to.  I remember in my youth the city trucks rolling through the neighborhood at night with their spraying sound innocuously filling the silence.  Maybe they are too broke to do it now.  All I know is that I can’t shake a damn shrubbery without being attacked…

I’m living with my friend Dave and his cat these days.  It’s so good to live with an animal again (the cat…not Dave).  Her name is “Sans,” cos she only has one eye, but I just call her “Kitty Pants.”  No reason.  It just came to me.  She is very adorable and I am enjoying her antics a lot.  She is kind of naughty and likes to climb on things and knock them over.  I find it hilarious even though it’s probably going to bite me in the ass one day.  One downfall of moving so much is not having an animal around.  Good times about to be had by all.