Hope you all had (and are continuing to have) a lovely holiday. I meant to get this posted either before Christmas or on Christmas day, but alas…I forgot.
Anyway, this is a link to Dave Huth’s video blog. Dave is a friend of Rand’s, who happens to be very cool and very talented.
Rand and I are off to spend Christmas with my family, and so I don’t know if I’ll be doing any posting between now and when I get back to town. Wishing you all a happy holiday, whatever holiday you celebrate. 🙂
And hoping this starts a lively discussion.
I was listening to an NPR report about prostitution (the particulars aren’t vital to this conversation), and was struck again by a thought I’ve had for a long time.
What’s the difference between a porn actor or actress and a prostitute? More specifically, why do people go to jail for one, and the other is a perfectly acceptable form of entertainment?
From a strictly intellectual perspective, I don’t see a great amount of difference.
The differences, I think, are ones that society has created. We’ve given porn a certain amount of legitimization. There are contracts, the people involved are protected from the seedier elements of the world of prostitution.
Why is that?
Tomorrow night (Wednesday, Dec. 21) Greg Klyma will be playing at the Sportsmen’s Tavern. Show starts at 9, Greg expects to go on around 10:30-ish. I don’t know yet if I’m going to make it, but if you’re free, you should!
Also, any and all Clevelanders, Greg is opening for Todd Snider at Beachland Ballroom on the 29th. (Stephanie, both of these guys are on the CD we made you!) Show starts at 8.
Nah, actually I was going to get to this anyway. 🙂
The name of the band we saw Saturday night was No Boundaries. They’re a cover band, playing stuff ranging from adult contemporary to classic rock to 80s hair metal. Musically, very well put together, and Scott is an awesome drummer!
Since I’m talking more about the show, I have to talk about the dancing woman.
You know how there are some people that you have to respect, even though they can’t dance very well, because they know it and they just don’t care? Well, she wasn’t one of them.
She thought she was God’s Gift to Dancing.
She was probably mid-fortyish, wearing tight (but high-waisted) black jeans, high-heeled black boots, and a snug white sweater.
The second song I saw her dancing to was “Born to be Wild.” Best part–she actually mimed “lookin’ for adventure.” The rest of the time, she sort of shook her booty all around the floor daring the world to experience her sexiness.
“Do you think it’s possible she’s doing Elaine Benes?” Rand asked.
“Nope,” I said. “She *means* it.”
I have no doubt about this.
A bit later in the set, she (and her friend) were joined by a young-ish couple unable to resist the siren call of the Black Crowes. (“Hey, it’s Doogie Howser,” Rand remarked. He did kind of look like Doogie. Hee!) They got all sexy and grindy.
Remember, this was Hilton.
And even later, after a short dance break, the band went into Jimmy Eat World’s “The Middle.” Our dancing friend literally pranced onto the dance floor, flailing her arms in the air, her hands sort of mimicking the motion of her feet. I wish I had adequate words to describe this. She then did something sort of resembling the twist, followed by something sort of resembling the swim.
You really need the visual. If she ever makes it into my fiction, it’ll have to be in screenplay form. Because this must be seen to be believed…
I have in my possession a copy of Calling in ‘the One’ that is in need of a good home.
I know, the title sounds sort of hokey, but I credit this book with helping me work through all of my icky breakup issues, not just from the last relationship, but from all of them. And hey, the relationship that I “called in” is still going strong. 😉
If you’re interested, send me an email or leave me a comment!
So yesterday, I got to meet another of Rand’s friends. A while ago, we made plans to go out to Rochester and spend some time with Scott and his wife and kids. I knew two things about Scott: he lives near Rochester, and he’s in a band. We made plans to come out when he had a gig, so we could see him play.
As we were driving, I was thinking about how it was kind of strange that I hadn’t really been to Rochester since X and I broke up.
Once we got off the Thruway, we were in territory I wasn’t completely familiar with, other than recognizing the names of some of the towns. We drove through Spencerport (Spencerport, I thought…that’s near Brockport. I used to drive through Brockport on my way to X’s.)
So we’re driving, driving, driving, and Rand’s not exactly sure where the house is. Knowing that we’re just a few doors past the house, Rand pulls into the gas station on the corner to call Scott.
Gee, I think…something about this seems…hey…I know this corner.
Directly across from us is a now-closed garage where X used to have work done on his car. We’re like 5 minutes away from X’s parents’ house.
No. Freaking. Way.
So, where was the band playing, you ask? At the bowling alley in Hilton, X’s hometown. I’d never been in the bowling alley before, but it’s attached to a pizza place that has the best mozzarella sticks in the entire world. How do I know this? Because we used to get food there all the time.
“I have to admit, I feel a little weird about being here,” I told Rand. It wasn’t sad or upsetting in any way, it was just…strange. Surreal. Dream-like, if you will.
“Do you want to go say hi?” he asked.
I just laughed.
“Nah. That’s okay.”
Well, today was the first truly difficult day I’ve had at my favorite school.
I had two kids go AWOL during one of my classes. I’m pretty sure I let one of them go to the bathroom, and he just never came back. The other one? Not exactly sure.
I got a call from the attendance office asking if they were there. I checked. Nope.
I got another call from someone in the office who had apparently caught them in the parking lot. They told her Mrs. B (their regular teacher) had given them permission to go out to their cars and get their homework. (Gee, did they think no one would figure out that Mrs. B wasn’t in school?) I assured her that they did not have my permission to be outside.
This same person came to find me in the faculty room during my lunch period, just to make sure these two boys came to class and then left, and had not skipped out earlier. She wanted to be sure of the situation before writing them up.
Sigh.
Also, I met another English sub who is coming in to fill in for a maternity leave. I hate meeting other English subs. Other English subs are my competition. And knowing that he’s doing the maternity leave sort of ruined my day. Because if someone retires, wouldn’t they be more likely to hire the guy who’s worked there in a long-term position?
But on the other hand, today I was leaning VERY heavily toward wanting to teach college full time. I vacillate on this daily. And I don’t know how likely I am to be able to do this without a doctorate, and I absolutely, positively cannot go back to school right now. I can’t. I need to pay my loans BACK, not take out more. I already feel like a huge loser when I think about my loans.
Speaking of jobs…I did hear from the principal at that Catholic school. They hired someone else. Like I said, I wasn’t sure if it was what I wanted…but it sure would be nice to be the one doing the rejecting…
As a result of being a substitute teacher in several different districts and teaching part-time at a local college, I’ve discovered a unique occupational hazard.
I leave crap in refrigerators all over Western New York.
Yogurts. Sandwiches. Drinks. The occasional Rubbermaid container with leftovers. My leftover pork and garlic mashed potatoes from Fat Bob’s. (WAH!)
Sigh.
One of the schools where I sub has these great pizza-filled soft pretzels available for lunch, and I cannot stop eating them. Yum. 🙂
Other current food item I am addicted to…orange cream yogurt from Wegmans (Wegmans brand). Mmmmmm.
Jen and I went to Home Depot and purchased our Christmas tree yesterday. Oh, how I wish I had a digital camera. It has an…interesting…shape. So far, neither of us has summoned enough energy to string the lights. And so, our oddly-shaped tree is naked. How sad. 😉
I will probably be posting little in the next week or so. I have loads of grading to do. Thank goodness for substitute teaching!
OH! And I almost forgot. Loved the Narnia movie. LOVED it. Anyone else see it?