9/28/04

Liar, Liar

I was driving home from my first day of student teaching yesterday when I saw a fabulous sight.

The car in front of me was towing a flat-bed trailer upon which stood an eight foot tall statue of President George Duh-buh. The ass of the ass was spewing smoke (probably a fog machine) and faux-fire. "Bush Lied" was the slogan on the button on his jacket. It was a wonderful sight to see and it totally made my day.

I went to the web page listed on the mobile and found out that this group's campaign consists entirely of driving George around so that people won't vote for his dumb ass. The home page is www.pantsonfire.net.

The coolest part is that people can volunteer to drive George around as part of the campaign. To sign up for driving Mr. Dipshit, the link is http://www.pantsonfire.net/drive.htm.

Yay people that use humor and spectacle for a good cause!!!

9/26/04

Shopping Extravaganza

Shopping! Posted by Hello


Well, it wasn't really an extravaganza. We are, after all, starving college students.

After an unsavory experience at Office Depot, where I purchased my very own digital camera, I journeyed to the mall with the boys to spend some financial aid money that has been burning a hole in all of our pockets since Friday. Not that we are frivolous shoppers, by any means, nor is shopping a gross misuse of government funding. Even students must wear clothes, and let's not forget that most of us have to pay back every cent in the long run anyway.

When we took the first photo of Robin at GAP, the manager came over to us to tell us that no photography was allowed in the store. Silliness. Serves him right that this picture would end up on the internet. What harm could we do with a few silly pictures, anyway?

Also, speaking of store management, the people at Office Depot are very unskilled at customer service. It took fifteen minutes for anyone to come help me with the cameras, and when the guy did arrive, his personality and enthusiasm were comparable to a roll of toilet paper. When we went to check out, each clerk seemed to share the same personality deficit and each had an unmoving two-person line. Down with the Depot!

Luckily, my partners in crime and I had a great time despite the consumer-land assholes. Yay!

9/19/04

I Love This Town

Eugene Celebration Parade 2004 (click to enlarge) Posted by Hello

Patric, Robin, Liz, & I watched the Eugene Celebration parade yesterday morning and it was the most sober fun that some of us have had in years. We left the parade feeling inspired and in awe of this fabulous town and its fabulous people.

Later, it was salsa dancing in the rain, good food, dodging the rain at P & R's apartment downtown (headquarters!), and dancing like crazy to the Crazy Eights, who rocked the Broadway stage last night at 10pm. Rachel, Liz, Adrienne, & Angeline jumped on stage to dance with the band during their encore number, "Get Naked," although I choose not to disclose who got naked and who did not :-)

Awesome, awesome, awesome.

National Talk-Like-a-Pirate Day

My Pirate Friends @ the Eugene Celebration (Click to Enlarge) Posted by Hello

Happy National Talk-Like-a-Pirate Day!!!!



P.S. This picture made it on to the offical web site for National Talk Like a Pirate Day. To see this picture on the Pirate Day web site, click here.

9/17/04

An Evening of Enchantment

Enchantment Under the Sea Ball (click to enlarge) Posted by Hello


And so it came to be that fifty people celebrated the end of an Enskie era at the Enchantment Under the Sea Ball. Among them were crustaceans, pirates, divers, jelly fish, prom queens, sting rays, fishing nets, and the Sea herself. Drinks were drank, lost treasures were found, and shenanigans ensued. Smashing good fun.

9/16/04

Enchantment Under the Sea, Bon Voyage Enskie!

Enchantment Under the Sea Party Posted by Hello


Last night a crew of us got together at the Community Center III to decorate for tonight's Enchantment Under the Sea ball. The party is in honor Adrienne, my Eugene friend of four years, who is going off to study marine biology for one term, then graduating and leaving me forever. So sad.

But the party should be rockin'. Since I've borrowed a digital camera, I'll have photos to post tomorrow. Happy Thursday, and one more day until the Eugene Celebration!!!

9/12/04

Grandpas Want to Save the Planet Too!

In the never-never land of Eugene, Oregon, like minds often think alike on issues of politics, environment, and human rights. When I step outside of myself, my social network, and my fantastically liberal city, I remember the daunting number of people that hold strikingly different views.

It is isolating to observe these differences because the mythology of Eugene would have you believe that we are on the right track to political, environmental, and social revolution; I often feel defeated when I consider the country at large, and its commonly held values of hate and ignorace.

Redemption comes from situations that connect you to life outside of your town, your age bracket, and your everyday experiences. These connections help you to realize that defeat is not eminent. Small things, like the letter below, renew my hopes for overcoming the national obstacles that currently plague us.

Grandpa & Me Posted by Hello


This is a letter sent by my Grandfather (age 70) to the USDA Forest Service to petition increased logging and other forest activities. Yes, even grandpas believe in revolution.

Content Analysis Team
ATT: Roadless State Petitions
USDA Forest Service
P. O. Box 221090
Salt Lake City, Ut. 84122-1090

To Whom it May Concern:

I believe that if we went back to the time when National Forests were set aside, you would realize it was done so that families could hike, backpack, picnic, & camp-out in beautiful wild areas.

Not areas where roads and big bare spots, where trees have been clear cut, scaring our mountain sides.

President Clinton did a great deed for the northwestern states when he passed the Roadless Area Conservation Rule in 2001 to protect 58.5 million acres of forest land, and of that approx. 6 million acres in Montana!!

Our eco system will not stand for silted streams inw places where thousands of people come from all over the USA & beyond to fly fish each year.

Nor will it stand for destruction of the lands where wild animals run free & raise their young. Also, areas for big game hunting!!!! These areas should be kept as large wilderness rather than a few spots where our National Forest is left.

This is a free Country, so lets let the animals be free for what they were intended, after all the have been here longer than WE HAVE!!

My vote would be NO Snowmobiles, ATV'S, or four-wheelers disrupting our wildlife in the National Parks or National Forests. And NO to big logging trucks cutting up the forest with roads, causing erosion & mud slides.

Thank You.
Dean McKeever & Georgia McKeever
Hamilton, Montana

9/8/04

New Links

Storms-a Brewin' (Odell Lake, August) Posted by Hello


I have posted three interesting new links below...

1. National Talk Like a Pirate Day: My crew is observing the holiday on Saturday of the Eugene Celebration by dressing up like scurvy dogs.

2. Yahoo! Games: Sign up for a Yahoo ID and you too can play cribbage online. My ID is mssarahos, so let's play if you ever see me in there.

3. Michael Moore's Blog: Mike just started a blog this summer and it's like candy for liberals. Read and enjoy! Or read and despise, and if that is the case, why are you reading my blog anyway?

That is all. Until next time, enjoy this odd photo of a storm brewing behind me... insert appropriate metaphor here :-)

First Day of School

Dr. Seuss's 100th Birthday (Last Winter) Posted by Hello


"The more that you read, the more you will know. The more that you know, the more places you'll go." --- Dr. Seuss

This is the quote that adorns one of the many bulletin boards in my new classroom. Today was the first day of school, and my first opportunity to meet the students that I will teach full time for eleven weeks this fall. As fourth graders, these kids are reaching a point where they are no longer learning to read, but reading to learn, so my bulletin board was meant to be an invitation to exercise that skill.

The highlight of my day was reading one of my favorite books to the class: How I Became a Pirate, by Melinda Long and David Shannon. My friends and I are fascinated with pirates, and this book allows pirates into my classroom! At the end of the day, students sat in a circle and shared their favorite activities from the first day of school, and the pirate book topped the charts. Next time, I'll bring my eye patch and hook!

"Good teaching is one-fourth preparation and three-fourths theater." --Gail Godwin

9/7/04

Summer Lovin' Happened so Fast

The weather has begun to change...

I noticed it at the river house initially; Fallen leaves and smells reminiscent of fall nights at outdoor school. Back in Eugene, campus streets are getting busier and public school kids were on the streets at 3pm this afternoon. As our summer of adventure draws to an end, I have these memories of my fabulous family of friends:


Scott's Interpretive Dancing: EXxxcccellllleeeeennnttt...
Tank-top, tequila, & Limes (Fan-fucking-tastic) and tequila in-tow
Dirty Old Illegal Infected Women's Weekend
Rainbow, Hail, Rain, Lightning, & Thunder on the lake
Camping on top tire-tracks in solidified mud (and eating good stew)
Preachin' to the choir about politics & passions
The never-ending hilarity of The Big Lebowski
(Ah ah ah ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...HUH!)
Full moons on the bridge, screaming girls on the river (Happy Birthday Adrienne)
Cliff jumping, body surfing, river-rolling, waterfall showering, & tide-pool exploring
Round of Row-Row-Row Your Boat down the Wilson River
PBR Picnics in the park
Beer-bongs across the state of Oregon
Graduations, weddings, Baseball, and BBQ's
Endings: Pirate House, Community Center
Beginnings: Animal House, Community Center II (name tba)
Empire & China Sun
(China....And the buffet...come together...to make an unstoppable force!)
Livin' on a Prayer, Rawhide, D, and other greatest hits of Casa Bonita Camping (Props to Evan)
$100 Fire ticket in the wettest weekend of the summer
Barrel Fires, American Pie, and Riverfront Antics
(Tonight we're going to play with fire, in the dark, next to a cliff, when we're drunk!)
Underwear showing & vagina appreciation circle
(Patrick: I'm seeing creation through a vagina!)

Add your additions to the comments area!!!


This has been a kick-ass summer, ladies and gentlemen. Viva the deMUCKracy!

Let the good times roll. In the words of Angeline, "Rock!"

9/1/04

River House Packing List

What would I have done if Patrick had not emailed me to remind me to pack this stuff?!

Big bananas
Large melons
Curvacious noodles
Perky nuts
Bushy lettuce
Spicy tuna
Warm Hershey uhhh.... bars

I think I speak for everyone when I say thanks Patrick; The weekend just wouldn't be the same without the melons & nuts! Love ya.

Take Me to the River


Down by the river Posted by Hello

I sat at my computer for a few hours today making a grocery list and putting together a map for our weekend at the RIVER HOUSE!!! Eleven of us are going to my dad's house on the Wilson River east of Tillamook for three full days and four nights. The itenerary includes cribbage & other games, tequilla, good food, the cheese factory, and Alice's Restaraunt on Highway 6. Robin and Patrick are especially excited to break in their new shoes in the river!!

Four of our eleven-person entourage (Patrick, Robin, Liz C., & Me) will leave tomorrow after the boys get off of work, then after 2.5 hours and car crampyness we will be served a phatty meal that will be cooked by a family friend that will be there when we arrive. I am busting at the seams to get up there!

Drop Me in the Water


Ahh, the river house... Posted by Hello

Here is the house from the north side of the property. The river is down the set of stairs on the left side of the picture. Counting down the hours!