Somali Christmas (my thoughts on the matter)

I think I had almost forgotten the magic of the Somali Bantu. They have this funny way of changing my life.

After a morning of feverish baking (Pumpkin bars for Somali Christmas. They LOVE pumpkin.) I headed over to the Douglas Ranch to play my part in the Somali Christmas. We were giving Christmas dinner (and presents) to 40+ Somalian Refugees who are living in Portland. Danielle works with them on a regular basis, so she's used to the chaos that comes with the Somali clan.

I, however, am not as well-aquainted.
and I got volunteered for van duty. So I drove that 15 passenger van over the the somali apartment complex and picked up 14 Somali childred. FOURTEEN. and they were all under the age of 11.

Before I loaded into the van, Seynab invited us drivers into her home for coffee and a snack. I had already eaten and was quite full. But that matters little to a Somali. So I ate it. I ate the chipatis (fried bread. something akin to Nan) and the chunks of goat liver in oil. YUP. goat. I did my best to eat the goat without them noticing my disgust. It was not good at all.

The rest of the day went by in one delightful blur. There was food, music, dancing and the general akwardness of trying to communicate with 40 people who hardly know your language. And I loved every minute of it. And I tried to dissect what that is. why do I love them so much? to tell you the truth, I am not really sure. But I think they are beautiful - absolutely beautiful and I can see how much Jesus loves them. And I think that is what makes me love them. Even if I do love little Abdulai a little bit more. Is it so wrong to have favorites?

So, nevermind my new year woes.
Really, I have so much to look forward to.

somali christmas

danielle and dunya.



Baby Hassan (and my cell phone)



Me and Baby Hassan. Present opening chaos.



Baby Jama

I think I always hate the approach of the new year because it reminds me that I am right back where I started.

a simple twist of fate

sometimes it takes a few PBR's and a 7 rounds of pool to help you figure out the answers.

i certainly wasnt looking for it. but maybe that is because I didn't want to know.

but now I know.
so I suppose I have to do something about it.

top 10 of 2005

1. The White Stripes - "Get Behind Me Satan"
2. Bob Dylan - "No Direction Home Soundtrack"
3. Sufjan Stevens - "Illinois"
4. Wilco - "Kicking Television Live"
5. Spoon - "Gimme Fiction"
6. BRMC - "Howl"
7. Sigur Ros - "Takk"
8. The Kills - "No Wow"
9. Denison Witmer "Are You a Dreamer?"
10. Kanye West - "Late Registration"

notable mentions:
Death Cab, Johnny Cash Legend Series, Joanna Newsom, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Gorillaz.

I feel like I am forgetting quite a few very important discs. But this is what I thought of, off the top o' my head. Tell me what I am missing.

and to all a good night...

(becca and I at the 4th annual Roommate Christmas party, circa 1970)

oh yeah

I'm not on a boat anymore. :)

and I am in Clackamas, Oregon with the fam (and our new puppy, Scout).

Today I am baking pies (Pumpkin Pie, Apple Pie, Jefferson Davis Pie, and Eggnog Cheesecake).

I watched 8 episodes of LOST yesterday.

I went to my crazy Oregon thrift store and scored a typewriter, some elton john records, and a crap load of clothing. My favorite item is a yellow dress with a peacock on it.

I will post cruise pictures when I get around to it. right now I am feeling far too lazy. But I had a great time.

sorry for the lack in blogging. I will get back on the wagon soon.

see you in a few.

I'm on a boat to mexico.

like sister, like seagull. (the seagull series)

family photo op.

in san fran at thanksgiving.
what a lovely bunch.

free love on the free love freeway

AS OF TODAY, I AM A FREE WOMAN.

I gave my two weeks notice. I am officially unemployed. and I LOVE it. I'd explain to why I am leaving, but its long and complicated -- but it basically boils down to a personality conflict and the fact that I am tired of being tired and stressed all the time. I want my life back.

So, I have a few other job opportunities -- ones that I am rather excited about -- and I will keep you posted as I figure out what's next. For now, i am going home for Christmas.

And, I am going to be taking care of Taylor again for the first half of January. Her mom relapsed and has to go into treatment for a year. I am just going to help them with the first few transition weeks. It happens to fall at a really keen time for me, since I was already going to quit my job. And I get to be in Portland for a few weeks longer, so I am not complaining.

In other news, I quit drinking today. Dave Price and I made a pact. I told him that I would not drink a drop as long as he wont drink a drop. This started today. I dont know how long he'll last (because I can last as he can. Thats the thought, anyway) - but I will stick it out with him.

And, yesterday, I talked with an old friend for the first time in awhile. things were a little 'off' with our friendship, but I think we're on the road to recovery.

So, just like that - its a new day. A light has dawned. Honestly, I feel like a different person. I am ready for this new year and whatever hellish things it may throw at me. After all, I made it through this year in one piece.

So here is to what is yet to come -- may I not die of an ulcer at 25.

My Grown-Up Christmas List

My grown up christmas list: (posted at the prompting of Abbie. so here you go, Ab.)

Unlike Amy Grant, I am not asking for “No more lives torn apart, and that wars will never start. And that everyone would have a friend, and love would never end…”

Nope. I am not asking for that at all. Because that’s cheesy and insincere.

This is what I want for Christmas:

1. Arrested Development Season 2
2. LOST – season 1
3. Johnny Cash “The Man, His World, His Music” DVD
4. The No Direction Home DVD
5. Christmas with Johnny Cash (CD)
6. Coconut Lip Balm (The Body Shop)
7. Burts Bees Tinted Moisturizer (Medium tint)
8. DIG! DVD (Special Edition preferred)
9. A new purse or wallet
10. A functioning record player
11. The Simarillion – by Tolkien
12. Aveda shampoo, conditioner, hair products
13. Elizabeth Arden Green Tea perfume (its cheap and found at any drugstore)
14. Wilco – Kicking Television Live CD
15. For my ipod to work
16. Bob Dylan – Live at the Gaslight CD
17. A marriage proposal from Sufjan Stevens
18. Books. Really, any books (Vonnegut, Salinger, CS Lewis, Jane Austen, anything about Johnny Cash or Bob Dylan or music biographies in general…)
19. Underwear. Cute underwear.
20. A gift certificate to Trader Joe’s.

CROCS.

Milton (my intern) sent me this link today: http://sub.crocodileadventureclub.net/archive/
I will post the link here (so you can see all the lovely croc pictures) - but you must read below. I got a good chuckle out of it for sure.

A Brief Guide to Crocodilians we Like
see also: Gavials, Why They Can't Play Too


Crocodiles have medium-length snouts, jagged smiles, and curved scales along their backs
They tend to have Biblical names
Crocodiles enjoy 7-Up but hate Sprite
Crocodiles drafted a Bill of Crocodilian Rights, but burned it when they realized it'd also apply to their delicious, tender young-uns.
Crocodiles can't read, but have never been outed as illiterate because they're incredibly unpleasant and therefore solitary beasts.
Crocodiles accidentally invented the Flowbee in the early 90s and are truly sorry for it.
Finally, crocodiles like to make tooting noises whenever they finish doing something.


A Similar Compendium Concerning Alligators, Nature's Andy Dicks


Alligators have more aristocratic features than crocodiles, which means crocodiles often refer to them as "fancy"
Alligators hate using cellphones and will only make calls from princess phones
Alligators like stout beers and ginger ale, but nothing else
An alligator named Lawrence once bit through a killer whale. It took him 8 days and 3 metric tons of horse tranquilizers.
All alligators have read Fast Food Nation, consequently they've all killed at least one McDonald's executive
Many alligators rebelled against their parents' dated archosaur values
Most alligators believe Gygax is a better player than Beckham


A Enchiridion to Caiman, Masters of New Age Medicine


Caiman are naturally stout, a characteristic that limits their roles in Hollywood to "munchkin", "hobbit", and "poor Bond-villain trap"
Many caiman believe people still do "The Bartman"
All caiman enjoy Cajun food
Caiman don't play MMORPGs because they get bored with them after the initial leveling high, also, no thumbs
Many caiman actually read books on the New York Times Bestseller list, despite the fact that they're all either absurd self-help books or stories about quirky executives having mid-life crisises.
Caiman inherited the music industry from Sy Spurling 20 years ago, so they're to blame.

I've had some time to think about you.

I've listened to this song by Patty Griffin non-stop lately.
it says "I've had some time to think about you on the long ride home".
the song sounds very sad, and it makes me sad. I feel nostalgic, but i only heard the song a month ago, so I don't know why it makes me feel that way.

the point is, I have a long ride home every day.
and I have a lot of time to think and IT. and to think about him.
and to think about my friend the heroin addict, and moving to a new apartment, and selling my stuff, and roommate christmas, and my grandparents beliefs on tim robbins and communism, and job drama...

so, i don't normally like to subscribe to the idea of a theme song.
but if I was going to have one, I suppose this would be it.

despite the three listed below -

I must say, this thanksgiving has been amazing.
so, here's to all the wretched thanksgivings - may I never have another.

top three

WORST THANKSGIVINGS EVER

1. Cody, Wyoming (circa 1993?).
My dad was a pastor at a small, struggling, Christian church in Cody. We lived in the parsonage on the church property - which was a yellow and orange painted double-wide trailer. We had been at the church for nearly 6 months and none of us had really connectd with anyone there. It was too far to drive to California for the holiday's, and no one in the church bothered to ask us if we had plans. So we attempted thanksgiving dinner in the trailer. I don't remember many details -- just that my mom was horribly depressed, I helped cook the sad little meal, and that we almost killed our cat by throwing her outside during a raging blizzard. It was the lonliest and quietest thanksgiving we ever had. And we spend most of the evening trying to revive the cat we almost killed. The cat lived, thankfully. But it was still a horrid holiday.

2. Quincy, CA (circa 1992?)
I believe this was the year my family were in YWAM in Chico, CA. We went to my grandparent's place in Quincy, CA, for the big thanksgiving meal before we took off for our 2 month mission trip to Mexico. The day of Thanksgiving went off without a hitch - everything was perfect. It was the day after that everything went sour. First of all, my granparents house was on a septic system. And, while we were there, the septic system decided to break. The repairmant wouldn't be available until Monday (this was Friday), which meant that we had no running water for 2.5 days. In the meantime, I contracted the stomach flu. I specifically recall the feeling of myself getting ready to vomit - so I yelled to my aunt diana who grabbed a gallon sized ziploc bag and tried to contain the mess that ensued. Needless to say, I did not quite make it all in the bag. and, I had no way to clean up. So, we loaded up and went to Perko's Koffee Kup (purposeful misspelling in restaurants is a crime) to brush our teeth and freshen up. It just seemed like the worst possible combination of elements. No running water, the stomach flu, and a crappy coffeehouse in a teeny little mountain town. I still hate the Perko's chain to this day. And, fo no other reason than it reminds me of that fateful weekend.

3. Idaho Falls, ID (2001)
This was a monumental thanksgiving for the Strannigan family. We packed up the car (My parents were living in Central Oregon, I was living just outside of Portland) and headed out to Idaho Falls to the Manginelli's house. Phil was my boyfriend, and we were quite serious. Serious enough to bring our families together for Thanksgiving, anyway. Phil and my sister, Danielle, were at YWAM in Montana together - so they were able to meet us in Idaho for Thanksgiving. They both were leaving on outreach a few days after Thanksgiving, so this was the last family gathering either of them would have for a while. The whole thing seemed to work out perfectly - Idaho Falls was the middle ground between Oregon and Montana - we were all able to be together before Danielle and Phil left for the mission field. There was just one problem: Phil and I had come to a standstill in our relationship. A week prior to thanksgiving, I had found out a few imporant things about him and I confronted him on it. I told him that we needed to talk thanksgiving. I was delustional and expected him to change his wiley ways, tell me he loved me, sweep me off my feet - and then I'd wait for him to return from Thailand and we'd get married and all that jazz. Well, it didn't exactly go like that. Phil avoided me the whole weekend. He left me with the fam while he went out to breakfast with various hometown friends he needed to 'spend time with' before he left. He had a going away party and talked with everyone but me. And, finally, at the last possible second, he took me to Perkins family restaurant to break the news to me: The Lord was calling him in a different direction. He had to go be in Thailand without any distractions, and that meant breaking up with me. We sat in his car and cried and said that we wished things could be different. Then we went back to his house and he cooked me cinnamon rolls and we watched The Simpsons and prayed that the morning wouldn't come. But the morning came, and we said our goodbyes. I got in the family minivan, went straight to the backseat, and cried the whole way home. There was a blizzard on the way home, which extended the trip by at least 3 hours. Even without the blizzard, I think it would be safe to say that it was the longest car ride of my life. And, that, I think, goes down in history as being the worst thanksgiving ever.

on a more serious note

I must say, today is a loaded today.
You see, today is Linda's 24th birthday.
And today is the last day of having Linda Lee as my roommate.

The triniti is finally breaking up. Last night we drew names out of a hat to determine who gets what art pieces off our living room walls. We've been socialists for so long, its hard to divvy up the goods after 3 years. Maybe if Solomon were here, he'd threaten to saw our coffee table in half so that Linda and I could each have half of it. That's what I think he'd do.

when you live together for 3 years and share EVERYTHING (you people know our clothes sharing craziness. if you ever compliment one of us on an outfit, you can guarantee we will say "Thanks, it's Becca's" or Thanks, its Linda's". I rarely wear all of my own clothes) it feels like a divorce when you split up. Not in the emotional sense, just in the sense of personal belongings. Like who gets the fridge that we all pitched in on? or the infamous vintage table?

To tell you the truth, I do like change. I like moving, I like getting rid of things. I look forward to where I will be living come January. But just for today, I feel wistful. To sound perfectly dramatic, I am closing a chapter of my life (did I just say that? yeah, I did. and its true).

So, here's the the triniti. Its been a good stint.
I bet you'll miss my amazing toaster.

happy birthday linda!

in the spirit of thanksgiving

I am inspired to write a list.
of things that I am particularly thankful for.
some of them are rather trivial and silly, but those are always easier to write about.
so here goes...these are a few things I am thankful for.

the No Direction Home soundtrack
Arrested Development season 2
Murder Mystery parties
Eggnog lattes
Matrix Dj's at going away parties
My sweatshirt collection
My t - shirt collection
phone conversations with my mom
late night text messaging
the 4th annual Roommate christmas
$12 Gap jeans find
Vintage dresses
Cheese Danishes
Pumpkin chocolate chip muffins
Personalized snowman ornaments (that are personalized with the name DREW)
Patty Griffin's "Long Ride Home"
the thought of moving to Long Beach
Thanksgiving break
San Fransisco

you can't always get what you want...

but sometimes I think that I can get whatever I want just by working hard.
or waiting a really long time.