Why I'm right - and you're wrong

I was recently referred to as a cynic. I take exception to this for a couple of reasons: 1) I think the daisy - especially the blackeyed Susan - is God's chosen flower; 2) I sing in the shower; and 3) one of my favorite pastimes is crocheting doilies. So, I do not consider myself a cynic. However, this claim was leveled at me while I was enumerating, for the millionth time, what things I find wrong, stupid, or just plain inefficient about the United States. I believe that part of this summation of my character is based on my love of finding fault with things around me.

Here's a partial list:
1) Public transport in the United States SUCKS. Royally. I recently read a figure in Newsweek that 2/3rds of Americans wouldn't ride a bus even if they could.
2) SUVs are stupid. Hummers are even more stupid.
3) Two party systems are stupid. They get you what we had from 2000-2006, with a Republican in the executive, a Republican dominated legislature, and, after 2004, a conservative leaning judiciary. Inefficient government is less capable of doing harm.
4) Americans are, by and large, convinced the rest of the world likes them and enjoy learning English.
5) American food is absolute garbage.
6) Did I mention the food?

While I termed this partial, these are my favorite subjects, especially the transport and food subjects. Everyone has to have their pet peeves, right?

I believe the only reason to hold an opinion is because you think it's right. Why bother espousing an opinion you yourself believe to be nonsense? That's essentially making yourself a waste of good oxygen. Thus, I see nothing wrong with complaining - sometimes loudly - about the problems I see around me, and attempting to offer solutions. While I do feel that offering solutions is important, I rarely hold out hope for an improvement to the situations that I see as stupid around me. I do not think this makes me a cynic, but rather a pragmatist.

So, to sum up - my criticisms are based on careful thought and consideration of the issues (read: many hours spent on public transport in Austria with nothing better to do) and I offer solutions, albeit ones I think most Americans will not find to be amenable. Therefore, and this is directed to the defamer of my character - you know who you are - I am not cynical.

So there.

Arty and stuff

My brother has taken some pretty neat pictures since he discovered how much fun using a good camera can be. He was messing around tonight and got this. He also got my fun fish gutting experience, which I have also graciously included in today's post.

Farmers and Fishes

Last night, my Aunt Tina (who is two whole years older than I am) invited my brother and I for an evening of fishing and fun down at the banks of the Missouri, which runs through the family farm in Montana. We decided to go fishing, which was okay with me, because I never catch anything. At least, not since I was 8 years old and I caught a foot long trout. That is my one and only fishing story.

So, it was getting cold and I wanted to put away my line - I had successfully caught a couple of stray weeds during the evening - and go sit down, so I picked up my pole and realized that it wasn't right. By right, I mean that it felt like something between a snag and nothing, so I thought that maybe I had a nibble. So, I jiggled the pole a little, just to test my hypothesis, and let out some string to see if it would unravel and it did. Then I got a little excited but kept my mouth shut, because one does not want to get excited about getting a fish, then pull out a leather boot or something similar.

I ended up with another foot long trout, and he was a rather scrappy little bugger. They have sharp little teeth. After we took it back to the house, Alan, Tina's boyfriend, helped me cut it open, then I gutted it and washed it out. It is currently sitting in the freezer, waiting for tonight's bbq bash at Aunt Loretta's.

Gotta say, that was some of the most fun I've had in a really long time. I will post pictures as soon as my brother can download his pictures at home. He also got a video of me gutting it - which was rather gross - but pretty cool, too. Plus, I left the head and tail on, so it looks super cool. :)

This morning, we went to a Farmer's Market in Great Falls. Lots of nifty stuff, had some strudel, bought some mustard, a necklace, some cherries, the various random things one buys when one goes to a farmer's market. Right now, we're waiting for the storm to finally burst (there's a tornado warning, apparently) and then going over to Loretta's for bbq. I intend to fully enjoy my fish!

Musings

I don't really have much to say today. My universe has shrunk considerably since I came back, since I have no car. I must go with my brother, my mom, or take the bus at the same time as the commuters on weekdays. It's a Sunday, so I'm not quite certain how I'm going to make it to church from the boonies where my mom lives.

Yesterday during my run at the SK track, I decided to go stair running. I only did a little, but realized that it's quite possibly the most amazing workout ever. I also thought my heart would burst after running up the fourth set of stairs in a row. And these were stadium steps - twice as tall as normal steps, and I'm not exactly tall. It was fantastic - I think I'll do it again tomorrow.

I haven't really started thinking about my trip to Singapore yet. It still seems a bit far away. I keep hearing conflicting reports about how much 'fun' I'm going to have there. My favorite line that I heard was that I would have a great time looking at all of the clothes that are too expensive for me to buy. :) Should be a blast....

Coming soon to a town near you: me!

Tomorrow, I head to Vienna, then on Tuesday I am (hopefully) flying back to the United States. I hope and expect to hear from my vast quantities of readers when I do - but be quick! Because I'm flying to Singapore on the 24th of June. I will be in Eugene from the 21st to the 24th, and by turns in Washington and Montana before that.

I have had a wonderful time keeping my Vienna blog - which will now be turned into a scrapbook, along with other stuff from my year abroad - but I will be removing it from the blog-o-sphere within approximately a week, for anyone who happens to have a link to it on their site.

Hope to see everyone soon!

Irish lace!

I had a brain storm - Irish lace! Almost no one actually knows how to crochet Irish lace anymore, not as though many people care to anyway. But, there is nothing more beautiful, in my humble opinion, than an Irish lace veil. This picture is an example of typical Irish style crocheted lace. I have looked online, and have seen these kinds of veils (appliqued Irish lace onto a tulle veil) going for around $300 a pop. Based on the amount of work it takes, it seems fair enough. I also noticed that very few people are in this business - probably because no one knows how to do it anymore. So, this is the big plan for using my spare time in Singapore. :)