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I got back home from work today, jumpy with the prospect that just maybe our DSL was finally connected at our new house. Four hours and numerous irate calls to Qwest later, (who let them merge with MSN anyway? Talk about an axis of evil!) I have been successful and am now plugged back in to the rest of the world. It was a tough, lonely time, but here is what you learn during two weeks in the analog world:
Paper and pen are still viable. One can scribble philosophical thoughts, and they remain intact even without the FILE:SAVE option. Fascinating. I found it especially entertaining to write whatever random thoughts popped into my head whenever I had them, fold them up and put them in my back pocket, and them read them later when I was wanting for entertainment. IMG SRC codes, however, aren't quite as easy to utilize. A glue stick is a good substitute.
Books. Well, I have long been a fan of books, but it's amazing how much you can read when you have no homework, an August doldrum in the social life, and no Hatrack on which to wheedle away the hours. I found, however, that buying three new books every three days does get costly.
Local music: It's not just for drunks. Evenings are lovely occasions to do what the rest of the world does during the evening: hit the bars. It's even more fun when you're the only sober one and you can have an intelligent conversation with the guitarist after his set.
Yellowstone Park. I live an hour and a half from Old Faithful and I've only been to the park twice in my entire life. Some friends and I went last Saturday and had an absolute blast disobeying rules and harrassing the tourists. A bit smoky these days, but what isn't? There are rumors of really violent geothermal violence going down... we're just waiting for it to blow one of these days and get a few days off of school.
Snail Mail. I've probably spent $15.00 in postage stamps during these past two weeks. Did you know they actually bring it to your house?
Sleep - one of the strangest phenomena I've experienced lately. Incredibly, you can go to sleep at 9:00 pm, wake up at 6:00 am (that's early enough that your hair is almost dry when you go to work!), and still get nine hours of sleep!
However, I must say that it's refreshing to be back in the land of hugs and wedgies. I need some intellectual fodder before I end up turning on my television. I vehemently disagree, however, with the new emoticons. I vow to use none of the animated little demons. The mime is funny, but really, what can you say in a mimed post?
Glad to be back - love you all!
Posts: 8504 | Registered: Aug 1999
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Speaking of which, I was really excited to post on August 8th - the day our internet was supposed to be hooked up - because it was also the Edge's birthday and I really thought he deserved a cyber party.
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Morgan, it just occurred to me that your profile says you're "interested" in "hummus." Which aspect of hummus is most intriguing to you? Posts: 37449 | Registered: May 1999
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Can you tell me about Bozeman? The hub and I did an online thingy that says which city best matches you, and we got Bozeman.
Posts: 113 | Registered: Aug 2003
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Ooh, that sounds like another Bob game: place people in their correct geographic location, the place they are destined to live and be happiest.
Posts: 10890 | Registered: May 2003
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Let's hope no one types in the wrong key, and I end up in Ecuador. (Although that's better than Siberia.)
Posts: 113 | Registered: Aug 2003
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Bozeman, huh? I have a couple of friends, one who grew up there and one who went to MSU there. One story that sticks out in my mind is that the local kids (or was it the students?) there have an annual tradition of going to this specific adult store and buying all of the Love Ewes. Don't know what they do with them afterwards, and I don't remember the name of the place, but I'm sure if you ask around you can find out.
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Hummus is intriguing on oh-so-many levels, Tom. It's a metaphor for cultural diversity in a stratified society. It's nutty, sour, spicy, and smooth - like me!
Here's my description of the lovely land of milk and honey that is Bozeman, Montana, for those interested:
Bozeman, founded in the late 19th century at the location where the Bozeman trail entered the agriculturally promising Gallatin Valley but for some reason situated on the 2 square miles of said valley that receive 80 percent of the snow, was a natural gathering place for miners, cattlemen, and Catholics who were too pious for Butte. It grew slowly, applying for selection as the state's capitol and then, when denied that, the home of the state penitentiary. After being denied those noble institutions, it was given the land-grant University and proceeded to build a heinously disorganized library and form a football team that has never won anything.
Bozeman, the fourth biggest city of the fourth-biggest state, is now home to Montana State University, the Museum of the Rockies (the only cultural institution in the state), and the Zebra Cocktail Lounge, which doesn't serve cocktails, only beer, and once a year hosts the post-Warped Tour bash that results in several new admissions to the ICU.
Montana State attracts students from around the globe with its famous engineering, architecture, and film schools, but if you're studying a foreign language it better be one of the big three or you're out of luck. Bozeman holds the US record for the number of churches on one city block, and also for the all-time highest volume of alcohol sold in one 24-hour period, a record proudly held by Joe's Parkway Market, the 400 square foot convenience store that is the only place in town to get good sushi makings.
Bozeman attracts sportsmen from around the world with its world-class skiing, rock climbing, kayaking, hunting, and other reasons to skip class. An estimated 13% of the student body actually attends school on Bridger Bowl's $10 days.
MSU is also one of the region's foremost agriculture schools, and about 24% of the population are still cow folks. 80% of these come from eastern Montana, and they spend most of their college career overcoming the claustrophobia instilled by the mountains and griping about all the bleeding heart liberals moving in. Were they to ever visit Missoula, the site of the state's other major university, they would realize that the world is totally overrun by bleeding heart liberals and they really have no glimmer of hope. The rest of Bozeman's population is a mixture of bleeding heart liberals, California transplant yuppies, foreign grad students, and about a thousand Mormons.
The best places to eat in Bozeman are the independent restaurants downtown, the farmers' market, and my house. Don't attempt to get any decent Mexican food in Bozeman because you can't. Unless you come to my house.
The Bozeman music scene is pretty sketchy, consisting of some really bad punk bands, an over-touted local group called the Clintons, and the newest rock revolution - an up and coming local band called Loadstone that fuses all that is beautiful about early 90's Seattle, funky British undercurrents, and soulful American acoustic. I also happen to make all their posters and have a crush on the lead singer. Every once in awhile, a major musical act will hire a manager who pisses them off by booking a stop in Bozeman to play the illustrious Brick Breeden fieldhouse. These happy accidents have brought us the likes of Barenaked Ladies, James Taylor, 311, and Matchbox 20 in current years. For some reason Snoop Dogg played here last year, and no one really knows why, but the 12 year old local kids who think they're black loved it.
When planning a vacation to visit Bozeman, include time for outdoor activities, but don't forget the thrilling afternoon you can spend in the American Computer Museum. And don't you dare come without calling me up and letting me feed you!
Posts: 8504 | Registered: Aug 1999
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Probably not, but I do horchata and make a chile verde that has been known to bring returned missionaries to tears with nostalgia.
My mole is the best, though - And I still have some of the real mole chiles left from my Oaxaca trip.
Posts: 8504 | Registered: Aug 1999
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Yeah, I'd been thinking about a tubal ligation and I thought the wires thing meant getting your tubes tied. I had to read it to find out.
Posts: 113 | Registered: Aug 2003
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