I met him in January of 2007 and spent four beautiful months with him. At night, he would come and cuddle me on the couch; when I couldn’t sleep, I would lay my head on his stomach and just listen to him breathe. He played Monopoly with us, moving the hotels around with his paws and sitting in the box. He loved to eat tuna; whenever Emily and I made tuna melts, we would save him some tuna and he would eat it eagerly. He loved his catnip toys. He loved people, loved guitar hero, loved purring and jumping around, loved sneaking into Becky’s room to hide under her bed.
He died Saturday night in Missouri. Ryan took him to the cat ER only to find out that he had a blockage that could only be fixed with thousands of dollars of surgery, which wasn’t an option, so they decided to put him down because he was in so much pain.
I know you may not like cats, but I loved this guy.

High Speed Chase, just Cat to us, you will be missed.

http://whynotobama2008.blogspot.com/

Read this.

Ooh, I am so mad.

I understand why someone would want to be for life, but at the same time, why can’t you have a right to choose?
I’m totally pro-choice, but if I ever got pregnant, I would never kill my unborn child. There we go. I am pro-family. I can’t wait to have one. I’m excited and I hope that my life takes me in that direction. But at the same time, if a woman doesn’t want the child to begin with, but is then forced to keep him or her, life isn’t going to be a cakewalk for either of them. The foster homes are full of unwanted children, neglected children, children in need of someone to love. Pro-life families reject the ideas about birth control and have, oh, you know, 17 children and think that they are doing God’s will. Selfish, much? How is making an already over-populated planet more populated God’s will?
Palin talks about being pro-life and about how she lives it out by having a son with Down Syndrome. Down Syndrome is remarkably common; it’s not like she has an alien child. I am pro-choice, but if I knew that I was going to give birth to a child with Down Syndrome, I would keep it. Seriously, her keeping that child had nothing to do with that. She was pregnant when she got married to her husband; did you know that? Did you know that 8 months after they got married they had their first child? You preach abstinence only education, but does that work? Does that work for anyone? No. Did it work for Sarah Palin? No. Did it work for her daughter? No. You sit there and praise Bristol for getting married and keeping the baby and “doing the right thing” but isn’t that against everything you stand for?

Why are gay-rights so wrong? Are your gay friends any less able to raise a child? NO! Statistics prove that gay couples stay together longer than straight couples do. Look at my own family. I was raised in a heterosexual family and it was obviously a broken one. Perhaps had my parents been lesbians or gay, I would have come from a stable home environment. (not that I don’t absolutely love my family, trust me, I wouldn’t trade it for the world) Why does it matter to you that gay people shouldn’t have children? Are they going to make them gay? Attack of the close-minded thinking. Gays don’t hurt church attendance. It’s not the gays’ fault that the heterosexuals stopped going to church.
I think that’s all a load of crap. I’m sorry. I met a boy who is openly gay and a beautiful person, yet he suffered gay bashing at the hands of people who think like you who agree with this do. He was beaten for something that he can’t control. He had to have reconstructive surgery on his face and eventually had to move out of his town. Is he any less of a person? Why shouldn’t he have a child? It’s proven that the children of gay parents are no more likely to be homosexual.
Did you wake up one day and choose to be straight? No. Did he choose to be gay? No. Why would anyone choose to be hated by people who consider themselves to be “correct?”

You’re wrong.
I bet you don’t look Muslims in the eye either. And before you get mad, think a little harder about that question. I cut out an entire paragraph, because I got really passionate and would have offended most of my readers, but I want you to think about the way that you look at people.
Today, I went downtown with Hunter’s video camera and interviewed homeless people. I had to bribe them to do it, but I learned a lot. I bought them all lunch and then me and my group (who helped pitch for lunch) sat down with them and interviewed them. What they had to say was not surprising, but it was touching. As soon as the video is edited, I’m going to put it up here. It’s for a project, but they were so grateful to have someone to tell their story to. When I asked more affluently dressed people to talk about poverty with me, I was barely acknowledged. I got good response from the youth, but hardly any from anybody else. I was on Michigan Ave, in downtown Chicago, and it was like I didn’t even exist to some people. I was laughed at by others.
Do you know who all of those people that I talked to are going to vote for? OBAMA.

Let’s look at what else McCain will do. Let’s look, because you know, we may not be able to get abortions anymore, but we’re going to be in some trouble.

http://www.BarackObama.com

http://www.johnmccain.com

I went to a talk held by one of the laypeople who works with the Mary Knoll organization to discuss the upcoming election. They gave us a handout, written by Catholics. I’m going to type the entire thing here for you.
(What comes after every little section was obviously not on the handout.)
Category:

–Dignity Of Work
John McCain- voted for the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007. Voted against past bills to increase minimum wage. Opposes the Employee Free Choice Act which would provide workers with greater protection and freedom in organizing unions.

Barack Obama-Voted for the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007 and supports indexing future wage increases to inflation. Supports the Employee Free Choice Act, which would provide workers with greater protection and freedom in organizing unions.

Elect an official who doesn’t want to raise minimum wage and doesn’t want unions? Sounds like an awesome, excellent, abortion free plan to me! (fail, McCain.)

–Economy
McCain- Supports tax cuts for those making more than $250,000, and increasing exemptions for dependants. Would maintain cuts to capital gains tax and cut corporate tax from 35% to 25%.

Obama- Supports tax cuts for the middle class, seniors and the poor by closing corporate tax loopholes. Opposes extending tax cuts for the wealthy. Supports tax code changes to eliminate abusive shelters and streamline the tax system.

hmm…I don’t know about you, but I sure as heck am not making more than $250,000 per year. I’m sure those people dig the tax cuts, but trust me, I would too.

–Environment

McCain- Co-authored the Climate Stewardship Act of 2007, which would reduce carbon emission levels to 60% below the 1990 level. In 2005, voted against funding renewable energy and stands requiring 10% of electrical energy to come from renewable sources by 2020. Supported increasing fuel economy to 35 MPG.

Obama- Co-sponsored Climate Stewardship Act of 2007 and supports a stiffer 80% cut in carbon emissions. Supports investing $150 billion over ten years in renewable energy. Co-authored Fuel Economy Reform Act of 2007, calling for a 40 MPG fuel standard. Supports requiring 25% of all energy to come from renewable sources by 2025.

Education

McCain- Supports school competition and vouchers as ways to improve quality of education and give parents a choice in schools. Supports a high tax deduction for Education Savings Accounts and tax-deferred Family Security Accounts for higher education.

Obama- Supports charter schools and increasing teacher pay. Supports increasing Head Start and Early Start funding to over more at-risk children. Supports a $4,000 annual tax credit for higher education.

School competition? Ask any teacher you know and hear what they have to say about that.

Foreign Policy

McCain- Supporting continuing the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief and eradicating malaria in Africa. Encourages private philanthropy but has no position on the Millennium Development Goals. Supports the development of a missile defense system and supports reducing our nuclear stockpiles.

Obama- Supports funding the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief and eradicating malaria in Africa. Supports meeting the US commitment to the Millennium Development Goals. Supports expanding diplomatic corps. Opposes the development of a missile defense system and supports reducing our nuclear stockpiles.

Millennium Development Goals. If you don’t know what they are, go and research them. We are halfway through the allotted time, and we have made no significant impact in our progress on them. Ridiculous.

Health Care

McCain- believes cost containment is the best way to expand access to healthcare. Supports tax credits for individuals who purchase their own health insurance and helping states create insurance pools for uninsured or hard to insure individuals.

Obama- Supports reforms that would ensure quality coverage for all. supports tax credits for low- and middle-income households to expand access to health coverage and market reforms to guarantee insurability.

Immigration

McCain- Believes border security is the “first and foremost priority.” Co-sponsored 2006 immigration bill providing current immigrants with a path to citizenship that includes learning English and paying fines, strengthening border control and creating guest-worker program that issues visas after proof that a job cannot be filled by a US citizen. Voted to build a fence along the Mexican border.

Obama-Supports a path to citizenship that includes learning English, paying fines and legal protections against worker abuse. Supports expanding and simplifying the immigration process to encourage family reunification and meet demand for jobs employers cannot fill. Voted to build a fence along the Mexican border.

Iraq War

McCain- voted for the war in Iraq and supported the 2007 troop surge. Stated that “I would much rather lose a campaign than lose a war.”

Obama- Pledges to withdraw all combat brigades from Iraq within 16 months. Stated in Oct. 2002: “I don’t oppose all wars. What I am opposed to is a dumb war. What I am opposed to is a rash war.”

wow. In all of the debates, etc. McCain keeps saying that we can win the war. We can’t win the war. There was no goal in this war. We are fighting a concept. Terrorism isn’t tangible. There is no gain, we are only spreading terror and fear and pain.

Life

McCain- Supports state level abortion bans except for rape, incest and risk to mother’s life. In 2005, voted against expanding health services and education to reduce abortions. Supports the death penalty.

Obama- Opposes a federal ban on abortion. In 2005, voted to expand health services and education to reduce unintended pregnancy. Supports guaranteed paid maternity leave. Supports the death penalty but helped pass a law requiring taped confessions in order to reduce wrongful convictions.

hm….so McCain is all about the family but could care less about maternity leave?

Poverty

McCain- Authored legislation that requires HUD to gives abandoned housing units to community organizations. Supports HOME plan to offer federally backed fixed-rate mortgages to sub-prime borrowers in danger of foreclosure.

Obama- Co-sponsored a bill to create a National Affordable Housing Trust Fund to build 1.5 million units over 10 years. Authored legislation to allow those facing foreclosure to refinance with a federal guarantee and reduce mortgage company fraud. Was lead sponsor of the Global Poverty Act, which sets an agenda to cut extreme poverty by half by 2015.

McCain has 12 houses. What more do I need to say?

Material produced by Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good. Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good is an independent, nonpartisan, lay Catholic organization that promotes awareness of Catholic social teaching. Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good is not affiliated with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. (thank God).

Think before you vote. Don’t just blindly follow the Catholic leaders. Please understand more than just the issue of gays and of abortion. There is so much more at stake here than the fight over genitals and who can do what with what they have. Gross, but so true. Just know that all of our futures depend on this election. I’m not even being melodramatic. Our economy is tanked, our world-wide reputation trashed, our politics laughed at, and worst of all, our infrastructure is in total chaos. College? Grad-school? Is that even going to be possible anymore?
Please. For everyone.

Do the right thing and don’t vote right wing.

Ah, sorry about all of that. I know I’ll catch more flies with honey than vinegar, but that’s just not the way I fly.

Also, Fruit is the sweetest little brother ever. He’s so very protective of me when it comes to boys and everything. He’s so excited for me to come visit Greeley and hang out with him and I am sooo excited for him to come chill with me and all of my friends in Chicago. They love him and those who haven’t met him can’t wait to meet him and we need to make that happen. I appreciate that he’s always there to look out for me, even when he’s 1,000 miles away.
He’s voting for Obama, by the way.

Our country is in turmoil. We sit, empty wallets, unemployed, watching two men in suits parade around, spitting sweet words that are meant to elicit trust in our fearful hearts. We watch them; we watch their moderator be unable to restrain them, their words spilling over, spreading out, falling on tired ears.
There are no concrete numbers, only empty promises, and what are we supposed to do? The old man sits there wrinkled, hunched, no neck to stick out and take a chance. He stands, leaning on his chair, looking aged and worn out. He attempts to connect with the people gathered there to watch him, calling them, “my friends,” calling his opponent “that man.” But these tactics are too pronounced; we see straight through them. There is nothing there that we want, nothing we want to buy. Nothing in his health care plan we’d subscribe to. He spends too much time discussing his opponent, too much time talking about our nation as a great machine, a growling beast. The war, that ever present shadow looming over our left shoulder, comes to the forefront and he tells us that we can leave that sandy place victories. What is victory in the face of death? What is victory when we have destroyed so much? There is no victory left for us there, no glory in that terrible place that we have re-created. We let their people die, we let our people die. Where is there honor in that situation? In a cause that we never revealed, never succeeded? Freedom? Democracy? What is that when there’s nothing left but dusty tears and bones?
Regal and dark, he stands there, defending his positions and nobly answering questions with actual details instead of creative fantasies and whispered promises. There is no hand-shaking of the crowd after they’ve asked a question, no pandering to special interests, no shaded lies. Well, it’s politics, but let’s pretend just for a minute. He sits during questions, managing to look intelligent and eager, not smug and ancient. Not desperate for some sort of faded glory.
There is noting left of what the United States of America used to be. There is no happy optimism, there is no military prowess. We are a shell of the country that we used to be. We are mocked by people everywhere, we are joked about, our politics are regarded as desperate and crazy. We invade countries against the advice of the very coalitions, groups and organizations that we set up to protect against people very much like ourselves. When it is convenient, we listen to them, we lead them, we tell everyone else what to do, but when it serves our purpose we disagree, we rebel, we change our course of action.
What are we then, but evil doers in the world? We began with the aim of protection and the power has been abused, misused, taken and destroyed. We have destroyed ourselves, we have let this happen. Our leaders have failed us and we must not let that happen again.
Stand up and say something, use your voice, your abilities. Fight for change, if you can, if you will. Because there is nothing left of our country, no hope unless we strive to lift ourselves out of this terrible hole. We are lost without your vote. Vote. Vote. Vote.
There is nothing more imperative at this moment. And let’s hope you vote the right way, obviously. This is one test that has a correct answer: Barack Obama.

and save your money, turn off your lights, spend nothing more than you make and pray to whatever god you believe in for a ray of light in this strange dark hour. Pray you still have your job, your retirement and most importantly your peace of mind.

Peace and love, everyone.

Sunday afternoon brought football with the boys after a nice rain. We were slipping and sliding, most of us losing our shoes eventually to play in bare feet. We’d fall, dirt stains and grass mingling on our jeans. I face-planted at one point, sliding along the ground on my cheek, which was not so much fun and left a lame and sort of burly red mark under my eye. Emily sat on the sideline, whittling a stick into some of sort of weapon.
After the sun went down, we decided we were freezing and sore and we made the trek back home to get warm and hang out.

We made the Costco run this weekend, getting necessities. However, no luck on the bike, so the search continues.

alright, register to vote! the deadline is coming soon.

Life is beautiful and strange.
Last night, we saw “Intimate Apparel,” a play about a turn of the century African-American seamstress struggling to find love in the New York. Eventually, she marries and is totally used by her husband for her money. It’s a play with strong female characters and an interesting man. Loyola had to hire an actor to play the man because we don’t have any strong black actors who could have played the part.
Neither one of us wanted to go out. We were tired, anti-social and would rather have curled up and just gone to sleep with a movie in.
But no, life doesn’t work like that. These are the dying days of our youth. There’s no time for sleeping, we can do that when we are dead.
We dressed, painted our faces, did our hair and make the trek down to the first party, held by the boys that we met last week. Our mutual friends were there, but left shortly after our arrival. We played games and chatted with all of the people there. Emily and I have both decided that we don’t really like either of the boys in a romantic way. One of them is sort of sleazy (totally my bad luck) and the other is sort of boring (Emily’s luck entirely). Their roommates, however, are hilarious and we all stayed up talking and laughing and it was actually a really fun time.
We ended up taking some girl home whose roommate had totally ditched her and then I called Hunter and saved him from the antics of Ian and Kyle.
All in all, good night, not too much fun, and I feel bad because we missed Matt’s birthday party. I can’t be everywhere, though.

Tell someone you love them today. The world doesn’t get enough of that. Go kiss someone (if you can) or go snuggle someone and just tell them that you’re glad they’re there. Trust me. It makes a world of difference.

“I want to look in your eyes and see your wonderful laughter.” -Ming&Ping, “Midnight on the Bridge.”

Hey jude, dont make it bad.
Take a sad song and make it better.
Remember to let her into your heart,
Then you can start to make it better.

Hey jude, dont be afraid.
You were made to go out and get her.
The minute you let her under your skin,
Then you begin to make it better.

And anytime you feel the pain, hey jude, refrain,
Dont carry the world upon your shoulders.
For well you know that its a fool who plays it cool
By making his world a little colder.

Hey jude, dont let me down.
You have found her, now go and get her.
Remember to let her into your heart,
Then you can start to make it better.

So let it out and let it in, hey jude, begin,
Youre waiting for someone to perform with.
And dont you know that its just you, hey jude, youll do,
The movement you need is on your shoulder.

Hey jude, dont make it bad.
Take a sad song and make it better.
Remember to let her under your skin,
Then youll begin to make it
Better better better better better better, oh.

Na na na na na ,na na na, hey jude…

On Wednesday night, I went over to the boys’ house after mock trial practice to play charades with them. We’ve been playing charades most nights and we find it to be a very interesting game, no matter what the conditions.
Well, as we are sitting there, one of the boys who lives upstairs came in through the back door to tell us to be a little bit quieter. (Ironic, considering it was a game of Charades, no?) Instead of simply turning around and leaving after he said it, he stayed with us and kept on talking to us. I turned to say something, and he told me that I couldn’t talk because I was a woman.
Wow. I was shocked. I told him that it wasn’t a fair thing to say and he continued, saying things about women in general, and me for the duration of the time that he was there. We were all just sitting there, shocked.
I didn’t say anything. I catch a lot of crap from the boys about being a girl, but this was something entirely different. This was an all out attack and this wasn’t even funny, which most of the things the boys say are.
I got up and left the room and Ian and Kyle followed me.
Coupe and Hunter finally finished talking to him, and when they came back inside there was a discussion about how rude that had been.
I was still bothered by it, though, so I decided to put on my shoes and leave. On the way down the stairs, I started crying, and Ian came outside with me and talked to me and in the end, I went back inside, we locked the back door, and the boys all apologized for not saying something while he had been in the house and told me that they wouldn’t stand for it ever again and that I deserved more than that.
Well, better late than never.
I have never been treated like that as a woman. Never. It’s terrible. I thought that that kind of sexist crap wasn’t tolerated or taught anymore.
Both Emily and I consider ourselves “one of the boys,” and the boys consider us to be that as well. Granted, we are infinitely more attractive, but that’s obvious and often overlooked.
And last night, Hunter told me he was sorry again and that he never wanted me to feel like that again, especially not in their apartment (which is like my second home).

Thursday night tradition continued last night, although with a smaller crowd, which was utterly enjoyable. We always watch It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and then since none of us have class on Fridays, we just hang out and play all night. Last night, I got over there as soon as I was done with class and hung out with Coupe, Ian and Hunter and waited for Kyle to get home, Jeremy to come over and Emily to get done with rehearsal.
The debate started at eight, and by eight thirty five we had all completely lost interest. We are all very politically charged people, all of us liberals, yet we couldn’t stand to watch Sarah Palin’s mouth move and her eyebrows go up and down.
So we commenced playing games and hanging out. At one point, I got into a wrestling match with Coupe, which was a bad idea, because I lost terribly (although I did put up a good fight) and now my elbows are covered in bruises.
We stayed up most of the night (as usual) and danced and played another awesome game of charades and made food and then went to sleep in our usual spots, comfortable and happy.
Yeah, great way to kick off the weekend.
Today, however, was incredibly fail. We were supposed to go to Costco, but after I took Hunter to work I came home and Emily and I ended up sleeping until a half hour ago. So, you know, it’s six o’clock and we have to get ready and go be the social creatures that Friday night seems to turn us into.
Tonight we are going to see the play “Intimate Apparel,” after which we will progress downtown to a party hosted by two brothers that we met last weekend at another party. And then, there is another party tonight celebrating our friend’s 21st. So who knows what the night will bring, but it certainly will not be wild. I hope.
Tomorrow, I am driving out somewhere because the movie that Hunter is in needs a female to pose with a police officer. So that’s what I’m doing. I can now add movie extra to my resume. Sweet.

Yeah, so. Happy Weekend!

Babysitting.
Mock Trial.
Class.
It’s never ending.
I’m exhausted.

I got two parking tickets in 12 hours, after not having gotten one since I moved here two months ago! (Can you believe that it’s been two months already? Wow.)

It’s cold here. The heat in our apartment is not on. It probably won’t be for awhile. It’s radiators, so if anyone is familiar with radiators, let me know how they will work. Doesn’t the building have to turn them on? and then we open knobs or something?
Who knows, but I’m actually wearing socks.

I’m going to go look at bikes this weekend. It’ll be nice to have one again, especially because it’s getting colder and walking anywhere is lame.

blah blah blah, update you later.
love.

That baby is my old roommate’s one year old daughter, Emma. She’s beautiful. The girl in the pictures who isn’t Emily is Sarah.
From the left in the dinner scene, we have Ian, his friend Jeremy, Hunter making a terrible face and then Emily.
The party was excellent. It was so nice to see Sarah again and her life is coming together beautifully. She’s still in school, happy and her daughter is growing up to be a lovely young lady. She’s walking now and talking a little bit.
I bought a crock pot for $10 off of the other Emily, so hopefully that will be used often.

Have a great Sunday!

Emily’s dad is in town this weekend on business, so we went out to dinner last night. It was nice to see him and I know that Emily is thrilled.

Here are some pictures that Dad sent me from the Barry family get together before I left for school in the summer.