Happy Father's Day to all of the wonderful dads out there and a special one to my pops. I'm very fortunate to have such a caring father in my life. While I'm very different from my family I have to respect that we do have a great deal in common and appreciate the differences.
"Mobile Home" he said.
Mum and Dad (yes, she is holding a lion cub. What can I say, it was the 70"s.)
When I say my dad is a clown. I mean it literally.
Dad, Carl and Me
Have a great day to all you dad's out there! We love you. -monica
I love Lady Gaga. I love everything about her. She is consistently inspiring and has brought so much hope and happiness to popular culture that has been missing in a sea of ennui and self-loathing. She has made a global message that is it ok to be yourself, even if you're a weirdo-freak-a-zoid-monster. You have a place to belong and someone to take up for you.
This message really resonated with me because I've never fit 100% into any mold. Growing up I got into punk rock because it supplied me with a forceful sense of self, but it came with its own limitations and as I have gotten older I have realized that we are all these incredible amalgamates of our experiences, never just one thing or one clique and in trying to limit ourselves to that we are injuring ourselves. I can't say that Lady Gaga inspired these ideas in me rather, she gave strength to a weak flame that I had nearly extinguished by trying to only be one part of myself
Her music is well crafted and all of the interviews I have read or seen show that she is serious about her craft and knows exactly what she is doing. She is an artist, not just a pop icon or a musician. People can argue against her all they want and that is their prerogative and I'm not going to try and stop them, because it doesn't matter. I love her and so do millions of other Little Monsters.
Thank-You Lady Gaga, for letting us all know that we aren't alone. I'm glad to have your records tucked in with my Hot Water Music, Sigur Ros, Have Heart, Bouncing Souls, Dead to Me and AFI albums. I don't have to sacrifice any part of myself for the rest any more -little monster monica
I kept very busy this weekend, exhaustingly so, but compared to my usual weekday boredom it was a welcome reprieve. My "weekend" started early with hanging out with my dear friend and former roommate, Hunter. Thursday afternoon Hunter, Steven and I all had coffee together and shared wonderful conversations about life, growing up, vegetarianism, environmentalism and how people become polarized on issues. I wish I could recall more of what we discussed, but I have a terrible memory for details. The feeling that is evoked is what lasts for me. Friday evening I went to see Super 8 with several friends and it was too amazing! Wow, I could go on and on about it. JJ Abrams and Spielberg really put together something incredible. What made Super 8 incredible to me was that unlike most modern Sci-Fi/ Thriller/ Action-Type films this one is focused on how everyone in the film is impacted by the alien/ monster character, rather than focusing on the thrills of having a monster smashing through a quaint town. The focus is placed on humanity and the way the characters eventually develop compassion for the "alien/ monster". A refreshing new turn in cinema for me. (Mind you, I am no movie critic.)
Joe Chrisitan and I at his 880th race.
On Saturday I had to be up at 5am to help my mum at a 5K Fundraiser for our county's 4-H program. (I was very disappointed that I wasn't able to run, it would have been my first 5K. I couldn't run because a melamine mixing bowl fell on my foot a few days ago and I have been waiting on the soreness to go away. It's really been killing me not being able to go for my regular runs!) The road race was quite a success, but what was really great for me was meeting Joe Christian. He's a local that is about to be inducted into the sport hall of fame next month for his record. This was his 880th road race! He plans to make it to 1,000. His 73rd birthday is also in July, a week before my 23rd birthday. We spoke briefly and he told me about his favorite 3 marathons that he ran, the Hawaii, New York and Disney marathons. He talked about how he and some friends went dancing all night after running the Hawaii and Disney marathons and he told me that the secret to being healthy was exercise. He said if you exercise regularly and eat half-way decent you'll be ok. I take his word on it! Congrats Joe; it was a pleasure to meet you!
Dear Future Reader....
That afternoon Steven and I bought some sticky notes and went to the book store and left notes to future readers in some of our favorite books, like Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, several Carl Sagan books, and I left note in several beauty books reminding them that they are beautiful just the way they are. It was great fun and I really hope that the next readers of those books react positively to our little notes.
Sunday I took it easy and spent the day crafting and running errands with my mum. I've have a really wretched sore throat the past week or so and my allergies reached a fever pitch sunday so my crafting was punctuated with consistent nose blowing, which really just sounded that a broken trumpet. I then finished my day by consoling my sore throat with the better half of a pint of frozen yogurt and finishing Season 5 of Doctor Who. I hope you had a lovely weekend as well! -Monica
