The Weather Channel link on my linkbar is still set to North Africa. Rude. I almost fell for the 78 and sunny tease...more like 45 and cloudy. Dang.

let the wild rumpus start

I got a little emotional when I found out that they're making a movie of Where The Wild Things Are. (And by "they" I mean Spike Jonze!) My brother Travis used to read that book to me over and over. There is a photograph somewhere of him laying on his stomach, me sitting on his back (our usual position) with the book spread out in front of us. There's another similar picture that includes my brother Steven, who added roars and tried to scare me.

I was in my room today and heard something wonderful and familiar from downstairs. I went to the staircase and confirmed that it was "Wake Up" by Arcade Fire. I asked my mom what she was watching and she said it was a movie trailer for "some movie" and I got to Googlin'. Apparently today was the release of the trailer. I can't wait.




The real kicker is that I also found out today that the movie comes out on October 16th. The day Travis died. It's like they knew.

I can not for the

I can not for the life of me make my phone mobile blog.

love 'em

A- Age: Almost 27.

B - Bed size: huge (queen)

C - Chore you hate: I really hate dusting...so I don't do it.

D - Dad's Name: Timothy Paul Swope and Bryan Paul Benson

E - Essential start your day item: coffee...omg coffee. I'm trying to keep the requirement at one cup but I think it might be two at the moment. I hate my life in the morning before coffee and I can't really walk or open my eyes all the way.

F - Favorite actor(s): Luke Wilson

G - Gold or Silver: Silver

H - Height: 5'8

I - Instruments you play(ed): I was forced into piano, then played flute, then a bunch of random stuff, now I'm trying to play guitar.

J - Job title: Ha um...good question.

K - Kid(s): I like kids.

L - Living arrangements: my high school bedroom

M - Mom's name: Janice Faye Benson and Keely Caroline Swope

N - Nicknames: Ang(e) and I think that's it.

O - Overnight hospital stay other than birth: Um, strep throat once. Tonsils out. I had a misbehaving ovary removed a few years ago.

P - Pet Peeve: constant noise, clutter, selfishness, fluorescent lighting

Q - Quotes you like: I don't really remember quotes. This week Amy said "That's so beautiful...it's like...Botox" which made me laugh so hard.

R - Right or left handed: Right

S - Siblings: Luke, Travis, Steve, Timmy

T - Time you wake up: Usually 8, sometimes 9. My emotional state no longer requires 11 hours of sleep, which is encouraging.

U- Underwear: Yes. I buy my underwear in 3-packs. I think that real grown-ups buy their underwear individually but I'm not there yet.

V - Vegetable you dislike: I really don't like celery. And cauliflower when it's cooked really grosses me out.

W - Ways you run late: I can be ready really fast but I usually really have to shower or I hate the whole day. But I can shower super fast! Usually I just underestimate the time it takes to get somewhere.

X - X-rays you've had: um, at the dentist. My hand in junior high when a kid pushed me off my scooter and busted my finger and I couldn't play softball for the rest of the year.

Y - Yummy food you make: Good use of the Y! Well played. I love making food. I really love making ethnic food or experimenting, trying to make things work. It's because I have control issues.

Z - Zodiac: Gemini

just in case you've been under a rock

Here are some video clips in case you've missed the amazing Jon Stewart kicking ass and taking names.

First, watch this:



The next week, Jon clarifies that the segment wasn't in response to Santelli not coming on the show and clarifies the problem a bit further:



Cramer responds on MSNBC. So frustrating. The anchors imply that it's out of boredom that Jon Stewart is providing accountability for the asininity of Cramer and CSNBC:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Jon Stewart responds, clarifying the fact that the Daily Show has never claimed to be anything but satire.



I love the daily show for providing balance and accountability in politics and the media. Results of polls like this prove that they're working hard and doing a good job. We're lucky to be entertained and informed.

And at last, Cramer steps up. He agrees to come on the show. Here he is on Martha talking about the whole ordeal. Skip forward to minute 1:50 if you want to skip him talking about Twitter, skip to 3:12 to hear Martha warn Jim about Jon:



And at last, the interview. Warning: Unedited and uncensored:

Part 1:



Part 2:



Part 3:



So there you have it. I think my opinion is obvious. Satire keeps us humble and honest. In a country where humility, honesty and integrity are the last three words anyone would use to describe politics and the media, the Daily Show is essential. I think people have taken the whole freedom of speech debate too far in the past and obviously there will always be things in the media that I disagree with, but that's the point. There needs to be a balance, we need to be able to call each other out. Isn't that the point of social commentary?

not pictured: black denim cutoffs

One of the many adventurous elements of living with my family has become a delightful little game called "Hide the Redneck" that my brother has initiated. This fella shows up all around the upstairs of the house, usually in places that make me scream, like the bathroom mirror in the middle of the night, or at eye level on my door frame (shown). The worst part is that when I find him (morel like when he finds me) and I yell at Luke, he spends the next several hours talking to me in a gross redneck voice and saying things like, "Well don't you look purdy."

I just got back from a delightful day in Iowa City. Expensive haircut (I don't even want to talk about how expensive...whew), noodles with Jennifer (who was in Japan while I was in NA), good organic fair trade coffee with Kate and her Welshman, dinner with Cate and Noel. Funfunfun. Couldn't have asked for more fun...but seriously don't ask me how much I spent on my haircut. Ouch.

This was the pile of stuff I took the the post office yesterday. Day before? It was pretty exciting, I mailed 8 things to 5 different countries. It's fun having friends all over the place. The down side is that I don't really have friends all over this place. But today, that will not be an issue.

I'm off to Iowa City, the happiest place on earth. First I'm getting my haircut. A blog does not allow for me to appropriately convey my excitement for this event. My hair is a full two inches below my bra strap. The length where it starts to get annoying and caught in car doors and my armpit. I got my hair cut twice while in North Africa. Neither time was very successful. Then I will socialize. I'm going to socialize my ass off!

spring

This is the sure sign of spring in my household. About twice a year my stepdad spends his day off shopping. He buys half a year's supply of all of his hygiene products, random sports equipment (not pictured: prank golf balls, golf ball marking stencils, new shoes, etc.), 12 huge bags of salt for the water softener (which he begrudgingly carries down the stairs while muttering under his breath about the injustice of it all) and his favorite foods, which he excitedly eats for lunch as soon as he gets home from the "extravaganza" as he likes to call it. The food always includes rye bread, cheez whiz, some meat paste stuff that comes ina tube, dried meat and pickled stuff. For lunch he had cheez whiz and olives on rye bread. Seriously. This was the chosen day because it's the last week before the golf courses open so all of his days off until October will be spent on a golf course.

Just a little glimpse into my day...which also included a trip to Red Lobster at 4:30 and arguing with the dang Geek Squad. Oh America...why did I ever leave you?

I love xm radio. Classic

I love xm radio. Classic snoop dogg on 90's on 9. Then DMB 'satellite' on Spectrum. What more could i ask for?

kids these days

Last week we had a little impromptu family day. It made my teeth hurt. It involved brunch, buying locally made soaps, playing with the remote control car (by playing I mean my step-dad chasing dogs and children) and then going to a movie. We saw Slumdog Millionaire (it was my second time, I'd gladly see it a third).


The girl working at the counter gave us our change and then said, "Enjoy your cinematic adventure." Darn kids.

spicy

People keep asking me what I've been up to since returning to the States. I usually don't have a lot to tell them. You guys are basically the only ones I trust with the knowledge that the only thing I've done with any degree of enthusiasm is read Twilight.

This is what I was up to today. Measuring spices I brought back from North Africa to staple to a recipe and stuff in a thank you note. All day. I felt a little like a drug dealer.

settled

So, like I said before, I have yet to experience significant reverse culture shock (except for one crazy day that made me want to run and hide) but I was a little bit blindsided when I came home by how unsettled I felt. I surprised my family and came home over a week before they were expecting me and a consequence of that surprise was that I didn't have a room of my own yet and all of my stuff was still packed away in the depths of the basement. I learned the hard way that I'm not quite as flexible as I'd like to think I am. I just couldn't relax until I was all unpacked and everything was restored to order. The fun part was that I got to paint and get new furniture! So yes, it has taken a month, but I feel settled now.

Here's the proof. Sorry about the pictures, they were taken at random times of the day so the lighting is all different. Maybe I'll post detail pictures later.


It was surprisingly easy to find the exact color I wanted. I knew I wanted a gray room but not just boring gray. This looks almost violet in the right light.


Here's my cool desk thing when it's open. I didn't want a normal desk that I would clutter up. So far it has been perfect!


I still don't know what to do about the wall decor. They don't make poster frames in the right sizes for the stuff I have. I called in backup, I knew this was a project for Alisha, we're project masters. I'll let you know how it goes. I still feel like the wall stuff needs to be above the bed, above the desk and above the dresser instead of between all of those things, but that would leave big places of wall blank. Do I need something else to go there? I'm just not sure what to do. Clusters of black and white photographs? A funky wall decal? A vintage clock?

Oh and PS - In Africa I started making my bed every day, no matter what. I can't believe I didn't do that before.

Mobile blogging? Yes please.

Mobile blogging? Yes please.

emerging

Oh hi.

So, I'm back. I've maybe been hiding out a little bit.

Coming back hasn't been easier or harder than I thought it would be. I'm as thrilled to buy stuff at Target as I knew I would be, as bewildered with the church finding dilemma as I thought I would be, as excited about the library as I used to be and as overwhelmed with the future as I've always been.

I got to spend my first couple weeks at home mostly with Crissa, helping her get ready to move to Chile. It felt good to focus on her instead of freaking out about America and she was gracious while I forgot how to get where we were going and obsessed about paint colors to keep my mind off heavier things. I was glad to be home and sleeping 10 hours a night, exhausted from the last two years, but so jealous of her new adventure as we searched for luggage straps and voltage converters.



Since she left I have been exclusively sitting in my bed reading Twilight. That's seriously all I've done. I read the last two books in three days and now I'm re-reading the first one because I'm so sad that it is over. I keep trying to find excuses for how much I love the books - that my female emotions are being manipulated by the writing style, that I relate to the characters reacting to a culture that should be familiar, that it's just a logical next step after loving Harry Potter, etc, etc, but really Jess is right, they're just the kind of books I like. I have a general distaste for fiction except for young adult fantasy series fiction. It's just who I am apparently.

But alas, it is time to emerge from the down cocoon. I've officially applied for a job and renewed my driver's license after a long afternoon of taking (acing!) tests. I also figured out how to record DVDs off of the DVR which is seriously a great accomplishment. It's the new thing that is sucking my life away. (omg get it - because the last thing was Twilight...vampires...sucking my life away...get it?)