Looking Back on St. Patrick's Day

I was on a roll with posting, for a moment, last year! Then, the days faded into sameness, as I waffled between apathy and outrage (maybe more on that another time). I just had no inspiration or motivation to blog. But I've been thinking lots of thoughts, lately, so I thought I'd give it another go.

Today is St. Patrick's Day! Up until I met Kevin, I never gave it much thought. I would wear green and whatnot, but no Irish meals, music, or adult beverages. But Kevin is half Irish, and soon after we started dating, he started hosting St. Patrick's Day parties. After a few years, it was no longer "Kevin's" St. Patrick's Day Party, but "our" St. Patrick's Day Party.

The party has evolved a lot over the past 15-ish years. In the early days, our friends would kick a keg of Guinness, or Murphy's or Beamish, if we could get one of those.  Everyone would chug what Google tells me I can call an "Irish Slammer"...although you might know it by a more insensitive name. You know the one...where you drop a shot of Irish Cream and Irish Whiskey into an Irish Stout, knock it back, then probably make some more questionable choices. Our friend, Darren, would lead us in a rousing rendition of "The Barley Mow," during which you take a drink during each verse, finishing a pint of beverage, usually Guinness (or similar), by the end of the five-minute song. Don't think you'd finish it? You would, because at the last verse, Darren would yell, "FINISH IT!" and what else could you do but comply? I tried this with a root beer one year, and holy cow, it was so uncomfortably fizzy. Stick with the stout.

Anyway. Times change. None of us drink that much anymore or can hang that late. We stopped getting a keg because Kevin and I were drinking the leftovers into July, when no one really wants to drink an Irish stout. The thought of the day after an "Irish Slammer" is enough to make me think I may have had my last one. Many of us have kids now, so I put out St. Patrick's Day crafts and books, and we make sure to have kid-friendly alternatives to corned beef and cabbage, and booze-free desserts.

It's still fun. We still listen to Irish music and talk and laugh. The kids play. We reminisce about being young and fun, and having the time and energy to hang out all the time. It's nice to have this time to catch up. And we have new friends (although not that new, anymore!), now, too, and it makes my heart happy to see people from different parts of our lives chatting, having fun together, and maybe even becoming friends, too.

Here we are, this year, though. Our St. Patrick's Day Party was the first "thing" canceled last year. At the time, we thought for sure we'd make up for it by the end of summer. But then we missed birthday parties, our annual Octoberfest and Winter Wonderland Celebrations, too. Here's hoping our year of missed celebrations is bookended with this St. Patrick's Day. 

Not that we aren't still celebrating! My favorite corned beef recipe is in the oven, I tried my hand at Irish Brown Bread today, and made an "Irish Slammer" cake. We'll eat some Irish cheese and crackers for an afternoon snack, and enjoy a Murphy's and some Irish music this evening. I do have to admit, though, we will probably skip the "Barley Mow." 

One of my favorite St. Patrick's Day pics, from 2017

Tracie's College-Friends Reunion Weekend

Last weekend, five of my close college friends came to visit.  I think the last time we were all together was at one of our weddings back in 2003, so it was very cool to see everyone.  I have a great picture from the wedding, but, believe it or not, I still did not have a digital camera in 2003, so I'd have to go hunt it down and scan it, and that just seems like a lot of trouble right now.  Here's a picture of us from the weekend, though:

Liz, Me, Jen, Angie and Amy

Our friend Becky couldn't make it, because she's about to give birth any day now.  We gave her a pass.   Although, I'm sure she would've very much enjoyed floating in the pool with the rest of us.

Jen especially loves the pool.

That's essentially what we did all day, other than eat and chat.  Saturday night, we went out for dinner and karaoke, a definite pastime for us.  Funnily enough, Liz and I didn't even go to karaoke until after we had graduated, when we drove up every Tuesday to join Angie and Jen.  Amy never got into that with us, but she was still game and sang, too.  In fact, all the girls sang, but the guys (Kevin and Jen's husband, Joel) sat out.

Awesome collage, right?  Thanks, Picasa!

We old-time karaoke-ers finished up with Like a Prayer, an old group standby.  So much fun!

For a weekend we started planning maybe back in February, it was hard to believe how quickly it came and went.  Despite some of us not having seen each other for what, almost 10 years (Not me.  I go to all the weddings.), things were very much the same, although we have all, of course, changed.  In some ways.  :-)  I was also struck by how very different this group of friends is from the group of friends I have now, in their personalities and the types of things we talk about - but I treasure both very much. Even though we are all flung across the country with growing life responsibilities, I hope it won't be another nine years before we can all get together again.  And I hope everyone can come next time!

Nice photo of everyone.

Silliness.

Jazz hands!

Perfect Prom Project

I realize I need to finish up our Germany trip (have I said that already?), but I found something today that I just really want to share.

Howard Community College is sponsoring a Perfect Prom Project, where we are collecting donations of gently-used formal attire, shoes, and accessories, then will open a "boutique" for high school girls that might not be able to afford prom-wear, otherwise.  It's a really nice project, and something I'm totally on board with because:

1. It encourages reuse of what is usually a one-time item (prom dress), so it's environmentally friendly, too.  Although, do people ever actually throw out prom dresses?  Do prom dresses ever really die?  Mine is still hanging in my closet at my parent's house, and I can't imagine that it will ever get thrown away.  Maybe eventually donated to Goodwill and end up as someone's Halloween costume...
2. I really love pretty dresses.  I would just collect them if that was a normal thing to do.  But that's a pretty impractical hobby, so this is a great way to get a fix.

 I'm part of a group that is helping with the collecting the dresses.  I had the idea to start a facebook campaign where everyone changes their profile picture to a prom (or other formal event) photo to promote the collection.  It remains to be seen whether any of my colleagues will jump on this bandwagon with me (AHEM), but I had a lot of fun perusing my old photographs.  Which needed to be REMOVED FROM A PHOTO ALBUM AND SCANNED.  This could be the start of a new (yay!) project!

I have two I'd like to share with you.

This one cracks me up.  My boyfriend at the time, Tim, had picked me up at my parents' house - well, I should say - Tim's mom had driven him by my parent's house to give the illusion of being picked up, but then we both sat in the back seat while she drove us (I think) back to his house.  He had, of course, presented me with my corsage (which still sits dried in a trunk at my parents' house)(unless it's reduced to dust by now, which is possible) when he had initially "picked me up."  Since his mother had missed this, we performed a dramatic recreation of the corsage presentation in his mom's living room.

If you look in the mirror above the couch, you can see how absolutely fake it looks.  Tim's dramatic presentation, my overly-gracious smile.

There's a lot going on in this next photo.

First, you might notice our friends Jeff and Adam in the background, circling the limo.  Look closer, and you'll see that the "spare tire" (I have my doubts that this is an actual spare tire) is leaning out from the trunk.  This is because our chauffeur had backed into a mailbox, and the guys were trying to decide if they could safely adjust it.  In a later photo, it is revealed that, in fact, they could.

You might also notice that while Beth and Lynn are grinning broadly, as girls in prom pictures usually do, I look sullen and near tearful.  It is not because I ripped my pantyhose or because my shoes are too tight, or because I'm annoyed I have to carry this damn corsage around all night while the other girls get to wear theirs. 

Our prom was aboard Majestic, a boat in the Gateway Clipper Fleet, sailing from downtown Pittsburgh.  Although I claim Pittsburgh as my hometown, we really lived about 45 minutes away.  I'm sure kids still travel to the prom this way.  Couples start at one of their two houses, and then a cluster of couples  converge at a final house to take a limo together.  So, Tim and I had been to my house, his house, and then finally Adam's house (I think), the closest to our final destination.

As we were taking pictures at our last stop, the stop the farthest away from Tim's house, the stop closest to the dock and our very prompt boarding time, Tim realized:

He did not have our prom tickets.

It had been stressed in school many times that we absolutely, postitively:

1.  Could not be late
2.  Must have our tickets

or we would not be able to board the boat.

The above photo was taken right after this news broke.  The probable reason that Tim is not examining the tire is because he was inside, frantically trying to get a hold of his mom, who was probably on her way home, in an age when most regular folks did not have cell phones.


This is the face of a 17-year-old girl, who, a year earlier, might have believed she'd never go to a prom, who, now, moments away from going to the prom, just found out that she might not go to the prom.

It is the face of barely-concealed hysteria.

Never fear, it all worked out in the end.  I don't remember quite how, just that we went ahead to the dock, and Tim disappeared for awhile to wait for his sister, who saved the day by delivering the tickets, and a good time was had by all. Phew.

When I told Kevin this story,  he fell silent.  I had expected him to make fun of Tim, tell me how lucky I was that I didn't end up with that dimwit.

AHA.

Then, in my moment of realization, I said,

"Huh. I guess I sort of have a type, don't I?"  :-)

(but seriously, if you a dress you'd like to donate to the Perfect Prom Project, we're taking them until February 17th.  Leave me a comment and I'll get in touch with you.  Remember, it can be any formal dress - even a bridesmaid dress!)

Pork and Sauerkraut

About an hour ago, I just put our traditional New Year's meal of pork and sauerkraut in the slow cooker, along with some kielbasa.  My family has eaten this every New Year's Day my whole life, and since moving out I continue the tradition - although I think my mom cooks her's in the oven.

Funny, when you're a kid growing up, you never question traditions or wonder where they came from, or consider that the whole world doesn't do the same thing.  You eat pork and sauerkraut for dinner New Year's Day, end of story.  The only thing I knew was that, ideally, we would have eaten it as our very first meal right after the clock struck midnight to maximize our good luck for the upcoming year, but that would have been a logistical nightmare for my mom, and who wants to eat pork and sauerkraut right before bedtime?  Hellooo, heartburn!

Now, I obviously realize that there are different foods and traditions that other folks use to ring in the New Year.  One that my dad enjoys retelling is how, right after midnight, his mother would send the oldest boy out of the house, have him knock on the door and re-enter.  This was because it was considered good luck for the first visitor of the new year to be a tall, dark-haired man.  And while I know my uncle now to be neither particularly tall nor dark-haired, I guess he was the best they had to work with.

In any case, according to Good Food Stories (which actually looks really interesting and I think I'll explore it a little more), pork and sauerkraut is a traditional New Year's meal not just in Pennsylvania, but also across Ohio, West Virginia, and other places with a strong Eastern European and German influence.  The long threads of the sauerkraut are supposed to give you a long life.  Then, according to this website, "Pennsylvania Dutch superstition says that eating pork brings good luck because a pig roots forward to look for its food, while chickens scratch backward and cows stand still."

And, like Good Food Stories suggests, I will also dump the whole mess on a pile of mashed potatoes.

Speaking of, I thought I'd share the recipe I've sort of crafted for my slow cooker pork and sauerkraut.  And when I say crafted, I mean this is how I improvised the recipe this year based on recipes I've used in the past and what I ended up having around.  Crockpot cooking is very forgiving.  :-)

Tracie's New Year's Pork and Sauerkraut with Kielbasa

1 to 1 1/2 pounds pork loin chops
garlic pepper to taste
2 TBSP vegetable oil
2 packages kielbasa
1 small onion
1 quart sauerkraut
3 TBSP caraway seeds
12 oz (1 bottle) beer (can also use apple cider or hard apple cider)

Start off heating 2 TBSP vegetable oil in a skillet to brown the pork chops.  I use a cast iron skillet, but anything else should work fine.  Browning meat is like making pancakes - you want the skillet to be hot enough that a drop of water dances a second or two before evaporating.  Meanwhile, cut the pork chops into whatever size serving you want - I went with about 2-3 oz pieces - and season to taste with garlic pepper (or improvise with your favorite).

Brown the chops about 2 minutes on each side to sear the outside.

iPhone pictures don't always make food look appetizing.

Place the pork chops in the bottom of your slow cooker.  

I tried something new this year:  after I removed the chops from the pan, I poured in enough sauerkraut "juice" to cover the bottom of the pan, and stirred it around quickly to deglaze it.  I then poured the yummy-ness over the chops in the Crockpot.  I don't know if it will make a difference, but it will make the skillet easier to clean.

Cut the kielbasa into 1-3 inch pieces, depending on your preference, and throw those in the slow cooker, too.

Slice the onion into about half inch slices, then quarter each slice.  Toss those in slow cooker, too.

By now, things should kinda look like this:

I put in some sauerkraut before I remembered I wanted to take a picture.

Dump the sauerkraut on top, distributing it all over the mess.  

Cool, huh?  Got it at the Baltimore Food Co-Op.

Don't worry about stirring it in - you actually want the pork to sit on the bottom, since it's the only thing that really needs to cook.  Sprinkle about 3 TBSP caraway seeds over the whole mess.

Then, pour in a bottle of beer.  I prefer to use something a little sweet to cut the tartness of the sauerkraut.  Of course, this also depends on what we happen to have on hand.  This year, it was Shiner's Holiday Cheer.

We actually didn't love this beer that much - it had a lot of spice flavor without much beer flavor, which I think actually makes it perfect for the pork and sauerkraut. So, pour that on top of everything.  You don't have to stir this, either, but I did - I couldn't help myself. 

So, here you go:

Then, about 6-7 hours on low.  I started it on high for about an hour since I got a late start.  :-)

What foods do you eat for luck on New Year's?

Tracie's Top 10 of 2011

I'm taking a break from trip posts to wish everyone a happy new year and to give you my top 10 songs of 2011.  Now, to be clear:  these are my favorite songs that I discovered and downloaded in 2011.  They are not necessarily the most representative of 2011 or remind me the most of 2011.  In some cases, they might not have even been released in 2011 - there are a few that I think came out in 2010.  Anyway, I've been enjoying these songs this year, and I hope this list might turn you on to something new.

For those of you who know me, you know I don't really do "favorites," so coming up with this list was a challenge.  And, aside from the top three, these are in no particular order.  It took me weeks just to narrow down the 55 songs I acquired this year to 10; who knows how long it would have taken to put them in order!

A few observations:

1.  I really liked lyrics this year.  I'll mention some of my favorite ones.
2.  Overall, my favorite songs this year were not the most popular ones.
3.  I was given Mumford and Sons'  Sigh No More this year, and even though it was released in 2010, I really discovered them this year.  And, to be fair, their songs didn't peak in the US until February 2011.  Half of this list could've been Mumford and Sons, but I limited it for the sake of diversity.  Although it's probably my favorite, I excluded "Little Lion Man," as, according to iTunes, I purchased it in 2010.  If you haven't checked them out, you should.  Sort of Irish/folk rock with interesting rhythms and manic guitar with really intelligent, creative lyrics.  When the guitar gets going, it makes me want to turn up the volume and drive fast with the windows down.

So anyway, in no particular order:

10.  "Helplessness Blues," Fleet Foxes

I downloaded the whole album, Helplessness Blues, and it's great for work-listening, but this is really the standout.  Love these lyrics:

"If I know only one thing, it's that everything that I see
Of the world outside is so inconceivable often I barely can speak
Yeah I'm tongue-tied and dizzy and I can't keep it to myself
What good is it to sing helplessness blues, why should I wait for anyone else?"


9.  "Falling Slowly," The Swell Season

So, apparently this song came out in 2007 and appeared in the film Once; however, Pandora did not introduce me to it until this year.  Okay, I also did not start using Pandora until this year.  But anyway.  So there.

8. "Someone Else's Life," Joshua Radin 

Also from Pandora, also released in 2007.  I wonder if Pandora has made note that I "thumbs up" songs from 2007?  I also like another one of his songs "Only You" with Imogen Heap; the thing is, these two songs are almost identical, and that kind of annoys me.

7.  "Zorbing," Stornaway

What the heck is zorbing?  I don't know, but there are some nice harmonies in the song.

6.  "Sigh No More," Mumford and Sons

These are the lyrics I love from this song:

"Love; it will not betray you
Dismay or enslave you, it will set you free.
Be more like the man you were made to be"

If I had heard this song before our wedding, I might have included these words as part of our ceremony, or at least on our program.

5.  "The Cave," Mumford and Sons

This is probably the second most-commonly heard Mumford and Sons song, so, why not make it the second Mumford and Sons song on my countdown?

4.  "Anna Sun," Walk the Moon

I don't know what it is about this song - maybe it's the hopefulness, the building, something.  Also, for awhile I thought the song was "Alison," so I thought it would be an awesome theme song for my friend Alison if her life turned into a romantic comedy.  So, sorry, Alison - maybe we can just use our imaginations.  It really does sound like "Alison."

Ok, now these top three are truly my top three, although I will admit that the order of the three might depend on what kind of mood I'm in. Today:

3.  "Gravity," Sara Bareilles

I can't get enough of this song.  Who hasn't felt this way?  And although it isn't obviously a jazz number, listen closely to the timing of the lyrics - they're a little unpredictable.  Just a beautiful, heart-wrenching song, and I love the build near the end.

2.  "Forget You," Cee Lo Green

Yes, yes, I know.  This is not the original version.  But it is the version I downloaded because I listen to iTunes at work and when parents come to visit, and I think it's just about as fun.  This is probably the most "popular" song on my list.   Who doesn't want to dance when they here this?

And if you haven't seen the girl who performs the original, uncensored version for her sign language final, you should check it out.  This girl has some guts!  Be aware, this is NOT safe for work, small children, and other folks with sensitive ears.

1.  "Shake It Out," Florence + the Machine

I think it starts a little 80s, like she's going start singing about nearly 100 balloons or something, but I love the way it builds up.  And it has the best advice of 2011:

"And it's hard to dance with a devil on your back,
So shake him off!"

So, in 2012:

• "Remember, what good is it to sing helplessness blues?"
• "Love; it will not betray you dismay or enslave you, it will set you free."
• Shake that devil off your back and DANCE!

What were YOUR favorite songs of 2011?

Decades Later: Still Hangin' Tough and Larger than Life

Two weekends ago, my friend Jessica and I went to the New Kids on the Block/Backstreet Boys (NKOTBSB) concert at First Mariner Arena in Baltimore.  Last winter, we had talked about going to see the show in DC, but were flabbergasted that the tickets cost over $100 each.  Who did they think they were?  Elton John and Billy Joel?  So, when CBS Local offered $35 tickets to the show in Baltimore, we were in, understanding that if we were going to go to this concert, we needed to do it right.  Meaning:  We had to approach this concert as though we were flashing back to 1989.  Two eBay transactions and a trip to Goodwill later, we were ready to go:

The best thing about being in your 30's and going to and going to a New Kids on the Block concert (because that's how we were really thinking of it) instead of being 11? Is being able to enjoy a frosty cold beverage ahead of time.  And also being able to drive yourself home.

I have to admit, back in the late 80's/early 90's, I was not a tremendous NKOTB fan.  I didn't dislike them, but I had a tendency at the time (and maybe even now) to recoil a little bit from pop-culture phenomenon that others lost their minds over.  I did feel a little uncool that I wasn't gaga over New Kids (among other reasons), so, of course I selected a favorite (Jordan) that I later traded in as I read 16 Magazine a little more (Joey).  So, I think that I am actually a bigger fan now than I was then - more for nostalgic reasons.

Speaking of Joey and nostalgia, check this out:

Funny, though - Jessica and I were walking past the arena to get dinner at a restaurant before the show, and a number of people (girls) were hanging out near the busses to catch a glimpse of one of the guys.

Like this

 As we walked past, everyone started screaming, so Jessica and I were naturally curious.  Now, these guys age, like the rest of us, so we were like, "Who is that?  Is that a Backstreet Boy?" "Eh, a Backstreet Boy? Who cares?"

"NO! It's Joey!"

"WHAT WHAT WHAT??? AIEEEE!!!!"

So excited for my first (yes, first) NKOTB concert!

Despite a respectable number of painted fan shirts, we were the only people I saw that went all out 80's-style.  Then, I got a little self-conscious.  I bet people like us really get on the New Kid's nerves.  They would probably love to shed the 80's/90's pop-boy-band image.  Sorry, New Kids!  I know you grew up, but maybe we didn't! 

Interestingly, there were a number of adolescent girls at the concert, young enough to possibly be conceived to the Backstreet Boys.  I can only imagine 30-something moms dragging their reluctant pre-teens the same way I was trapped into listening to oldies music for the first ten years of my life (for you youngin's, oldies to me is 50's and 60's music.  If you suggest that 80's music might be oldies, I will throw a pie in your face).  The most unusual, however, was a woman with a mullet that was nearly old enough to be our mother.  She must have been in her 20's or 30's when New Kids came out...not their target demographic...and she wasn't there with anyone, like a currently 20-30- something daughter.  And, as you might imagine, men were few and far between.

Waiting for the show to start

The concert opened with both groups singing "Vida la Vida" by Coldplay.  I just kept exclaiming, "What!  What!"   Not only do I not love Coldplay, I was like, I did not come here for a cover concert.  Kind of an odd choice for an opening, I thought.  From there, the groups pretty much alternated each song.  We presumed this was partially so they could catch their breath and preserve their aging joints (just kidding, guys!  We know we're as old as you are!).  Kidding aside, there were only four Kids on stage; apparently Jon had twisted his knee and wasn't able to perform.  He did wobble out for a cameo during Tonight.  Remembering his former disdain for the whole boy-band thing, I did wonder how genuine this injury was.

Both groups were heavy on pyrotechnics, schmaltzy canned lines, and schmoozing the audience.  Backstreet Boys invited a young lady up to the stage for a serenade, and NKOTB ventured into the crowd. 

While I thoroughly enjoyed the concert, I couldn't help but feel that there was a little more style than substance.  And although they played some more recent releases, I do feel that they played up the nostalgia factor to engage the crowd.  But what else would you expect?  I didn't go to hear stellar musicians and intriguing new music; I went to relive my junior high and college days, when things were both simpler and more complicated at the same time, but always...interesting.  I went to sing and dance, and act like a silly teenager with a bunch of other 20/30-somethings, and that's what we did!  As the opening notes of The Right Stuff blasted across the arena, I screamed and jumped up and down like a little girl.  

Jessica's got the Right Stuff!

If you're really excited, or have some time to waste, I put a little highlight video together for you.  You can't see the guys at all, but you can get an idea of the sound and light show.  And that person you might hear singing?  Is not me.  I swear.

Fun fact: I once performed as Jordan with a pared-down version of NKOTB in a college drag show.  We "sang" Hangin' Tough.

"...then you turn your back, and they're gone so fast!"

After a few comments to the effect of, "There are people who read your blog who are too young to remember 'Where's the Beef?'" I felt I needed to give a little perspective...some perspective that I gained myself the other day.

Working at a college, I forget how old I am, and how old incoming students are nowadays.  The other day, our student workers were talking about music and pulling up clips on YouTube.  One of workers who is a little older, in his early 20's, says something to the effect of, "Tracie, you'll know this one," and proceeds to pull up:

"MmmBop" by boy band Hansen.  Of course I remember "MmmBop!"  Ah, the summer of 1998, spent in a dark, dingy, moldy basement at an internship at a state historic site.  The cheeriness of "MmmBop!" and the invent of AOL Instant Messenger is what got me through that summer.

Here's a photo of the Hansen boys in their heyday:

The time some friends and I performed as Hansen in the college drag show is another story.

"Oh yeah!" I exclaimed.  "Of course I know this song!"

Another student worker and student government officer, both 19, look at each other and say, laughing, "What IS this song?"  Like he had just pulled up "Double Rainbow" or some nonsense.

I almost fell out of my chair.  WHAT??? I was in disbelief.  I tried to make sense of the years, and said, "But I thought you guys would've been their target audience!"  Because I was thinking these girls must have been what, like, 10 or 12 in 1998?  "What year were you guys born?" I demanded.

"1991."

Which would have made them...seven in 1998.  Heck if I knew any current pop music when I was seven.  I felt so deflated.

Coincidentally, the very next day Hansen, all grown up, was playing live in studio on a local radio station. They are still releasing music independently, and are still touring.  Little Hansen, all grown up!

Courtesy of MIX 106.5

They were very positive, well-mannered young men.  They were a little Leave it to Beaver (aw, shucks!), and felt like they were trying a little too hard to be nice, witty guys, but maybe that's just because we're unaccustomed to unabashedly nice rock stars (if Hansen are even rock stars).  They played some new tunes, which I actually really enjoyed, and, after much cajoling, played a little "Mmm Bop."  You could tell they really want establish a new identity separate from that "one-hit wonder," but they good-naturedly played most of the song.  I thought it might be silly for a bunch of twenty-something men to be singing the song, but let's just say it was no more silly than the thirty-something woman bobbing her head and singing along with a ridiculous grin on her face as she pulled into work.

Mix 106.5 hasn't posted the whole performance yet, but here's a link to the video for the first part, if anyone wants to see Hansen, Grown Up live (my title, not theirs).

To conclude on a slightly more academic note, every year Beloit College  produces a "College Mindset List."  for the incoming freshmen class.  This list paints a picture of the pop-culture/current event point of view of new students.  Sometimes it seems as though they are reaching, and sometimes their observations need to be taken with a grain of salt, but the lists are always interesting and thought-provoking.  I looked up the list for these girls, Class of 2013, most of whom were born in 1991.  Just to give you an idea:

• They have never used a card catalog to find a book.
• Chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream has always been a flavor choice.
• American students have always lived anxiously with high-stakes educational testing.
•  The European Union has always existed.
• We have always watched wars, coups, and police arrests unfold on television in real time.
• Nobody has ever responded to “Help, I’ve fallen and I can’t get up.

I was hoping to see what they had to say about my incoming college class, the Class of 2000, but they don't go back any further than 2002.  So, the first line of the Class of 2000 might read, "They have never heard of the Benoit Mindset List."

If you've graduated in 2002 or after, I'm curious - do you find things in the list that apply to you?

Where's the Beef?

I wonder if I exploited that blog title (a nod to an early 80's Wendy's commercial, for you youngin's) too soon?  With Meatless Mondays, there could be countless more opportunities.

I'm sorry, as soon as I realized that some people might be too young to know about the Wendy's commercial, I had to go find it for you:

Thanks for bearing with me.  It's important that pop-culture be passed on to future generations.

ANYWAY.

"Where's the beef?" is a question students at Bowdoin College in Maine were asking recently when the college decided to implement "Meatless Monday" in its on-campus dining establishments.  A number of students (I couldn't find anything indicating a specific number) were outraged, and protested the lack of animal flesh in the dining hall, including holding a beefy barbecue right outside the premises.  Apparently, they resent having their dietary choices controlled by the dictatorial college dining services.  Okay, truthfully, it was the administration as a whole, but the image of dining service dictators made me smile a little.  In any case, you can more informed takes on it here and here.

My reactions to this:

Initially, I thought something like, "Well, that's great that they've overcome apathy enough to protest something, but really?  Meatless Monday?"  Then, I thought they were somewhat justified.  What right does the college have to impose its food values on their students?  It is certainly appropriate for the school to encourage Meatless Monday the same way it might encourage wearing pink for Breast Cancer Awareness, but to essentially force them into it?  Even if there are off-campus dining options nearby, students with a dining plan shouldn't have to pay again for a meal they want to eat.

But then, I realize that not just college students, but anyone who works anywhere or goes anywhere is subject to complying with or at least participating in the organization's values system.  Usually, no one cares until it effects something that you care about.  For example, our college's dining services uses almost exclusively plates and cups made from recycled materials, and is beginning to incorporate locally produced food when its feasible.  I think it's awesome, and so do others, but I'm sure there's a lot of folks who are quite indifferent.  No one is saying, "Darnit, I really wanted to eat my meal off of styrofoam today!" And even if people think that climate change and all this environmental stuff is a bunch of hooey and a waste, they still don't really care. But the College is imposing its environmental values on these students.  Organizations impose their values with everything they do.

In his or her comment on the Sierra Club Blog, Cris said it much more succinctly:

Is it up to the students to select the menu items on any other day? Why would they need to approve a mac & cheese dinner on Monday (or whatever they have) any more than they need to approve having hotdogs on Thursdays or not having fried chicken on Wednesdays or orange juice for breakfast, or not having cherry pie on Tuesdays!

Excellent point!  Then, when I was in college, on almost any given day, I could protest that I didn't have the right to eat tater tots with chili and cheese, one of my dining hall guilty pleasures.  And there was always at least one day a week when there was no strawberry cream cake, oh, I can still taste the sweet berries, moist cake and rich filling, kissed with fluffy whipped cream.  Wasn't it my right to eat that cake any day I wanted to?  Should I have protested by...uh, I guess eating strawberry cake right outside the dining hall?

IUP alum, I know you forgot about that cake until just now, and your mouth is watering, too!

So, I'm not sure what I think about this.  I wonder if it would ever fly where I work now.  What do y'all think?