It's all about the Sauce

Chicken Fingers. They are the most filling yet least expensive thing to eat in the CMU downstairs café. Get some barbeque sauce on those suckers and they are mighty tasty, but today I decided to also try a different kind of sauce. I love buffalo wings so when I saw buffalo sauce it seemed like a great idea. I should have known there was something different about this buffalo sauce when I first squirted it through the dispenser into my little plastic sauce cup. It was very pungent. So I ate it on a couple chicken fingers and it tasted ok. Not too bad. Right after that I headed to class where I realized that my breath was wretched! That buffalo sauce had contaminated my mouth with its pungent odor. I didn’t have time to go back to the dorm and brush my teeth before I met with my advisor so I quick chewed some gum on my way to his office. During my 25-minute wait for my advisor I talked to another girl waiting to see him. I felt very self-conscious about my breath, hoping not to convulse her, even though with this breath in this close proximity it was inevitable; but she showed no signs of convulsion. I didn’t even notice her turning up her nose. Yet I tried to keep my mouth closed when I wasn’t speaking. I re learned a valuable lesson today: Physical education classes are the best filler courses because they’re only one credit and there’s never homework. Ballroom dance class is going to be amazing.

Survivor Woman

This is Survivor Man>

It’s been three days in this room. I haven’t left since Thursday morning. Thursday I stayed in because I was mopey, Friday I just didn’t want to get dressed, and today I had to write a paper that I didn’t get to.

Then tonight everything changed. I went for a two hour walk with a native North Dakotan. It felt wonderful to have fresh air and stretch my legs.

Suddenly we entered the Concordian’s territory. My native guide said, “Don’t look them straight in the eye or they’ll go crazed.” We averted our eyes as we passed one of the Concordians. Our mere non-preppy attitude could cause them to have a fright.

As I came back to my dorm I had to knock on the door because I had lost my keys earlier in the bathroom. There was a large group of people going buy so someone opened the door for me.

The elevator was crowded with girls all gussied up for the Home Coming Dance. Once again there was the MSUM native’s cries of “Oh that’s so cute on you! I’m so excited!” and random singing.

Back in my dorm, safe and sound, I realized something. Dorm life is brutal. We need adventures once in a while.

Dorm Life Changes People

Week 8 of school is the week that I start noticing changes in the clothing styles on campus. The changes are mostly seen in freshman. For example, yesterday morning I was walking to the elevator to leave and a freshman was walking down the hall. By her clothes I assumed she just woke up and was heading for the bathroom, but she came to the elevator, on her way to class. Now is the time I should stop assuming that baggy sweat pants with flip-flops and ratty rags on ones head are only lounge wear. I have seen so many girls around campus wearing baggy sweatpants, and these pants are all the same. I remember them from high school. For some reason almost every girl in school had a pair of these sweat pants and now I’m thinking they are national, including Canada, and maybe even universal; although, my Korean room mate doesn’t have these sweatpants.

I think it’s the dorm lifestyle that changes these people. In the dorms you don’t need much. We got high speed Internet, cable TV, and all our belongings stuffed into tiny rooms. If we’re lucky we have a fridge and microwave too. The RAs make contests to try to get people to keep their doors open. They want a “fun” community. Along with the communal bathrooms, all privacy is lost. I’m pretty sure they haven’t changed anything in those bathrooms for 30 years. Although, they do repaint the ceilings of the showers when they get too moldy. The dorms are quite convenient. I find myself eating cereal in front of the TV very often because there’s nowhere to go. We got it all right here.

The Brinks-Grandparent Edition

October 8-11^th

Fall Breather (aka Columbus Day renamed) made for a long weekend for me. This was a chance to drive home to Rosemount to collect my winter clothes and see my friends and family. This weekend I was also able to see my grand parents (the Brink side). They came all the way from South Dakota to see us. Since this was their 4^th time of driving up to our home in Minnesota it would have been nice to take them somewhere fun to sight see, but they’re too old for that now. My grandmother is 70 something, drags her feet when she walks and in conversations she says things like “oh really?” and “what?” My grandfather is 85ish, he’s practically deaf and can hardly walk. If you have a conversation with him, he will never stop talking until you fall asleep in your chair and even then, since he can't see very well and can’t tell that you’ve fallen asleep, he’ll keep talking.

After my 4 hour drive from college and a lovely stop-over lunch at the ‘old people’s’ Baker Square with my friend in Bloomington, I arrived home. I felt awkward hugging my grandma. It’s probably because I haven’t seen them for five years. Grandpa couldn’t get up fast enough for my hug. My father informed me I was sleeping in the basement because it would be easier for grandpa to stay in my room. I went to the basement with my suitcase. I had to collect myself to be a nice granddaughter and try to have some good conversations. I tried. I really did. I went upstairs and I told them all about what was going on in my life, but every time I started talking about something my father would butt in about this or that. When the conversations turned toward news and then toward starving children in the US, it became…well let’s just say that two old men who both know everything will not listen to a 22 year old ‘girl’. I had to leave the room and get some fresh air outside. You gotta love family, even the boring ones.

After dinner I thought I should have a chat with my grandfather since I’ve never really had a long conversation with him before. So he just started talking…and talking. For the next hour, I didn’t get much in except head nodding and opening my mouth but not getting the words out before he kept on going with his talking. I heard many, many, many miraculous salvation stories and unfortunate missionary persecutions and finally his very dramatic, terrifying, life altering, salvation story. I think it’s been embellished a tad in the past 50 or so years. Then after a bit I was able to ask a question, which I thought would be the first of several. “How did you and grandma meet?” The next hour was a multitude of stories beginning with him and my grandmother meeting and getting married, then one child after the other accepting Christ as their savior, finding their future husband/wife, all about their husband/wife’s family, and their getting married. Of course he left out my own parents so there were only 5 people to go through: Mark, Bart, Kurt, Kari, and Beth. Although, not in that order. Finally there was a break so I was free for the night. I didn’t know exactly what to think of that “conversation.” I still don’t know what to think of that “conversation.” I’m still slightly terrified of my grandpa’s salvation story. He said I could use it to tell to people, but… I don’t think so. Although, for all my grandfather’s craziness, he’s a nice guy.

            Saturday, my brother came over for dinner and we all went out to Chilis and then we all came back from chilis and then we all sat around and thought we should have more to say to each other. I on the other hand, grabbed my computer and started working on my Mother’s book cover. I thought I should at least get something done while everyone sits around and stares at each other and my grandfather falls asleep in his chair. The book cover turned out AMAZING!

            On Sunday, they left before I was up, which didn’t really matter because the night before grandpa had said his little “May God go with you, and “ blah blah blah… because he assumed I wouldn’t be up in time to say goodbye anyway. I had slept in till 11am on Saturday.

            Monday was a lovely day with my mother. I love hanging out like that. :) And then I took my 2 duffle bags, large suit case, computer bag, purse stuffed full, craft tote, 2 large plastic bags full, 2 winter coats, comforter for the bed, and guitar back to my dorm. The drive did not seem as hideously long as the way there. It may have had something to do with the iced coffee and strawberry smoothie.

Entangled

Today I finished the book cover for Barbara Ellen Brink's book "Entangled." I'm not going to give you the entire cover view-you'll just have to wait till it comes out in print, but I will give you the front cover view. I changed it from how it was originally done when the book was published online, but those pictures will soon be changed to this new one.

 The book is a great read. Here's a little about it:

When Minneapolis divorce attorney, Billie Fredrickson, inherits her uncle’s small California winery, she has no intention of actually moving to the west coast and starting a new life. Her only thought is to get it off her hands as quickly as possible. But her return to the winery after an absence of twenty years opens up more than the reading of her uncle’s will. Childhood memories, long-buried, begin to surface, prompting questions that no one is able or willing to answer.

A late night prowler, a break-in at the winery, and an unearthed box of shocking photographs is someone’s way of pulling the welcome mat out from under Billie’s feet, but it only makes her dig her heels in deeper.

Secrets lie buried beneath Fredrickson Winery’s innocent facade and Billie intends to get to the root. But disturbing the past lays bare the skeletons of others, including her mother’s. Can she live with the consequences of full disclosure or will she run home where everyone is Minnesota nice?

To find a download of this novel go to Smash Words or there are other links on my sidebar to the left ->
To find out more about the author of Entangled, Barbara Ellen Brink, go to Barbara's Thin Line Blog or Barbara's Website.

Sometimes I stare at people in elevators to make them uncomfortable…

Who eats a muffin with a spoon? About 6 inches away from the professor’s head, I was sure that girl’s coffee would be all over her if the professor leaned back during the demo drawing. The professor didn’t even notice the spoon using, muffin eating, and the coffee slurping directly behind her. The texture of a muffin just isn’t right with a plastic spoon. Also muffins are airier than cake and not sticky enough to be easy to eat with a utensil. Muffins are finger food-that isn’t even an arguable issue. Can you tell I find this spoon usage stranger than seeing monks in Fargo?

Last night when I was coming home from work I stepped into an elevator with a guy I don’t know. I didn’t even recognize him. We spoke a couple words, just irrelevant elevator talk. Today I have noticed him around campus three times. What’s up with that? Why can’t I notice my friends around campus instead of odd people I talk to in elevators? Not that I talk to people in elevators much. Usually it’s strange conversation like a big black gay guy telling me he wishes he had hips like mine, or a group of people that add me into the conversation just because I’m there and I don’t even understand what they’re talking about so I just laugh politely at the appropriate intervals.

Tonight I’m procrastinating from researching Biomass energy so I’ll go take an elevator ride and tell you what happens.

3 Minutes later: Nothing really happened in the elevator. Going down I rode with two guys. One of them mentioned to the other that, “this thing is crazy.” He was referring to the elevator because it makes a shakey sound. I’m used to it. I got out first so I thought I’ll go out this other way so they won’t see me going back to the elevator. Of course, I’m not a jedi so they didn’t do what I wanted them to. They had to go out the same door and toward the same parking lot. That was stupid of me to leave the building because I didn’t even bring a sweatshirt. The ride back up here was with a girl that went to the 10^th floor. People usually just ignore each other in the elevator. Sometimes I stare at people in elevators to make them uncomfortable…

Laughing Time

This is a very funny show of Parks and Recreation. Don't miss the very end-it's hilarious!

Roller Derby + Random = Fun Stuff

October 2^nd

I woke up knowing that today wasn’t just any day. This was the day I was going to see my first roller derby game. I went through the day waiting for it to be time to go. I did some errands, had an encounter with a squirrel, washed clothes, worked on a project, and right before it was time leave I tried on about 10 different outfits, then changed once again after I saw what my friend was wearing. Our plan to eat at Aladin’s before the derby failed when we found out it closes at 4pm on Saturdays so Wendy’s filled our bellies instead.

The Urban Plains Center looked as if the parking lot was completely full, but to our surprise there were plenty of open spaces. On entering the parking lot there were attendants that were taking parking fee money. They wanted $3 for doing absolutely nothing but taking money. They weren’t even directing traffic to the area with open spaces. We took too long looking for the last dollar so they told us to just go ahead. That seemed a little fishy to me, only $2 even though it’s supposed to be $3? I don’t trust parking lot attendants that don’t do anything.

There was a pretty big crowd to see the roller derby girls. The first teams to play were Fargo Moorhead Intraleague Derby Girls: Fighting Suzies vs. Battlescar Galactica. That was interesting, but the main event was an intense game. The Murder City Maidens from Canada played against our Fargo Moorhead derby girls. Our team won cause they’re amazing.

Since I didn’t get a video of the Derby Girls, here’s a video of part of my squirrel encounter along with fireworks in 30 seconds, plus pictures of strange guy in a wolverine costume from the street corner, and cute puppies:

It was a strange morning and then there were monks!

October 1^st

9:30am: I arrived at the place. I knew what I would have to do. It was almost shameful as I waited in the waiting area. The woman at the desk took the paper I had given her and my id. She entered the data as I waited. There was another girl in the waiting area. She kept staring at me. It was disconcerting. I didn’t know that I was so entertaining to watch. The woman behind the desk said I could come back. I followed her back and she gave me a cup. “You just fill it to the top of that line. The rules are no running the faucet or flushing the toilet.” You’ve just entered the land of drug testing for the Fargo/Moorhead area. It’s always a great start to any new job. As I was leaving after the test I thought for a moment what to say. Usually when I leave some place where they do some type of service I say, thank you, but why should I thank them for making me pee in a cup? They should have thanked me. As I walked out the door, I chose to say, “Have a nice day.” It was much less awkward to say that than to leave in silence as that girl in the waiting room stared at me again.

10am: Monks. You know what I’m talking about. The guys in the brown robes with the hoods, sandals, rope belts and bald spot; I saw two of them today. I don’t think I have ever seen actual monks until today. They were just walking down the street, heading toward down town Fargo. I don’t know why. Maybe there’s a monk convention this weekend. I would suspect that they were staying at the y. That’s where all the professional monks stay during conventions. Seeing a monk in everyday life is like when my friend from North Dakota saw spinning rims on an SUV for the first time in real life. It’s like when my roommate got to watch me fill up my gas tank by hand because in her country they have gas station attendants. These are all unexpected almost unrealistic situations that we find ourselves in. Watch below as Troy sees something he never expected.