My New Hero: Caitlin Moran

I finished Caitlin Moran's book How To Be a Woman and she is officially my new hero. :)

Quote on the back cover, "Caitlin Moran taught me more about being a woman than being a woman did.  I'm pretty sure I had testicles before I read this book." - Jenny Lawson, author of Let's Pretend This Never Happened (A Mostly True Memoir)

I'd already purchased the book when I saw this, but it made me want to read it even more.

"I am a feminist!"

Of the multitudinous good points made by Caitlin Moran throughout her book I really like her views of feminism.  In addition to the quote in the NPR story where I first heard about this book, the following quote makes me laugh:

"So here is a quick way of working out if you're a feminist.  Put your hand in your underpants.  a) Do you have a vagina? and b) Do you want to be in charge of it?  If you said "yes" to both, then congratulations! You're a feminist."

In a world where reproductive rights are threatened, pay inequality persists, glass ceilings exist, and sexism overtly and covertly pervades the day to day we need more people to stand up and shout, "I AM A FEMINIST!"

"I don't want men to go away.  I don't want men to stop what they're doing.  What I want, instead, are some radical market forces.  I want CHOICE. I want VARIETY. I want MORE. I want WOMEN.  I want women to have more of the world, not just because it would be fairer, but because it would be better.  More exciting.  Reordered.  Reinvented.  We should have the lady-balls to say, "Yeah -- I like the look of this world.  And I've been here for a good while, watching.  Now -- here's how I'd tweak it. Because we're all in this together.  We're all just, you know.  The Guys.""

I've been a feminist for awhile, but a quiet almost embarrassed type of feminist, because who talks about feminism these days.  Her book was exactly what I needed: loud, brash, humorous, and honest.  I will forever appreciate her personal account of her abortion and her views on the subject.

So, to anyone reading, "I AM A FEMINIST". :)

Zucchini Adventures

Before this month the only time I'd eaten zucchini was when it was buried in cupcakes.  Several of my coworkers have gardens and leave extra produce in the kitchen for us to take.

I went to the farmers market to get more fresh veggies and I made this:


Tomato-Zucchini Bake

The corn was cut fresh off the cob and I had two different types of zucchini.  It was so easy - I even changed the recipe a bit.  I didn't have the Japanese bread crumbs so I used regular bread seasoned with Italian seasonings.

I hope to make much more with the fresh produce I get from the market this wednesday. :)

Book Dam

I seem to be inundated with partially read books and books on my 'to-read' list (well past 100).

Over half-way through 'IT', but only a few chapters into the rest.

In addition to these I'm reading electronic copies of:

I have more time lately, but finishing books before starting a new one doesn't seem to happen all that often - except, of course, for 'Let's Pretend This Never Happened' by Jenny Lawson.  That book I inhaled. :-D

Bloggess Book + Coffee = Scrat

Awesome Book.

+

Copious amounts of coffee.

=

Scrat-esque, over caffeinated, twitchy demeanor. 

For my birthday I bought Jenny Lawson's "Let's Pretend This Never Happened (A Mostly True Memoir)" and it came in the mail yesterday.  I started reading it and found it hilarious... so hilarious that I didn't want to stop reading about her crazy life.  Needless to say I stayed up way to late and got way too much coffee the next day.  By end of the work day I felt like I was having an anxiety attack - all I wanted to do was get back to my apartment where there were no other people, squirrel-up in bed and finish her book. 

And I did finish it: 5/5 stars from me!  I laughed so hard I cried in some parts - the craziness never stops: flying bobcats, exploding blue gel in diapers, squirrel puppets, snakes, taxidermy animals, awkward social situations.  Thanks Jenny for sharing so much of your life with us - it reassures me that being me is okay and that I'm not alone in my weirdness. :)

Adipose

If the Adiposian first family asked, I'm pretty sure I'd help them make a few kids so long as they agreed not to kill me. :-D

Birthday present from my sister.

Seriously, how cute!

BSG Bug

I've been a geek for as long as I can remember.  My parents tell me that when I was 5 I stayed up watching Doctor Who on channel 2 well past my bed time.  Despite this extreme nerdiness I put off watching shows like Battlestar Galactica.  With the advent of Netflix I have so many geeky shows at my fingertips and I've fallen victim to the Battlestar Galactica bug.

I'm trying to pace myself.  All four seasons are available to me and I've plowed my way through two of them already.  So say we all.

Independence

With the approach of July 4th I've been thinking of my own independence and those people and institutions that have given me the chance to become who I am.

I've been told by several people that I am unable to make decisions for myself - in essence they told me that my views, my way of thinking, and even sexual identity are based on someone else's - that I'd never have become like I am on my own.

At first I was very pissed.  Then after digesting it I realized the were right, partially.  We are all bombarded with external stimuli and it's how we decided to deal with it that defines us.  The places and people that have helped make me who I am are precious to me because they gave me the space and freedom I needed to explore the world.

"It's all that University's fault."

I am moderately liberal (compared to my hometown I'm LIBERAL) and my conservative family and friends have attributed my shift in perspective to the small liberal arts University that I attended.  I accept this claim in so far as my University gave me the opportunity to explore new ideas.  The political spectrum within my group of friends at the end of those four years ranged from highly conservative to highly liberal so really it was how we decided to process the input we received that determined our views.

The opportunities offered enriched my life:

And a handful of people will always be dear to me for helping me find my way including my biology professors, fencing instructor, Matt, Bruce, and especially Warren.

This won't make sense to anyone but Warren. :)

"It's just his influence; you're not really bi."

I lived with Matt for a year after college and because he was open and accepting I was able to puzzle my way through my own sexuality.  When I told Cleo that I was bi that was her response above.  There was real anger and some animosity to her response.  It took some time to let it go, to realize she was projecting her own fears.  Freshman year she, her roommate, and Elanore expresses their terror of being roomed with lesbians.  Cleo and I had been very close during college and I think she was worried about what me being bi was going to do to our relationship.

Actually I'm more of a 2 on the Kinsey scale:

But unless the person you're talking to knows about the Kinsey scale it's just easier to say bi.

And of course I'm grateful for our independence as a country and aware of the costs for my freedom to be who I am.

France, summer 2002.

Have a Happy Independence Day everyone!