juanita c

After a year and a half at my old apartment, I decided it was time for a move. I ventured a whole two blocks!! I love my neighborhood, and couldn't find any good reason to leave it.

Moving sucks. I solicited a few friends (koby and emily) to help carry books (i.e. I'll pick you up and bring you to the Y, if you run a backpack full of books with me to my new place). Another friend (jen) helped me load my moms car a half dozen times with bigger things (desk, turntables, boxes). And lastly, my "guys" (kevin and mike) helped move the couch. I'd consider it a "community" thing, that folks helped me move. Oh, and of course a big shout to my "other boys" (antonio and donald) for helping me clean!! I wouldn't have known where to start without you!

I got the keys to my new place October 15th. Unfortunately, it rained most of October, so I didn't get to move as much as I wanted (each day). It's now November 4th, and I'm all moved in. I haven't "unpacked" just yet, but it's on my "to-do" list.

I have a weird bed at the new place. It's a murphy bed, but rather than pulling down from the wall, it pulls out of the wall. It's cool, I guess, because then I never have to make my bed.... I just push it away. Jeez, I wish I could do that with other things in my life.... something is a mess (figuratively or literally) and I could just push it away and it's gone till I bring it back out again.

Anyhow, I was putting my new "bed" together, which meant putting on the electric mattress pad. If you live in the midwest and don't have one, I highly recommend it. I once dated a dude (kai) who slept on the porch of his house.... he said it was okay because he had a heated mattress pad. I refused (being the Indian Princess that I was) to sleep out there, but a few years later purchased my own mattress pad... it's amazing. You crank the heat 30 minutes before you get in bed, and it's like climbing into a womb. (....i could not, for the life of me think of a better analogy).

So as I was putting on my mattress pad the other day, I noticed a sticker. "Sewn by Juanita C". What?! For real? I felt sick. Maybe it's because my friend (sally) calls me Juantia 1-2-3? Nope. It's because "Jaunita C" is likely a part of foreign labor (and all the bad shit that you think it entails), which makes the concept a little more personal and a little more sad.




I'm not gonna lie. I wear clothes from the GAP. Most are from Jess or from the goodwill, but nonetheless, I know those close were made by some little honduran kid, or some underpaid Indian. I'd be willing to bet that a lot of my appliances are made under unfair labor practices. It would be hard buy/own things only made under humane and safe guidelines.

(I once had a coworker who said she didn't want to buy anything that wasn't made in America. Well, there goes the gas for your chevy, your clothes, your hair products, your wood floors, your coffee, your DIAMOND RING, etc....). It's damn near impossible to filter it all out, right?

I wonder why Jaunita C had to put her name on my mattress pad? Maybe she wanted to? Maybe no one else put their name on it, and she wanted to stand out from the crowd? Maybe her boss made her put her name on it. What happens if the blanket starts on fire, or worse... stops working in the middle of winter?! Do I call the company and ask to speak to Juanita C? I doubt it.

I have friends who are artists. When they paint or take pictures, they often add their signature to their work. Perhaps this is what Jaunita felt inclined to do? I'm not sure why, but for some reason, Jaunita C has been on my mind lately, making me look at what is right and what is wrong, and furthermore, what you can change and what you can't.

a visit to my grandparents.

I went to visit my grandparent's today. They've been dead nearly 5 years. I realized this about a month ago... and it freaks me out. It doesn't seem like they've been gone that long. It still hurts, you know? I still miss them, everyday.

It was a beautiful day today. It was cold, about 40 degrees, but the sun was shining bright, making everything okay. I talked to my grandparents a little bit. Not a deep conversation or anything, just a quick hello and an "i miss you". And then some quiet time.

Someday, I hope to make my grandparent's proud of me. And not just proud cuz they're my grandparents, but proud because of my accomplishments.

(self portrait, 10.17.09)

3.75 for a club soda... I should write a blog about that!

Most days, something happens and I think to myself, "I should write a blog about that". Most days however, I don't. Today is different.

Last night I went to Fine Line to see my friend Larry, aka Meta. Larry and I went fishing once this summer.... I don't recall catching anything, but it was fun to catch up with an old friend. He told me he's been rapping lately, and getting paid to do it. Damn, dude must be good, right? Yes. He is good, and extremely marketable.

Anyhow, Larry was playing a free show at Fine Line last night, so I did what any good friend would do.... I bit my tongue, crossed the river, and parked in downtown Minneapolis. My friend Amelia and I got there around 9:15 or 9:30.

"ID's, the dude behind the plexi-glass. We handed him our ID's. "Who are you hear to see", he asked? "Larry", I said. He didn't know who that was. "Meta", I told him.... kind of annoyed... who the fuck does it matter who we're seeing?

We go in and say hello to Larry. (note: I know Larry as Larry. We talked about it while we were fishing.... it's okay for me to still call him larry, cuz that's how I know him. Other people, people who know him for his rapping, they can/should call him Meta). We sat for a bit, and learned we'd have to wait an hour or two before he went on.

Drinks, we decided! I'm still on this "no drinking" thing. It's been 3 weeks and a day. (it's been an up and down ride.... mostly good.... just sort of a pain in the ass). Anyhow, Amelia ordered a Whiskey Sour. It was buy one get one free.... which is good, because the 2 she got maybe had a combined total of an ounce of shitty whiskey. Amelia headed back to the table, and I waited to order...

Still waiting....

A few minutes later, the (same) bartender approaches me. "I'll take a club soda please", I tell him. He (overfills) a 12 ounce plastic cup with ice. "I'm gonna have to charge you for this", he says. I figured as much, most places do. "2.75" he told me. Fuck, 2.75 for carbonated water? It better come with a happy ending.... or at least free refills. "Free refills right", I asked? "No sorry, but I guess I can it as a 2 for 1", he replied. Jackass.

I tipped a dollar, to ensure that I'd get a refill, since he made it seem like he was going out of his was to "hook me up", as the 2 for 1's were for cocktails and shots only.

I know I shouldn't complain. It was a free show. I got to see Larry, and hang out with Amelia. We played the "Marry, Fuck, Chuck" game. You name 3 things, and you have to marry one, fuck one, and chuck one. Here's an example that Amelia came up with....

Ice Cream, Chicken, and Diet Coke.

After some thought.... I decided to marry ice cream, fuck chicken, and chuck diet coke. Leaving the diet coke was a hard one, but life without chicken or ice cream would prove too devastating for me.

Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Micheal Jackson.

I'd marry Stevie (obviously), fuck Marvin Gaye, and chuck Micheal.

Larry asked, "But what about Micheal back in the day" (when he was black)? Ooooh... that changes things. In that case, I'd have to marry Stevie, fuck Michael, and chuck Marvin. Sad!

Anyhow, the night was good. In fact, yesterday in general was good! I went rock climbing at Vertical Endeavors with Brienn and Amelia. The last time I had been, I was 8 or 9 years old and it was a pathetic/horrible experience. Yesterday, it was great! We all made it to the top of the wall! Sushi followed climbing, which is always a good thing. And reruns of Boston Legal with Amelia's folks was kick ass as well.

Yesterday was a great day, despite my 3.75 club soda (2.75+ tip). It was awesome to see Larry in his element. I like the Fine Line, and have seen a few other really awesome shows there (Zap Mama and Sia come to mind). As soon as I sat down with my club soda last night, I told Amelia, "I should write a blog about this".

Minnesota Nice

There is such a thing as Minnesota nice, just not when it comes to drivers on the road.

A few weeks ago, I re-read "Staying the Course: A runner's toughest race" by Minnesota native, Dick Beardsley. I had read it some time ago, but figured since I'm on this "6-week-no-drinking-thing" I might as well start running again. And what easier way to start running again, than reading a book about running? Ha!

Anyhow, those who know me well, know that I start many things, and finish only some. (potential employers....feel free to omit this statement). Despite my Attention Deficit tendencies, I finished "Staying the Course" in a couple of days.

"Staying the Course" is about Dick Beardsley's rise, fall, and rise in the world of running. He started out a regular dude, living in the country, working a farm. He proceeded to be one of the fastest marathon runners in the world! His PR came in 1982 when he raced Alberto Salazar in the Boston Marathon. He ran 2:08:53.

Later in life, he got into a wicked farming accident. It had something to do with the "power take off", which I don't really understand, but from the description in his book, he got pretty banged up (i.e. broken ribs, broken arm, metal steak through his chest, and a leg nearly ripped off).

Shitty luck right? It get's worse. In the next couple of years, he ended up getting hit by a car, falling off a cliff, etc. It's amazing that he continued to bounce back... although by reading his book, I learned that both the physical and the mental recovery were aided by pain pills. This led to an addiction, which he has now overcome and been sober for over a decade!!

I often read in bed, hoping that the story/lesson/details will bore me to sleep. Such was not the case when reading "Staying the Course". I looked up Dick Beardsley shortly after finishing his book. When your search engine is on "auto", try typing in Dick Beardsley and the following things might pop up; additction, alberto salazar, boston, yasso, foundation, accident, motivational speaker.

I found out that he was on facebook, so I shot him a message. I let him know that I finished his book (for the second time) and that I really enjoyed it. I mentioned my goal of 6 weeks with no booze, and asked for some suggestions of other books I might read that deal with mental toughness, addiction and running. Although I don't think I'm addicted to booze, I think that reading about overcoming obstacles and finding balance can bring hope, and ideally a bit of guidance my way. At the very least, it can't hurt.

Dick wrote me back, and guess what he did? He offerred to send me a signed copy of his book! I already have the book though, so I asked if he'd send me a copy of his CD, "A matter of Faith" instead. Sure enough, he did! Although Dick lives in Texas now, and travels around the globe speaking about addiction and recovery, he seems to have retained his "Minnesota Nice".

Rarely am I proud to be an American. Often am I proud to be a Minnesotan. And always, yes always, am I delighted to be a Saint Paul Kid.

growing power

I read this article this morning. It's about Will Allen's organization called Growing Power. It's based out of Milwaukee. He's planning a training center in Minneapolis, to help urban farmers. I think it's great, however, I felt inclined to write him a note with a few concerns/questions. See below. Also, if anyone knows how to get a plot at ayd mill road and hamline, let me know. It says to "ask a gardener", but last time I was there, the only farmer left before I could talk to him. Go figure....

Dear Mr Allen--

My name is asha. I live in st paul, minnesota. I was reading the star tribune this morning, and saw an article that Growing Power is coming to Minneapolis. I can't tell you how excited about this I am.

As a young woman of color, I really want to get involved in local/urban farming. One of the problems I have with this however, is there is a big divide in community plots and work. For example, the few urban gardens in st paul that I have seen are very segregated. One has gardeners from a primarily middle/upper class background, the majority of them being Caucasian. The other one, only about a mile away is mostly immigrants (first generation), where it is hard for me (an english only speaker) to learn more about their farming practices and interests.

I saw that an event is being held in St Paul next thursday. I was interested in attending, but it's too expensive for me. I hope that when your organization puts roots in this town, there will be some kind of outreach for young people and people of color.

I think that urban gardening is an incredible concept and movement, and I hope that you can help "bridge the gap" and make it accessible to all people, and perhaps work with community groups to make it more diverse as well.

If there is a way I could help in this, please let me know. I know a lot of people in similar situations as myself (i.e. brown, poor, hungry, etc) who want to be more involved in community development projects, but who are either intimidated (by the homogeneity of the group) or simply left out because they cannot afford to participate in something so organic.

Again, thank you for bringing your program to Minnesota. I look forward to seeing the impact and growth.

asha.

road rage.

The other day, I was driving down lexington, about to cross over 94. The light turned yellow, a car was turning left, and I know for a fact that intersection has been home to many accidents... so i stopped.

A woman behind me honked and started yelling. My windows were rolled down, and I could clearly the words "fuck you, you fucking bitch" echo between our cars. "Whatever", I yelled back, annoyed that someone would curse at me, because I stopped to prevent hitting turning car. "You fucking bitch, I coulda made that light" yelled the woman in the Kia. I thought to myself, (really, you coulda made it....considering you were 10 feet behind me and even i would have been cutting it close). "Whatever lady" I hollered back. The light turned green, and as she yelled some more, she flicked me off, and swerved in front of me. "Bitch", I said to myself. We both turned left, and I planned on taking the frontage road rather than 94, but apparently she had the same plan. I took the freeway instead.

That was about a month ago. It still irks me. Why do people get so angry over the stupidest shit? I mean really lady, if I would have gone through the light, and you would have gone through as well, there's no doubt in my mind that the turning (left) car wouldn't have been hit. And that would have slowed us all down even more!!

Last week, I was driving into downtown st paul on kellog. I stopped ahead of the 35E interesection, because traffic ahead was backed up, and I didn't feel like being "that person" who gets stuck in the middle of the intersection when the light turns red. The car behind me honked.
I figured it wasn't directed to me, afterall, where was I supposed to go? The dude honked again, and I looked up. I raised my hand, asking "what"? And he motioned me forward. What a dufus.

Here's the kicker though... As this dude was all eager to get into downtown, so eagar that he had to honk at me to pull ahead just 10 feet or so....this mother effer pulls out a map or some sheet of paper and starts reading it while he's driving. C'mon dude! Really? And you know his dumb ass was more of a driving hazard than I was, as he was drifting into other lanes while reading his map. Stupid hypocrites.

I've been riding my bike more, not because of this road rage that I seem to be victim to lately, but because summer is ending and warm days will soon give way to frostbite and other winterous delights.

I guess that's about all I've got to report at the moment. Tomorrow I'm taking a break from booze, for 6 weeks. I made a "pact" with some of the guys at the pub to do this. We'll see how it goes. I think I can do fine without drinking, I just am not sure how tolerant of others obnoxious behavior I will be. It will be a test, of my patience and my determination. I think it will be good.

need a photographer?

I'm available for hire in the following areas:


photography:

-sports (track and field/cross country are my favorite), but am flexible.
-portraits (senior/school pics, family, team/group).
-weddings (formal and informal).
-live music (from large hip hop shows to small cabaret shows).
-special events (parties, indoor and outdoor gatherings, etc...)
- anything else, let me know, and I will tell you if I am able.



educational based:

-childcare (am certified in first aid & adult CPR and am competent in infant and child CPR).
- tutor (subjects vary)
- several years working with developmentally disabled adults and children.
- assistant for elderly people (errands, cleaning, outings, card playing, etc...)



misc work:

-indoor painting
-yard work/grass cutting/raking/snow shoveling
-window washing
-car cleaning (inside and out)
-house cleaning (inside, mostly)
-boat cleaning (inside and outside, depending on size)



If you need work done, let me know. If I can do it, I will. If I can't, I will try to help you find someone who can. Pricing is negotiable, quality of work is not.