Planet Opie's

You know that feeling when sometimes you REALLY need to get away? You've had just about enough of school, the checkout guy who keeps eerily checking you out, your nagging roommate, that ingrown nose hair and pretty much planet Earth in general and wish you could escape to an alternate universe all together. We've all been there, of course, but perhaps didn't exactly know how to handle the situation. Little did you know that there has been a simple solution and alternative universe right here in little ol Norman, Oklahoma, known as Opie's Night Club. Or, for those of us who repeatedly plan to return, simply: Opie's.

Most people in this college town have an Opie's story. They either know a friend of a friend or a sister or cousin whose picture is on the wall or was maybe "grooved on" one too many times at the Club. Some folks stumble upon the establishment because it's practically their back yard, and some get dragged there because it's their boss's birthday and they want to look sooo good. Others brave the invite of a close friend, which, in my opinion, is the ultimate friendship test. Sure, it helps if you like to dance, and I'll admit, it's not the kind of place you'd go to if your alternate universe involves fancy cocktails or 150" HD plasma LED flat screens. But if you're with a group of your "close" friends and they're all out there gettin' down and groovy and you're sittin' in your wicker chair thinking you'd rather be tweezing your ingrown nose hair, you may want to seriously re-think your common interests.

The first time I went to Opie's was in 2006, with one of my girlfriends whose older brother used to frequent the establishment. Even though she is a Norman native, she had yet to explore the mystery, so one daring night, we gave it a go. The instant we stepped across the threshold, we were transported back in time, to carpet the length of a Chia Pet's 'fro, flashing light bulbs the colors of Skittles, reflected by spinning mirrored balls and walls of mirrored walls. Not to mention that Opie, himself, dressed in a camel-colored, mole-haired, suite and mock turtle neck and decorated in gold jewelry, greeted us at the door. Once we took a minute to breathe and exhale, we noticed the actual dance floor. Dance floor is an understatement. It's pretty much as if Simon Says and Dance Dance Revolution got married by Mattel and Opie's was born, only so that the two games could have an outrageous wedding reception, all in one night. The floor is made of tiles. And the tiles light up...in different colors. And on our debut night, they also happened to have karaoke, which of course, I dutifully filled out my request that was probably a Judd's song.

That night seems like eons ago. Soon after, I left the country, and although I found temporary replacements for dancing and karaoke, nothing quite topped the charts, like Opie's did. My friend sent me updates, about the crowds and regulars, songs that were played, the bouncers and wait staff, and of course Opie. Then, one fine update, she divulges that the Club has a VIP card. Not only does it have a VIP card that gets you in, without the cover, at any time throughout the night, but she's got one!

For months, after my return to Norman, I openly coveted her VIP card. Apparently you have to really "get Opie's attention" in order to receive one. She got hers from a friend who had other lady friends visiting from out of town. I didn't know how I would ever get one, but I just knew I had to have one.

Then, last Friday, me and three girlfriends, including my original Opie's friend, zipped up our dancing shoes and headed for the flashing lights. Hands down, it was the most epic Opie's night I had ever experienced. To start, catching up with lady friends is always a good base line. Then, add dancing as a group, and with THE classic regular, whose dance partner mystery we finally uncovered, a little flirting with fellow mid-twenties Opie's frequenters, not one, but two birthday celebrations, The Safety Dance, some Dirty Dancers, Madonna, and hugs from Opie (not just the pound)!! The icing on the cake?! One of the birthday boys got a stack of VIP cards from Opie, which he gave to each each one of us ladies!! I really thought I was going to burst.

Now, my very own VIP card is now laminated with packing tape and tucked safely in my wallet. That is, until the next time I get the urge to dance to Pat Benatar on a rainbow colored floor, at 12:30am.

Picture an Adventure

Falling in love always makes someone fall off the face of the Earth. I don't think any other emotion can cause such disruption in one's life, for such an extend period of time. Because when you're in love, and the love is reciprocated, the fire just keeps getting fed. For me, it's one of the main reasons that the summer and the fall months turned into winter in the amount of time that it takes for water to boil. You just keep finding meaningful ways to spend your time while you wait for the tiny bubbles to appear, and before you know it, you're enjoying a hot, tasty tea. Even better, you're sharing it with someone you enjoy just as much as your tea, watching the confetti-colored leaves spiral to the ground.

Okay, I know that was cheesy, but by now, most of us can relate. Which is why I know you'll understand why it's most appropriate to display the last 5 months (the length of time since the last post) in terms of photographs. Me and my beau, Todd, have traveled to some memorable places and met some generous folks along the way. Stay tuned for more...





























































Here are several pics from our travels together*:

1. Todd went to Mardi Gras with a good friend, last February. I didn't really know him very well at the time, but he made sure to send me pictures, so I didn't feel left out.

2. Todd enjoys the outdoors just as much as I do. We went to Taos, New Mexico in September, with his best friend, and saw a couple of tiny bear cubs late one night. We also spent time on the mesa and I learned what kinds of recycled building materials are utilized in this environment.

3. Todd is a talented and very creative musician. He plays guitar and sings in a couple of bands in the OKC/Norman area. It is a blast to watch him perform and hear what his newest ideas consist of. Here he is on the Grammy's stage, with one of his biggest and youngest fans, Steven.

4. Since Todd plays in a band, on stage, he's not a stranger to getting tattoos. He's a rock star, and rock stars need tattoos, so while we were at a friend's place in Chicago, he got some new ink.

5. Interesting women are always drawn to Todd. This lady, Zelda, asked me to take their picture when we were at the Norman Medieval Fair last May. I didn't want to be rude, so I obliged. She turned out to be really nice, and even gave us a turkey leg. Yummy!

6. Todd also works part time for Science Museum, Oklahoma. Bill Nye was presenting a workshop about electro-auto fastening micro cordless peddle boards (one of Todd's favorite subjects), and was so impressed by all of Todd's knowledge and initiative in answering questions, Mr. Nye just couldn't pass up the photo op.

7. Yup! We're hanging with the big wigs. Todd has encouraged me to become more involved with world affairs and politics. We were invited to vote in the gubernatorial elections in November, as citizens of towns in the state of Oklahoma. This picture was taken after Obama won the presidential election.

8. Okay, this one was photo-shopped. Maybe one day we'll make it to Mecca...

9. Here we are preparing for our trip to the Moon. Since we enjoy traveling the Earth so much together, we thought we'd shoot for it. That way, I'll be able to thank my lucky stars, in person.


Well, there you have it, folks. We have been busy learning new things about the world we live in, and about each other, and as a couple of young adults.

Peace and hugs!

Courtney

*Photos courtesy of the Flat Stanley Project (http://www.flatstanley.com/picture_gallery.html). Remember him? My sister sent Stanley to Guam when our cousins lived there some time ago.

Summer is officially here in Norman. And I'm not just talking the impressive lightening and thunderstorms that produced tornadoes and baseball sized hail (seriously, baseball-sized) a couple of weeks ago, or the blazing sun and 90 plus degree heat. This post is a shout out to all the creative folks who dedicate their time and energy into putting together amazing events and shows around the community. It makes the summer more educational, entertaining and interesting. Last weekend, the Firehouse Art Center, Jacobson House and Fred Jones Museum of Art sponsored "Luncheon on the Grass" at Lion's Park, which featured OU's Steel Drum Ensemble among other live music, free desserts, and my favorite: kids activities. Me and my main squeeze headed straight for the panels ready for painting and created some masterpieces that promote a couple of our proud endeavors: Touchstone Youth Project and Balcum Rancum Puppetry. I've got some Summer Field Trip groups lined up for Touchstone, at Rocktown Climbing Gym and will be supervising an OU School of Social Work (my Alma Mater) undergraduate student beginning in the fall. I'm also working on a fundraising push, so if anyone has any leads or is simply interested in donating to Touchstone, please contact me at cmgilman@touchstoneyouth.org.

The deadCenter Film Festival in Oklahoma City opened today, June 8th and will be screening films until Sunday, June 12th. If you live in the area, this could be a fun event to check out to see some of Oklahoma's own big screen talent, as well as some from surrounding states. But if you only have one evening to spare and live in Norman, come out for the 2nd Friday Circuit of Art walk on Main and Gray's Streets. And if you are for sure going, don't miss this.

My brave mother has been breast cancer-free for over one year now. She is participating in the North Texas Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure this Saturday. You can make a direct donation to Team PepsiCo here. Way to go, Momma. I love you.

I really love biking around town and most of the time the weather doesn't stop me. But every now and again, it's nice to be transported in air conditioning. Lucky for us in town, we can still conserve emissions and lay off the gas pedal by participating the CART bus service. They are having a promotion on June 17th and giving away free stuff and ending the night with music. Don't miss this gravy train.

Also, don't forget the man who introduced you to Hair, The Musical, made up his own words to popular songs for bedtime, took you to your favorite Oklahoma State Park every December and taught you how to get your real money's worth of theater movies. His day is Sunday, June 20th.

Speaking of music, Jazz in June is just around the corner. This is another great family friendly event sponsored by the Norman Arts Counsel, among other local endeavors. Sign up to volunteer for 4 hour slot and get a free t-shirt and help support a much anticipated annual celebration.

In other news, I'll be famous soon. You can say you knew me when. And you can pre-order your very own copy of the book from me and I'll autograph and personalize it just for you. My book signing is scheduled at Hastings in Norman, and you'll probably want to start camping out at least two days prior if it's anything like the Palin signing last November. Hurry, there are only 5 copies left.

If you need another fix of my amazingly creative and witty writing style and can't afford a copy of my book, here is the latest Nothin' But Non-Profit article in Voices of Oklahoma, the online magazine in which I contribute from time to time.

Me and one of my girl friends have been gardening a bit this summer. We've got onions and a couple of tomato plants, a cucumber plant, a pepper plant, beets and marigolds from seed and in the herb department, dill, chives, cilantro, and Thai basil. Although it's not super extensive, it's nice to see growth and progression from living things. And these living things get life from not only the natural elements, but gray water from doing the dishes.

I recently took a Haitian and Cuban inspired dance class at Sonder Music, Dance & Art, a studio located downtown that is owned and operated by a woman my age, which is very inspiring in and of itself. Classes are on going and there are many options to chose from, whether you are looking for something physically active or instrumentally centered. I recommend checking this place out and getting moving. I also decided to splurge on a summer class at the Firehouse Art Center, and boy howdy, am I excited about it. I've always thought glass work was beautiful, so I'm trying my hand at what's known as glass slumping. You've seen those pieces of pendants, earrings and broaches that are layered with colors of glass and those bowls and vases with swirls of colors and beads with glass dots. Those are glass slumped pieces and that's what I'm learning to do. I've only had one class so far and have no idea how my pieces are going to turn out, or if I'm even good at it, but it's super fun I've got lots of plans for my work and am already scheming ways for the pieces to end up in your homes and on your body.

But the best part of the summer is that I'm going to see my favorite Indie band of all time, for the very first time, with my new favorite person with whom I've been spending my free time. We're road tripping to Des Moines for this 4th of July music festival and both Yo La Tengo and a band with whom he plays, Evangelicals, just happen to be playing. We're heading to Urbana and possibly Madison, and certainly Chicago, after that, to meet and visit each other's friends. Peace Corps reunion and birthday celebrating bee kerring fo sho!

I also got to see my Mom and Dad and sister and her boyfriend in Dallas, over Memorial Day and that was fabulous. We went to the Dallas World Aquarium and grilled out and I saw two fabulous bands that were both new to me.

Finally, I'd like to end this post with a little shock value. Wow is all I can say. And to think, my secondary project was simply singing toothbrush songs in Mandinka.

I like Spring, but cutting the grass, not so much.

Spring is finally here, bringing a lot of amazing things with it. The weather is finally becoming nice enough to open the windows to let the fresh air breeze through and the sun is shining for consecutive days again. I thought the winter was especially brutal this year, but that might have just been because I hadn't experienced one in a while. Day after day of gray, biting wind, layer upon layer of clothing (outside AND at the "office"), snow storms, ice storms, 5 degree weather and a month of no running water was a lot to handle.

But now it's nice and all I want to do is spend time outside. I was even getting pretty excited about mowing my lawn, which was a brand new responsibility to me, considering my parents always hired that task out when I was growing up. I bought what I'm now referring to as the Comanche Cottage in October and was able to get away with things beginning to go dormant at that time, so put off purchasing a lawn mower. I had way too many other expenses, anyway and my grandpa even offered a mower that had been used on his property when the weather was warm again. I borrowed a mower from a friend and he graciously helped me with the first season's cutting. Even though he did most of the yard, I thought to myself that this was going to be a serious chore! Every two weeks at the very least!? He tried to make me feel better by saying it was sort of a difficult mower. So when my grandparents came to visit last weekend and it was decided that I would be receiving a brand new, self-propelling, gasoline mower with mulching/side disposing/bag options, my excitement was restored. Grandpa even gave me a weed-eater and a tutorial. By the end of the afternoon, I was ready to open up my own lawn business.

Today was a particularly beautiful day, so I decided to give it a whirl, in preparation for a potluck I'm hosting on Sunday. The front yard went according to plan, although it still wasn't as fun as I had psyched it up for myself to be. The backyard is a somewhat different story. It has all these nooks and crannies (at least that's how it appears after trying to lug a 15 lb gas machine through it all). I tried to keep telling myself that it was just like vacuuming. I like vacuuming. And I like gardening. So it would only make sense that I'd like cutting my grass. But when I tried to turn the mower around in one of the crannies and it hit a concrete barrier and the motor stopped and decided not to begin again after I cussed and willed it too, I decided that I really didn't like it. And, with the weed-eater's cumbersome starting sequence and easily destroyed, but difficultly feeding thread mechanism, I began getting uncharacteristically upset. Such a silly thing to get upset about, in the grand scheme of things, I know! It made me feel powerless and helpless in my independent and organized world. So the machines were shoved back in the shed and I stormed into the house and pulled out my go-to empowerment tool but Roscoe's arch enemy- the vacuum. I guess everyone has their sore spots...

A few fun happenings:

Guestroom Records hosts the 3rd Annual Record Store Day. Support your local source for great music and entertainment by listening to live music and joining in on the fun at either the Norman or Oklahoma City stores.

Pick up a free tree at Reaves Park in Norman on Sunday, April 18th from noon-6pm, in celebration and preparation for Arbor Day, which takes place on April 30th this year.

Next weekend marks one of the most awesome reasons to live in Norman:
The Norman Music Festival. This year, for the first time, the completely free event spans two days and will host nearly 100 bands from around the country. I'm already coming up with my Excel spread sheet of not to be missed bands, including but not limited to Ghost of Monkshood, Brother Gruesome, Kite Flying Robot, Evangelicals, The Workweek, Native Lights, Gentle Ghost, Broncho, Depth and Current and even some on the Latin stage. Also, this year, Dustbowl Arts Market, the bountiful brainchild of a collaboration of friends, will be featured at the Festival. I signed up to volunteer at the Little Rocker's Kid Stage, which will include a puppet show from Balcum Rancum Puppetry and experiments from Science Museum Oklahoma. Hopefully I'll be contributing to some amazing punk-rock hairstyles and temporary tattoos.

Rocktown Climbing Gym will host their annual sport climbing competition on
April 24th. Pre-register to participate or volunteer for Superrock.

Oklahoma's Farmers Markets are in full swing. Pick up some delicious and mellifluous honey, fresh produce and herbs or grow your own from seeds or seedlings.

It's a great time to be in Oklahoma right now. Grab a friend and a Frisbee and get outside. You'll be swept away by the fabulous time you'll have, if not by the wind.

It Takes Two for Rockin'...

Lucky for your ears, that's just the arrangement of the dynamite duo, Cody Lee Fletcher and Lydia Gilman, who make up The Gunslingers.

My sister moved to Memphis, Tennessee in 2008, shortly after graduating from Full Sail Academy with enough knowledge about audio engineering to pursue her ambitions and land a couple of day gigs to supplement the evening ones. Music is one of her true loves and it oozes from every pore in her body and drips from her drumsticks. Never fail, every time we talk on the phone, she's at one of her jobs. She works hard for the money but lives for the music. And it truly shows. And I couldn't be more proud.

I've never asked her from where this passion derived, but if it was anything like mine, I'd say it couldn't have helped but come from our parent's ever-rotating vinyl records. I still remember the first time I heard Stairway to Heaven. It was the song that summed up the night at a sixth grade social. The next day, I asked my mom if she'd ever heard this song, which was precisely when she pulled out the album, picked up the arm, and placed the needle in the groove. I was 12 years old and I must have put it on play at least 12 times that very day.

As CDs became more popular, I recall my father acquiring more of his favorite artists. Mr. Young quickly became old and tired to my sister and my ears, until we realized the reality of his lyrics and the soul of his sound. How Tori Amos ended up in their bathroom stereo, I'm still unsure, but I'm sure it was Winter when I became hooked. In high school, the Dallas rock station, KDGE had this obscure show that aired on Sunday nights. I didn't know what I was listening to, I just knew Liz Phair was a Polyester Bride and Kate Bush put more than a literary spin to Wuthering Heights. Of course, Debbie Gibson, Erasure and The Steve Miller Band, among others, had their fair share of play in my tape deck. Ever heard of Don Williams? I'll sing you his greatest hits album next time we're driving to Beavers Bend State Park... College opened more doors than David Bowie in Labyrinth and Jim Morrison, combined and I can still picture the exact song and moment when I decided Yo La Tengo must be writing songs and playing their music just for me. Last spring I went to visit Lydia in Memphis and I re-borrowed a handful of my parent's albums that she had snagged. Last month, my parents came to visit me in Norman, and my father once again regained ownership of several of his treasures. He just so happened to leave Led Zepplin IV in the stack. A couple of days ago, I discovered I have the capability to listen to Joni Mitchell's Blue four different ways, all at the same time: vinyl, tape, laptop and mp3.

The Gunslingers begins their southern states and New England tour in a couple of days. Most likely they'll be coming to your town, so get out there, support an up and coming band while having your socks rockabillied off.

Touchstone is going fabulously. Recently, we collaborated on a and submitted a grant application for a ropes course to be added on to the Rocktown facility. Wish us luck!! The weather is FINALLY becoming grain-silo friendly, and I know the kids are enjoying the whole climbing experience much more. A slack-line is even set up, for a chance to test balance and soak up some sun while queuing up for the popular routes.

Whether on the stage or on a cliff, it looks like rock is just the way these Gilman girls roll.

Nothin' But Non-Profit

"Voices of Oklahoma is a non-profit, non-commercial, non-sectarian media outlet for central Oklahoma." A couple of weeks ago, I contacted them about contributing a section that highlights local not-for-profit organizations. When they said awesome, I said sweet, can I start with my own? The interview was posted last Thursday.

If you have a suggestion or would like your non-profit agency or organization featured in this segment, send an email to cmgilman@gmail.com.

It's gonna be a sun-shiney day!




The Medieval Fair(y)

365 Days of Re-adjustment

After way too many months of feeling like a parallelogram peg trying to fit into a trapezoid whole, I'm finally really beginning to find my groove. Only after moving back in with the parents in my mid-twenties, taking a month long solo train excursion around the States, contemplating where to re-locate with Roscoe until the cows chose our home, accepting a job offer which led to an incredibly unique and rewarding opportunity to utilize my degree, purchasing intimidating adult-like possessions, a month without running water in a first-world country, and experiencing four full seasons (winter, okay, you win with your bitter, ice cold 'tude), am I truly feeling like I belong.

A couple of weeks will bring the end of the month of March and the anniversary of my return from The Gambia. Incredible. Unbelievable, actually. It is safe to say that I barely recognize any faces in pictures posted by people I barely knew upon departing, but friended on Facebook because that was the status quo. Time just goes by so much faster with 24-hour electricity and pancake houses. Or maybe it's just that America's pace is like Africa on steroids. The Chaco tan-lines on my feet have completely faded, although those fine ones on my face from 24 months of sun have not. Last month I found my first gray hair. Last week I found my second one.

I kept telling myself Norman was the right place where to re-locate. After all, it WAS voted 6th best place to live in 2008 by Money Magazine. But all around me are familiar faces, worn out places, worn out faces... And to admit that "it's not easy," would be the understatement of the century. However, since moving to back Oklahoma, I've begun to gain this sincere sense of pride that I have yet to experience anywhere else I have ever resided. I want friends to visit and for people to discover this secret jewel of a state. Our red-dirt, Native America has much to offer, and this eclectic little university town is just the tip of the termite mound.

In fact, I'd like to spend the rest of the post promoting a handful of mind, body and soul-enriching activities, all of which take place in the time span of about a month:

March 26-28th: 34th Medieval Fair at Reeves Park

April 9th: Live Broadcast of Science Friday on KGOU!!

April 22nd: Greg Mortenson, author of Three Cups of Tea and Stones into Schools visits. Three Cups of Tea was one of those Peace Corps "must reads."

April 24th and 25th: 3rd Annual Norman Music Festival, a monumental event that is putting Norman on the music map and was nearly a deciding factor to come after one year in the Peace Corps.

April 25th: Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon

Finally, on Monday, I was invited to sit on a panel for the Women's and Gender Studies Department at OU, as the result of attending a lecture on the organization, International Rescue Committee. After the lecture, the audience mingled and I found myself telling one of the many Peace Corps stories, as well as speaking passionately about Touchstone, the non-profit for which I now work. The next day, I received an out-of-the-blue email from the director of the WGS department, who happened to be captivated and "impressed" by the stories, inviting me to participate in a career workshop for WGS majors and minors and potential majors and minors. The panel will take place on Tuesday, March 30th from 5-6:30 in the Memorial Student Union, so come listen!

One year later, it truly is good to be back, Boy-Boy.

Mother Nature Has a Bizarre Sense of Humor

But, it's okay because I do too! Yes, I understand she will always have the last laugh, but I like to think of it as laughing with us, not at us. However, I am an optimist.

I just love the National Weather Service's clip art from the seven day forecast. Always keeping the folks that post for Oklahoma on their toes:

Fri-32 Sat-34 Sun-28 Mon-60(BTW, this is "blowing snow")

I made plans to till up a couple of garden beds with a friend on Sunday. That was last week though. Apparently, I blocked it out in my head that one still can't plan 12 hours ahead, much less a week, when it comes to outdoor activities in this state. I did, however, walk to Walgreens tonight, in between rain showers, while the temps dropped, and picked up 6 packets of veggie seeds. They had a bunch of random packets, ranging from herbs to veggies and fruits to flowers, all for 3 for $.99. This is the least expensive I've found all around town. I am convinced that seeds don't need to be fancy. They'll grow if you plant them, if they want. In fact, if you do your research, you'll figure out exactly how to get extracted seeds from the fruit to germinate, for free. You're probably saying, duh, but some fruits just don't work that way, like hybridized seeds that come from the apple you just ate. Apparently, you have to stratify them (keep them cool for a period of time) after drying to get those suckers started.

Anyway, I guess it's her way of telling us to have a nice weekend. So I'm going to try to do that by road tripping farther north to Wichita, KS, to see some friends play at a show. Seriously, though, I hope this is the trump hand. I'm so ready to be warm and outside!!

My mom sent an email today informing me about World Water Day, which is this Monday, March 22nd. Most of the scheduled activities take place in Washington D.C., but obviously you can celebrate in your own way, depending on what water means to you. I did a little more research and stumbled upon this documentary called Tapped, that takes a look at the bottled water industry and access to and waste of water in general. A little corny (not to mention misuse of resources), a "mobile translucent recycling container will kick off the "Get off the H2O Bottle" tour in Los Angeles with an empty cabin that will be filled with the public’s empty water bottles by the time the team ends up in New York City on Earth Day (April 22nd, 2010)." This bottle thing will be coming through Norman, though, on April 6th. I couldn't find out where exactly or what this means, besides the possibility of free stuff from the sponsors, Klean Kanteen, Food and Water Watch, Multi-Pure water filters, and Aveda. A giant bottle on wheels; I wonder who was in charge of their PR...

On another note, I thought of a few more ways I've decided to reduce consumption and save energy:

*Unplugging small appliances. I think the only thing that is consistently in the wall is my bedside lamp. I also keep the refrigerator and washer and dryer connected, although now, writing this, I should probably unplug everything but the fridge.

*Setting up a clothesline outside. It was the only way my clothes dried in Gambia. It only makes sense to make use of this sun after so much winter. It's like cashing in double.

*Riding my bike around town. I almost didn't mention this because it is second nature. If setting up a clothesline is like cashing in double, riding your bike around town is like hitting jackpot. You save on fuel and reduce emissions, while giving your heart and muscles some lovin'.

Okie dokie, Okies, have a nice weekend!

Spring Clean Your Life

Reduce Your Junk Mail: Not many people will argue against recycling from home (although there will always be some). But you can go a step further, by reducing the amount of items you might otherwise recycle. One way to do that is to limit the amount of "junk mail" that arrives in your box day after day. You can also be conscious of purchasing items with a limited amount of packaging.

Reduce Your Mobile Minutes: Sign up for the national Do Not Call registry and limit the amount of calls from telemarketers, which can eat up your minutes. On my phone, I can also check my text and minute usage to make sure I'm staying within my plan, reducing the potential for unforeseen extra monthly charges on the bill.

Reduce Your Water Consumption: I've started washing my dishes in a tub of soapy water and rinsing them over another bowl, to catch that water, too. After they fill up, I use it to water my trees or flower beds. Practice the yellow/mellow toilet flushing method. According to creativecitizen.com, you can save up to 4380 gallons a year by just holding off from 2 flushes in one day. Imagine 6 milk gallons going down the toilet from just 2 flushes. This became all too familiar when my pipes froze and busted and I was without running water for one month. But if you MUST flush, fill your tank with a couple of bricks, to help displace the water. You can also install low pressure shower heads, or ones that you can switch off without turning the entire faucet.

Swap Your Clothes: If you are on Facebook and reside in the Norman, Oklahoma City area, log on and start cleaning out your closets for the city-wide clothing swap in celebration of Earth Day. This event takes place on April 10th, 2010.

In Our Own Backyards

Remember seeing those yellow notebook paper stickers around town with this slogan? Did you think it was funny that the sticker could be considered "stuff" it was proposing to use less of?

Well, I was doing some research for this next post and stumbled upon this campaign from our very own Native America state of OK. Turns out Oklahoma really is OK! Or we were on our way to becoming just that in 2003 and decided everything possible had been done by 2004, because that's when the last newsletter was published:
http://www.deq.state.ok.us/pubs/lpd/ULSnews1.pdf

A proclamation was even signed, declaring April 19-26, 2008 as "Use Less Stuff Week" . I emailed the name of the woman in the newsletter and it was returned to me, permanently failed.

And here's a nifty little Footprint survey:
http://www.deq.state.ok.us/mainlinks/uls/PersonalEcoFootprintCalculatoradult.pdfersonalEcoFootprintCalculatoradult.pdf







PSAs
for
life!

Spreading Altruistically Speaking

What is important to you in your world? Is this what drives you? How much has it changed for you in the past ten years? Or rather, how much has it changed you?

I’m dedicating my life to helping people, this is becoming apparent. It is a little strange to think I chose this direction. Somehow, I feel that more realistically, this direction has chosen me. Yet when I really sit down and think about it, I can’t imagine it any other way. How much of our individual beings are a result of circumstance vs. innate biology? Then there’s the whole nurturing component, which only exponentially increases the variables such as religion, morals and values, and even culture over the span of many, many years, which that! (time), in and of itself, plays such a starring role in development.

Recently, I’ve been spending my time surrounded by many amazingly creative and talented individuals. I found myself in this awkward friend transition a while ago, which is presently allowing me to really reflect on what it means to not only be a solid friend, but a solid person. I’ve been working toward re-directing energy into positive and fulfilling situations, like my incredible job, from which I have already met countless caring and like-minded persons. It turns out though, that the clock kept ticking, the Earth, spinning, and even though the scene of my formative years and old stomping ground was familiar, down to the pot-holed bike path on Avenue X, personalities and situations (mine included), were not. Single friends now had significant others, professional-student friends now had professional careers and new lives were beginning to enter this world, as well. Relating these two worlds became more difficult than I expected. But thank goodness for the fantastic relationships I’d gained through the world that now seemed like an ethereal dream. And then some friendships picked up exactly where they had left off. It just felt nice to be sitting face to face at a table at the most bizarrely fabulous jewel of a dance club, discovered the month of my departure. Of course, we weren’t sitting at the table for long…

I’ve been placed in the role of a mentor in my career. Even before this though, it seemed natural to just share random tid-bits of knowledge or experiences. Almost like, by holding back on transferring that knowledge, a disservice was taking place. Then, with the reinforcement of the role model mentorship to hundreds of youth every month, adding family, friends and acquaintances to the mix became second nature. Who knows, maybe I’m just clouding people’s minds with useless information, but something more in me hopes that’s really not the case. In Gambia, I found this book called The Tipping Point, by Malcolm Gladwell, in which he describes the components that make up epidemics and social phenomenons. According to Gladwell, it is a combination of this “rule of three”, the first one having specifically to do with people, coined as “the law of few”. He explains that in economics, this is known as the 80/20 principal, “which is the idea that in any situation roughly 80 percent of the 'work' will be done by 20 percent of the participants”. All of a sudden, I was reading further into what seemed like a label on my own personality. This “law of few” involves three different types of people: connectors, mavens and salesmen. As someone who “seeks to pass information along”, did this mean I was a maven? He goes on to state that “Mavens are really information brokers, sharing and trading what they know”, and due to a combination of social skills, knowledge and ultimately, the ability to communicate, have an impact on how things are transferred among society. Perhaps this is one reason I feel compelled to publically post these thoughts…? In addition, connectors are "a handful of people with a truly extraordinary knack [... for] making friends and acquaintances because of their ability to span many different worlds [... as] a function of something intrinsic to their personality, some combination of curiosity, self-confidence, sociability, and energy ". And finally, salesmen are people with ability to persuade and negotiate because of their powerful and charismatic personalities. After reading this book, each new person I meet is viewed in a new light and I’ve even begun to go back and place these “labels” on certain people in my own social network.

Social networks are ever evolving and expanding, exponentially so in this 21st century! I always tend to wonder how or for what reason these people are specifically entering my life and mine theirs. The other day, I was told I was inspiring. What’s funny though, was that I was thinking the very same of them. Recently, too, the idea of the importance of exchanging compliments has resurfaced. For some reason, the process of receiving is almost more complicated than handing them out. Today, though, I am able to do both at the exact same time: Mom and Dad, I’ve been told more than once by near strangers in the past couple of months that you both reared a good chilen. Just wanted you to know that.

Gladwell, Malcolm. (2000). The tipping point: How little things can make a big difference. New York, NY: Little, Brown and Company.

Born to Running Water

For the majority of the people I know, this title is the rule; which holds such irony, because for the majority of the people I don’t know, it is exactly the exception.

Exactly four weeks ago, Oklahoma once again dealt its residence the hand for which it is known: extreme weather. With anticipated highs not escaping the teens, we were instructed to combat this climate criminal by opening cabinets, dripping faucets and circulating heaters. As a responsible new homeowner and overachieving seasoned student, I followed the assignment to the T. Well, apparently T’s won’t earn you A’s because when I woke up the next morning, my faucets were froze. So I did what the majority of the people I don’t know would do; turn off the City’s water and fetch my own. I knew eventually the temperatures would graduate to above freezing and those pipes in the crawl space would thaw. The end of the weekend brought rising temperatures and heightened anxiety as I anticipated my worst fear. After unscrewing the crawl space entrance and turning on the City’s water, it was more than apparent that this dangerously low temperature thief had done its damage, and although in my eyes, it was the weather that deserved punishment, in the end it was the poor pipes that got busted. At this point, I did what the majority of the people I do know would do; started a claim with my insurance company and scheduled a professional plumber for the next “working” day. But the use of resources in a developing country kept cycling through my mind, so when a friend offered himself and his roommate to identify the exact source of the problem plumbing, to be looked at a couple of days later, I thought, what’s a few more days with the water off?

The good news was, they figured out what was actually wrong. The bad news was, it probably couldn’t be more complicated. Home Sweet Homeownership? Three months in and I already needed to replace the main underground pipe that ran from under the crawl space to the water meter at the street. Which was precisely when my little cottage took on a Goldilocks’-like fable of its own. The first plumber came all the way out, quickly surveyed the exterior perimeter of the house, peeked an eye in the crawl space and quoted me $200 or so. That just seemed a little too small and a little too good to be true. Which is when I thought to call a reliable and friendly source, to whom I am very grateful. He gave me a much better picture of what actually needed to be replaced, and how, and approximately how much, and recommended another plumber. This wasn’t going to be a quick, cheap fix, because the line was completely rusted and corroded, and all underground. A new pipe was going to have to be placed from the water meter, going underground, under the house, and up through the crawl space to the kitchen sink, from where the pipes shoot off to the rest of the house. A 20 inch trench had to be dug from the meter to the house (about 40 feet), then a tiny tunnel under the house, where it could meet under the crawl space. With this information, at least I knew what I was getting into.

After explaining all I knew to the second plumber, it finally convinced him to take a look for himself. The next day, he quoted me a price 10x as the first guy! I asked him to provide a line item statement while I called a third plumber. Turns out plumbers charge anywhere from $75-150 per hour, per worker. They have to rent $300 equipment to dig in your yard and then spend 2 or more hours digging the trench, and then however many hours it takes to replace the meter and the pipes and connect them all under the crawl space, plus the cost of the parts. It could be a 10 hour job, plumber #2 told me.

By the time I called plumber #3, I had been without running water for almost two weeks. I had a pretty good system down, which made me think very long and hard about what it meant to be connected to the City’s line in a developed country. In The United States America, you are NOT going to go without potable water, by any means. But I felt more vulnerable and more reliant on others than I ever did the entire two-plus years spent in Gambia. I relished those bucket baths under the stars, where washing my hair wasn’t a chore, but a renewing sense of self. Now, even though I resorted back to my gas-heated water bathing techniques, washed my dishes over a basin, and used that “gray water” to fill the toilet tank, I couldn’t bring myself to pass up the offer of friends to take a hot, running water shower every couple of days, which brought back the exact feeling of a renewed sense of self.

There was something about the third plumber’s sense of urgency and compassion about getting that water up and running again, that felt “just right”. He didn’t look at me with crazy eyes when I told him I’d done this before, voluntarily. When he was confused about exactly what was going on under the house, he pulled out his little disposable white suit and crawled right into the dirt. When I told him my plan to get a bunch of friends together and dig the trench, he didn’t hop right back into his truck and drive away. Instead, he gave me the exact dimensions of the trench, told me I had some pretty good friends, and to call him when we decided to give up. Ha! That’s a challenge if I ever heard one!

So, on the second Sunday of washing one hand at a time, three friends, to whom I will forever be indebted and ever grateful, put in hour after hour of muscle power and elbow grease, while I stood there and watched, just like I learned in Gambia. Yeah right! (I did offer food to everyone, though). I’m ready to sign up for some activity that involves demolishing something, because when I picked up that ax thing and made contact with the earth, something more than dirt stirred up. And after the nearly two foot ditch was dug, we spent another hour or so under the house, on elbows, digging a tiny tunnel under the concrete blocks, at which one point I asked my friend under the house with me, “What’s the first thing you’re going to do when you break out of this joint?” His answer? “Kiss my wife!” (She was on the outside, digging, in). Just as frustration was starting to set in, we finally saw the light of day and the challenge of victory was ours!!
I was so proud of our efforts, I immediately called plumber #3 and told him I was more than ready to get this water! However, I was once again let down when he said that the earliest they’d be able to get to it was the FOLLOWING Tuesday! This was just getting ridiculous. But not as ridiculous as the impending ice storm-turned snow blizzard that would freeze everything in the metro area for 5 days, with its 5 inches of accumulation. It certainly was beautiful, though, but as I watched those bowing branches dip lower over the electric lines as the ice kept coating, I was once again imagining the worst: one more utility compromised. Thankfully, that didn’t happen.

One month later, what finally did happen was that the snow melted enough for two workers to come out and connect new pipes, all in about 3 hours, resulting in bill nearly ¼ of the quote of plumber #2. But because the water had been off for so long, debris prevented the faucets from working properly, until an on-call plumber came out and fixed that too. After which, I crawled up into the attic this time, turned the water heater dial a little more to the right, and took a nice, long, hot bath. Whatever! I took a shower! And washed my hair! On a Friday night, woo hoo!

While we’re on the topic of things “running”, I have something to share. I just finished this book called Born to Run, about the Tarahumara tribe in Mexico and their ultra-running capabilities. It was very interesting and inspiring to this runner who aspires to complete at least one marathon at some point. At the same time, I found out that a story I wrote about being an American, female runner, in The Gambia, is going to be published in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Runners. This is their first addition and my story will be one of the 2% included in America’s favorite bathroom reading book. Look for it in July!

For Every Season...Our Roots Keep Growin'

It is only after I sit down to write this, that I realize the significance of today’s date. On January 30th, three years ago, I was about to embark on one of the most incredibly challenging and humbling, yet rewarding and philanthropic journeys of this young adult’s life. I had joined the US Peace Corps, and my moment to depart from everything familiar (family, foods and even fun), had arrived. Exactly three years ago, today, I was taking the proverbial flight into the unknown, first stop: Washington DC, to begin the first round of 27 months of integration preparation, known as Staging.

Now, three years later, I’ve been a returned Peace Corps volunteer for nine full months. I suppose it seems like it’s been that long. I mean, I’ve witnessed more changing seasons living back in Oklahoma, in six months than I experienced in the two years I lived in The Gambia, a small West African coastal country. If I peer out the window at this exact moment, bowing tree limbs, magnified by the three inches of coated ice and a blanket of blinding white, which envelops this typically rusted red dirt state, are all staring back at me.

But this segment is not meant to recount lack of seasons or saying goodbyes. There is a whole other entertaining online journal, dedicated to two years worth of that stuff. However, I wouldn’t be giving credit where it were deserved if I didn’t admit that putting those experiences to paper (and receiving positive acclamations) unveiled this desire to continue doing so. And when one day recently, out of the forgotten blue, I learn Chicken Soup for the Soul: Runners, is highly considering using one of my stories, I am somehow reassured that perhaps my mother isn’t the only one who might enjoy perusing the thoughts of an ordinary girl on a public forum. Of course, all of that is secondary to the fact that I really enjoy writing, which I now recognize is a therapeutic outlet, that has impacted my life and perhaps these random words may yours, as well.

So I suppose a little catch up is in store. First of all, I had a baby. Completely joking. It’s just that with the amount of time that has passed, I totally could have! I did, however, accrue a mortgage, an incredibly rewarding job and enough bills to compensate for it, purchased my very first car, moved back in with my dog, made some new solid friends, reunited with some old ones and maintained contact with the valuable ones.

There will definitely be more random stories and life pursuits to come, but for now, I’ll just say: It’s good to be back, Boy-Boy.