Conversation that took place this evening with my mom, post just enough wine for her to be a bit funny
Me: Hey mom can we go skinny dipping tonight? Will you or the neighbors see?
Mom: No I checked it out
Me: Oh you went to all the neighbor's houses to check and see if they have a view of the pool?
Mom: ignores comment
Mom: You can go take those noodles and straddle one and put one around you and just float.
Laurieann: I don't think I want to use one of those noodles, I don't know where they've been
Mom: No, they're not gooey
Me: Uncontrollable laughter
Welcome to my life. If anyone is interested in making a movie of this madness just let me know :)
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
The J-O-B
Here are the details about the actual job I have (well I will officially have it once my background check is complete).
I will be working with the Victim Support Team (VST) at the Seattle Police Department. The VST is a civilian team that responds with the police to a domestic violence call. The VST is called by the police once the scene has been secured. We are there to offer resources and help safety plan. My job comes in after the weekend when we are sort of a bridge between the DV survivor and the SPD. Apparently it is called system based advocacy.
Another part of the job will be my time with the JustServe team. I think there are about thirty of us and we will have a week of training before our jobs start and then we will meet on Fridays after that to discuss things. We will be discussing issues of violence and racism and how to address the pipeline that sends a disproportionate amount of youth of color into the prison system. This will be an interesting dynamic because my site is the only DV site.
Anyways, those are the details :)
I will be working with the Victim Support Team (VST) at the Seattle Police Department. The VST is a civilian team that responds with the police to a domestic violence call. The VST is called by the police once the scene has been secured. We are there to offer resources and help safety plan. My job comes in after the weekend when we are sort of a bridge between the DV survivor and the SPD. Apparently it is called system based advocacy.
Another part of the job will be my time with the JustServe team. I think there are about thirty of us and we will have a week of training before our jobs start and then we will meet on Fridays after that to discuss things. We will be discussing issues of violence and racism and how to address the pipeline that sends a disproportionate amount of youth of color into the prison system. This will be an interesting dynamic because my site is the only DV site.
Anyways, those are the details :)
Thursday, July 24, 2008
. . . And We're Back
I am sorry for the long absence my beloved fans. Life here in 'just graduated from college and don't really have a lot going on land' has been pretty rough. My first excuse is that I was pretty busy sitting on the couch thinking about leaving the house for about a week. My second excuse is that the week before I left to help Ms. McK with her wedding I decided to cram FIVE interviews into one week. That my friends is the subject of this new post.
. . .
So, I have a job. It's a pretty big deal. Allow me to share with you the process leading up to this joy.
After graduation I saw a job posting on the El Centro de la Raza website. The job looked real sweet, but it was only offered through AmeriCorps. AmeriCorps is basically the domestic version of the PeaceCorps. This is also code for 'work really hard in a really challenging environment and live on $1,000 a month'. My particular team within AmeriCorps is called 'JustServe' and has an anti violence/ undoing racism focus.
Anyways, let me spare you the boring details and get to the part where I get the job. I filled out an application, went in for an interview with the AmeriCorps people, it was stellar, they gave the number of four different sites where they think I should interview, I called them and had three interview on Thursday and one on Friday.
Let me start off by saying 'never, ever, ever have three interviews in one day'. By the end of the day I sounded like a stupid girl with little depth because my brain could just not function anymore to create cohesive thoughts.
The part that was challenging about these interviews is that most of them were in situations where I would be working youth of color and at risk youth. The fact that I am a white female makes a difference in these situations and the people interviewing me wanted to see if I got that. Some people addressed it directly others asked me awkward questions trying to ignore the elephant in the room. It was hard to walk the fine line of expressing that I understood that white privilige is real and that it might affect my ability to be effective in the role and trying to not sound defensive. It was exhausting to realize that while I may seem to 'get it' in my mostly white SPU world, there is a lot I still have to learn in the real world.
I realized that this is probably reality for people of color who feel they are constantly trying to fight stereotypes that most people don't even realize they hold.
I think I might stop here and share with you a little video from illdoctrine (I have a little crushy crush on this man)
. . .
So, I have a job. It's a pretty big deal. Allow me to share with you the process leading up to this joy.
After graduation I saw a job posting on the El Centro de la Raza website. The job looked real sweet, but it was only offered through AmeriCorps. AmeriCorps is basically the domestic version of the PeaceCorps. This is also code for 'work really hard in a really challenging environment and live on $1,000 a month'. My particular team within AmeriCorps is called 'JustServe' and has an anti violence/ undoing racism focus.
Anyways, let me spare you the boring details and get to the part where I get the job. I filled out an application, went in for an interview with the AmeriCorps people, it was stellar, they gave the number of four different sites where they think I should interview, I called them and had three interview on Thursday and one on Friday.
Let me start off by saying 'never, ever, ever have three interviews in one day'. By the end of the day I sounded like a stupid girl with little depth because my brain could just not function anymore to create cohesive thoughts.
The part that was challenging about these interviews is that most of them were in situations where I would be working youth of color and at risk youth. The fact that I am a white female makes a difference in these situations and the people interviewing me wanted to see if I got that. Some people addressed it directly others asked me awkward questions trying to ignore the elephant in the room. It was hard to walk the fine line of expressing that I understood that white privilige is real and that it might affect my ability to be effective in the role and trying to not sound defensive. It was exhausting to realize that while I may seem to 'get it' in my mostly white SPU world, there is a lot I still have to learn in the real world.
I realized that this is probably reality for people of color who feel they are constantly trying to fight stereotypes that most people don't even realize they hold.
I think I might stop here and share with you a little video from illdoctrine (I have a little crushy crush on this man)
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Also
I think I really am an introvert. People don't believe this because I am kind of loud and chatty sometimes. But I just spent a whole weekend meeting new family and talking. I think if someone walks up to talk to me right now I may give them the stink eye.
Airport thoughts
So I'm at the airport, ready to go home (Seattle home) and my flight is about an hour late. I'm already here far too early for my original flight time. My mother is a bit obsessive compulsive and really needed to be confident that I wouldn't be late because of the HUGE lines at the Sacramento airport. Yeah, we are a pretty big deal.
Anyways I thought this would be the perfect time to blog. Here we go . . .
Holly and I were talking the other night (there may have been tears involved because Holly had just walked into our house and a lot of things were moved out and we both realized this is all really changing) about the rest of our lives. She said something quite profound about her desire to leave the country with the hubby in the next couple of years.
She said "I know that if we stay here I will be seduced by the car and the house and the coushy income."
All the sudden things became very clear. I have really been enjoying babysitting lately. In this time of instability, the stability of a husband, house, and children seems very appealing. This has caused quite the crisis in my life. See, I do not really subscribe to the thought that all women want to have children and a family and that is what God has created us for. I think some people have been created for that, but I think it is problematic when we confine people to certain callings based on their gender. Why have I been wanting this if it is not something that I feel is my primary calling?
Holly's comment reminded me that just because it seems appealing, that does mean it is right for me. At some point in my life I hope to have a family. But most of all I hope that I am doing justice, loving mercy, and walking humbly in a way that does not forget my neighbors here in the states and in other parts of the world.
I'm not really sure if this made sense in the way I want it to. Please feel free to ask me questions in the comments :)
Anyways I thought this would be the perfect time to blog. Here we go . . .
Holly and I were talking the other night (there may have been tears involved because Holly had just walked into our house and a lot of things were moved out and we both realized this is all really changing) about the rest of our lives. She said something quite profound about her desire to leave the country with the hubby in the next couple of years.
She said "I know that if we stay here I will be seduced by the car and the house and the coushy income."
All the sudden things became very clear. I have really been enjoying babysitting lately. In this time of instability, the stability of a husband, house, and children seems very appealing. This has caused quite the crisis in my life. See, I do not really subscribe to the thought that all women want to have children and a family and that is what God has created us for. I think some people have been created for that, but I think it is problematic when we confine people to certain callings based on their gender. Why have I been wanting this if it is not something that I feel is my primary calling?
Holly's comment reminded me that just because it seems appealing, that does mean it is right for me. At some point in my life I hope to have a family. But most of all I hope that I am doing justice, loving mercy, and walking humbly in a way that does not forget my neighbors here in the states and in other parts of the world.
I'm not really sure if this made sense in the way I want it to. Please feel free to ask me questions in the comments :)
Friday, June 13, 2008
Sidenote
If you are a Seattleite you will understand this.
I can hear the drum circle in Fremont outside my window right now. Summer has arrived my friends. I just can't wait for the naked solstice parade.
I can hear the drum circle in Fremont outside my window right now. Summer has arrived my friends. I just can't wait for the naked solstice parade.
Breaking News
I graduated. It's a pretty big deal.
The sun is still rising (or at least it would be if I lived anywhere else besides Seattle)
I still know how to function in life
I have a feeling things are going to be pretty great
* I promise a more in depth post after this weekend when wedding shower number three gets marked off the list.
The sun is still rising (or at least it would be if I lived anywhere else besides Seattle)
I still know how to function in life
I have a feeling things are going to be pretty great
* I promise a more in depth post after this weekend when wedding shower number three gets marked off the list.
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