#fail

I've not updated in forever. What a jerkface I am. 

Darfur

I went to see John Prendergast this weekend. He is visiting Pitt and showing a few of his films.  This one was 3 Points and I'm going to see one about rape in the Congo on Monday. What uplifting topics!

The guy is an inspiration really. However, I can't help but think about his personal life. His hair and his friends Brad Pitt and George Clooney make me suspect he is a playboy.  Did I just say his hair? Yep, I totally did.  On a professional level I wonder this as well.  Has he had to give up certain personal relationships in order to live a life defending human rights? Will I have to?

Freeze

I took this picture this morning. One of Braddock's multiple churches. So many churches in such a small place shows how once this community was bustling. The main thing that drew me to this church is that I have no idea if it is functional. For the most part, things in Braddock are portrayed as crumbling which for the most part, they are. But there is a little niche here that I call frozen in time.  There are many buildings that don't seem broken, windows in tact, signs out in front, and if you were anywhere else you would just assume that they were businesses. Only here, that means absolutely nothing.

This church has a sign in front about services on Sunday mornings. Maybe it is true, maybe there is a small congregation that attends weekly. There is also the possibility that no one has opened those front doors in 15 years.

Won't you be my neighbor

Yesterday I went to the library to find out how to go about getting a library card. It is a very historic place, but I didn't stay very long. When I was leaving, a group of kids came in. I would guess they were about 10, as their tornado-like entrance was not accompanied by an adult.

They were coming in while I was approaching the door to leave. The last boy to come in with the group, sees me leaving, turns and walks back to open the door for me.

"Thanks, bud" I said.
"You're welcome."
"You have a great day."
"Thank you. You do, too."

Kelli Brown always uses the expression "warms my heart," so I'm pretty sure I picked up the phrase from her. As I walked towards my car, my heart felt so warm. A simple quick gesture from this sweet little boy made my entire day. I thought about his family and what a good job they were doing raising him. I thought about his luck of the draw growing up in this town of shambles. I thought about what he would be like in a few years. Would he keep this sweet demeanor or try to be more tough to fit in with his peers? Braddock teeters on abandoned and amazing. There really are amazing things going on, and I hope that he is a part of it. The after school programs, the urban farms, the free things offered at the library. Places like this need to succeed not for the people that have lived here forever as much as for the kids who have just started to.

La la la la

I love song covers.  I'm not really talking American Idol per say,(there have been a few) or Youtube sensations (although I do get a kick out of the occasional Filippino group that loves Jason Mraz). I love when artists cover songs and not only sing them well, but change up the feel. Or if the artist is of a different gender and makes the lyrics take on all new meaning. I have so many that I really do enjoy. I will spread them out though, as not to make one post kind ridiculously long.

My first selection is Leona Lewis singing Snow Patrol's Run.

Leona can pretty much sing anything and make it sound amazing. She transformed this melodramatic alternative-ish pop song into a power ballad. I'm not a huge fan of vibrato, but her choice for this song is unexpected and makes it sound almost haunting. She doesn't do a lot of crazy runs just because she can. Beautiful.

Another reason that I started this blog was to document this random part of my life. At the beginning of the month I packed my bags and moved to Braddock, PA. I am still new here and usually have no idea what is going on or what my surroundings are, but everyday I meet someone or have a conversation with someone that solidifies my decision.

Happy (clap) Birthday (clap) To (clap) You (clap)

Wednesday was my mother's birthday. I was so busy with school the last few days that I didn't have the chance to post, but I made it before the end of the week, so I will take that as 'counting.'

Growing up, her Native American name could have been "Rules with Iron Fist." Somehow, Rules with Iron Fist has now become "Magoo" short for Mr. Magoo.  I regularly find myself doing or saying things that tell me that I am slowly becoming a lot like her. I'm a very lucky lady.

I Can Stir Fry!

I can't cook. I don't even pretend like I can. I think if I explore back enough, it can be attributed to my grandmother. When her sister was a toddler, she was in the kitchen and dropped a pot full of boiling water on herself and died. This was something that obviously affected that generation and the tradition has passed down. My grandmother, not born yet, was raised by grief stricken parents who did not allow her in the kitchen as a child. She then raised her children the same way, who, at least for my mother, passed down the tradition. I always hear about how the kitchen is the main place for families, where all the memories are made and traditions are passed down. Not in our family. No one has any business in there unless they are cooking. My mother, a wonderful cook, didn't learn how to until she got married.

So here I am, unmarried and still unable to cook. But, I can stir fry! I think figuring out how to stir fry has lead to my survival. And when I say figure out, I mean it. At this point, I am pretty comfortable stir frying, and have even added some new veggies to the mix. This ability has only come with years of setting off the fire alarm.

I think I will someday set out and learn how to make some other things. Some day, I may even venture to use the oven.

Here We Go Again

I really enjoy blogs. I always have. I love reading the musings of both friends and strangers on a regular basis. I've had a few blogs myself and didn't totally stick to them. And when I say "totally" I mean, I didn't stick to them at all. Actually, the blog I kept at this domain I did have for about 4 years. I think I had met my blog quota for a long, long time. I was a late teen reaching my early 20s. It was an interesting time to document. Reading back, I remember a lot of those days  and the emotions that came with them. I was pretty lost, trying to become an adult, trying to figure things out. I'm a very different person than I was back then. I'm also kind of exactly the same.

So, this blog has no mission statement as have many of my other past attempts. I will not challenge myself to anything and try and document here or anything of the sort. It will just be a free space to write, to post pictures and to once again capture a moment in time in my life.