Six Questions before Blues Fest
In what will be my first live music experience in years, my family is going to spend some time at Blues Fest tomorrow afternoon. I’m kind of nervous, but I don’t know why. It should be a good time. Hope to see you there! You’ll know me by the impossibly cute kids who are hanging on me all the time.
1. The “no cow’s milk for humans” debate has come up again near my online group. I know a few people personally who aren’t lactose intolerant, but they shun the mention of drinking milk or ingesting any milk-based product, calling it unnatural and unhealthy. This is Wisconsin, so the idea of outlawing cheese is ridiculous. What is your take on the issue? Has anyone said anything to you about the horrors of milk?
2. Do you still celebrate your birthday? I stopped a few years ago, kind of. We usually have a four-week window around my birthday where we’ll make a point of going out to eat, but beyond that, I don’t really want a fuss and bother. How do you feel about birthdays?
3. I spent many weeks this summer working part-time at my old job while the boss was on maternity leave. I found it fascinating to analyze the power dynamic in my house during that time and especially after. It begs the question — is the work of a stay-at-home mom as valuable as that of a working-outside-the-home mom? I’m not sure. How about any unpaid work? What about writers who haven’t sealed the book deal yet but continue to write their book?
4. If a woman you know well was growing a lot of white, downy hair on her cheeks after menopause, would you say anything?
5. My parents just went to my dad’s 50th high school class reunion. They had a sing-a-long with the music of the era, raffle prizes, and a whole lot of visiting. Are you planning on going to your reunions? Have you gone already? My parents think it’s a shame that us kids aren’t interested, but I pointed out the statistics. Sixty students in my dad’s graduating class. Over 200 in mine. Also, I have not remained friends with anyone I knew in high school (on purpose). What is your take on the demographic difference?
6. I’ve become addicted to the Olympics, and it breaks my heart that so many of the good competitions are on after my bedtime. I stayed up several nights in a row, but I’ve given up. I just can’t do it anymore. Not a night went by when I wasn’t reduced to tears by the glory of it all. I sat on the edge of my seat, watching these strong men and women go for the gold, feeling a fraction of their struggle, feeling a tiny bit of their triumph. What about you? Are you watching or at least keeping up with the scores? How do you feel about the Olympics? Is it a waste of time?
Dino Corvino said:
1. As a vegetarian, I tend to avoid cows milk. I think that as one begins to understand the affect of milk on the adult, one will avoid milk.
2. I do celebrate my birthday. It is the only night of the year I drink alcohol. So that makes it special in many ways.
3. I think that we should be respected for their crafts. For a lot of years Bill Coady from the Wausau blog was a stay at home dad. Until I met him, and he talked to me about it, I just had no idea.
4. There is NO WAY I would say anything. Ever.
5. I have avoided my other reunions like a child, for immature reasons. But I am going to the next one. I think older folks did not move as far away.
6. I watch my college friend Lloy Ball play, I watch some stuff on the phone with an old friend because we talk about it live. I watch.
August 15th, 2008 at 10:41 am #
orkmommy said:
1. We have a dairy farm so there’s no question about milk for me. For every reason you shouldn’t drink it, there’s one for why you should. We drink ours straight from the bulk tank and I’ve never felt better. It actually tastes much better that way too!
2. We go out to dinner for our birthdays because they’re 3 days apart. We also try to do something with the family because of our daughter. She’s very into birthdays!
3. I’ve been both a SAHM and a working mom. Neither is more difficult than the other, they both have their challenges and both are very rewarding.
4. I would tell her. I would also want someone to tell me!
5. I went to HS in Illinois so I won’t be attending reunions. June was actually #20 for me. (Gosh, when did I get so old?). I barely remember the people I went to HS with!
6. I would absolutely LOVE to be able to stay up late to watch. I’ve heard that NBC’s “live” coverage is actually pre-taped because people up north who get channels from Canada are actually seeing what we’re seeing a few hours earlier. And no, the Olympics are definitely not a waste of time!
August 15th, 2008 at 11:34 am #
Mohawk Matt said:
1. Milk does this body good. I love dairy.
2. I’ve been throwing myself a birthday party/show for a few years now, and I’m working on the one for this year.
3. I take care of my son during the day and work at night, so it’s double duty for me.
4. Depends on who it was, I guess.
5. Undecided, my 10th is still 2 years away.
6. The olympics combine two things americans hate the most: Foreigners and Gym.
August 15th, 2008 at 4:34 pm #
Alex Tallitsch said:
Ahh, Saturday morning questions.
1. I drink more milk than anyone I know. It seems every time I turn around there is a new ‘theory’ on dairy products. Last time I heard it was now ‘good’ for you. I am done listening and back to drinking. Milk that is.
2. I don’t celebrate my birthday per-say, but am aware of it. At my house, birthdays are considered a day off. The other members of the household must wait on you hand and foot all day. That is about as far as it goes.
3. I think Moms are important no matter what they do. I also consider myself a perpetual free work do-er. You can be proud of work even if money is not involved.
4. Never, not a chance.
5. I went to my five year and my ten year. I decided they would get progressively dumber as the years went along. Therefore, I do not plan on attending any in the future.
6. I try to watch every event, both summer and winter, every two years. I like it when money is taken out of any equation.
August 16th, 2008 at 9:50 am #
laura said:
I promised Dino I would do this, & I ran out of time yesterday…I’m sorry guy…don’t be angry with me :)
1. Despite being quite intollerant of milk, i love it and just drink the lactose free. i don’t care if it’s not good for you, it goes well with pie.
2. Of course i celebrate my birthday, what’s not to celebrate. It’s on Thanksgiving this year.
3. Mom is the most important job, working outside the home or otherwise.
4. No way, and I would NOT want someone to tell me.
5. Alex, I didnt’ go to our five or ten, but I went to the 15 and it was a BLAST. I will go to the 20. Despite having a very large class, it was fantastic to see everyone, even those i wasn’t overly fond of.
6. I can’t seem to get all that into the Olympics, and I really used to. We watch more DVDs than TV in my house, too, and they usually involve Dora, Sesame Street, Hello Kitty, or some Princess.
August 16th, 2008 at 3:25 pm #
Jim Rosenberg said:
1. Most of the milk I drink comes with coffee, but I’m also a big fan of malted milk. (No, it’s not the same as just chocolate milk. It’s better.)
2. Our birthdays are in March. It’s a good time to travel, so we often do.
3. Never mess with moms.
4. People know way more about their condition and appearance than anyone else ever would.
5. Reunions can be interesting. I go for the low-cost, informal things. I’m not interested in expensive, dress-up affairs.
6. I find the winter Olympics a lot more interesting, for whatever reason. I think of it as an activity that is more for the participants and those who know them personally than for the spectators, in general. I think it’s a good thing, but I don’t get very wrapped up in it. (It’s probably just me.)
August 16th, 2008 at 5:33 pm #
erik said:
1. I drink soy milk because its so damn delcious I feel like I’m cheating and drinking something unhealthy. I can’t bring myself to give up cheese despite all the fat and what not that comes with it. Cheese may be the best thing ever. Period.
2. I do celebrate my birthday, and just had it actually. However Margaret and I did discuss how the birthday becomes your own responsibility to celebrate rather than others doing it for you when you’re younger. It is an interesting dynamic.
3. With the crazy cost of day care a stay at home parent can often save the family more money than what it would cost to put the kids in day care and have them both working, so its very valuable work. On the other hand, I personally could never be just sitting at home trying to get my “big break” while my significant other worked. I would feel like the most worthless SOB on the planet, because I wouldn’t be an aspiring filmmaker, I’d be unemployed. There’s no other way to spin it. Chase the dream, but pull some weight.
4. Who is this woman? I know a lot of women. The closer they are, the more likely I would be to tell them.
5. Didn’t bother with the five year one. Ten year is upcoming and I’m considering it. I’m not close with anyone from high school, and some of those broken connections were a choice. But others I’d like to see what they’re up to outside of stalking them on Facebook.
6. I love soccer. And the summer olympics is a rare time for me when I can actually watch some on TV so I really like that. But I just don’t dig the Olympics on a whole. Some sports just don’t lend themselves well to television.
August 16th, 2008 at 8:20 pm #
swearingen said:
1. Got milk? Skim organic for me.
2. Any day that I am still this side of the dirt is a day to celebrate. Every day’s a holiday, every meal’s a banquet.
3. The “work” that is done without monetary reimbursement is work of the heart and has its own reward. Stay-at-home anybody’s (moms or dads) are a rare breed and I applaud them.
4. Not without a court order or a gun to my head.
5. See number 4.
6. Only thing I saw re the Olympics was an email forward showing some of the onsite “fast food” available…squid, snakes, star fish, sea horses, all manner of creeping, crawling critters on a stick. Breakfast of champions.
August 21st, 2008 at 7:49 am #