Postcards from the Imagination

I finally saw Shortbus the other night. I was skeptical at first, because the scene that sets up the story--Sofia's therapy session with the two Jamies--seemed a bit amateurish. But in the end, I was completely charmed. It's about time someone made a film that pushes the moral debate outside the frame and focuses instead on the vastly more interesting psychological challenges bound up with navigating post-Puritan sexualities. The mini-documentary about the the making of Shortbus is a must-see too--particularly for anyone interested in how graphic sex can be visually depicted sans exploitation. Interestingly enough, for all its steaminess, I was neither turned on nor off throughout most of the film. Except for one scene. One scene was hot enough to rewind/replay a few times. But I'm not going to tell you which. ;-)

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I met some of my new colleagues in the mightier-than-swords department for drinks the other night. After years of feeling like the token old lady in a room full of undergraduates, it was seriously nice to look around and see a few peers.

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Scored a free room air conditioner through Freecycle yesterday. The first couple weeks here were incredibly mild, and I thought I could get by without one, but late last week both the heat and humidity climbed to 90+. Though I prefer fresh air and probably won't use it much, I'm glad to have the option. Other recent acquisitions: a free 19" color television and $25 Kenmore microwave oven, both in great shape. Keeping things out of the landfill while keeping more of my money is a pretty neat win-win.

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Speaking of which, trying to green up my life has become a new favorite hobby of sorts. I began with a few things, and because those were so easy, the challenge of figuring out how to do more started to look exciting. So far I've stopped taking plastic bags from stores, started saving containers whenever possible (I needed tupperware anyway!), bought 100% recycled paper towels and only use them when a dishtowel or sponge absolutely won't do, started replacing some of my food purchases with local/organic/fair trade certified things, started printing on both sides of the page and recycling any paper that's full, use my double sink to cut down on waste water from dishwashing, and keep the blinds upstairs closed during the day for climate control.

On deck for the next 30-60 days: * replace the two remaining standard light bulbs in my apartment with CFLs * buy biodegradable, earth-friendly cleaning supplies * purchase power strips with on/off switches and turn them off when I'm not using whatever's plugged into them * buy solar-powered chargers for small electronics and reusable batteries * take my car in for a tune-up, oil change, and tire check * switch to 100% paperless bills and sign up to have junk mail stopped * purchase a reusable coffee filter * bike, walk, or bus to class * consolidate errands and keep my car parked at least every other day * purchase a reusable coffee filter * buy a rack and start drying at least some of my clothes without electricity.

The hardest and probably most necessary things are going to be cutting way back on the joy rides and keeping my thermostat low in the winter. This is where I'd love to see America get its collective ingenuity together to drive the widespread availability and affordabilty of alternative fuel sources. I hate a cold nose, and you can't sing your heart out at high speeds on a bicycle. That said, I'm going to try to be good...or at least better. And I'm going to needle my elected representatives until they stop making this harder than it needs to be.

I'll let you know how it goes. :-) 

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Finally, it's nice to be walking uphill on my own two feet while the runaway train bounces wildly down the tracks. If I don't run after it shouting I'm not to blame for the wreck, I suspect most of you understand why.