We are moving!
Posted by: Monica on: September 4, 2008
I’ve created a new blog today. This blog will no longer be updated. The new blog is Life in the Middle Lane
I love my readers and I hope that you all follow me to the new site. I am also developing a professional blog to talk more about government/work-related stuff Just in case you don’t know how to subscribe, I will have a little subscribe button in the sidebar. If you are still having problems, send me an email.
2 new things I love today and 1 thing that still scares me
Posted by: Monica on: August 28, 2008
I used this past weekend in a way that I will likely be unable to continue once the semester gets heavily underway. All weekend, I basically did two things:
I drank a lot and watched HOURS of tv. ( I also organized my calendar for the year and watched a concert, but those are minor details)
How does Monica watch TV without having her cable install yet???? (damn cable installation hours!!!!!!)
Well boys and girls, I ordered Netflix. Maybe, I’m late to this game, maybe my friends are all losers and don’t know (except L who is smarter than all of us) , or maybe we just spend so much time AT the movies that we don’t really need to watch them at home, but at any rate Netflix is all new to me.
So last week I got one of those Netflix fliers in the mail for a trial subscription. I went to their website, loved everything (it’s cheap, and I get as many movies as I can watch). I immediately signed up and will have my fave 50 movies coming to the crib in no time.
The best part about NetFlix? I can watch stuff online.
Which is what I did ALL weekend (in between drunken party fests) Me on my couch, with my computer on my lap watching my new second favorite thing.
WEEDS!!!! I love this show. I watched 2 seasons of this show over a 48 period. I am insane. And I can’t wait for Season 3 to come in the mail. I’m going to try to make it last a little longer this time, though.
And the one thing that still scares me? Scary f*cking movies. The first Netflix movie (Zodiac) came in the mail on Friday and I knew that I couldn’t watch in alone. I planned initially to save it for the next time I was in the A so that I was sure to have someone to protect me in bed. But I’m stupid so I decided to watch it with my mom on Sunday.
We didn’t start the movie until after 6 and between potty breaks and phone breaks, we didn’t finish the movie until after 9:30. And guess what? By then, it was dark and I had to drive home in the dark, go home to an empty apartment and sleep by myself. And guess what else, I was scared to death! So scared, in fact, that I slept with the kitchen and bathroom lights on, so that I could see if a serial killer was lurking in the shadows. And I dreamed all night about folks trying to kill me. Definitely not a good night’s sleep.
Rain and Politics
Posted by: Monica on: August 27, 2008
Two things:
1. It rained like crazy today. Today was the first in my life where I needed some rubber rain boots and I really f-ing wanted some. Someone please buy me a pair. I ruined a pair of tennis shoes swimming through the deluge. I mean, really. I was knee deep in water. Size 10, por favor.
But most importantly:
2. You did good Hil. I’m proud of you. I know that making that speech was difficult for you. There were some points where even I raised my eyebrows, and felt kind of bad for you. You conceded with poise and grace, and I almost believed you. One day I hope to be that good. You are officially reinstated as my hero. Love, Monica
Why Aren’t There More Women in Politics?
Posted by: Monica on: August 26, 2008
- In: 1| Family| Politics| leadership
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I was listening to the radio this morning, and apparently today August 26, 1920 was the date in history on which women got the right to vote. Yay for voting!!!! (you should try it) The radio talk show host talked for a bit about the numbers of women who vote, and according to them, women vote more than men do. Then they started talking about the very small number of black women who run and are elected to office. As they were talking, I kept thinking that, in my experience, the numbers of women, in general, who run for public office are very, very low, especially in relation to the large numbers in which women vote.
I, at 24 and 25 have been asked by my county political party to attend candidate trainings so that I can go ahead and be in the pipeline to run in the future. I know numerous other women in North Carolina who have been asked to run for higher office; be it on a city or county level, or on a state or national level. And I know that these women refuse time and time again. And often, when an older women wants to retire from office, there aren’t any qualified women to take her place, and that’s sad.
Sometimes women refuse to run for monetary reasons, they work and can’t afford to quit or they can’t afford childcare, or sometimes they simply can’t afford the campaign. Sometimes potential female candidates site the stress of the campaign trail, or the ugliness of campaigning. Sometimes, potential candidates don’t want to put their life under the public’s microscope.
However, the excuse that I have heard most often for why women don’t run for office is that they don’t want to take the time away from their families. And every time I hear that, I roll my eyes and shake my head. I HATE this excuse. How often do men worry about being away from their families when working or bettering themselves? I’d bet that generally men don’t worry very much about being away from their families. Men understand that the better they are, the better their families are. And I get frustrated that women continue to put themselves in the back seat and allow men to take the drivers seat in politics and determine all of our destinies.
10 RANDOM THOUGHTS OF THE DAY
Posted by: Monica on: August 22, 2008
1. Why does it hurts my heart a little bit to see something in print that I already knew intellectually but am still having problems with in reality?
2. I heart my new job already even though (or maybe because) I’m in waaaaay over my head and this is only day one!!!!!
3. I love conferences and hanging out with folks that I can learn from (and I get to do it twice in September)
4. I’m so glad it’s Friday, even though I really haven’t done sh*t all week.
5. I have a great network of colleagues (and a hell of a lot of institutional knowledge) in NC that I will be sad to leave next May
6. I think I am (finally) getting used to being back in NC, even though I still can’t bring myself to try to cook for one 
7. I have a feeling that there will be heavy drinking this weekend
8. Apparently there are lots of promiscuous women in America, and I happen to NOT be one of them (did I miss out on anything?) For those of you raising your hand and objecting at this information, shut up, the f*cking numbers speak for themselves!!!
9. How lucky blessed am I to be living my life? This is the f*cking dream!
10. My boss is 26. And his boss hugged me this morning.
