Minnesota winters are tough but we’ve grown to be tougher. Though some days I feel downright fragile in this bitter cold. Somehow I made it out for a second consecutive Friday night. To see the amazing Lala Lala in the Entry with Sen Morimoto and The Miami Dolphins. And last night to two of three events. First, our Conspiracy of Strange Girls group art show. I was thrilled by the turnout for the opening reception of Liminal on such a frigid night! The show is on display until January 27th. I pulled volunteer duty at the bar for a couple of hours before heading back to Moon Palace to continue my fantastic evening. Especially enjoyed listening to Zak read from Folrath, his autobiographical account of the time in his early twenties. Highly entertaining and dredged up a lot of memories. We are roughly the same age but had somewhat different adventures in our early 20s. At age 18 I was hell-bent on creating a stable home for myself (for the first time in my life), getting my own apartment and the first of many day jobs with health insurance. My life was still enmeshed with the punk scene but I was straightedge and a safety conscious nerd. Sure, I would go dumpster diving and occasionally sleep on floors at out of town punk houses. But I left it to my more free-spirited friends to go train hopping and live in squats. Motherhood grounded me even more. I’ve had a few regrets but mostly look back and feel content at how it all shook out. And I’ve got more than a few stories to tell, as well all do. Great night catching up with old friends and thinking about other ones. And that was a heck of an introduce to Jessie and the Jinx!
Those are the happy highlights. In winter it is even easier to feel down. And the surreal state of the world doesn’t help. Five recent tales of absurdity:
- Saddened and disgusted by this (getting too used to this feeling): Outcry after Kentucky students in Maga hats mock Native American veteran. ‘It was getting ugly’: Native American drummer speaks on the MAGA-hat-wearing teens who surrounded him
- Canada’s Air Controllers, Purveyors of Pizza Goodwill - this would just be a cute feelgood fluff piece if the government shutdown weren’t so ridiculous and uncalled for.
- So many completely avoidable repercussions to this stupid shutdown: As shutdown drags on, scientists scramble to keep insects, plants and microbes alive
- This is a friend of a friend who should not have to deal with this bullshit. Federal worker forced to ration insulin because of government shutdown
“I can’t afford to go to the ER. I can’t afford anything. I just went to bed and hoped I’d wake up,” Mallory Lorge said about her blood sugar going high. - Last summer it took the State of MN‬ over three months to renew my son’s state ID, and I had to pay to expedite the process to get it that “quickly.” Parker’s new passport arrived just two weeks from renewing it. Not expedited. During the federal government shutdown. Bureaucracy is baffling. I don’t dare hope we’ll have the same sort of turnaround for my tax refund.
Tough to end things on a bright note when it’s doom and gloom out there. And personally? I’m in a temporary financial tight spot right now, partially due to external forces and my own poor planning. But somehow I’ve been enjoying some incredible experiences lately, with friends and family, that are helping me get through it all.
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