Summer Coming to an End August 26, 2009

It feels like a lifetime ago that I left California.  Now, after about two and half months in Michigan, I find summer is at its end. My books for week one of class, sitting on my nightstand and awaiting my attention, remind me that classes begin in a matter of days.

I was quite happy for Summer Institute to come to an end.  The seminars proved to be pretty useless overall, at times bordering on condescending.  What is worse, there was a startling lack of understanding and sensitivity to certain forms of diversity, which the program is supposed to embrace.  The rumors proved true – the best part about it was meeting people from different fields and getting to know the town before school begins.

I continue to settle in to the people and places around me.  Not always an easy process, but I feel fortunate for new friendships forming and the enjoyable times we have spent together.  I continue to enjoy exploring the area, and noticing the little differences.   For the first time I’ve seen fireflies, chipmunks, and what I can only assume was a groundhog.  Another first was the bat that got in through the basement, made it upstairs and circled my bedroom to the cats pleasure and my panic.  Fortunately if found its way to the back door without anything more than a scare.  The kitties seem pretty at home now as well, though Gaby seems to have aged quite a bit recently.  She is still a happy gal, but her 13 years are starting to show, which is hard for me to grapple with, since she has been my one constant since high school.

I really am eager for the semester to begin and to settle into the school routine.  Not only am I excited to dig in to this new journey of study, but it will also give a sense of purpose to my being here that has been lacking thus far.

A local activist community  eludes me, but I continue to search.  If the summer is any indication, I’ll have no problem tackling the battles that cross my path and stirring up trouble when necessary!  I also got a job at my neighborhood coffee shop.  It’s a pretty relaxed environment and is part of my ingenious plan to keep myself fully supplied in caffeine over the coming months.

I’m looking forward to the visits in the months ahead – as settled in as I get here, nothing compares to California and all of you.  Love and hugs!

My downstairs, and the kids:

Good company, good drinks, good eats! July 8, 2009

A very fine day in Michigan.  A beautiful morning walk to campus this morning – I love looking at the plants, trees, flowers, and architecture of the old homes.   After class I had a meeting with my history grad student mentor, who is very kind and quite full of useful information.  Then it was off to happy hour with our little grad student posse, followed by a delicious Indian food dinner.  Top off the evening with sangria on the porch at Dominick’s.  I am quite enjoying getting to know some very fine individuals.

The Journey, Arrival and Settling In July 7, 2009

It has been exactly three weeks now, and I am finally feeling settled in enough to blog.   It feels like forever since I left California.  Everything seems so new and different here, but it is fun to wander around and explore the town.

The rest of our road trip was pretty easy, aside from my bouts of tears and a few tight turns in the truck.  Rachel and I had some moments of brilliance along the road – I couldn’t have asked for a better road trip companion.  The kitties made it through relatively unscathed.  Mostly, they napped under our seats or on one of us.   Check out pics from the road!

On Day 2 we left Utah, seeing the Great Salt Lake and Salt Lake City.  The eastern part of the state was quite pretty.   Wyoming is everything its said to be, incredibly beautiful, wide open and unending skies.   To be completely honest, we were a bit freaked out by Nebraska.   Within the first few miles we encountered an anti-choice billboard, a huge Virgin Mary statue, and a billboard that read, “the events of the end of the world are happening all around us,” with a people reaching up to a fireball in the sky.  We stopped for a gas at a deserted station that seemed not to have been open in over 30 years.  When we managed to find a place, the only person we saw was the man filling his tractor next to us.  As night fell we began hearing tornado warnings on the radio, which, of course, caught two women from California completely by surprise.  We drove for a bit longer, then waited out the storm in Kearney, NE, after over 800 miles of driving on Day 2.

Day 3 we decided to push through to Ann Arbor.   We gladly left Nebraska, though not before celebrating our drive through Omaha, the largest city we had been in since leaving Sacramento.   Aside from having horrible rain through the Des Moines area and the Chicago area, I loved driving through Iowa and Illinois – grassy green hills, old barns, crossing the Mississippi River for the first time.  The final hours of our drive were in the dark and bad weather.  After a quick venture through Indiana we made it to Michigan.  We sprinted across and arrived at 2 a.m.   We made almost 900 miles through 5 states.   Yes, we were delirious by the end!

Rachel stayed with me for a few days and helped me settle in a bit.  It was great to have a friend with me and very sad when I had to drop her at the airport.

I had to jump right in to orientation: two 10 hour days of information, activities, meals, and workshops.   I had a week of mostly open time to unpack and organize this year’s lodging.  Each week we have various seminars that are meant to prepare us for graduate life, although having completed my MA just over a month ago I already feel pretty prepared.  Spanish classes started a week ago.   We are supposed to be learning a year’s worth of Spanish in 7 weeks, which means 4 hour days, 4 days a week.

I’ve met some funny, smart, kind people in the summer program (we like to call it summer camp).  I’m trying to get out and about and have a good time.  Slowly, but surely, I’m settling in.

Love to all.

Sights of Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor or Bust? Day 1 June 14, 2009

Whose bright idea was this whole Ph.D. thing?  In Michigan?  Right now I hardly feel like a radical Californian seeking adventures beyond my beloved West Coast.   At present I feel like a weepy baby who wants nothing more that to be safe at home.  The impulse to turn the truck/trailer around and head back to CA is hard to resist.   My fabulous traveling companion had to remind me that if I showed up at home I’d be greeted with love and hugs, then an ass-kicking for giving up the amazing opportunity I have.  I’m fortunate enough to have friends that assure me that this is not just my journey, but a collective one that I’m doing for all of us.  Of course, that’s the problem-amazing friends I can’t stand to be away from.  They are my family, my heart, my home.   I’ve been crying on and off throughout the day.  I’m hoping the rest in our fantastically cheep little motel will bring a brighter tomorrow, though I have a feeling I won’t be too far away from tissue for some time yet.

I do have the kitties along for the ride, which makes any place home.  Including this stinky motel room.

Join me in D.C. June 1, 2009

Meet on the Mall for Equality, October 10-11, 2009.

In 2004 it was for Reproductive Justice.  In 2009, its about time we march  for Queer Justice.   Millions have preceded us, marching on Washington to show  just how committed we are to changing our nation.  It is an incredible, life-changing, event.  If you haven’t participated before,  now is the time to march.

I’ll see you there!

weekend high and low June 1, 2009

I spent Saturday at Meet in the Middle in Fresno,  with hundreds of queers and allies, taking a stand against the second class status of the queer community.   It was a day of supportive togetherness, with crowd and speakers sharing laughter and tears.  Speaker after speaker encouraged us to pursue this fight with love and compassion, sharing our stories with calmness and understanding, and reaching out to the misguided who hold ridiculous justifications for fearing and hating the queer community.  My favorite moment of the day was the GSA students who spoke with such eloquence and poise about being the future of all equality activism, recognizing the vast connections between racism,  sexism, and homophobia.

On Sunday morning I awoke to the news of Dr. Tiller’s murder.  One of the most well know and dedicated of abortion providers in our country, Dr. Tiller has worked tirelessly for decades, in the face of constant threat and attack, to ensure safe reproductive health services for women.  He has served as an inspiration to all of us who work tirelessly to ensure unrestricted access to abortion.

With this news, the spirit of love and community from Saturday quickly dissipated.  I was angry.  I’m still angry.  Religious anti-abortion groups tried to distance themselves from the murder while at the same  time continuing the inflammatory rhetoric that encourages fanatics to take this type of action.  As somebody who has been threatened, harassed, and even pictured on an anti-choice website, I’m disgusted by religious fundamentalists who use their beliefs to preach hatred and violence.  I’m appalled by the bloggers yesterday who cheered this murder.

I don’t know how I’m going to reconcile my the feelings from Saturday with those from Sunday.   I can say that both days were a call to action.  The gay joy of Saturday, the commitment of such diverse groups to equality for ALL, will long remind me why I live an open, out life, telling my story even  when it’s less than easy.  The tragedy of  Sunday is a tragic reminder that, perhaps now more than ever, we must remain staunch protectors and advocates of the rights most essential to equality.  I will continue to speak up and stand in front of clinics until we are all equal and safe.

it’s official – my own blog May 18, 2009

Though I hate to think of it right now, in just under four weeks I head off for Ann Arbor, MI to begin a Ph.D. program in history.  University of Michigan is an amazing school and will provide me with every opportunity to embark upon a career as historian and professor.  Just now though, I cannot stomach the thought of leaving my life in Sacramento that I love very, very much.  The thought of being away from my friends (my family, really) breaks my heart.

And so here I am, starting a blog, which I’m hoping will be one of the many ways I keep in contact with all of the amazing people in my life.   Together, we’ll see what the coming weeks and months hold.