Face Off

Apparently RandBall has publicly discussed his disapproval of the comeback of Zubaz. I, on the other hand, welcome them. Did you not forsee the circle of life that Zubaz would inevitably follow? Take, for instance, the soft comfortable fabric of your pajama pants, then add the stylish animal print of your most bitchin' "going out" outfit, and you've got Zubaz. What's NOT to love about that?

I remember back in the early nineties when Zubaz were originally popular, they were adorned by mostly muscle bound men, weight lifting in the gym, or heading to the beach (after weight lifting in the gym) or lounging on the couch watching the game (after weight lifting in the gym.) Then they came out with a fashionable female counterpart to the bold "male" fabric patterns. Mine were pink cheetah print.

This time around the Mpls/St.Paul magazine projected that women would be more interested than men in the product. Imagine the female college student's perspective: After a 20-hour day of back to back classes and full-time work, she slips on her favorite Zubaz and heads to the couch. She watches her favorite program while she scarfs down Chinese takeout, her only full meal of the day. Off to bed. She wakes up, rolls out of bed, and takes the dog out (in the aforementioned Zubaz- see how all-purpose they are?) She fills her book bag with the day's homework, and loads her laptop into it's carrying case, and it's off to the coffee shop to study for finals (still clad in her fashionable Zubaz.)

Zubaz could easily become a female student's uniform. They're as comfortable as flannel p.j.s without the stigma. They're gym pants with flare, and are 100% all-purpose. Perhaps their new slogan should allude to conjuring up the power of the animals whose prints they display: Like a stalking cheetah, she has devoured her Chinese takeout and tackled her final project in one deadly swoop! Maybe we'll pitch that idea...

Giving Thanks

Yes, Thanksgiving was once again hosted at our home, and another turkey was sacrificed to the gods of tradition. *Sigh*

My parents came to visit and the four of us (the RandBalls and the Olsons) sat around, visited with each other, and--most of all-- ate.

Thanksgiving is such an important holiday in this day and age. We so often forget to express our gratitude. We take things for granted. We expect that life will happen the way we plan. It's difficult to come to grips with the fact that everything in our lives is mutable, and nothing is to be taken for granted.

I know it's rather morbid, but I often think about what I would do without RandBall, or what would happen if I got into a terrible accident and couldn't notify him myself. I think of all types of scenarios, partly in order to prepare myself, and to a degree, I feel my subconscious is constantly reminding me not to take my blessings for granted. My mother is the same way. When I leave for a trip by plane, my mother always sends me off with the same phrase, "Don't get dead." In her mind, voicing this ensures that nothing bad will happen because the likelihood that you would predict something so terrible is so minuscule, that she feels in some superstitious way, she's preventing the very fate she hints at. From my perspective, this could become a psychosomatic fulfillment of prophesies- and my superstitious tendencies compel me to knock on wood. So, I often don't voice my thoughts. I do so here only to illustrate the point- that we seldom take the time to be grateful.

Why does our society use Thanksgiving Day to focus on food and prosperity? I know how the story goes; that the pilgrims celebrated the harvest and their partnership with the American Indians to bring forth such bounty. However, in a society filled with such abundance, why is the focus on food? Why don't we instinctively look to the others around the table, and take a moment to share our gratitude with one another; for live, for happiness, for the struggles that taught us valuable lessons, and most of all, for each other?

So I suppose I'll lead by example:

This Thanksgiving, I'm thankful for my new husband, my lovable pug, my home and work and education. I'm thankful for my family, for my parents, and for my relationships with family and friends. I'm thankful for the learning and growth that these relationships have brought me, even though many of them were complicated by family dynamics, situational drama, and emotional pain. I'm thankful for my growing self-awareness, and for the person I have become. I have been making new friends-- something that evokes a very childlike excitement in me--and I've encountered and fostered relationships with some very strong mentors and role models. This is a time leading up to a great career transition in my life, and for all of those who helped me through it, I am eternally grateful.

Photo courtesy of istockphoto.com

Opposites Attract (My apologies if this gets the song of the same title stuck in your head...)

So, Mr. RandBall and I have varying interests. The first time I met his father, he asked me a simple question, "So, you're a sports fan?" and I had a simple answer, "No, not really." Aghast, Michael's father looked from son to future daughter-in-law, not knowing what to say. RandBall jumped in, "It's kind-of nice, actually. I can come home and talk about something other than sports."

My favorite story from RandBall's business travel was when he went to the East Coast to cover a tournament. (In my version of the story, the teams and the sport in question are too minor to mention. :) During his off-time, RandBall went to the local art museum, to take in come culture. Upon returning to his hotel, and finding his colleagues gathered in the hotel bar, watching a game on TV over some brews, they asked, "Where've you been?" "The art museum," he plainly responded. The other men were surprised (and probably poked fun at him.)

Well, I'm proud of RandBall. Culture; whether it be art, music, theatre, or culture with respect to community; fraternizing with other cultural groups, tasting the cuisine of other cultures, or simply reflecting on the cultural differences of any place you visit in comparison to home... this is what makes travel worthwhile. Yes, sometimes RandBall travels for work-related purposes, but I'm happy to know that he will take the time, if possible, to get to know the cities he's visiting.

Now, there's also the aspect of the Deaf Community, a cultural group I've become involved with in my studies to become a Sign Language interpreter. Now, RandBall has attended a few Deaf Community events with me, and each time, he struggles to understand those around him, and often will use my services as an interpreter, to express himself. After the first outing of this kind, I was surprised at RandBall's willingness to be surrounded by people whose language he didn't understand. Diplomatically, he responded, "Well, when you come out to one of my work events, everyone talks about sports, and you don't know what they're talking about. This is pretty much the same thing- so I can tough it out for you." *Sigh!* I'm not sure where I found this gem of a man, but I'm thankful for him.

The Seurat painting pictured above is from the Art Institute of Chicago. RandBall and I contemplated this exact painting years ago (We were just like in the picture, but blonder.)

Where would we be if RandBall had no interest in the arts and culture? Well, it would've been a tough battle... and I don't know whether we'd be married now. Luckily, there was no ultimatum that I be baptized as a sports fan prior to our union. Though I continue waver between believing that sports are a capitalist venture, and believing that "It doesn't matter whether you win or lose, it's how you play the game," RandBall tends to enjoy my naive comments about the industry. Many a time, RandBall has responded to one of my quips with, "I'm going to include that in my blog," or "I can't wait to tell Taco you said that!!" And, to tell you the truth- I've found this is my role... to comment on the industry as an outsider, that the "insiders" can contemplate why something is the way it is. Is that not what art does? Good art challenges it's listeners, viewers, readers, etc. No, I suppose you can't take the art out of an artist. So, maybe it follows that you can't take the sport out of a fan. So, I might as well be creative with my sports fanatic husband... as long as he takes me to a museum or the theatre every now and then... or humors me by coming to another Deaf Community event. Now that's teamwork!

Photo courtesy of www.gallagher.com