Urban Renegade

London DISH

2006-03-16T13:19:00.000-05:00

London DISH
Originally uploaded by ypsichick.

Found near London Bridge

Tower of London

2006-03-16T13:17:00.000-05:00

Tower of London
Originally uploaded by ypsichick.

2006-03-16T13:09:00.000-05:00

www.flickr.com

I'm Baaack!

2006-03-16T13:04:00.000-05:00

Let's try this again. I just came back from a short jaunt to London last week. Here are some pics....I hope this works.

Flickr

2006-03-16T12:43:00.000-05:00

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

Rolling Stones

2005-09-01T10:00:00.000-05:00

I saw the Rolling Stones last night at Comerica Park in Detroit. Wow! It was fabulous. For a woman in her late 20's like myself, it was so mind boggling to go to a show of this magnitude. I can't really think of a band that came out during my generation that could fill that many seats. It was amazing...Also met a guy with a band called "Not for Sal" They are playing at the Arts, Beats, and Eats in Pontiac this weekend.

Fall Wanderlust

2005-08-30T14:15:00.000-05:00

My annual desire to go somewhere else and do something different has come. This week, I think I'll apply for soem Americorps positions in Maine.
I don't just want to go because I HATE my job and feel OPPRESSED by the man, but because I have this recurring feeling every year... Sometimes Spring and Fall, as it has been this year. It's time to retire from Social Work.

My blog is so boring

2005-06-13T12:36:00.000-05:00

Apparently, I get the urge to post here in spurts. It was SOOO hot over the weekend, I felt like committing a violent crime. I only think a few people ever even come here, so I'm not too worried that the fans will be disappointed if I don't keep up here as I should.

Flickr

2005-05-19T12:10:00.000-05:00

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

What's next?

2005-05-13T09:07:00.000-05:00

As I cannot seem to settle down into any one niche, I am again contemplating a new endeavor. My doctor did tell me once that he thought I had ADD. Maybe he was right. I can't seem to keep on topic. Each day is totally new and filled with wonder and perplexity....like I'm being born each day. I'm thinking grad school..........AGAIN. Maybe Organizational Psych or Health Admin?! Who knows. Tomorrow it'll be Physics or Environmental Engineering.
That being said, I am leaving for the weekend to Lewiston, MI to stay alone and think and spend some time in the woods. Maybe this will bring some clarity (?) Either way, I may not know what I need, but I know who I am. That is comforting. Take care. Have a good weekend.

Thank you!!!

2005-04-27T07:47:00.000-05:00

Thanks so much...all comments are nicely put. Anon: you make a good point...I am never out of choices. What a great thing for me to hear, what with the confusion and anxiety of considering a new home, life, job, etc. Although I'm apprehensive in some ways, I also feel a sense of relief. This is the first time I have felt so able to do this. I have considered a move like this many times, but have never felt as ready and open to it on this level. Again, thank you, please keep the comments coming. I love to read them!

Should I stay or should I go?

2005-04-25T10:02:00.000-05:00

After a weekend of thought, I am considering (for the millionth time) moving to the Washington DC area. As I am a firm beleiver in "Everything Happens For A Reason", I feel like this could be a smart choice. I just took this new job (beginning my fourth week today) and I'm already wondering why I'm here. This is not usual for me, as I normally stay at a job for years. I feel (for the millionth time) that this could be my LAST CHANCE to get out of here. Whatever happens, I'll be okay. Suggestions kindly accepted from all readers.

Effective Communication

2005-04-22T14:31:00.000-05:00

I thought I had passed over into hell when I received a call from the most evil Social Worker in Southeastern Michigan this afternoon. The man called to have a question answered, but was so busy treating me like some kind of phone jockey chimpanzee, that I was unable to surmise what, exactly, the question was. He then became even more angered at the fact that I could not answer the question...which, of course he had not yet asked.
I only wish I could have given him the advice that was really on the tip of my tongue: "Sir...I would be happy to answer your question...if only you would stop being an ARROGANT, CONDESCENDING, ASSHOLE...and ask it!!"
Have a nice weekend:)

Detriot Urban Ruins

2005-04-21T11:57:00.000-05:00

Detroit is one of the most forlorn cities I have visited. Since I live so close to the city, I have a fondness for it. I feel compelled to represent the city in as positive a light as I can. Detroit, although blighted by the great urban exodus, is still a cool place to visit. Check out this link: http://www.forgottendetroit.com/

Really cool weblog!

2005-04-20T12:04:00.000-05:00

I could NEVER even come close to being this clever (or, for that matter, having that much free time on my hands). This site is pretty funny... www.davezilla.com

What language do you speak?

2005-04-19T13:38:00.000-05:00

Your Linguistic Profile:

65% General American English

20% Upper Midwestern

10% Yankee

5% Dixie

0% Midwestern

What Kind of American English Do You Speak?

Update

2005-04-19T10:26:00.000-05:00

Just an update:
This last weekend was spent in Northern Michigan visiting with family and friends. This is definately NOT the appropriate forum to be detailing all of the nuances of the trip, but be assured, it was not boring. Considering the weather was spectacular, it was worth the drive. Normally when I visit, the weather is unseasonably cold, overcast, and bleak. Not so this time... Nice sunny weather with temps in the 70's.
I see this afternoon that there's a new Pope. I guess he's decided to be called Benedict. Although I'm not Catholic, I guess this is good news. I just wonder about the guy's age, though. I mean, the possibility exists that they'll end up having to re-elect shortly given his geriatric status.
This link goes to a higher education site: http://chronicle.com/ It just seems appropriate.

New doors are opening

2005-03-31T11:05:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow is my last day at my current job. I have been in this particular position since November 2002. I'm literally moving about 50 feet down the hall into a different department. No more caseload!! I am excited at this prospect, don't get me wrong, but leaving a job is never easy...
The other night, I had a terrifying dream that my uncle was piloting a large jet full of old people. The plane was taking off from my Dad's back yard. Just after it took off, it crashed behind his house. It turned out that even though my Dad was standing right next to me watching the plane's demise, he was simultaneously one of its passengers.
When I finally got the balls (seemed like a whole day later) to go out and inspect the crash, I saw that my Dad was dead in one of the plane's seats. He was also walking in front of me...neither one of us could bear to look at his dead body slumped over in the seat.
I don't know what all this means and I'm not too sure that I care. The point is that I am moving on in my worklife and at the same time mourning a loss for the work I have done for the past eight years. This new job is really a new path (not to sound too corny, but really). For the first time in eight years of social work, I will not have professional responsibility for the livlihoods of other people. After awhile that becomes quite a drag.
I saw a letter to the editor the other day in the Ann Arbor News. The woman who wrote it is a social worker herself. In the letter, she spoke to all the things that a social worker does and what a blessing it is to have so many of us around. How true. Most people don't realize that 'behind the scenes' of most corporations, agencies, and municipalities, there is a crew of social workers, tirelessly toiling to make thier communities a better place to live, work, and play.
I will be sad to leave this group of people. They are the people I have always wanted to be and the person that I have become. It is with their assistance and mentoring that I have been able to become the type of person I used to look up to.
I also cannot forget the countless lessons I have learned from my customers over the years...humility, gratitude, and perhaps the most important of all... living life on life's terms.

http://www.woostercollective.com

2005-03-30T14:21:00.000-05:00

This is a cool website I've been looking at for the past few months. It gives you links to tons of street artists and they actually post in weblog style every day. It almost seems too together. Very worthwhile.

I am here

2005-02-24T08:55:00.000-05:00

What a blessing to have friends. I'm sleeping on a couch in Brooklyn for the next few nights. After a WAY TOO LONG stint at work without any vacations, I'm finally outta Ypsi. Don't get me wrong...I love YIPSEE just as much as the next guy, but c'mon...you can only stay in good humor for so long. I feel pretty convinced that the slogan "Winter Wonderland" was originally created as a joke on all residents of Michigan.
Anyway, I'll hopefully find some much needed inspiration here. I've already met a damaged-looking woman from LA who is here in NYC promoting a book she wrote on being a drummer and a lady from Port Huron, MI who sells Tahitian Noni Juice...not too bad for less than 24 hours.

Finally...the cards are here!

2005-02-15T15:40:00.000-05:00

I picked up my latest series of post cards from the good folks at VGKids today. The job was done really well. Special thanks goes to James for putting up with my relentless emails and calls about when the things would be ready. I dropped off ten of each at the Ugly Mug at lunch. Hopefully, more will be at Bombadill's later in the week. I'm off to Brooklyn next week, too. Really exciting. Ah...to be young, free, and in Ypsi! I love it.

The joke's on Ann Arbor!

2005-02-09T16:27:00.000-05:00

Here is a wonderful joke that has been circulating around my office...

A woman from Belleville and another from Ann Arbor were seated side-by-side on an airplane.

The woman from Belleville, being friendly and all, said: "So, where are you from?"

The Ann Arbor woman said, "From a place where they know better than to use a preposition at the end of a sentence."

The woman from Belleville sat quietly for a few moments and then replied: "So, where are you from, bitch?"

This is just my online journal

2005-01-21T16:25:00.000-05:00

I am so busy that I have neglected this blog. Not that anyone else was paying attention, but I have had a bit of fun with all this. I started this whole postcard thing and it seems to be taking off. I'm super excited to get the next batch printed. They should be done by the end of next week. Whooppee.

A true conversation on GAS in the workplace

2005-01-07T14:30:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, during a meeting between my boss, a co-worker, and myself..some unwanted noises and smells began emanating from the co-workers now notorious cabbage ass (see www.urbandictionary.com for a full and accurate definition of this highly technical term).
Following are the emails sent between myself and my boss today:
Me: I just want to set the record straight. The noises emanating from my side of the table during yesterday's meeting were not produced by me. Just wanted to CLEAR THE AIR as it were. Thanks. Have a good weekend.
Boss: What noises were those?!?
Me: You didn't hear it? Flatulence.
Boss: Wow, I'm glad I didn't hear it-I would have had a difficult time keeping a straight face...Kind of gives a new meaning to "clearing the air, " n'est ce pas?
Me: I thought I may have detected a hint of an eyebrow raise from you when the vinyl slapping began. I was hard pressed to keep from busting out myself.
Boss: Good resraint-was it fragrant?
Me: A little. I witnessed air-sniffing from the guilty party. This type of thing gets to be a serious environmental issue in the workplace. Are ther gas masks available from Risk Management or Worksite Wellness?

*Was it FRAGRANT??? Why, of course. It was alos FLAGRANT.

You got that right.

Ypsilanti is pretty cool.

2004-12-29T15:16:00.000-05:00

Today, I decided to use my lunch break to go out and solicit my latest creation: a postcard with a photo taken by me. I'd been wanting to see this project materialize for some time and I was so excited to pick up my goods from the printer yesterday. Although the end product was not as glamorous as what I had hoped for, three businesses in Ypsi are now selling my cards! Now I need to keep up the momentum, which is kind of scary, considering I rarely stay interested in anything for longer than a few months at a time. I guess I need to register my business with the county clerk. Sweet.

Write a letter Santa!!!! Click here.

2004-12-15T13:06:00.000-05:00

This is a very funny activity and you end up with a letter to Santa, which you can print by right clicking your mouse on the final product. I will be asking Santa to start making tater hots again....Mister Pizza no longer carries them because the manufacturer stopped making them :(

Thanksgiving

2004-11-29T16:29:00.000-05:00

I think maybe I'm giving everybody that reads this blog the wrong idea about me. I must seem like such a jerk. I can assure you I'm not, I just feel like blowing off some steam once in awhile. I guess it's more constructive than road rage or arson, right?! Anyway, I'll just have to let this post serve as my one-and-only OFFICIAL public apology.
This is the way I see it...free thought is a gift, why not use it? Plus, I feel like I have a license to bitch because every day, I work to fix the problems I bitch about. It works out quite nicely. Take care y'all.

A comment on Whole Foods

2004-11-24T09:42:00.000-05:00

Last night, I visited the Whole Foods Supermarket in Ann Arbor with a friend. It being the holiday season, he decided to buy some chips and dip...pretty average and normal for an American palate, right? Apparently, Whole Foods does not feel the same. Although they stock plenty of potato chips (none of which are probably half as tasty as the ones you'd buy in a 'normal' supermarket), they DO NOT have chip dip! What the hell? Since when do wealthy yuppies with nothing better to do but spoil their children and shop NOT eat chips and dip?! It's as American as hot dogs and popcorn.
Staff there politely informed this irritated customer that "I guess we used to stock some organic chip dip, but it just didn't sell."
My top five reasons for aggitation with the Whole Foods chip dip debaucle:
1. You carry EVERYTHING else....the chips, pretzels, etc...how can you ignore the dip?
2. Your staff are so OUT OF TOUCH with American chip-eating reality that they pretend it's no big deal that the dip is conspicuously missing from their shelves.
3. When asked about dip, staff initially try to convince you that their version of veggie dip is the same thing...nice try. I'm not that stupid.
4. The smug, Stepford Wives-esque cheeriness of the staff as she conveys her evil NO CHIP DIP message.
5. If I'm going to pay 4-5 dollars for a candy bar at your store, at least give me the satisfaction of carrying some NORMAL products....quit trying so damn hard to be cutting edge and order some CHIP DIP for God's sake!

Blogs are really weird

2004-11-23T09:38:00.000-05:00

I found this blog aptly entitled "The dullest Blog in the world". It's pretty hilarious. http://www.wibsite.com/wiblog/dull/ I was just thinking of how strange this whole world of blogs really is. Yesterday, I got a comment from an old friend of mine from college who had Googled my name and found me here in the blog vortex. It really is an alternate reality. As you all can see, I definately have an eye for the obvious. Rock on...Happy Thanksgiving.

A Cinderella Story

2004-11-17T11:47:00.000-05:00

This is a mass e-mail sent by a friend of a friend....Ahhh, the charmed life. Little did she know this would get published here and linked to the website of an 80's glam band. Women can be so catty...as I prove here. Maybe we're all jealous, but it's still fun to be a back-stabbing B! The names are omitted, but the details remain the same. Enjoy.
Read on....

Hey everybody!
Just getting around to updating everyone on my life. I'm still living in ---, working and doing lots of travelling. I'll fill you in on my most recent trip to Monaco - in the south of France. Friends of --- and I who work for a bank here in London invited me along to their international conference. I gladly accepted! We arrived on Friday afternoon to beautiful warm sun-shining day- a welcome change to the rain in London! My friends had some conference event to attend so I had a few hours to rest up and get ready for dinner. They invited me along as a guest to their conference opening night dinner at this very exclusive restaurant in the Hotel de Paris. I took a cab over, winding through the beautiful streets of Monaco along to Mediterranean Sea- feeling a lot like Cinderella.

When I arrived at the restaurant I asked for our table, and I was led through the restaurant to the back, where I assumed the conference banquet room was located, until they pulled back a curtain leading to a terrace where I saw my boyfriend standing. Of course I was in shock and starting to cry not really believing he was there. He said some very sweet things (most of which I don't remember because I was so in shock) and then he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. I of course said YES!

Needless to say we had an amazing weekend in Monaco celebrating and enjoying our time together. I'm still putting together all the pieces of this intricate scheme that --- created to surprise me. All the scheming started before I even left for London. Katie and Ian do work for a bank, but there was no international conference. My immediate family was helping with all the deception and I've now learned that my extended family, friends, neighbors, etc. all have known the plan since early October. It is all still sinking in. I find myself constantly surprised by the sparkly ring on my left hand and then remember all that has happened in the past few days!
So now its official, I will be marrying ---!
Hope you are all doing well. Hope to hear from you soon!
Love,
----

My reaction: Don't get too comfy, sweetheart, reality WILL set in soon. Wait until you have piles to your knees after giving birth to five of your darling hubby's children. We'll talk in 20 years, then see how ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS you feel about this guy. Dreams really DO come true.

Check it out!

2004-11-02T11:56:00.000-05:00

I have been neglecting this blog as the result of a sinus infection from hell. As today is election day, I have linked the title to www.factcheck.org. I want to let everyone that happens upon my blog today know that there is an election watching party at Pub 13 in Ypsilanti on N. Washington St this evening at 8:45pm. The Michigan Coordinated Campaign here in Ypsi tells me that the party could go thru last call. I will be there representing. Also, there are free rides to the polls here in Ypsi being offered by the local NAACP. The number to call is (734) 480-9654. Ypsilanti City Hall is (734)483-1100, Headquarters for the Michigan Coodinated Campaign and Alma Wheeler Smith is (734)544-4613. GET OFF YOUR ASS AND VOTE!!!!!!!

Things to do in DC, other than protest

2004-10-14T17:32:00.000-05:00

So, tomorrow I leave for Washington, DC to see an old friend of mine from high school. I'll be volunteering with the nonprofit she runs. Hopefully, I will also have the chance to visit the Shenendoah National Forest and do some shopping. I am flying out tomorrow with only $35.00 in my pocket, however, and fear for the worst in the cash department. Oh well, such is life. I'm also wondering if anyone that stops by here has a small business that they started on their own. I am curious about the idea of doing this at some point and would like the opportunity to get some advice. Thanks. Take care, y'all. Maybe I'll get some better ideas for posts soon.

On a MUCH lighter note...

2004-10-06T12:12:00.000-05:00

Click on the title to link to a pretty cool t-shirt place. I wanted to just put up a post today that has nothing to do with ANYTHING controversial. Not because I don't like controversy, don't get me wrong. It's just not a fighting kind of day. So I decided to plug this website.....Happy Wednesday.

Wal-Mart SUCKS

2004-09-29T13:26:00.000-05:00

It has come to my attention (and I have tested this via a phone call to the local Wal-Mart) that Wal-Mart pharmacies not only refuse to stock, but deny their pharmacists the right to order the emergency contraceptive known as Preven. Preven (and other emergency contraceptives like it) are said by one site I found to prevent 2.3 MILLION unwanted pregnancies per YEAR! This means 2.3 million babies NOT born into poverty, drug-addicted, with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, abusive, uncaring parents. I wonder if Sam Walton is ready to raise these 2.3 million children the "Right Way" on his dime? Just something to think about.

It's official!

2004-09-24T14:56:00.000-05:00

Finally.....both of the new Ypsi coffee shops are now open! Bombadill's was the first to open last week. It is bright and inviting, no smoking, student-friendly (data ports, calming colors, etc). The drinks and desserts are good and priced well. The second, The Ugly Mugg (home of the defunct Mudd House) is open as of earlier this week. This one still reminds you a little of the Mudd House only it's really clean, freshly painted, has some really cool local art to look at and buy, and you can smoke. If Bombadill's was upstairs, the Ugly Mugg would be in the basement. Looks like a good place to study for finals and brood about the meaninglessness of life, whereas Bombadill's looks like a great place to drink tea and pretend you're cool. Both places are alright with me....Way to go! Use the title of this post to link to the featured artist on display at the Ugly Mugg right now...

This is the type of email that I get at work...and the replies that are secretly sent afterward

2004-09-21T15:45:00.000-05:00

Just remember...the email you send is often viewed by people you never intended to view it. The names have been omitted, but the email is real:
Original email from co-worker to all other co-workers:
[We] are celebrating our 10th wedding anniversary. We are having a party at our house and would love to have you join us. We will have live bands, hot dogs and burgers and beverages. The electric music will actually be at our neighbors. There will also be acoustic music. If you play any kind of instrument bring it along. We will also do some kind of ceremony honoring the fact that we’ve made it this long without killing each other or going completely crazy and reaffirming that we plan to do several more decades together. Please bring a dish to pass and a guest if you like. Children ARE welcome!
Email in response, sent only to those who "get it":
I will be bringing my male cat named “Audrey.” We will sit by the fire making music together with two musical instruments: a spoon & a ham bone. We will then join hand & paw while singing to the Great Mother chanting in tongue mantras entering an enchanted altered state while smoking a sage stick with the cosmos as we explore the metamorphose into greater realities of ceremonial bliss.
Second email response:
I will be honoring my decision to be an independent woman by bring my new stuffed, crocheted doll. His name is Billy and we are dating, although he is much smaller than me. We have been sleeping together for the past week, but have not yet exchanged bodily fluids. As the fire begins to die down, we will start to dance to the tribal drumbeat of our ancestors before us. We will then commence to dry humping as we consummate our romance. After this, we will meditate on the true meaning of the word “Homicide”. We will then have a double bloodletting ceremony confirming our never-ending devotion to one another.

My title links you to the dubious article telling us all how to "appropriately" use email in the workplace...

Whew!

2004-09-20T09:49:00.000-05:00

I am so glad I made it through the weekend. I don't really have anything clever to say today. There will be no update on the hookers of Ypsi. I did some thinking about it and although last weeks post got a lot of hits, I think it's best to leave that topic alone from now on. I love this city, as hard as it is to love. I guess I just don't want to add to the blight. Loving Ypsilanti is like loving your drug using kid with tough love...when it gets to be too much, you just need to go to an Al-Anon meeting.

Have I created a monster?

2004-09-17T13:56:00.000-05:00

What the...? I'm just so pleased that I am so popular in the first week of my stay here. Anyway, I linked a sea monster website. Watch out for the "Ypsilanti Hooker Update" (YHU), coming your way next week!

Driving Home

2004-09-16T12:27:00.000-05:00

As I was driving home from work yesterday on Michigan Avenue in Ypsi, something occurred to me. It's been in the process of occurring to me for quite some time now, but I think it was finally tangible at that moment.
*It is my opinion that the current Ypsilanti hooker population is directly correlated to the ongoing and never-ending street construction within the city. I live in the downtown area. Here is what I have noticed:
1. Spring 2004: City of Ypsilanti begins to torture area residents with street construction
2. Early June 2004: Same hooker begins walking by my home at same time each day
3. Early July 2004: Other hookers are spotted on an ongoing basis at various locations throughout the city with increasing frequency and number
4. Early August 2004: A friend who owns a gas station tells me that an "Ypsilanti Hooker Takeover" is leading to a drastic increase in home sales in the area directly surrounding his store
5. Mid-August 2004: streets in Ypsilanti become increasingly less passable by vehicle and foot traffic, as rain floods streets alternating with low visibility due to 1930's duststorm-like conditions
6. Late August, 2004: A friend and I witness a john soliciting a hooker at the corner of Pearl and Adams. The two drive off together into the sunset.
7. week of September 5, 2004: Droves of Ypsi hookers take to the streets of Michigan Ave., driving any potential visitors to this city away forever
8. September 15, 2004: Two "brand new", never before seen hookers are spotted on the way home from work. One is a younger lady in front of McDonald's on Ecorse. The second is a more haggard looking lady in her mid-thirties. Both of them appear to be too healthy to be real hookers.
Is the Ypsilanti Police Department finally putting decoys out? It sure would be nice, especially since the construction will NEVER end (or so it seems) and exponential hooker growth is underway in this city.

NONE

2004-09-13T11:19:00.000-05:00

Sure is quiet in here...