Hold Onto Your Youth

As a lot of you know, I loved college and miss it dearly. Would I go back and do the four years again? Maybe. A year ago, I would have said, "in a heart beat." But I am really comfortable with my life. And that college drama is so unnecessary.

You know how a lot of people wonder how old they look? I mean, I know that when I am out with my niece and nephew, people just assume that I am their mom. I look old enough to have toddlers. But I want to look like a college student sometimes. So, I was very excited to have a "college night out" last night.

Working and living on a large university campus, you are surrounded by youth. For me, it feels good. The kids continue to look younger as you get older. That's a fact.

So, last night, my girlfriends decided to go out with some university students and experience a night out as a UW student. I must say that I realized when we got home that because the undergrads we were with are of drinking age, we went to college bars that probably wouldn't take fakes, so the crowd in there didn't seem or "feel" particularly young.

First, we went to the Vintage on University. It was full of people - but the average age was probably thirty, so it wasn't bad. After a drink, my friend, MKA and I were ready to dance.

I guess I should tell you that I wore these brand new Hipster glasses (very BIG in Paris!), my American Apparel dress and a scarf. Hair in a pony tail, big earrings, knee high brown boots. Feeling good.

Anyways, we moved on to Wandos - notorious for their fish bowl drinks. For $20, you get a large fishbowl with a bunch of straws and you can share the H1N1 virus with all of your friends. The place was packed. En route, we passed hundreds of drunks, one who chose to canvas in a drunken stupor, piping, "Vote for Joan Kloppenburg on Tuesday!" Look - I am glad these drunks are still doing some good. The line was long and some kids let us right in the front (I told them I was Mrs. Wando....)

Once inside, we shared our bowl of viruses and it was actually really tasty. (We had a blue one). Lots and lots of people commented on my glasses. Mainly, that they liked them. One dude asked me my name and I told him it was "Harriet Potter." (See, the lady who sold me the glasses at H&M called them "Harry Potter glasses" so I felt compelled to tell this guy my name was Harriet Potter).

Another guy at the bar asked me if I went to UW and I told him I was a freshman. (I am actually the most honest person in the world, keep reading. I asked him, "Do you believe me?" He said, "You seem a little too comfortable with yourself to be a freshman." Great point! Well taken.

Next, we went to the Churchkey, where the undergrads PROMISED there is always dancing, but there was really hardly any. One of our chaperons put money in the jukebox and got some good tunes on, but I was working everyone, trying to get them out and not succeeding.

As I sang out, "Wave your hands in the air and wave 'em just like you just don't care," one of the coeds warned me that I was "really dating myself" with that lingo. Oops! (Snoop did it at his concert, so I thought I was ok).

Evidently, it was some sort of "Moms" weekend and a lot of moms were out with their daughters. I hope I don't look like that when I have college kids.

We got home at bar time and I refused to do the pizza portion of the evening, even though our college guides said any college night out involves a trip to Ians. I just wasn't into eating a greasy piece at 2 AM.

So, I did well and I will do it again. I mean, this wasn't any raging frat party by any means, but let's just say in my book, I was at some pretty cheesy college bars. And I feel great today.

MIA in Madison, Wisconsin

Sorry I have been missing in action. As an American (and Americans like to blame), I fully blame AT&T for my disappearance on this blog. Enough said.

What have I been doing? Well, the Wisconsin budget bill was strangely passed and now there seem to be some glitches with it. No surprise there. As I walk around the capital on my extremely routine walks, the protestors are still there, but not as many. The rallies still take place every Saturday. The largest one, taking place on the 12th of March.

My parents were here for the big rally and I think it made them nostalgic, bringing back memories of their time in Madison during the Vietnam protests.

If there is one thing I can't reiterate enough about the protests here, it is that these are very peaceful and calm movements. Don't believe everything you see on t.v. Any newstation referring to "dangerous mobs" also shows palm trees in the background. And we do NOT have any palm trees in Madison, Wisconsin. Last time I checked, people associate this state as a frozen tundra filled with blizzardy winters. No palm trees here. So, lay off the station that starts with an "F" and ends with an "X." The only good thing they have going for them is a show called "Glee," so I am told, as I have never watched it.

Which leads me to a topic of my addiction to Bravo T.V. Yes - I am finally going to publicly and very openly admit that I am strangely addicted to all the housewife shows on Bravo. I am slightly embarassed about this and if you ask me why I like them, I cannot tell you. Riding in the car with someone the other day, I secretly confessed to her that I enjoy watching Bethenny Frankel. She asked me, "What do you like about her?"

Me: "What do I like about her? That's a really good question. Hmmm... Her voice is annoying, she is obnoxious and loud. What do I like about her?" Pause "You know, I like her business sense and I love her husband. I think he has a great personality and he is so cute."

And the more I think about it, I think I like that Bethenny really established a brand and then did what I want to do. She got pregnant at forty and then married a great guy. I have said one child at the age of forty sounds nice.

Now, here is the other thing that is going through my head this month. I am turning thirty-one on Friday. Thirty-one sounds old to me. And while I am ok with having a baby at 40, I may not be able to have a baby at forty. So that's a little sad. Friday is really my third twenty-ninth, by the way.

While I started the creams and the hair dying at thirty, I have decided to grow my hair long (even though I think my boyfriend prefers this length) and start saving up for an eye lift, when the crows feet show up. And I am not afraid to admit it.

And every year, my parents ask me what I want for my birthday. Up until I was about 21, I asked for a little sister and a dog. Well, I got the dog for myself, but I am still hoping for the baby sister.

Democracy in Action on the Capital

I am always hesitant to blog about politics but there is no way out of this one. As I often discuss the square, let me tell you what is looks like today. (See photo) If you aren't a local or haven't noticed us in the "Times," , it is a pretty heavy and stressful time in the land of "Progressive Madison."

A radical move to take away bargaining rights, force public workers to pay more into their benefits, and taking major cuts within schools and governments is just the tip of the iceberg.

And without giving my personal opinion, I will say that I am truly moved every time I walk around the square. On a normal winter day, I look into the windows of eateries and banks.

And now, it is thousands of protesters. A normal walk with my dog is becoming a historical moment. The progressive Madisonians and beyond are chanting various versions of "Walker is evil. He's no Badger." Other variations are "Walker is a weasel. Go home." Weasel or Evil, public employees, teachers, multitudes of union workers, and even toddlers are all over the capital with their signs.

Some people are walking up to the square with pillows and sleeping bags. I am guessing this is a 1960s type of situation. Will it make a difference as this proposed budget bill is aggressively trying to be pushed through legislation? What does this mean to me?

Well - again, I digress and I really don't feel like I can get into it (after all, this blog has my true identity and I am really "Janie Winston").

I will just say that I am moved by all of the people. Madison schools were closed today while all of the teachers were on the square protesting.

And here's another thought - all the local commerce down town is booming right now. Hotels look busy with protesters who want to stay down here, coffee shops are busier than usual and the restaurants and shops around the square are probably doing as well as they do on the Ironman weekend, Badger home games, and the such.

Maybe we need to do this more often. And, if the Egyptians could do it with Mubarak, maybe we can do it with Walker.

I made it without ranting. Let's just say we can agree to disagree.

What I Really Want to Blog About

Sometimes, I ponder where I am going to take my blog. Or what to write about. A lot of times, I want to write about really horribly opionated things that I bring up with people and think to myself, "I should blog about that." However, a lot of the time, I feel that it is just too inappropriate unless I start a new unanonymous blog. Which has also crossed my mind. But I don't think I will do.

I would love to blog about things like:

Affairs
Walmart
Horribly over-consuming Americans
My recent political issues
Personal stories of breaking-up and getting back together

Just to name a few. But, as little kids like to say a lot, "I can't."

So - maybe I will just touch on them in a real appropriate way.

Affairs - too much to say on this topic. I think they happen a lot. Humans used to die at the age of forty. So, twenty years of marriage was manageable. I am still quite skeptical of the whole insitution of marriage and I am ok with that. I guess that's something I am supposed to be working on in therapy.

Walmart - Do you like picturing your toddlers (you know, the ones you can't believe are three years old today on your facebook statuses) working a twelve hour shift to make a pair of cheap socks for the overconsuming American who has 76 pairs of socks as it is? (including holiday themed ones, birthday socks and more....)

So, I just touched on the overconsumer problem.

Political issues - I am keeping my mouth shut here. Feel free to share your opinions. Something I did learn over the weekend from a source who is friends/family with a number of soldiers: When coming back from Iraq, they do not want to hear random strangers thanking them as they travel through the airports and on the plane. They just want to get home. (Interesting, isn't it?)

Breaking up and getting back together - I would love to share some funny stories. But I will tell you one thing. When asked one time by a male friend how you are able to date in Madison without running into another person you are dating, I confirmed that "you can't." Maybe not unless you went to dinner in Milwaukee.

And that, my friends, is what I (sort of) want to blog about. A lot of the time.