rules, rules, rules

Every family has to have a few rules.

Most kids aren't allowed to swear or eat sweets until their greens are gone. But each family also holds their own house rules that reflect their values.

A few that stick out of from my childhood:
1. Hate and shut up are cuss words
2. Pepsi and Purdue are also bad words (in a different sort of way)
3. You always have to take a no thank-you bite
4. You have to rub your parents feet for thirty minutes every night before bed...

OK, the fourth one is a lie. Obviously.

But these rules provide insight into my family. We're Hoosiers, not Boilermakers. We love each other and would never ever use the H-Word. These are a small representative of our values.

Yesterday, when I was babysitting, I was momentarily shocked at how much the values of parents are impressed upon their children. I was babysitting Riley, who is six years old. While we were playing soccer in the front yard, she stopped and said, "Who are you voting for?"

Another house rule that I learned at a young age was that you never, ever ask someone this question (or, obviously their age). So, true to my roots, I avoided the question, "I'm not sure yet..."

"Well, I'm voting for Obama," Riley told me. "Well, actually, it's so funny because I cannot even vote. Did you know I can't vote? But I'd vote for Obama."

Apparently, Riley's parents must have been talking about politics in front of her, which led her young mind to adopt their ideas as her own.

I wondered if I had said, "Oh I hate Obama!" or "I'm actually doing a write-in, I'm hoping Bush will go for round three," if Riley would have changed her mind about me as a babysitter.

I mean, really, I know how I used to (sometimes still do) feel about Pepsi drinkers. It's just wrong!

Riley's shocking proclamation made me happy that I'd been raised among a bunch that doesn't frequently talk politics in public. While I admire those who are strong enough in their opinions to speak openly about their beliefs, I find that I'm often too uncertain and too uneasy to divulge my own thoughts.

However, when I saw that Medusa Hair Salon is now offering the Palin hairdo, I felt a little confused. The salon will do your hair like Palin and donate $75 of the expense to Obama's campaign.

I mean, no, you don't have to look like Obama because you're supporting him (though I do support anyone trying to emulate Jackie O, so Michelle Obama might be a suitable alternative). But, it seems a little funny to dress like the enemy...

I'd imagine it might send mixed signals.

"Oh, you look a lot like Sarah Palin."
"Oh, ya, I did my hair like her because I hate her and want to show my support of Barack."

It's just unnatural.

I mean, I wouldn't walk around carrying a Diet Pepsi while wearing a Purdue shirt (though this does describe my best friend Katie...) in order to prove that I love Diet Coke and IU.

But, of course, in my family, another rule is that you have to remain loyal (to your country, your state, your products). So, if that's how they want to support Obama, more power to them.

In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue...

"Celebrate we will cause life is short but sweet for certain." DMB

You've got to think that Amerigo Vespucci wonders why he got the short end of the stick.

I mean, sure the Americas were named (almost) after him, but if you ask any kid what elementary school taught them about the New World being discovered, the only name you'll hear is Christopher Columbus.

Sure, Columbus was the first person to discover that the land of America existed, but he thought it was an extension of Asia. He didn't even know he discovered a new continent. It took Vespucci's exploration to determine that the land was, in fact, unclaimed territory.

I like to think they were more like a team. Maybe the day should be Vespumbus Day? Or Columpucci Day?

If Columbus were still around, he might argue that Vespucci got the continents (again, almost) and he got the holiday, but you've got to think that Vespucci is a little mad about the issues with translation (America vs. Amerigo? That's like Whitney vs. Britney, a whole different person!)

However, whether it's called Vespucci Day or Columbus Day, IU apparently does not deem it a reason to celebrate. While a number of schools gave the day off as part of fall break and others just took a four day week in honor of our boy, Chris...here in Bloomington, we attended classes.

Luckily, we took it upon ourselves to celebrate Columbus in our own way, with Dad's Weekend.

It was a spectacular weekend, full of tailgating, Kilroys, an auction at Bloomington Country Club, Sink the Biz at Nick's, and much more.

While I'm so sad that our Senior Dad's Weekend is over, I'm grateful that my dad had the opportunity to bond with so many other amazing fathers. Of course, I'm even more grateful that he had the opportunity to spend the weekend with me.

Unfortunately, IU didn't manage to beat Iowa in the football game. Luckily, though, a little football loss never keeps the Hoosiers from celebrating. After seeing the dads rally for an impressive game of flip cup, I can't help but wonder if the saying should be like father like daughter...

Go Jackets

Last weekend, Maggie, Allie and I embarked on quite an adventure: a road trip to Georgia Tech in order to tailgate...Southern Style.

And while we had a few speed bumps along the way (getting lost in Bloomington, nearly running out of gas in Chattanooga, and forgetting to print return directions...) we still managed quite a successful and fulfilling journey.

After a wonderful morning of tailgating at Tech and an afternoon of cheering for the Yellow Jackets, we were incredibly hungry. Jim and I decided we'd take them to one of our favorite Atlanta restaurants, Sage.

Unfortunately, for some reason, our waitress wasn't very fond of me (maybe because I ordered a meal that I removed three items and attempted to add avocado, which she told me they didn't actually have, even though I ordered it this summer...). But this is merely a guess.

However, while I didn't feel the love from our waitress, I must admit that according to gender roles, she knew what she was doing.

She took the females' orders first. She served the females' food first. The females' plates were removed first.

And while some may find this practice standard, a new restaurant in New York tried to move away from this idea. Jenny Moon, owner of Apiary, which opened this year in the East Village, decided to disregard all gender roles.

She served men first. She didn't worry about giving women menus without numbers. She didn't place women in a seat where they could see the rest of the room.

She figured women and men were equal, right?

Wrong.

Apparently, she received complaints from guests, asking her to please serve women first. To please treat the women like ladies.

Apparently, while women want equal rights and equal treatment in the rest of the world, not all of them are ready to be treated like equals while enjoying fine dining.

If you think about it, though, it makes sense. While most women don't want to be called weaker than men, they still expect their doors to be opened on a date.

If you're cynical, you could say it's a double standard.

Personally, I think it's merely an expectation of chivalry that allows men to maintain their masculinity while taking care of ever-strengthening women, and women to maintain their femininity in a world that continually empowers them to challenge themselves.

Essentially, this chivalrous attitude allows both genders to thrive and reminds everyone that equal treatment does not mean men and women are the same.

Not so much a feminist myself, I practice some devotion to gender roles.

I mean, the main point of tailgating Southern Style is that the girls all wear dresses. You can't get much more old fashioned that than. But while I wore a dress and made certain not to drink straight from any cans (like a true Southern Belle) I took a step outside of my ways and attended the football game (not so standard for a Hoosier).

A little bit of devotion to tradition, yet a willingness to be flexible; it sounds like Jenny Moon could take a lesson from Southern Style tailgating.

Get your thinking cap on, baby.

It's been said that the true measure of how great an idea is, is that when people hear it, their first instinct is to ask: "Why didn't I think of that?"

Spanx
The printing press (Gutenberg walked away making bank off the Bible)
Facebook (a close third to the printing press)
Zippers
The Automatic Teller Machine (Jim's favorite)
Gore-Tex fabric
The Table Top Beer Tap
GPS

When I discovered that someone had invented a tiny machine that could tell you where you were (even when you were lost on the back roads of Kentucky with no cell service) and how to get back to your home, just by clicking a few buttons, I wondered why, exactly, I hadn't thought of this.

I'm always lost! I definitely should have thought of it!

As I read the NYT headlines today, I felt this way. I discovered that a couple, on the brink of foreclosure of their two homes, held a raffle to auction their house. Each ticket was $100 and a portion of the ticket sales went to charity.

Not only did they earn enough to pay off the debt of their homes, they also gave over $200,000 in surplus to their charity.

Now, raffles are springing up all around the country, as more and more families struggle to own their homes.

The reason consumers wonder why, exactly, this hadn't been their idea first is because there is a necessity that surrounds each of these ideas.

Americans need the housing market to be stimulated.
...and so they raffle.

Outdoorsies need to stay dry while hiking Everest.
...and so they Gore-Tex.

College students need (want may be more accurate) to stay in touch while creepily stalking their friends (and acquaintances...or strangers).
...and so they Facebook.

Yesterday marked the stock market crash heard round the world. And after a depressing evening of news-watching, I'm beginning to think that the only way we're going to find our way out of this is with some amazing new invention.

I mean, people won't buy homes. People won't invest. People won't shop.

We're at somewhat of a stalemate.

But think, if tomorrow someone comes out with an invention that gets people buying, investing and shopping, we'd all be OK (this may or may not be the optimist in me speaking.)

Imagine if tonight, while the world slept restlessly, worrying about their finances, someone invented a Sustainable Home that sold for $200, but was large enough to house any size of family, and made every homeowner a shareholder of the company while donating $50 to any charity and also generated money which would be directly put into the economy while avoiding inflation entirely...

We'd be set!

In this case, I'm afraid realism may win out over optimism. Somehow I doubt we're on the brink of this invention.

But if we all put our heads together, you never know what we might come up with...