born in the usa...

*everything must belong somewhere*

so, i'm not 100% sure what it is. it might be the fact that i have watched the olympics the past few days and have seen the usa do pretty damn well. or it could be the fact that i have been listening to a lot of springsteen. maybe it is the fact that for most of my life i have been the most patriotic person. i have never been that down with chanting, "u-s-a, u-s-a" at sporting events. nor have i owned a shirt with an american flag on it in the past eight years. i just really have been kind of bored with america. but, you know, it takes absence to make the heart grow fonder.

there was a point, a stretch from 2000 to pretty much now, that i really wasn't "proud to be an american." sure, i was damn proud to be a minnesotan. i mean, what is not to like about the best state in union? and mpls has always been my favorite city.

but there was still something missing...

i was walking back from my movie screening for my class (we watched, "the big trail" featuring john wayne) and i just was thinking to myself how much i have taken my country for granted. i see a lot of national pride with the british. this is even more so with other countries in europe. i haven't always seen the benefits of living in america until now. cheap goods and services (i can get a liter of maker's mark for $23.99 on sale at surdyks) nice, separated houses, and lakes. nice clean lakes.

i love my time here, but home will always be just that: home.

*power out*

so, i resigned from my internship. i just couldn't take the menial tasks that i was assigned to do. it was either cleaning something or being a tele-marketer. i am not a tele-marketer. i don't think there is someone more hated than a tele-marketer making cold calls. basically that was going to be my next 100 hours with the knights. their assistant coach and star player, chris thorman, was really helpful and friendly to me when i was there. that is one contact that i do not want to lose. other than that, i didn't get one beneficial thing out of it. spending almost 90 hours at a place and having basically nothing to show for it is a shame, but i didn't come to york to be miserable. i came to have an enriching experience, and this was not going to happen with the knights. i wish them all of the best, and hopefully interns in the future will be able to participate in more worthwhile projects.

*if it makes you less sad...*

so i have been listening to a lot of the boss lately. (bruce springsteen for those who just landed on earth). his music from the seventies really transcends generations. a lot of what he is talking about i can apply to the culture here and now. kids are just living life, trying to have a good time, but a lot of times they get in each others way and, well, feelings get hurt and fights happen, and well, life just happens.

i get kind of upset when people are unable to respond to basic communication formats. trying to communicate with people is sometimes hard, but with non-responsive people its even harder.

*i'm going to sneak to your bed and pour salt in your wounds*

a small group of us americans are going to manchester on saturday, just for the day. it should be a really grand time. i am pretty excited to see yet another british city. i have seen york, scarborough, and london. i just need to start crossing them off the list. we are staying in a pretty sweet hotel with a pool and hot tub. so, bust out the swim suit... oh, wait... i need to get one in order to bust it out. h&m, here i come! (i saw they had some on clearance they other day).

*your average woe has no punk-rock credentials*

well, this has been a mish-mash post, but i have been feeling a bit off lately with the stress over the internship. i can guarantee that when i wake up tomorrow, i am going to be fresh and relaxed. a new beginning.

*alive with the glory of love*