Seasonal Affects
Failure to follow through, absurdity and dog adoption
I woke up last Saturday and said “I really should write.” I had a list of things in my Notes app I wanted to write about, but Trump had just been acquitted and even though I didn’t actually expect a different outcome and wasn’t watching Impeachment Redux, I felt defeated. Or maybe deflated. Trying to push through the 11th month of the pandemic sometimes you gotta load up on helium to float by.
But I didn’t write anything. So I told myself I would do it on Sunday. But Sunday came and went. The Monday holiday, then. I had an extra day so obviously I just needed to wait for that. You know how this ends: Netflix binging and no word-spills.
Things started to get worse in Texas and across the country. I tried to write about infrastructural failures but none of my words felt helpful. We prepared ourselves for storms that turned out mild.
Yesterday kiddo asked me how many days there were until spring. The answer was 28. An even four weeks. We watched YouTube videos about how to tap maple trees and prepped peat pods for planting. But the seeds still haven’t gotten in there. Every day we wait sets us back and it’s a task that takes no effort. Still, I’m stuck.
I should know better. New England babes are hardened. We have to roll with it, whatever we get. There’s no time to get comfortable. We have to go hard be because there are only 12 weeks at best. We know everything is temporary. It makes us bitter sometimes. Other times it makes us sweeter.
27 days and counting, now.
The Weekly Round-Up:
A section to dump all of my favorite and most curious things from the last (ahem, 14) days.
Winner of the Internet: This is some niche content but absurdity is one of the only places that offers comfort these days. I spent a bit of time thinking about how right-wing meme culture stole absurdity from the Left over the last decade, but that’s an essay for another time.
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I Can’t Even: Gwyneth has reached new levels. I can’t say if they are heights (in terms of being Goop) or lows (in terms of being a decent human). I would tell you about it and save you the click but I will read any Goop article out there because she’s a completely fascinating archetype.
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On Repeat: I listened to a lot of SZA this week.
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I’d Rather Not: I suppose if I am going to identify more with Gen X than Millennials I may also be a Karen so can I please speak to the manager of whoever thought that Mom Jeans of the 80s coming back was the way to go? Here’s the thing: what they call their Mom Jean is actually just a nice jean. It’s a Modern Millennial Mom jean. But a true Mom jean? That’s something else.
Gen Z also has strong feelings about where you part your hair. I’d write this all off if I could (who am I kidding…I could), but this is also the generation that we need to stop climate destruction so I’m picking my battles.
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Thing I Learned: Toss up between two fascinating people.
As I spaced out this week thinking about the return of Mom jeans and the increasing quantity of GrannyCore fashion posts in my feed I started to think about the legacy of Man Repeller which lead me to an article that name checked the artist Cindy Sherman.
I also spent a lot of time with Connie Converse this week. I’d listened to “Talkin’ Like You” before but hadn’t spent any time with the rest of the limited catalogue. I had assumed she was a Carter family era musician that achieved great fame. I had no clue she was the mysterious artist and activist who just vanished one day.
In January, 1961, frustrated by her inability to find an audience for her music, Converse left New York. She was nearing middle age, with no significant professional, artistic, or romantic prospects. Her brother and his wife had made a life ensconced in the heady, liberal milieu surrounding the University of Michigan, and Converse chose Ann Arbor as a place to start over. She volunteered as a political activist, worked on a novel, and took a series of ever more demanding academic jobs that took a toll on her physically and mentally, eventually leading to a breakdown. In August, 1974, one week after her fiftieth birthday, she mailed a series of cryptic notes and letters to family and friends that spoke of a need to make a fresh start somewhere else, and quietly drove away. She was never heard from again.
Dog Adoption Guidelines
Thank you for your interest in one of our sweet rescue pups! We are a group of dedicated volunteers committed to helping these sweet, abandoned dogs find their FURever homes. As an all volunteer team we ask that you please don’t email us asking for updates. If you are a good fit, we will contact you.
We require all adoptees to complete a 6-page application so if you haven’t done that yet, DO NOT EMAIL US asking about the status of a particular dog. We only respond to questions from people who have submitted an application.
We will only adopt to households where every member of the household is in agreement. To avoid any potential future issues, we also require you to submit a written consent form from all neighboring households. Your neighbors must provide a minimum of 2 references who are not family members.
All applications require you to contact your vet and authorize the release of information. If your current dog is not up to date on shots, we will not adopt to you. If you have ever missed a check-up, we will not adopt to you. If you do not currently have a vet and this is your first dog, please click here to complete the FIRST TIME DOG OWNER APPLICATION. Be advised that this requires a 700-word essay about why you want to adopt a dog and requires a minimum of four references, a copy of your high-school transcript (if available), a recent pay-stub, and a list of all your social media handles.
An application will be considered incomplete if it is not notarized. DO NOT CONTACT US ASKING ABOUT HOW TO FIND A NOTARY. We advise you to try searching on Google for how to do this. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
Applications cannot be emailed or sent via the USPS and must be faxed to the number on the application. This is very important. If we receive your application by email, it will be set on fire and we will inform our network of rescue facilities that you should be blacklisted.
Because our dogs have all been rescued from terrible situations down South, we have strict guidelines about who we can adopt to. Households with other pets, children, or people over the age of 75 will not be considered. If the dog is labelled as “skittish” or “timid” we cannot adopt to a house that uses noisy appliances that could startle the dog. These include, but are not limited to, high-powered blenders, coffee grinders, Roombas, and dishwashers.
All homes must have a physically fenced yard (NO INVISIBLE FENCES). The fence must be a minimum of six feet high. We will only adopt to households that are willing to consent to a home visit. We apologize in advance that we are unable to wear masks during the home visits because it is vital that we are able to smell the air inside your household to ensure that the quality will be sufficient for the dog.
We require all our rescues to be fed an organic, whole-food diet. All adoptions will include a cookbook with detailed recipes for the preparation of daily meals.
Please remember that rescuing a dog is a commitment to a lifelong relationship. Thank you for being a hero and remember: Adopt Don’t Shop!