Feminism (or the lack thereof)

I'd like to pretend I'm a feminist... but try as I might, I fail miserably.

Consider this: for Halloween I was a Pin-Up Girl and a Librarian/Housewife (my Halloween spanned two nights). How much farther from feminism can you get? Both are different takes on the epitome of female objectification: one, the very image of sex; the other, the image of domesticity. And I voluntarily, even excitedly, portrayed both of these. They were great costumes. It was fun.

Whether I want to admit it or not, I am obsessed with the "cult of domesticity." I love cooking and baking and cleaning and dressing up and being seen. I'm passive, which just continues the tradition of female subordination. Is that bad?

Fate?

I normally don't even pretend to believe in fate or destiny, but something happened today that made me question my skepticism.

It was the strangest thing. I was walking around downtown Ithaca taking snapshots for my Streescapes assignment. I was strolling down the main Commons and kept noticing this man in front of me. Young guy, well-groomed, business casual attire. Must have been a Johnson School grad student. It was like I was inadvertently following him. He would turn, and then I would turn (because that was on my path). He definitely saw me because he looked back a few times (checking me out? I don't know). He was going where I was going. And then he took a left, and I continued straight. Whew. Didn't want him to think I was creepy or anything. And then...

I decided to go to Starbucks to get some coffee and work on my project... and lo, and behold, who did I see in front of me as I crossed Seneca Street? Mr. Business Major. We crossed the street and he continued straight, while I turned left. Good. He must be going to somewhere important, because there are a lot of tall, looming, business-y looking buildings on Tioga Street, and that would make sense. So, relieved, I walked into Starbucks. And there he was, right in front of me in line. WHAT WAS GOING ON? So I try to play it cool and pretend like I hadn't noticed anything and ignore the strangeness of our little saga. And then the barista chick asks us what we want, and he orders a Tall Pumpkin Spice Latte. Exactly what I was going to order. THE SAME DRINK (except mine was nonfat). This was too ridiculous to be happening to me. I go to sit down and the only table is within close proximity, so I constantly see him sitting a few feet from out of the corner of my eye. I go to pick up my drink and he stares at me, downright stares. Now, I don't know what he was thinking, whether he was flattered or creeped out or checking me out or what...

Now if this isn't fate, I don't know what is. It's not like he was particularly attractive or anything, but I have a sneaking suspicion that this might be my future husband.

Serial Cleaner

I went on a cleaning spree today.  Baking rampage, cleaning spree… see a pattern?  What’s next?

I find that the state of my room is directly correlated to the state of my mind.  Not to delve into mental health too much here, but the dirtier my room gets, the more clogged my brain gets.  As a result, I am unable to think, let alone get to my bed without stepping on anything.

So I washed my linens and made my bed and took a shower and put things in their place, more or less.  Feeling 100x better now and I might be productive for once.  Back to endlessly reading… I have two books and a paper to finish by Friday.  But hey, I asked for it.

As a side note: I can’t believe it’s November already.  Which means fall is almost over.  And also means my birthday is in two weeks (exactly)!  I can’t believe I’m going to be twenty.  The big two-O.  Two decades old.  Gahhh if I’m going to be twenty why can’t I just be twenty-one already?

My (Halloween) Baking Rampage

I went on a baking rampage tonight. It was wonderful. I made cookies AND cupcakes for the house. Double whammy. Recipe for snickerdoodles (cinnamon sugar cookies) below:

Snickerdoodles (my favorites)

1 cup butter or margarine

½ cup white sugar

½ cup brown sugar, packed

2 cups flour (this can vary)

1 egg (optional, helps bind it together)

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons white sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Soften butter and put into large bowl.

3. Combine both sugars with butter and mix (with spoon or hands; I prefer the latter).

4. Stir in flour and egg. Mix thouroughly.

5. Shape dough into balls roughly the size of a tablespoon.

6. Roll each ball of dough in the sugar-cinnamon mixture so that it is completely coated.

7. Lay out dough balls on cookie tray (preferably greased). Flatten if needed.

8. Bake for 20 minutes, but begin checking cookie progress around 10, then again at 15, etc…