I like this place and willingly could waste my time in it

I am going to ramble about houses and architecture. After Kat and Laura responded to my last post about how they thought my house looked nice, I thought maybe I wasn't the only one who geeked out about 100-year-old buildings and the like.

I love old houses. Really. I totally get this from my mom, but there is something really satisfying to me in living in a place that is old and has a personality and you can fix up and make you own because it needs the work. It helps to feel like you have taken ownership of a place when you have put your sweat and muscle into it.

So, I get teased a lot by my Ann Arbor friends about living in "Ypsitucky." It is the poorer city, the city that everyone goes to who can't afford Ann Arbor. It has crappier schools and the downtown is worse and it can't keep a business the way A2 can... you get the point. But I love it. So... most people don't feel safe walking around alone at night, but Ypsi has a lot to offer. There are quite a few local businesses and good restaurants here as well, they just might not look as nice. Heh.

But, anyway, I like that Ypsi is usually pretty empty and you never have to wait to eat anywhere downtown or really hunt for a parking spot. I like that there is one house between me, the library and my favorite coffee shop in the area. And I also like that the police station is a block away and the post office is only two houses away.

I live in the historic district of Ypsi. It IS a really interesting area because there is so much difference in the quality of homes from one block to the next. There are these huge, beautiful old homes from 1845 and up, followed by these squat little houses that are falling apart. It is shady and hickish and beautiful. See, and we thought New Richmond was terrible. Not so different, really. Minus the river and nicer weather.

Here are some pictures of some of my favorite houses around my neighborhood:

Winter: Snow and Dusk

Some photos of pretty things I took in an attempt to enjoy winter and the snow. It almost kind-of worked, but if nothing else, you Ohioans and others can see what my house looks like. =P Someday, I really would like to take a photography class or something so that I can actually take better photos. Or attempt to, as I have no idea what the flip I'm doing now. But anyway, here goes.

My house:




Chewy enjoying the snow:



And Lillie:

OK, come on.

Maybe it is a bit stereotypical for me to have never given football the time of day, but in recent years, I really did try a bit harder to learn to appreciate the game. It's just not happening.

Dave managed to talk me into going to OU's football games, and I actually did enjoy myself. But not for the game (110, of course). It was because OU has an amazing marching band, I got talk and not get yelled at by someone who is trying so hard to concentrate on the big screen in front of him (honestly - you really don't have to listen to the damn commentary. If you miss it the first time around, they generally repeat themselves about three times so what is the big deal if you miss it once?), it was social and had a fun atmosphere. Someone explain to me exactly what is so fun about a game that huddles for a minute, actually does something with the ball for about four seconds, before play is stopped because someone got tackled or run out of bounds or whatever, then there is a timeout, they huddle again, and repeat the process? How is that remotely exciting?

And, the life expectancy of pro players with all of their concussions and injuries is rather depressing. How could it possibly be worth all of the abuse they put themselves through? It, unsurprisingly, has the highest injury and death rate of any sport in America. According to the Career Journal, an average professional's career lasts just under four years, not to mention long-term disability after they retire. It seems utterly senseless to me.

Maybe if I actually watched an entire game with someone who was willing to be patient with me and answer questions and with an absence of people screaming at the television every time someone actually moves the ball...

But probably not.

....

My car had a lot of trouble starting this morning when it was -16 outside.

I am tired of winter already. All I want to do is curl up in bed, drink tea and hot chocolate and sleep... lots.

On the bright side, I am catching up on a lot of good books, like the Thursday Next series (finally) and Slammerkin and classics that normal people read in high school, but not in New Richmond. I started reading the Historian - not very far along but it comes highly recommended and I am really liking it so far. What's not to like about Vlad the Impaler?

Marriage and Children: just like going to college

I was talking to a friend online today about serious relationships -- having to change for the other person, getting married, having children... so on. And she said, "I think girls are conditioned to expect to get married. I have always just thought of getting married and having kids as a life activity, just like going to college or having to get a job."

It really struck me. It would be interesting to see how many people in our society think that way; I think it would be a surprising many. Or maybe not surprising, but disturbing, nonetheless -- how many women out there really just assume they have to get married and want kids because that is what is expected of them?

When asked why they want to get married and have kids, the majority of my friends (that know they do, anyway) have a difficulty explaining why they want to. But so many are so certain that they do. It is certainly understandable in some aspects -- I think for a lot of women, it is a societal expectation that most never think to question because it surrounds them as an ideal from childhood. It is an expectation many parents place upon their children (in the same category of organized religion and completing your homework on time, for some). I'm not sure I would ever feel confident enough in the rightness of my decision to be able to have kids. There are too many whats ifs and worries that go along with it and my feelings on the subject change pretty frequently... but it has never been something I have always expected and it is definitely not something I have ever been sure of. To me, marriage and children aren't something that is essential or a must in any situation. It depends so much on who you are with -- who you want to build your life with -- that it would change depending on who I am in a relationship with (or has so far, anyway. eesh). Lifestyles change depending on the people you are surrounded by; how could something so lasting like having children be an absolute?

I guess I won't ever cease to be surprised at some of the things people accept unquestioningly. Maybe that is just me projecting my problems on the world, though, as I can't get through a conversation without questioning everything...

This has to be one of my more incoherent posts; I apologize. I hope some of this makes sense.