On Beowulf and American Stupidity

Today, while I was shopping for school supplies at Target, I was met with the stupidity of mankind and the American population. While I was waiting in line to check out, a woman—who was with her teenage daughter—said that she missed the 70’s and wasn’t sure about what schools were teaching kids nowadays.

At face value, this can make sense considering the generation gap; there are things that my generation learned that our parents did not, books that have been written that are of literary merit since our parents’ graduation. The point that this particular lady was focusing on, however, defied this general standard: Beowulf.

She had (1) never heard of it and (2) assumed that “it must have been invented since [the ‘70s].” I had to refrain myself from speaking up, because I knew that if I said something that it would be incredibly rude. And let’s face it, the rude comment would have been well deserved.

Let’s begin with the obvious issue, if you are not literate enough to know that Beowulf exits (not even what it is about), you should not be commenting on the American education system. Obviously, the education system failed this particular lady in the ‘70s.

Secondly, a piece of literature is not invented. Beowulf cannot be compared to the cotton gin or the Model-T. The simple phrasing of her comment took all credibility away from her. Call me a snob, but I think that you need to think about what you say before it comes out of your lips to avoid simple mistakes such as this. In the same sentence she had said that it was required for senior English classes, so it can be assumed that she knew that it was some piece of literature or other.

I would like to point out that Beowulf has not been written in the past 40 years. Nor was it rediscovered in that time. Beowulf was available to the public in the ‘70s, just as it is now, and I should hope that some students (if not high school then college) should have read it.

Lastly, if you’re not a high school English teacher—or an English teacher or professor in any sense—you should not be commenting on the selections of a teacher. It can be assumed that someone who specializes in teaching English is going to have some insight into literary merit.

If this lady were going to say things like this again, I would urge her to do it in the privacy of her own home.

Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes

The past few weeks, I have been baking a new cupcake every week. Two weeks ago I made red velvet cupcakes. Last week I made devil’s food cupcakes with a 7-minute frosting. This week I decided to make cupcakes that were strawberry shortcake inspired cupcakes.

I started with a strong pound cake. There is nothing like a good pound cake to compliment the fluffy whipped cream and sweet strawberries. I filled the cupcakes with a homemade strawberry filling and topped it with whipped cream and a fresh strawberry,

Not to toot my own horn, but these cupcakes are good summer treat. Nice and refreshing on a hot summer day. And let’s face it, we can use all the help we can get with the Texas heat being in full force.

I would choose a dessert over the desert

My oldest sister graduated this past weekend from Arizona State University. We are all so proud of her, because we thought she never would after she took a year and a half away from her studies. But not only did she graduate, but she graduated with cum laude honors, which is more than I will be able to say.

The only other time I had ever been to Phenix was for her high school graduation. We went to the Grand Canyon, rode horses and took a Jeep tour in Sedona, and slid down the natural water slide in Oak Creek Canyon (known as Slide Rock). It was a good trip, but I vividly remember bleeding from my cuticles from the dryness. I was not looking forward to experience that again.

Our entire trip, there was not a cloud in the sky. The bright desert sun loomed above in the sky as I left the airport. I could almost feel the sun burning my pale, white skin. I was convinced that this would be a bad omen for my trip as a whole.

This is my fifth day here, and am proud to say that I am not the slightest bit pink. As I sit in the airport, writing this blog post, the accomplishment of this feat is almost awe-inspiring.

Do you know how many kinds of cactus there are? It seemed like every time I looked out the window of our rent-a-car, I would see a new breed. And let me be the first to say how weird cacti can be. At times it looked we were in a dry coral reef, that is how bizarre the landscape was.

In Phenix, there is no natural grass, only rocks and sand. I love walking through damp, soft grass on a hot summer day, but here that is not possible. People don't have to spend their weekends with a lawnmower or hunched over in a garden, instead they get to enjoy a hassle-free rock garden. There is something to be said for this perk, but I would still choose grass.

I asked everyone that I met who lives here, why they chose the hot desert as their home. The best answer that I got was they, sure they dealt with the sweltering heat, but they don't have to worry about floods, or tornados, or hurricanes. He said that you just become smart and stay inside as much as you can in the summer, and that by evening it will be manageable.

On Cooking

I may not be Julia Child, or even Julie Powell, but I think that I am a fairly good cook.

For Christmas, my mom got me Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child and last week, we tried our first recipe. I am not going to tell you which one because I would horribly spell the word wrong. I can’t spell correctly in English, let alone French.

It was a really great experience and I am looking forward to doing it again. But not this week. This week, my mom and I are making swordfish from the Williams-Sonoma cookbook that I got her for her birthday.’

I really enjoy cooking with my mom. My favorite holiday is probably Thanksgiving. I don’t even really like turkey, but I love being in the kitchen all day with my mom. My sister leaves for a significant portion of the day, and my mom and I get to spend the day together without her.

That sounds bad, we love my sister, but cooking alone with her may be the highlight of my year.

I’ll let you know how the swordfish turns out, but I already know that it will be a good day.

Gargoyles

When I went to Washington D.C. in 8th grade, my favorite souvenir that I got was a “see no evil” gargoyle from the National Cathedral. This is going to sound silly, but when did those go out of style? I think they are so much better than the gutter systems we have on your house now.

My sister once told me of a house in Colleyville that had gargoyles, and when she told me I thought, “Oh gaudy, how extravagant.” But I have come around to the idea. Maybe someday I will have gargoyles.

I am not trying the be extravagant, but I think the art of them is amazing and they have such a rich history. When pop culture icons become something more (as the Darth Vader gargoyle at the National Cathedral), it is something truly amazing. Only in a society such as ours could an antagonist become a pop culture icon that moves into the religious sphere.

Next time you get bored online, look at some gargoyle pictures. They are truly great art.

Threads 4 Thought

One of my new favorite brands is Threads 4 Thought, they make the best hoodies and are all about sustainability, which is a win on both sides. I have more than my fair share of hoodies, but since discovering this brand, it has expanded a great deal.

People nowadays put a lot of stock into being green: we use reusable grocery bags, teachers e-mail papers instead of handing out printed copies, hybrids are the cars to drive. So why not apply the same principles to our clothes? Use recycled materials for our clothing, or at least be more conscious on how our clothes were made.

I am not suggesting that we should get all of our clothes from thrift shops, or wear clothes made from recycled newspaper. But next time you go do buy a hoodie from your college bookstore or your favorite store, stop. Instead buy Threads 4 Thought.

If that is not enough to turn you, you just need to feel the inside of the hoodie I am currently wearing. It might as well be cashmere. And that is why I own four of these hoodies and have been eyeing a fifth for months.

A Gentleman’s Fund

There is no feasible way that I could purchase a $1,000+ coat. I am awful with money, if it is in my checking account, than I am apt to spend it. I do, however, want a Burberry coat. It has been my dream for four years now.

So, tonight I came up with a solution. For those of you who might be Friends fans, I am taking heart what Jack Geller taught his children. Instead of 10% of my paycheck going into the bank, I am setting aside $5 of my tips every night from work into a special fund.

This fund will go nowhere near either of my accounts since I am so willing to transfer money so I can buy things. Instead, the money is going into a tin. Think of it as a piggybank for bills. I got this tin when I got my Fossil watch for my birthday and I have been looking for a use for it.

If I work four times a week, I will be able to put $20 a week into the fund. In 50 weeks (less than a year from now), I will have $1,000. Granted, the coat I end up getting will probably be more than this, but the fund will just be a big supplement for what is in my bank accounts at the time of the purchase.

I think that this makes my dream reachable. Granted, I probably won’t be able to buy as many shoes as I did this past year; which might be for the best all the same.