Mmm, good!

The 4th of July is a special holiday for my family. Since my fiance' and I got together 3 1/2 years ago we have been celebrating the 4th of July at my mother's house in Stanwood. We also celebrate his daughter's birthday on the same day, because her birthday is on July 6th. What a blast it is! We invite our closest friends and their kids to swim in the pool, watch fireworks and eat until their hearts are content.

I am all about bargain shopping when it comes to food. I never leave home without a coupon. One thing that is always on sale in the summer time is pork ribs. You can get pork ribs for 99 cents a pound if you buy them on sale. What a deal! So, every 4th of July we barbecue up some pork ribs and corn on the cob. That is our traditional meal and we can't get enough of it!

Corn on the cob is a gift that is so often taken for granted. Good old Washington grown corn, barbecued over the grill and slathered in so much butter you will need a whole roll of napkins to eat it. Not only do we eat this famous meal on the 4th of July, but we eat it at all of our barbecues in the summer. If there is a get together at my house my friends and family don't even ask what we are having. They all know were having ribs and corn on the cob. If I could eat corn on the cob every day I would. If ribs were on sale year round, and I had a chest freezer then we would definitely be stocked up.

Next July 4th things will be a little different. I am getting married on July 3rd. But one thing that won't change is our signature dish! We are barbecuing ribs up at our wedding too! So you see, ribs and corn on the cob is the meal for my family. It just isn't summer without the two and it wouldn't be our wedding without them either.

The great thing about a meal like corn on the cob and ribs is that almost everyone likes it. I have yet to come across someone who did not enjoy some good old finger licking foods. We can even cook ribs for my stepdaughter's friend who eats gluten free (no barbecue sauce of course).

It is not exactly a fancy, unique meal. My families meal is a representation of American food and a love for barbecuing. The meal sort of ties our family and friends together. It is not just a meal anymore. It represents our love for each other and it bonds us together. Who would have ever thought that food could bring so much togetherness and joy.

What's Your Community?

Listening to rock music is a community. This group is a community because of the type of music they listen to. Everyone who listens to rock music has a bond. I can go up to a stranger, ask what kind of music they listen to and if it is rock music, like I listen to, then we will immediately have something in common and something to talk about. Even though we are are strangers we are part of the same community. We are part of a community that listens to rock music.

The community of "rockers" is held together by a love for rock music. It is held together by an appreciation for musical talent and variety. Some rock music has deep meaning behind it, and some is meant for just banging your head too. Whichever it is, we all love and cherish it. It is a part of our lives.

Alot of times "rockers" will share similar interests. Alot of times they tend to enjoy going to concerts, playing a musical instrument, playing rock band or guitar hero and listening to rock music. They seem to have the idea that rock music can take you somewhere you have never been before. Others have the idea that as Jack Black says in the movie, "School of Rock" we are "sticking it to the man!". Most "rockers" despise rap music. They may feel it is a disgrace that it is even called music, since no one is ever playing an instrument. If you listen to rock music you tend to have friends that listen to rock music. That is just they way that communities work.

Sometimes it can be difficult for the community of people listening to rock music. They are labeled "devil worshippers" and "goths". Well, I am neither of those things, but I could never live without rock music. When I am tired and feeling down in the morning, I pop in a little Disturbed or Mushroomhead to get me going. I understand that that music is not for everyone. I do also not understand how rap music is for anyone. The separation of "rappers" and "rockers" is a significant one in our society. You could see two groups of kids standing on the street corner and immediately pick out who is who. The "rappers" probably have their hats on sideways, wearing baggy jeans, with the possibility of gold chains around their necks. The "rockers" will most likely have shirts with band names on them and darker clothes with maybe some skull accessories. What a difference! It is a difficult contrast between the two communities and makes it difficult for both to survive. Not only are people who listen to rock music a part of a community, but they are shaping their identity through that community.

There are ways that I fit in with this community and there are ways that I do not. I do listen to rock music, I do own a few shirts with band names, I do have some skull accessories, I do not like rap music and I do appreciate the beauty of a musical instrument. I do not just listen to rock music. I enjoy the blues, jazz and other varieties. I do not always wear dark clothing. I rarely go to concerts (to expensive) and I am not "gothic" or a "devil worshipper". I do have a love and appreciation for rock music. I value the appreciation that these other "rockers" have for their music. I am proud to discuss the different kind of musicians, instruments and lyrics that are used in rock music. I do not like the labels that are put on such a community as this. I would probably not label myself as a rocker, although I respect those that do. I think I do not fully fit into the role, but I will always share the same love for rock music and that is what makes me apart of this community.

Emily Osnes

What's in your wallet?

A friend, a companion, and a tool. My purse goes with me everywhere. I feel naked without it. It quite possibly carries everything I think I need in this world. Well, what does it really say about me? Do it's contents portray an accurate definition of who I am and what is important to me? Or would you only have a broad explanation of my identity by rummaging through my purse?

Let's see, my purse contains a variety of things. The first and most important is my wallet. My wallet holds

• my drivers license,





• credit cards, bank cards,





• a small amount of change and cash,





• a couple of receipts from Safeway, a coffee stand, Michael's craft store, Fred Meyer, Bed Bath and Beyond and Blockbuster





• Ticket stubs from the "Wicked" Broadway play I went to last week in Seattle(amazing show!)





• discount and punch cards





• pictures of my family

Just with my wallet alone you could probably make a small summary about my identity. You would know what I look like by my drivers license. You might say I am a family girl by all of the photos. A wife and mother according to the pictures, (I actually am engaged and next year the girl in the photos will become my step daughter.) Maybe I like to shop? Or am I just a pack rat about receipts? The coffee receipt might suggest that I have a busy schedule and lack the energy to get it all done. The tickets are obvious. I am a theater lover!

I usually carry my PDA in my purse as well. It has a culmination of all the lists relative to my life. My to do list and my grocery list for example. I have alot of organizing tasks on my to do list. Someone might say I am a clean freak. Which is not at all true. I am not a messy person, but I struggle with disorganization. That is why the subject monopolizes my to do list. On my to buy list I have three items that are related to a truck. The assumption is: I own a truck. In fact I drive a car. My fiance drives a truck. So the things in my purse are related to my life, but not necessarily directly related to my identity. My PDA also includes the business I work for, Arbys. Since I use a PDA as an organizational tool, it is possible I could be in some kind of management position. Which is true.

A few more of the contents in my purse include: gum. chap stick, ibuprofen, a pen, fingernail clippers and a personal goal card.

From an outsiders point of view, based on the contents of my purse and wallet I could create a summary of who I think the person might be. I would say she was a family person. Someone constantly on the go, possibly a shopaholic. She likes coffee and renting movies. Goes to the theater in her free time. An Arbys employee who values goal setting, time management and organizational skills. Those things are all pretty accurate. Could someone conjure up a personal opinion about me based on the information they found here? Gee, I hope not.

There are plenty of things that my purse and wallet don't say about me. No one could tell someone's life experiences from the contents in their wallet. You wouldn't know that I have been to inpatient drug treatment twice, or that I have battled with addiction all of my life. You wouldn't know that I work 48 hours a week as a manager and am striving to take over my own restaurant. You wouldn't know that I love hiking, camping, rock climbing and anything else to do with the outdoors. You wouldn't know that I host food drives in the winter and have my step daughter visiting from Spokane in the summer. You wouldn't know that I am a social person, with a love for animals and who is in love themselves. You wouldn't know, you wouldn't know, you wouldn't know.

It is our nature as human beings to make rash judgments on people based only on a few known facts. Classes such as this and significant life experiences can hopefully change our way of thinking in that aspect. Some of us make these judgments unconsciously. Others out of fear or for other personal reasons. There is always more to someone than meets the eye. We would do well as a country to live by that a little better.

testing testing