Bangor's got PRIDE!

This past weekend was Bangor's Gay PRIDE festival! The Bridge Alliance, the group responsible for the planning and organization of the event, did a stellar job. Even downpours, thunder & lightning couldn't keep us down! It was wonderful to see so many people attend the event, despite the questionable weather.

We arrived downtown to set up & the skies were grey and it was drizzling. By the time we emptied the car, the skies had opened up and it was a complete downpour, followed right up by thunder and lightning. And, it was close by - we heard that a traffic light had been hit by lightning just one block away! But, a little rain can't keep us down! After all, we ARE gay! (happy!)

The Equality Maine crew, trying to stay dry under our (weak) tent! Notice they are holding TWO umbrellas up underneath the tent...it was leaking, and we were soaked!

This was our view in the early-hours of Pride...

 But, just as I was starting to think that the day was going to be a total wash, the rain stopped and we were in business! Alex, Mikayla and I did a booth that had people write down things they were proud of about themselves....we cut out felt letters and hot glued 'Got Pride ?' on this huge sheet of canvas, and viola! Instant artwork! 

Here's Mkay manning the booth!

Then Mikayla and I got away for a few minutes to create some sidewalk art. What a cool kid, huh? 

Our 'gay closet' which premiered at the University of Maine at Machias a few years ago made it's way to Bangor PRIDE! This closet was a project done by Alex, myself and a couple of students who were part of the 100% Society at UMM. This is the write-up that Alex did to explain the project:

"This closet was made to represent the experience of many gay, lesbian, transgender,
bisexual and questioning people. In each of our lives, we all have experienced
homophobia and bigotry. It has taken on a variety of forms from vandalism to
hateful statements. Those experiences often create fear and self-hatred and leads
many to feel trapped inside themselves. The inside of the closet represents that
experience with stark examples of the hatred each of the creators experienced first
hand.

In contrast, each of us then discovered that once we over came those hurtful
messages, we were greeted by a community full of acceptance, love and vibrancy.
With this also came the ability to find humor in some of the stereotypes that
accompany homophobia. As an example, we poke fun at the myth that gays and
lesbians are eager to recruit new members in order to earn the coveted toaster. The
exterior of the closet, therefore, represents resiliency, strength and pride. Each is
the key to full acceptance of one’s unique identity."

The Gay Closet

The coolest part of the day? Walking back to the parking lot - exhausted, wet, full of pride, and being surrounded by cars that looked like this:

It's fun to be part of a larger community sometimes, and this weekend was a shining example of that feeling. There are many times when I feel overwhelmed with so many people around me (go ahead - laugh if you live in a 'real' city, but - Bangor feels HUGE to me!) but this weekend I just felt surrounded by love. There's something to be said for a group of people who are accepting of all walks of life...who aren't caught up with appearances, or gender, or stereotypes. Personally, I think the gays have it all figured out.

My grandfather, who is 89-years old called me early Saturday morning to tell me that New York State had passed legislation to allow gay marriage. Gram told me later that he had seen it on the evening news the night before, and said, 'We'll have to call Kate in the morning!'. I couldn't have asked for a better start to Bangor PRIDE weekend.

My grandfather has also told me that gay people really just need to have their own revolution, like Woodstock....'Gaystock', he said. 'It would be HUGE!'....

He's so, soooooo right. Isn't he?

Sweet Potato Quesadillas - Oh My!

This twist on a traditional mexican dish has changed my life:

Admittedly, I stole this idea from The Whole Life Natural Market in Machias, Maine. I couldn't tell you exactly what made up their combination of flavors for this dish, but I left there wanting to make it myself - IMMEDIATELY. If you're ever down in those parts, stop by and have one. You won't be disappointed. But, if you'd like to make them yourself, try this:

Cook up some sweet potato. I don't think the particulars matter, but I boiled mine.
Mince some red onion, garlic & cilantro, and add a can of black beans to the mix.
Throw a handful of raisons on there, I prefer the golden variety. (TRUST ME -- just DO IT)
Sprinkle some cheddar cheese (it doesn't take much) down on your warm tortilla on the stovetop, add sweet potato & black bean mix, top with a dash more cheese, grab another tortilla for the top, and brown on both sides. A dollop of sour cream and salsa on top, and you're good to go! Quick. Easy. Delish!

Holy yum.

A Looooong Overdue Race Report

So, I ran the Flattop 5K in Lamoine, ME on March 26th. (yes, that was 10 weeks ago) My goal was to finish the Couch to 5K program and run in this race. I had been told that it was a fairly easy race without many hills in a rural setting. Perfect. My BFF & I, (like that, Penny?) had agreed to run the race together. (thank GOD she came!) We'd been doing the C25K program together, but from a distance. Penny lives in the middle of the woods in Trescott. We IMed about our progress (or lack there of) often during the training program.

So - we arrived on race day. The sun was shining and my iPod was charged. The only catch? It was 20*F race day morning, with a horrific wind chill to boot. It was effing frigid. I'd never run in temps so cold. I was scared to death. Thoughts like, 'I'll freeze to a solid LUMP on the side of the road', and 'people don't actually RUN in conditions like these, right? RIGHT?' were swirling through my head. But, nonetheless, I prepared myself.

 

Here I am. There was a brief moment of excitement after picking up my race number and receiving the complimentary tote bag! (probably before the ice cold outside air had reached my lungs)

Have I mentioned how freakin' awesome my friend Penny is? She drove up in the wee hours of the morning on this blistery day to run in this race, for which she hadn't even completed training for yet. (she got a later start to the C25K program than I did, and had a few hick-ups along the way) Penny, you rock.

Penny & me

Here's one of the reasons I love Penny. She'll pose for pictures like THIS with me!

So, we registered and waited. (I was super, SUPER early because I was also terrified that my car would break down, or I'd get pulled over, or a tree would fall on top of me - or, all of the above) I geared myself up, then realized I was missing something - I searched frantically for the little rubberized cover that somehow became loose and fell off my right ear bud. I never found it. Thankfully, this was my only real race day incident. I determined that yes, I could in fact still jam that little sucker in my ear without the cover, or - even go (gasp!) without one ear bud. All was well.

Next, I ate a banana. I had eaten a Luna bar (lemon!) on the ride up, and had my usual cup of coffee and some water. I had been SO worried about what to eat on race day, until I read, 'just eat what you normally do' and had this huge 'well, DUH' moment. (so, I passed on my usual corn beef hash, homefries, & eggs benedict! ;o)

After what seemed like FOREVER, they called us to the starting line.

I'm in there somewhere. Promise.

And, before I knew it - we were off! The beginning of the race felt weird to me. I was stuck inside this huge mass of people and it was hard to be elbow to elbow with other runners, all who wanted to move at different paces. But, I made it through, and 1/4 mile down the road runners were spaced out and I didn't feel like I was going to knock someone out with my overly zealous arm-swinging.

Here I am! (I look SO serious!)

I was nervous. It was cold. I thought that the race day jitters would wear off as soon as I started running, but that didn't really happen. I was conscious of all the runners around me, even though we weren't smashing elbows anymore. I kept thinking that I was 'in the way', or 'not moving fast enough', or any other number of nonsense things. I realized that I didn't know the protocol for passing people. Was it like the highway? Pass on the left only? It didn't appear that that was the case, but I hung back awhile watching other runners around me. There didn't seem to be much consistency. I had difficultly finding my pace. I was extremely concerned that the adrenaline coursing through my veins was giving me a false sense of how fast I was going, and one of my worst fears was running TOO fast, and not pacing myself. (turns out, I could have probably run faster - I hung back a little too much)

So, in the first mile I spent time worrying about freezing to death, and the rules about passing. Then, after about a mile was under my belt we came to this section of the course that opened up into a large field. I thought I was going to die. Seriously, the wind whipping across that field took the air right out of my lungs. I started having serious doubts about my ability to press on. By then, old people were passing me - they seemed fine. Clearly, they had been running awhile, probably in worse conditions than this! (at least, that's what I told myself...) So, I got a little burst of energy. I decided that I was tough, and I could take a little sub-zero air, and that the pain was only temporary. I'd trained for this. It was only 3.1 miles.

It wasn't much further to the halfway point of the race. I had been waiting for it. I knew that the race was an up-and-back situation, and that at some point we'd turn around and head back to where we started to finish the race. I saw the people standing up ahead with a sandwich board sign to indicate we were halfway through, and by the time I got there all I could think was, "oh my god - i'm only halfway through!" But, once I turned around and started heading back I just thought to myself, "okay, you are MORE than halfway through now!", and "keep running, or else that take-the-air-right-out-of-your-lungs field is going to eat you alive!" I convinced myself that stopping would mean getting cold, and that was not something I could afford to have happen. So, I pressed on. At mile 2 there were some lovely people and a golden retriever cheering runners on. They were yelling things like, "you're almost there!", and "way to go!" (they are my heroes...thank you, random people)

At mile 2 1/2 I finally realized that I had panicked for the majority of the race. I was so worried about freezing to death, or passing out on the side of the road that I really hadn't paid attention to the fact that I could have moved a little faster. I wasn't really tired. So, I tried to crank it up for the last 1/2 mile. The very last part of the race weaved back through town, and people were lining the roads. It was like I had my own personal fan club! (it's fun to pretend, anyway...) People started cheering, and before I knew it, the finish line was in sight! I thought to myself, 'could this be REAL?', 'am I actually finishing this race?'

I'm not sure where all the self-doubt came from. I think that over the course of the last few months I had convinced myself that I wasn't really a 'runner', that I was just running a race. (hmmm....i'm not sure where the logic is there) So, I did it. I ran the race. I ran it in 29:34. I didn't freeze to death, or throw up, or run anyone over. (I'm still confused about the 'passing rules' thing though, so if anyone wants to clarify that...) And, once the whole thing was behind me, I thought to myself, 'Sure! I could do this again!' (now, ask me how many races I've completed or even signed up for since this one.....)

approaching the finish line

we freakin' did it!

FISH TACOS

Really? Need I say more? We eat some damn fine food around here...

Fish Tacos with Lime Sauce: 

1 lb. fresh tilapia or catfish (i've used neither - cod and haddock are both stellar) 

2 limes

1/2 c plain yogurt (original recipe calls for mayo) 

1 t (MORE!) chili powder

1/3 c flour (or, cornmeal or GF flour for the gluten-free folks) 

8 small corn tortillas

1 c shredded cabbage

2 carrots, peeled and shredded

1 avocado

1 jalapeno or serrano pepper, thinly sliced 

Rinse and dry fish. Cut into 1 inch pieces. 

For lime sauce, juice the limes into a bowl, stir in yogurt and chili powder. Remove 1/3 of this sauce and toss fish pieces in it. 

In a large skillet, heat 2 T olive oil over medium heat. In a shallow dish combine flour and a dash of salt and pepper. Working with half the fish at a time, lightly toss in flour mixture and add to hot oil. Cook 2-4 minutes turning over to brown. Drain on paper towels. 

Wrap tortillas in moist paper towels and heat in microwave for 45 seconds. Top tortillas with fish, cabbage, carrots, avocado, and drizzle with lime sauce. ENJOY! 

Our Dancing Queen...

Mikayla's hip hop dance recital was last weekend. She ROCKED! Unfortunately, no cameras allowed at the show, but I snapped these before she went in:

Then, today at school her and a friend did their own rendition of 'Born This Way' by Lady Gaga on the playground, complete with homemade t-shirts: 

(we're actually not the awful parents we may appear to be. we've assured mikayla that with a little studying she will in fact learn mathematics just fine. ;o) 

And, for your listening pleasure:

Wicked Proud

The Kurz legacy graduated their last this past weekend, and in true style. (oh, AND summa cum laude!) Kelsey Etta Kurz, est. 1988, rec'd her B.S. in Recreation and Tourism Management, with a minor in Business Administration. (She outdid me. I graduated with the same degree from UMM a few years back, but without honors and no minor - she's a little twerp)

Here's a few shots from the day:

I think the bagpiper liked me...

There she is!

Rick Scribner, me, Bill Eckart, Kelsey (Bill retired this year after decades as professor in the recreation management program at UMM. He delivered the graduation address, to nearly 100 graduates this year. He has left some pretty big shoes to fill. Happy retirement, Bill!) 

That's one proud mom! 3 kids with 3 college degrees...

Maine Day...pride?

Today is 'Maine Day' at the University of Maine. The event is in it's 76th year, and what was originally established as a campus clean-up day has grown into a full day of events for students, faculty and staff to participate in. There's a parade, campus-wide clean up event, various other service projects, a large b-b-q, games, you get the idea. Classes are cancelled, and folks are encouraged to participate in events and to beam with UMaine pride.

I'm not familiar with the UMaine community. Sure, I've been working here 2 1/2 years, but campus has always been very overwhelming to me. I attended college in a place 1/20 it's size. (yeah, THAT small) I arrived here and fell into this CITY - with people everyone, offices everywhere, unfamiliar places at every turn. It was intimidating. I didn't know anyone, and I wasn't used to co-existing in a place with so many unfamiliar people.

So, since I've been here, I've largely kept to myself. Sure, I go to work, walk to the Union once in awhile to grab a bite to eat, but that's about it. I haven't 'connected' with this community.

A few weeks ago one of my co-workers received a top secret email. After conferring with the sender, she shared with me the contents - some people on campus were preparing a surprise 'flash mob' dance to take place on Maine Day. My co-worker asked me if I wanted to participate. Well, of course! (being in a flash mob is actually on my bucket list!) So, we started attending rehearsals, some in the middle of the night - and drove the 30 min. back to campus to learn our moves in preparation for the big day. Largely, the group was comprised of students, with a staff member thrown in here and there. I was so excited to be a part of it, and the energy from these students was contagious. It reminded me of my own campus, (UMaine-Machias) and the community there, the connectedness. For the first time in 2 1/2 years, I felt like I was in the right place sharing this experience with these students. I was finally a PART of their community, and not just an outsider.

So, today I showed up for work. As soon as I entered the building, I realized that I was, once again - an outsider. I had dressed in my favorite UMaine shirt, and jeans - appropriate for the day's events. (and, in both the prior years I've been here, our staff has been encouraged to wear UMaine clothing in support of the day) Well, I was the only one. The rest of the staff were wearing their regular business clothes, and here I was - the only one in UMaine garb. (dress code rules here are heightened to the level of terrorist activity - green = low risk, yellow = significant, red = time to hit the bunker) It's was terrorist 'red' here this morning. I was given a thorough head to toe stare by one staff member, and a gasp of 'JEANS?!?' before I was even here an hour. That's the spirit.

I was completely deflated. Now, you should know that I dressed in a full Easter Bunny costume last Friday, and no one seemed to have a problem with that, but - on our campus's day of celebration GOD FORBID I show a little campus pride. Here's the Easter bunny photo:



My office attire last Friday

But, shame on me - I let this get to me today. It upset me. I should have marched around my office and displayed my UMaine shirt with PRIDE, not hid away in my office for fear of reprimand.

I made my way to the field house (rain location) today by myself. I stood in the unsuspecting crowd, and waited for my cue, jumping into the dance at just the right time. I didn't know one face in that crowd, (well, except you, Kathy! Thanks for being there at just the right moment!) but I spun around, whirled, smiled, clapped and saw smiles spread across the faces of strangers. I joined 100 other students today, as part of their group, as part of their community, and I helped them pull off a flash mob dance. Here it is: (scroll to 3 minutes in...the first 3 minutes are just the crowd mingling...)

So, while I don't understand my immediate surroundings, and I probably never will - I saw a glimmer of hope outside my office walls today, and it felt good. This isn't 'home' and it never will be, but there's a good bunch of people on this campus who are proud to be a part of this community. It's a familiar feeling, and one I haven't felt in a long time. So, for what it's worth - Goooooooooooo, MAINE!

(don't worry, Downeasters - UMaine, Machias will always be my #1)