"24 Hours at The Golden Apple"

"24 Hours at The Golden Apple", was a great example of American Landscape. I really enjoyed listening to everyone's story and liked hearing the everyday life of others. This 24 hour shift of interviews really gives us an insight of how other people live their lives; something that we see and dismiss. Taking the time and listening to the stories, you can just visualize these people going about their everyday lives, day after day.
In the recording you hear of a waitress named Donna that has been on the night shift at the Golden Apple for 26 years. You hear her story of being a single parent of 3 children and deciding to work the night shift, so she can be there for her kids during the day; and she isn't even a night person. She started out doing this because it was her duty for her children, and she has grown to feel it is her duty as a waitress to her regular customers and the nighttime patrons of the diner. Her working the night shift has turned into a life for herself. She has seen plays, she has gone to see musicians play and she has seen artwork, all by patrons of the graveyard shift.
There are people that come in, just because they are lonely and looking for conversation. There are people there that come because it is a place they can just sit and relax, while not being alone. There are children that have grown up to bring their children there, just to get the forbidden Mickey Mouse pancakes, that every child knows about who lives in the area.
There are ex-daters, best friends, police officers, retired people and many more who walk through that door every day. Stopping in to say "hi" to each other, and to the owners, Pete, Nick and Tom. We even hear a story about a woman on her way to a viewing of a friend at the church across the street. Her name is Katie "Keen" and she is 75 years old. Katie has lived in the neighborhood her whole life; even after her family moved to the suburbs. She tells us of another landmark that sat in that exact spot when she was in high school. A pharmacy stood in that same wedge shaped piece of land, and was the hangout for high school kids while she was younger.
The most profound thing that stands out in my mind about The Golden Apple is that there are no locks and no keys. No one is turned away at anytime of the day or night. The diner stands there open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week just like it is telling the outside world "come on in, sit down, and tell us your story."

"K'Mart Has a Loveable Disorder" by Hank Stuever

"K'Mart Has a Loveable Disorder" by Hank Stuever is an entertaining, and true account of the way that people in our generation know K'Mart. His description of what happens in one of the stores, just reminds me of what I have seen when I have to visit one. Where I currently live, K'Mart is the closest thing that I have to any department store within 40 minutes. I cringe when I think about walking into a K'Mart, it reminds me of a "ritzy trailor park", if that makes any sense what-so-ever.

I can walk into a K'Mart and see a parent berating their kid for something, and see that same kid five minutes later riding a skateboard around the aisles screaming wildly about how they don't need to go to the bathroom because they went at home (a true account, I assure you). Even after everything that has happened while in a K'Mart, there is some draw for everyone to go at one time or another.

Mr. Stuever states that "It (K'Mart) has lipstick on its teeth and those days where it feels, you know, not-so-fresh?" This is a statement that cracks me up. It is so true. When I don't feel like getting dressed up enough for Target or Wal-Mart (oh I know), I know that K'Mart will be there for me. If I don't want to brush my hair and wear ratty sweats and holy t-shirt, K'Mart and its patrons do not judge me. It has a classy "white trash" feel to it. You can buy stale popcorn from its food court, and Martha Stewart's latest cookbook (on sale of course) all from the same place. Crazy enough as it is, the cost of items at K'Mart is typically more expensive than I could find at Wal-Mart.

"We are but three similar and divided Americas: Wal-Mart, Target and Kmart.", says Hank Stuever. I am more of a Wal-Mart person myself, and I think I always will be. Like Mr. Stuever says, we like to think ourselves as a Target person, but most of us just aren't. We will always have a love/hate relationship with K'Mart, because there is a little part of us all that just wants to say "screw it" on some days.

The Monument and the Bungalow by Pierce Lewis

“The Monument and the Bungalow” by Pierce Lewis is an eye opening read. It is a rare time that I have actually looked at a building and wondered the history behind it. As an every day citizen of society, I take these things for granted. Mr. Lewis' Geographical review is a stop and smell the roses type of writing. He takes the reader that may be disinterested and draws them in. He writes that there are two basic precepts that students need to develop before becoming landscape readers.

The first of the two precepts is a basic concept. Mr. Lewis states, “Students need to develop and cultivate the habit of using their eyes and asking nonjudgmental questions about familiar, commonplace things.” (qtd. Lewis) This made me stop and think about what this meant. I cam to my own conclusion and thought about times that I have just stopped and read the landscape that I could see. The most prominent thing I could think of was seeing land from the air. The way that the land is divided. Why is it divided that way? Is it because it is boundaries of property? Or is it a farm that has a specific purpose for its squared shape? I came to the conclusion that I do this task without even thinking about it.

The second precept is acquiring vocabulary. In this definition, Mr. Lewis says, “Students have to learn the habit of using their eyes of paying attention to the commonplace things that they rarely notice.” (qtd. Lewis) From this precept, it is my understanding that in order for us to be able to really see the landscape and be able to describe what we are seeing, we need to have the knowledge of what it is we are seeing. Mr. Lewis uses a plant as an example, saying “In plant ecology, certain species of plants are signals of indicators of ecological change – but one has to recognize and identify the plants before one can begin to speculate about what is happening.” (qtd. Lewis) He uses the plants to compare thoughts about the background of something that we need to know the history on.

Buildings are our biggest, most prominent visual proof of history. We live our day-to-day lives in and around our proof that there was a history here before us. Take the Capital Building (examiner.com) in Washington D.C. For example. How many people 100 years from now are going to look back and remember that that is where the first African-American President was sworn in on January 20th, 2009? That is a piece of history that might just be the biggest event since Lincoln became President; yet in the future we will take that for granted as well. I am sure that the people that live and work in Washington D.C. Pass all of those things every day without even thinking about what they stand for, and why they are there. As a young student in Junior High, I was lucky enough to go to D.C. and visit those places. They are larger than life. The idea that someone could have such an impact on society that they build a huge memorial of him (Lincoln) is breathtaking.

If we were all to take the time, and slow down a bit to remember the way that we came to be; and to take an excerpt from Mr. Lewis' writing, “In sum, landscape is a historic document that tells a story – nay, multiple stories – about the people who
created the landscape – and the cultural context in which that landscape was founded.” (qtd. Lewis) We need to, in effect, stop and smell the roses, appreciate what we have and how we got it, before we are beyond repair.

This is me

Hello everyone and thank you for reading my blog.

I just wanted to tell you a bit about myself before I start on the assignments. My name is Charmaine and I am 32 years old. I am married with 2 boys (ages 10 and 23 months). Recently, my family and I have moved up here from southern California (LA area). Currently my family and I are living in Lake County (with the in-laws) until we are established with jobs, etc.

I always enjoy taking online courses (I have 5 this semester... yes... 5), it gives me the freedom to do work when I find I am able to. I have already received my AA degree in Accounting (May, 2002) and I am working on transferring to SSU within the next semester or two.

I love to go to the movies, read and am an overall easy-going person. I have always enjoyed English, but have found it a bit easier to write now that I am older and have more experience in the business world with communications.

I hope that everyone has a great semester and good luck! :)

Charmaine