Yes, I’m going to show you pictures of dishes today. I know: exciting! Don’t be salty.

The mirco-mini-odyssey was a blast — a blast of heat, initially, as we discovered upon arriving at the Homer Laughlin China Company that our shopping would be done outside, on a sunny-but-sweltering 85-degree day with absolutely no breeze. We weren’t dressed for the occasion by a long shot. But hey, we got a great 2-hour workout in the process, so thumbs up.

Undoubtedly, the best part was netting around 40 pieces of Fiesta dinnerware — by our calculation, a little over $500 retail — for $95 and change. Success. Of course, these were “seconds,” and each one has what we consider to be extremely minor flaws (a slight color interruption, a small indentation or tiny bump in the surface…all things that make them “art” to me), so the prices were excellent from the get-go. For instance, I found a huge pasta bowl for $11 that retails for $64. Those are the kinds of discounts we dealt with all morning. Sure made it a lot more fun to shop, even for the Thriller, who functioned as QC manager for the expedition.

The fun was tempered by effort, however. If you’re going to do this, arrive prepared to work. As the pictures show, presentation is not the priority here. HLC knows you want this stuff, so they’re going to make you earn those outrageous deals. Fortunately for us, we unknowingly chose the best day for this venture, as their big “Tent Sale” had just concluded the day before, and in an effort to schlep back inside as few pieces as possible, they gave us tent sale prices, plus another 25% off. Score!

Why all this fuss about dishes, you say? I suppose for me it’s mostly about artistic tradition, and the good old American way. Laughlin has provided jobs for professional potters for decades; I respect that. The Laughlin story is interesting, too. With few exceptions, this is a hand-hewn product, made in the USA. West Virginia can be proud. We’re definitely going back another day, preferably right after their next tent sale in October.

OK, the photos. Click on the first one, and you can arrow through the rest. ¡Olé!

Built in 1905, and noisy as all get-out because of the steel grate surface, the Newell Bridge from East Liverpool, Ohio into West Virginia costs 75 cents to cross, or a buck for a round trip.

The clay-filled Ohio River, viewed from the Laughlin back lot.

This was our shopping space. Two long “aisles” of goodies — about a million pieces to choose from, all stacked in bins on pallets.

We brought a couple of towels to wipe down the china, as the pieces are pretty dusty. Here’s the Thriller, doing a quality check while getting a sunburn.

The “presentation” aspect.

Shopping carts? We got your shopping carts right here.

The factory store is located just opposite of where we shopped outside. We took our stuff into the air-conditioned retreat to pay. Upgrade on the presentation, for sure. Prices are not discounted in the pretty part.

Place settings were available in every current color (many shades have been discontinued, making them extremely valuable — I was tres disappointed there were no “Chocolate” pieces available at the factory).

Beautiful colors, seriously. Interesting note: Fiestaware is vitrified china, which means that unlike many ceramic dishes, if it chips, the chipped surface will be the color of the pottery, and not white.

This is what we brought home. I’m really happy with all of it, and on many of the pieces, it’s near-impossible to tell where the flaws are.

While spending a lazy Sunday morning catching up on some reading, I came across an article in Rolling Stone, announcing the University of Virginia’s decision to suspend all fraternities until January in order to investigate the serious allegations brought forth by women who claimed to have been assaulted by frat boys. The suspension is one of several, in a time span that featured not only allegations of assault, but also rape and even death of students participating in some form of fraternity event.

It’s good that the focus is apparently to stamp out behavior like this, but reading about the myriad incidents involving hazing, violence, vandalism and assault got me thinking: What is the pull of these organizations? Why do people join? So I put on my philomath hat and dug in, because, you know, I don’t have rhythm section parts to write or programs to prepare or anything on a Sunday. But hey — I’m enjoying my time off more, correct?

A One-Paragraph History of the Fraternity

Fraternities began as underground countercultures (yes, even with secret initiations, handshakes, and code words), designed to enable members to discuss topics that were generally off-limits on university campuses or in polite society. The first official fraternity, Phi Beta Kappa, was formed by close friends at the College of William and Mary during the Revolutionary War, at which time it was dangerous to openly discuss matters of independence from Britain. The Phi Beta Kappans would meet in a tavern after other students had gone home for the night to debate hotbed topics of the day, resolving to remain a brotherhood in secret purpose and purport. But unlike their Latin society predecessors (Freemasons, Illuminati, Skull-and-Bones, etc.), the Kappans focused on camaraderie, joviality and benevolence. Eventually, the frat idea moved westward, appearing first at Miami University in Ohio, then spreading out nationwide, later adding the female component: the sorority.

Why Do People Want to Join?

This is a hot surface question for sure, whose answer depends solely upon whom you ask. Responses I’ve seen in my research run the gamut, and I’ll paraphrase them here:

• People join because they want to learn about leadership and become part of a forward-thinking, intelligent, yet benevolent and philanthropic group of future movers and shakers in the world, while cultivating lifelong friendships and strong bonds of loyalty and tradition. Um…OK. Some (or who knows, all) of that might be true. Still, many Greek organizations on campus are, by nature — intentional or not — elitist and exclusionary.
• People join because they want to buy instant friends. And by “buy,” I mean that students, on national average, spend anywhere from $700 to $1200+ per semester to be instantly surrounded by like-minded people. And that is only for basic dues; related expenses also apply. (Here’s a sample from Ball State.) Time was, fraternities and sororities had only “brothers” and “sisters.” Now — especially on the sorority side — there are bigs, littles, grand-bigs, grand-littles, great-grand-littles fuh cripesake, all of whom need gifts and special treats on a semi-regular basis. Add to that the cost of specific outfits for formals and semi-formals, initiations and holiday dances, and your sorority girls (or their parents) are forking over considerable piles of cash every month.
• If you’re not Greek, you’re not cool. That statement stands alone. I haven’t the time or energy to expound upon it.

My Take

Now before you go lighting up the comment section in defense of your personal Pan-Hellenic experience, let me say that I have no specific disdain for frats and soros. Just a general one. Seriously, my point is — can you not have meaningful, philanthropic, jovial friendship experiences for free? Why aren’t all chapters free to join, and why do you have to “rush” (the Greek equivalent of Am I good enough to be in your club?) for acceptance? I have watched firsthand as a girl I know suffered one indignation after another at the hands of mean little princesses who thought themselves superior (although I’m aware you don’t need a sorority to be bombarded by an endless supply of mean girls).

For the record, I’ve never rushed a sorority; never had the inclination.  So that definitely makes me not an expert. Perhaps there are good reasons (GPA, past community involvement, the old nugget It looks good on a resumé) for thinning the herd. Still, what one hears most about — from the general population AND students — is the epic party culture. There’s got to be a reason for that somewhere, and I don’t think it has much to do with a lively session of philosophical rhetoric bandied about at the frat house roundtable.

Hey, for real — I’ll be your friend for nothin’. I won’t charge you a red cent. And you can discuss whatever you want and state your divergent opinion without fear of reprisal, and you won’t have to take beatings with a paddle or drink till you puke. What a deal.

So, about those Cleveland Browns. Off to the couch to watch the game (after writing rhythm section charts, of course).

FO!

And not just fear. Anger, sadness, uncertainty, worry…I felt them all yesterday, and I guess I’m still feeling them today, along with a bit of nauseating nostalgia. As the insanity behind the bombing at the Boston Marathon unfolded yesterday, I had an uncomfortable flashback to a sunny, cloudless Tuesday morning in September, 2001.

Immediately of course, my Facebook and Twitter feeds (you can follow me @ratfink) lit up with reports, updates, and expressions of support and sympathy. There was also an overriding sense of weary grief. And while the mayor of Boston encouraged his people by saying that shutting down their lives right now just gives the bad guys a victory, I’m sure it was next to impossible for some to carry on.

I saw a graphic on Facebook that contained a quote that I’d seen in a television interview years ago. Someone asked Fred “Mr.” Rogers — a man I have admired for decades — what he says to children when they see tragedies on TV and in person. Here’s what he said:

I’d like to salute those helpers today; people who didn’t turn and run, like all of us are hard-wired to do. They stayed and they helped, not knowing if another explosion would turn them from rescuer to victim.

There were people from dozens of countries in Boston yesterday, and many got to see those helpers in action. It’s the single good thing we can pull from this.

…at 5:15 a.m.?

Actually, I’m finding it quite relaxing. Now don’t get me wrong, here. If anyone on this earth hates exercising, ’tis I. And I’ll go you one further and say that my morning exercise for the past several days has been of the “brisk walk on the tread for 15 minutes” variety, but I’m moving, and that’s all I’ll commit to at the moment.

Stoney and I eat horribly during a rehearsal run. We’re both “nervous munchers,” and that’s bitten us many times in the health department. We regularly have dinner together before rehearsal, and oftentimes, it’s just easier to order out for pizza or subs than to go to the hassle of making both lunch *and* dinner to bring to school (we both live a half hour away, so planning is key).

But we’re trying something different for this last two weeks of the run. Eating better, moving more. On my end, that’s about all I can commit to. Time was, I’d reserve a full hour every morning for blogging, coffee, reading news, paying bills, whatever. It was my quiet time, and I’m still selfish of it. I’ve just carved off 15 of those 60 minutes to walking while reading. I’m finding I’m plowing through my Nook books faster. Heh.

So what do you do for exercise? I wish I loved it. I’ve been down this road before, and read all the books. Soon, you’ll love exercising; it’ll become a part of your daily routine. HA. Not for this chick. But I know I want to be around to see my grandchildren grow up, and it won’t be easy keeping up with them if I can’t, well…keep up with them. So it’s me and the mill. I can do at least that much.

Here’s hoping for a great Tunesday for you, fiends. I’m hoping for a better rehearsal tonight than last night…

Onward!

…you really die at the palace.

Yep, bigtime fail on my part. Remember last spring, when I embarked on the holistic journey to rid myself of contact lenses and glasses once and for all? As a result of reading Jacob Lieberman’s book, Take Off Your Glasses and See, I noticed an almost-immediate improvement in my eyesight. What’s not to love, right?

Well, there are daily exercises to do, and you really have to buy into the fight, lock and stock. Like brushing your teeth, or keeping lost pounds off, it’s a date with daily maintenance destiny, or the magic wears off, at least initially. And true to my undisciplined nature on most things requiring discipline, I fell off the wagon and went back to my evil ways. Gradually, the glasses and contacts returned, and before I knew it, I was wearing them full time again. Have I mentioned I’m undisciplined? Is it too late for a New Year’s resolution?

And what did I get for my non-efforts? A checkup at the doctor last month that revealed that both my farsightedness and astigmatism have worsened. Blah.

So…what now? I think there comes a time when one must select one’s battles, and for the time being, I am not going to stress over this. Rather, I’m going to enjoy life wearing my new contact lenses, and the new John Lennons that are due to arrive any day now. I tried, I failed, now I move on. It’s all right.

Now see? That wasn’t hard, was it?

GAH!!

Happy Finkday, y’all – ’bout time, too.

Image: “Comical Critter” by Maria Dryfhout