31.12.04
i'm really excited about my quilt (ok, there are a lot of things that i am excited about, but right now i'm smitten with the idea of making a quilt). i have all my squares cut, and i used only scrap fabric that i found in my collections or around the house. sure, i'll have to buy some batting and some fabric for the reverse side, but that's ok. anyhow, i practiced a bit yesterday, and i'm so excited to piece the whole thing together. so many projects, so little time!
two night ago my dad and i watched a series on the bible code on the history channel. it was interesting, but a at the same time a bit too hard to believe. learn more about bible code here. well, i've been wondering if the bible code predicts the recent tsunami. but i can't find anything.
also, can't wait to see the final episode of world biker build-off: 2004.
also, can't wait to see the final episode of world biker build-off: 2004.
29.12.04
this is the time of year i love, and i'm so glad to be doing it while living with my parents and having minimal expenses. it's the look-for-new-stores-to-carry-the-vanessa jean-line time of year. it's fun. i have a whole bunch of line sheets, and a whole lot of envelopes, and i just mail them out to stores all over the country that i think would be a great match for my product. it's always a shot in the dark, but a fraction of the price of doing a trade show, and it works ok. especially since i already have a whole bunch of line sheets made up from a year ago, but i'm going to amend them with a cute picture of the new clutch thingy that i've dreamed up. it's really cute and i think it will sell well.
i'm also still cranky pants to the max, but being on the computer helps. sometimes i get a bit challenged when i don't have personal space or any 'vanessa' time. i don't seem to get much done, but that's ok.
what to do, what to do.
i'm also still cranky pants to the max, but being on the computer helps. sometimes i get a bit challenged when i don't have personal space or any 'vanessa' time. i don't seem to get much done, but that's ok.
what to do, what to do.
would you like some cheese with that whine?
i'm in a bad mood. i'm cranky to the max.
but...i also am alive, and that is something that i should be grateful for, especially with the other things going on in the world right now.
l'il dude has been declared unsafe to ride. the frame was taxed in the accident, and it isn't fit to repair. so now i have a totally healthy looking frame that i love, but can't do anything with (other than hang on my wall). well, back to work.
i'm in a bad mood. i'm cranky to the max.
but...i also am alive, and that is something that i should be grateful for, especially with the other things going on in the world right now.
l'il dude has been declared unsafe to ride. the frame was taxed in the accident, and it isn't fit to repair. so now i have a totally healthy looking frame that i love, but can't do anything with (other than hang on my wall). well, back to work.
28.12.04
i want to make foam.
i'm watching the world biker build-off on the discovery channel. it's amazing, especially because it's the brits the aussies and the u.s. dudes, and it's so cool. holy snap it's so cool. i think i've found what i want to do in life. ok, maybe not, but i've found some new inspiration. and the foam...they were pouring their own foam for the seat cusion. whoa.
and, some bad news...talking to bike shops, someone suggested that maybe my frame isn't still intact. i actually will like to think otherwise, and i will hold out until the end...hmmm...i want to start riding again. i'm getting antsy. although i did go to a yoga class with my mommykins today, and i realized just how weak my shoulders are compared to the rest of my body.
green pants comes in on friday, and i couldn't be more excited!
the new car (who might already have the nickname of turtle) is now insured, which is excited, and tomorrow it gets properly registered in my name. car and renters insurance is so much less expensive in charlotte...maybe i should just stay here forever. probably not, but it has it's perks.
also, the quilt is coming along well. it's going to be small, but a girl has to start somewhere. it's all from scrap fabric i've collected over the years, some stuff from the rag cabinet in the laundry room, and some cool terrycloth from washcloths. i think that's cool. i have no idea how this will turn out, but if it's like any other vj project, it will have a lot of personality and lots of flaws in craft(wo)manship.
speaking of wo-things...what ever happened to bobby womack?
[now the australian team is painting their bike. holy holy cow, this is amazing. this is amazing, i want to paint things in a paint booth.]
what else...
today my brother left on the beginning of his country-wide journey. off to oakland and lake tahoe for a couple days of r&r and skiing with his girlfriend and her family ("oh, kirk just made shannon's christmas by coming out here. just made her christmas." -my brother's girlfriend's mom), then he flies back here for a football game with dad, and then he and a friend drive from charlotte to miami for the orange bowl, then he drives back here...then he drives back to school. wow, that's lots of moving around.
um, tomorrow, i'm nervous to see if i have to get an entirely new bike or not. hmmm. i'll have anxiety dreams about l'il dude.
i have about 8 gazillion things that i want to do: jade plant fix (i happy to have found little healthy growths that i can replant just incase), quilt, learn to knit, make myself a bag, get back to work, do the books for 2004, [um, hello? it's almost 2005? 2004 is almost over, where did it go?], find the right floral fabric scrap (hopefully on a vintage dishtowel) to stitch onto my favorite, 8-year-old balck skirt that i've painted in one too many times, and read read read!
ok, time for some honey ginseng mint tea and the HUGE fortune cookie i got for christmas.
i'm watching the world biker build-off on the discovery channel. it's amazing, especially because it's the brits the aussies and the u.s. dudes, and it's so cool. holy snap it's so cool. i think i've found what i want to do in life. ok, maybe not, but i've found some new inspiration. and the foam...they were pouring their own foam for the seat cusion. whoa.
and, some bad news...talking to bike shops, someone suggested that maybe my frame isn't still intact. i actually will like to think otherwise, and i will hold out until the end...hmmm...i want to start riding again. i'm getting antsy. although i did go to a yoga class with my mommykins today, and i realized just how weak my shoulders are compared to the rest of my body.
green pants comes in on friday, and i couldn't be more excited!
the new car (who might already have the nickname of turtle) is now insured, which is excited, and tomorrow it gets properly registered in my name. car and renters insurance is so much less expensive in charlotte...maybe i should just stay here forever. probably not, but it has it's perks.
also, the quilt is coming along well. it's going to be small, but a girl has to start somewhere. it's all from scrap fabric i've collected over the years, some stuff from the rag cabinet in the laundry room, and some cool terrycloth from washcloths. i think that's cool. i have no idea how this will turn out, but if it's like any other vj project, it will have a lot of personality and lots of flaws in craft(wo)manship.
speaking of wo-things...what ever happened to bobby womack?
[now the australian team is painting their bike. holy holy cow, this is amazing. this is amazing, i want to paint things in a paint booth.]
what else...
today my brother left on the beginning of his country-wide journey. off to oakland and lake tahoe for a couple days of r&r and skiing with his girlfriend and her family ("oh, kirk just made shannon's christmas by coming out here. just made her christmas." -my brother's girlfriend's mom), then he flies back here for a football game with dad, and then he and a friend drive from charlotte to miami for the orange bowl, then he drives back here...then he drives back to school. wow, that's lots of moving around.
um, tomorrow, i'm nervous to see if i have to get an entirely new bike or not. hmmm. i'll have anxiety dreams about l'il dude.
i have about 8 gazillion things that i want to do: jade plant fix (i happy to have found little healthy growths that i can replant just incase), quilt, learn to knit, make myself a bag, get back to work, do the books for 2004, [um, hello? it's almost 2005? 2004 is almost over, where did it go?], find the right floral fabric scrap (hopefully on a vintage dishtowel) to stitch onto my favorite, 8-year-old balck skirt that i've painted in one too many times, and read read read!
ok, time for some honey ginseng mint tea and the HUGE fortune cookie i got for christmas.
27.12.04
26.12.04
the fun thing about moving is getting to find so much old, memorable stuff. especially if you are a sentimental packrat like me. everything seems to mean something to me, and apparently i keep anything that means something. but usually, that's ok. especially now that i can plop most of my stuff in permanant storage at my parents house. (you'll all be happy to know that the amount of stuff i own is actually shrinking.
in going through my old t-shirts, i found this handmade, iron-on number that i love:
{front}
Just Add Humor
{back}
The Lord Sayeth 'Thou Art Funnier than Mixed Co.' -Larry 4:20
[including a graphic of a thumbs-up with a halo around it]
these shirts were made by our halloween posse during our junior year of college. the jokesters we are, and our desire to run in a herd, made us collaborate to become the new (and only) christian improv group on campus. there's a lot of improv and acapella at yale, (lots!) and we needed to poke a little fun at it. just add water was the christian acappela group. mixed company one of the many acapella groups, and just add humor because maybe the improv groups weren't too funny. it was funny. maybe not to everyone who saw it, but definately to the 6 or so of us who made up just add humor. we had a poorly attended public performance in the middle of campus, as well as a special performance for the college president and a few other nice people who ran the school...although i was the only one who was secretly really excited about actually performing. regardless...it was a good, good time.
in going through my old t-shirts, i found this handmade, iron-on number that i love:
{front}
Just Add Humor
{back}
The Lord Sayeth 'Thou Art Funnier than Mixed Co.' -Larry 4:20
[including a graphic of a thumbs-up with a halo around it]
Established October 31, 2001
these shirts were made by our halloween posse during our junior year of college. the jokesters we are, and our desire to run in a herd, made us collaborate to become the new (and only) christian improv group on campus. there's a lot of improv and acapella at yale, (lots!) and we needed to poke a little fun at it. just add water was the christian acappela group. mixed company one of the many acapella groups, and just add humor because maybe the improv groups weren't too funny. it was funny. maybe not to everyone who saw it, but definately to the 6 or so of us who made up just add humor. we had a poorly attended public performance in the middle of campus, as well as a special performance for the college president and a few other nice people who ran the school...although i was the only one who was secretly really excited about actually performing. regardless...it was a good, good time.
24.12.04
why doesn't anyone ever leave comments?
people used to leave comments, why not now?
i'm feeling fiesty, and i want comments!
so, i'm going to make people comment. comment, please!
my mom just took the dog on a walk, she's standing in the kitchen swinging around a bag of the dog's poop (she is a responsible poop-scooper), "look grandpa," she yelled (he's a bit hard of hearing), "sport picked out the last present for kirk's christmas stocking." -true
my dad and brother just went on a christmas eve beer run. am i related to these people? my brother can out-drink the fish. sure, he's 6'6", but really.
today (on a christmas gift comando mission and looking at a possible replacement for jeepie), i made my dad and grandpa let me out at the discount christian book store. i could hardly contain my embarrassed smile as i walked into the store. i felt like a shy, but curious, high schooler walking into an adult bookstore for the first time. i didn't make eye contact with anyone, i was flushed the whole time, and i nervously touched each book i saw, pretending that i was on some sort of actual mission. "oh, my friend asked me to pick something up" or "i'm looking for something for my friend" were lines i rehearsed in my head, just in case anyone asked. i felt so guiltily out of place. i felt like god could see me, and knew i was gently mocking a herd of his people, a flock of the devoted (who i feel often use his name to propogate fear and closemindedness). anyhow, i was waiting for the thunderbolts to come from the sky. actually, that's not true. i think god has a good sense of humor. anyhow, it was interesting and i got what i came for, but could have stayed all day. my favorite find (although at $7.99 was too expensive to purchase...discount what?) was a book called a celebration of sex for newlyweds, which had fairly graphic sketches and a chapter about "cleanup and hygiene". i digress. i wish i could have spent hours in this place, listening to the conversations of holiday shoppers and reading snippets of different books.
is zero a number?
it takes more than three polish women to figure out how to work an oven.
my dad actually said "ahhh, i was just fixin' to call you." apparently he speaks southern now.
"i never make stupid mistakes, only very, very clever ones." -john peel
people used to leave comments, why not now?
i'm feeling fiesty, and i want comments!
so, i'm going to make people comment. comment, please!
my mom just took the dog on a walk, she's standing in the kitchen swinging around a bag of the dog's poop (she is a responsible poop-scooper), "look grandpa," she yelled (he's a bit hard of hearing), "sport picked out the last present for kirk's christmas stocking." -true
my dad and brother just went on a christmas eve beer run. am i related to these people? my brother can out-drink the fish. sure, he's 6'6", but really.
today (on a christmas gift comando mission and looking at a possible replacement for jeepie), i made my dad and grandpa let me out at the discount christian book store. i could hardly contain my embarrassed smile as i walked into the store. i felt like a shy, but curious, high schooler walking into an adult bookstore for the first time. i didn't make eye contact with anyone, i was flushed the whole time, and i nervously touched each book i saw, pretending that i was on some sort of actual mission. "oh, my friend asked me to pick something up" or "i'm looking for something for my friend" were lines i rehearsed in my head, just in case anyone asked. i felt so guiltily out of place. i felt like god could see me, and knew i was gently mocking a herd of his people, a flock of the devoted (who i feel often use his name to propogate fear and closemindedness). anyhow, i was waiting for the thunderbolts to come from the sky. actually, that's not true. i think god has a good sense of humor. anyhow, it was interesting and i got what i came for, but could have stayed all day. my favorite find (although at $7.99 was too expensive to purchase...discount what?) was a book called a celebration of sex for newlyweds, which had fairly graphic sketches and a chapter about "cleanup and hygiene". i digress. i wish i could have spent hours in this place, listening to the conversations of holiday shoppers and reading snippets of different books.
is zero a number?
it takes more than three polish women to figure out how to work an oven.
my dad actually said "ahhh, i was just fixin' to call you." apparently he speaks southern now.
"i never make stupid mistakes, only very, very clever ones." -john peel
my parents have a huge jade plant that grew happily on our back porch as far back as i can remember. it was just always there. it was huge. it made the move to charlotte, and they forgot to bring it inside when the weather got cold. i noticed it in the sun room, where it now resides, and it looks dead and brown and droopy and really, really unhappy. i asked my mom what happened to it (the cold) and told her how sad i was because it had always been around. she told me it was a gift she and my dad received for there wedding, it's supposed to be a sign of good luck (good fortune?), hmmm. anyhow, i'm hoping i can rescue it, but i have to do some research to see what to do. luckily, there are a few green babies shooting up from the edges of the pot, and maybe i can replant them to keep the good luck alive.
23.12.04
nothing new in this morning edition piece, but bike the vote stayed with nancy and maria in omaha, and it's neat to hear their inspirational voices on the radio.
dishwasher salmon
community supported agriculture
edible knit panties
["if you need your l-string to last longer than a few hours before use, you will need to keep the panties moist" -seriously]
all the above...why i love pgh
(upcoming topics: marriage, say what?!, baby jesus in the manger, dogs & cats, little brothers
community supported agriculture
edible knit panties
["if you need your l-string to last longer than a few hours before use, you will need to keep the panties moist" -seriously]
all the above...why i love pgh
(upcoming topics: marriage, say what?!, baby jesus in the manger, dogs & cats, little brothers
the first things i did when i got home...
was set off the smoke detector. my grandma heated up some spagetti for me, and i put some cookies in the over. the double oven (top and bottom) but because i am such a thoughtful person (a hem), i made sure to preheat the over. it's one of those new electric-type-thingies, and i pressed all the right buttons, and was waiting for it to beep at me to let me know it was preheated. it let me know, alright, in about 5 minutes smoke started pouring out the bottom oven, it smelled like plastic, i opened the oven. it was filled with a cookie sheet, extension cords,
cable jacks, and other electronic stuff. it was melted. great. the smoke detector went off forever. it was loud. who puts stuff like that in the oven?
[sidenote: i was trying to preheat the top oven, and had checked that one out, but somehow managed to turn on the bottom oven. oh well.]
the second thing i did was read my mail, and find out that i'm wanted by the department of homeland security & the tsa. ok, not exactly wanted, but on the list.
see, when a girl packs up the remnants of her car, and then she and her dad try to fly back to boise (she with a one-way ticket) and about 8 carry on items between them, they catch the tsa attention. i didn't think about what i had packed in the carry on bags, just stuffed left-overs from the car into bags. each bag contained at least one pair of scissors. and because i was flagged for having a one-way ticket, all my bags were searched anyhow. so were the ones my dad carried on for me because he said, "well, i don't know what's in them, i'm carrying them on for my daughter." anyhow, scissors are no big deal, and i got to tell them all the story of my last 6 months and at that point i was one the verge of tears.
then they found paddle...
it's a leather covered whacking stick that used to belong to my grandfather who was a (u.s.?) marshall. it had been handed down in our family, and when i headed east, my dad gave it to me to keep in my car. as far back as i can remember it had been kept under the front seat of one of our cars. i never thought i would use it, but it was a nice heirloom to have and might come in handy in case of emergency window breaking, etc. anyhow...it was in my carry on, and it got their attention right away. they made a quiet, big fuss, and finally let me go. no big deal. i handed it over to them, didn't think twice, just wanted to make the plane in time.
i came home to a letter from the department of homeland security and the tsa saying they looked into the claim against me and it was found to be unintentional, but that my name would always be on the list.
ok, ok so that's a totally and completely abbreviated version of what the letter said, but maybe i'm afraid to type what it really says, cause then they'd really try to come get me. regardless, my name is now on the list and i won't ever be able to be in an airport without the secret alarm going off, without having to have my person intimately metal detected, or without having to unpack all my hastilly but well-organized bags. oh snap. oh well.
my brother is making the cat drink beer from a soy sauce dish
i just spilled water all over my mom and the sofa. i think they want to send me back to where ever i came from (where is that?), and they are asking for an encore.
we've decided to spend our christmas eve in a very devoutly catholic manner...taking our six-pack of neurotic family members to see meet the fockers, and then open only one present each.
tomorrow i paddle in the 6 foot lake
i'm glad to not have to drive for a month
kirk: "if i wrote kofi annan a letter, do you think he would read it?"
dad: he's in a lot of trouble right now?
grandma: (grandma noise) oh, kobi, he's in trouble.
was set off the smoke detector. my grandma heated up some spagetti for me, and i put some cookies in the over. the double oven (top and bottom) but because i am such a thoughtful person (a hem), i made sure to preheat the over. it's one of those new electric-type-thingies, and i pressed all the right buttons, and was waiting for it to beep at me to let me know it was preheated. it let me know, alright, in about 5 minutes smoke started pouring out the bottom oven, it smelled like plastic, i opened the oven. it was filled with a cookie sheet, extension cords,
cable jacks, and other electronic stuff. it was melted. great. the smoke detector went off forever. it was loud. who puts stuff like that in the oven?
[sidenote: i was trying to preheat the top oven, and had checked that one out, but somehow managed to turn on the bottom oven. oh well.]
the second thing i did was read my mail, and find out that i'm wanted by the department of homeland security & the tsa. ok, not exactly wanted, but on the list.
see, when a girl packs up the remnants of her car, and then she and her dad try to fly back to boise (she with a one-way ticket) and about 8 carry on items between them, they catch the tsa attention. i didn't think about what i had packed in the carry on bags, just stuffed left-overs from the car into bags. each bag contained at least one pair of scissors. and because i was flagged for having a one-way ticket, all my bags were searched anyhow. so were the ones my dad carried on for me because he said, "well, i don't know what's in them, i'm carrying them on for my daughter." anyhow, scissors are no big deal, and i got to tell them all the story of my last 6 months and at that point i was one the verge of tears.
then they found paddle...
it's a leather covered whacking stick that used to belong to my grandfather who was a (u.s.?) marshall. it had been handed down in our family, and when i headed east, my dad gave it to me to keep in my car. as far back as i can remember it had been kept under the front seat of one of our cars. i never thought i would use it, but it was a nice heirloom to have and might come in handy in case of emergency window breaking, etc. anyhow...it was in my carry on, and it got their attention right away. they made a quiet, big fuss, and finally let me go. no big deal. i handed it over to them, didn't think twice, just wanted to make the plane in time.
i came home to a letter from the department of homeland security and the tsa saying they looked into the claim against me and it was found to be unintentional, but that my name would always be on the list.
ok, ok so that's a totally and completely abbreviated version of what the letter said, but maybe i'm afraid to type what it really says, cause then they'd really try to come get me. regardless, my name is now on the list and i won't ever be able to be in an airport without the secret alarm going off, without having to have my person intimately metal detected, or without having to unpack all my hastilly but well-organized bags. oh snap. oh well.
my brother is making the cat drink beer from a soy sauce dish
i just spilled water all over my mom and the sofa. i think they want to send me back to where ever i came from (where is that?), and they are asking for an encore.
we've decided to spend our christmas eve in a very devoutly catholic manner...taking our six-pack of neurotic family members to see meet the fockers, and then open only one present each.
tomorrow i paddle in the 6 foot lake
i'm glad to not have to drive for a month
kirk: "if i wrote kofi annan a letter, do you think he would read it?"
dad: he's in a lot of trouble right now?
grandma: (grandma noise) oh, kobi, he's in trouble.
20.12.04
it snowed last night = amazingly beautiful
lanna and friend and i went and ice skated in the street
16 degrees = cold!
moving in 16 degrees = fun
hot tea and oatmeal cookies = good remedy for cold
16 degrees = too cold to walk east rock and mill river (driving was warmer)
modern pizza = delicious = things i love about new haven
partially hydrogenated soybean oil = scary = frighteningly fun conversations last night
pgh = happy
lanna and friend and i went and ice skated in the street
16 degrees = cold!
moving in 16 degrees = fun
hot tea and oatmeal cookies = good remedy for cold
16 degrees = too cold to walk east rock and mill river (driving was warmer)
modern pizza = delicious = things i love about new haven
partially hydrogenated soybean oil = scary = frighteningly fun conversations last night
pgh = happy
19.12.04
about a gazillion things i want to write right now, but the only one i can get out is:
i'm tired.
i'm looking forward to weekends and evenings that don't involve carting around the ever-decreasing bundles of items i own, repacking boxes, finding mold, carrying the same heavy table up and down stairs, you get my point. i will, however, miss jumping in and out of the back of (my) pick-up truck. i can't wait for cooking big meals and reading and listening to npr while drinking tea and riding l'il dude and paddling and hiking and camping and taking myself of miscevious adventures after dark to learn about portland.
today i went to pick up the the true love of my life, the kayak (who, oddly enough, is still name-less), from branford and got to see joan and patrick in the process. they were kind enough to let it take up space in their yard for the months i was gone from new haven. when i pulled up to their house today my red, waterbound mode of transportation was resting on their front lawn and i was instantly giddy with excitement and happiness (and i wanted to walk it down to the beautiful branford shoreline and paddle right there, but it was cold and i am gear-less, sniff). but it was just so nice to feel her plastic-ness while lifting her back up onto the car, strapping her in, and then driving driving driving back to new haven. i got even happier when i realized this means i will get to paddle in charlotte (ok, not in the city, but in the nearby lakes) which made me laugh out loud with joy thinking about less than 7 days until paddling. whoa.
i like having toys that allow me to progress down the road of complete hermit-like nature.
i also took myself out for breakfast at the pantry, where eating alone at the counter is my favorite sunday morning sport. (i am in love with sunday morning culture.) so many people to watch. so many ex-roommates on breakfast dates to spy on, and the friendliest restraunt owners/familiar faces (not to mention the best scrambled egg-toast-homefries-bacon medley in the world). these moments of quiet contentment in new haven make me long to settle down for a while (on the horizon, but still far away feeling) and also make me (already) miss new haven in a way i didn't this summer. i like to be optimistic and believe it just makes me appreciate the city more, and able to keep the memories closer to me when i'm not here! tomorrow i'm going to walk the mill river and hike to the top of east rock for the last time. saudade.
the good part about packing and re-packing my life means i get to re-find all the trinkets that remind me of so many happy and sad and meaningful moments of the past. i found the letter the spring break vermont road trip crew of '01 wrote to the nice folks at ben & jerry's recommending some new flavors. i want to print it here, some other time. i saw pictures of 785 which brought back a feeling of home and community and being settled (and bad, dark, brown and orange interiors). graduation pictures, old prints, my paperclip collection, the glossy brochure highlighting the great living features of the house i grew up in, sally: the best dog ever, my collection of inspirational books, and the crazy feeling i get every time i move and feel the need to take with me: 50 wooden clothespins, mason jars, sea shells, un-postmarked stamps salvaged from letters i have received, the pre-established collection of birthday and greeting cards i couldn't resist but haven't found the perfect occassion for, 18 serving spoons, the growing collection of 1970's pyrex kitchenware, piles of quotes torn from pages and letters and posters and advertisements. the quote below is my favorite. i received it in an e-mail when i was 15, and it instantly propelled me to dream of adventures i knew i wanted to take in the future. i find it occassionally (usually when moving) and smile warmly as i think just how much bigger my backyard has become each time i read it:
"for once, go too far;
till home is 4 hills, 2 mountains and a nice oak forest away.
till the shoreline is a tiny row of fuzzy peaks.
till the ground is way way way the hell down there.
you won't be stuck, your body is good for this sort of thing.
let it climb, paddle, break into a jog, get into a rhythm
and while it's at it, yodel.
fear will give way to wonder,
and the next time you reach that point,
you can look back and say to yourself:
hell, i'm barely out of the backyard."
(author unknown)
i'm tired.
i'm looking forward to weekends and evenings that don't involve carting around the ever-decreasing bundles of items i own, repacking boxes, finding mold, carrying the same heavy table up and down stairs, you get my point. i will, however, miss jumping in and out of the back of (my) pick-up truck. i can't wait for cooking big meals and reading and listening to npr while drinking tea and riding l'il dude and paddling and hiking and camping and taking myself of miscevious adventures after dark to learn about portland.
today i went to pick up the the true love of my life, the kayak (who, oddly enough, is still name-less), from branford and got to see joan and patrick in the process. they were kind enough to let it take up space in their yard for the months i was gone from new haven. when i pulled up to their house today my red, waterbound mode of transportation was resting on their front lawn and i was instantly giddy with excitement and happiness (and i wanted to walk it down to the beautiful branford shoreline and paddle right there, but it was cold and i am gear-less, sniff). but it was just so nice to feel her plastic-ness while lifting her back up onto the car, strapping her in, and then driving driving driving back to new haven. i got even happier when i realized this means i will get to paddle in charlotte (ok, not in the city, but in the nearby lakes) which made me laugh out loud with joy thinking about less than 7 days until paddling. whoa.
i like having toys that allow me to progress down the road of complete hermit-like nature.
i also took myself out for breakfast at the pantry, where eating alone at the counter is my favorite sunday morning sport. (i am in love with sunday morning culture.) so many people to watch. so many ex-roommates on breakfast dates to spy on, and the friendliest restraunt owners/familiar faces (not to mention the best scrambled egg-toast-homefries-bacon medley in the world). these moments of quiet contentment in new haven make me long to settle down for a while (on the horizon, but still far away feeling) and also make me (already) miss new haven in a way i didn't this summer. i like to be optimistic and believe it just makes me appreciate the city more, and able to keep the memories closer to me when i'm not here! tomorrow i'm going to walk the mill river and hike to the top of east rock for the last time. saudade.
the good part about packing and re-packing my life means i get to re-find all the trinkets that remind me of so many happy and sad and meaningful moments of the past. i found the letter the spring break vermont road trip crew of '01 wrote to the nice folks at ben & jerry's recommending some new flavors. i want to print it here, some other time. i saw pictures of 785 which brought back a feeling of home and community and being settled (and bad, dark, brown and orange interiors). graduation pictures, old prints, my paperclip collection, the glossy brochure highlighting the great living features of the house i grew up in, sally: the best dog ever, my collection of inspirational books, and the crazy feeling i get every time i move and feel the need to take with me: 50 wooden clothespins, mason jars, sea shells, un-postmarked stamps salvaged from letters i have received, the pre-established collection of birthday and greeting cards i couldn't resist but haven't found the perfect occassion for, 18 serving spoons, the growing collection of 1970's pyrex kitchenware, piles of quotes torn from pages and letters and posters and advertisements. the quote below is my favorite. i received it in an e-mail when i was 15, and it instantly propelled me to dream of adventures i knew i wanted to take in the future. i find it occassionally (usually when moving) and smile warmly as i think just how much bigger my backyard has become each time i read it:
"for once, go too far;
till home is 4 hills, 2 mountains and a nice oak forest away.
till the shoreline is a tiny row of fuzzy peaks.
till the ground is way way way the hell down there.
you won't be stuck, your body is good for this sort of thing.
let it climb, paddle, break into a jog, get into a rhythm
and while it's at it, yodel.
fear will give way to wonder,
and the next time you reach that point,
you can look back and say to yourself:
hell, i'm barely out of the backyard."
(author unknown)
18.12.04
taking a 2.5 hour nap starting at 5.30pm and having a sugar dinner of cookies, brownies, gum drops, and cheese with a dessert of spagetti squash is not a good way to go to bed early. but that's ok. i would have been fine had i not been wholly distracted by this computer. darn these computers, i just love 'em.
well, where to start. it's been another great day. i got to jump in and out of the bed of the pick-up (1 point of automatic happines), drive to old saybrook to buy rack parts (sound dirty), be a part of a reading of a child's christmas in wales (i think, more or less, that is what it's called), see people i haven't seen in a looooong time (and then say goodbye again), see lanna in her overjoyed excitement (fingers crossed), drive to east rock (beautiful on a clear night) and drink plum tea and play on the computer. yes ladies and gents, this gal leads a rockstar life.
i've come to the realization that the past 6+ months of my life contained more socializing and socialness than i regularly do in 2 years combined, plus it was all without any real alone time...therefore i've decided i am going to become a hermit. well, i already decided that back in 1999, but now i am sinfully, selfishly and delightfully going to follow through with that.
also, i sent the last existing vanessa jean holiday order out today and it feels so great to be on top of things. yay for me and yay for persistant days of actually doing lots of work and getting things done. this means a few things...
1) your orders are welcome at vanessa jean dot com. orders placed until 6pm december 20th will be delivered to you or your lucky gift recipient by christmas (if that is your holiday and that date happens to be important to you)...so, if you are still in need of some last minute gifts for people who have you stumped or people you feel obligated to buy gifts for but don't really care what you get them and don't want to leave your house...just click here to go to the site and see what your options are. (note: the dana and mini dana are no longer available for christmas delivery). so, i hope that can solve some problems and (to be quite honest) i would love any extra business right now!)
2) being ahead of the ball means that i get to fiddle with duct tape and make
a) some super creative gifts for people
b) a new bag for myself. i'm really excited because i haven't indulged like this in a long time. it's going to be a julia style messenger back with camel, avocado, orange and silver stripes and i am going to employ the power of the new clear duct tape to include my collection of fortune cookie fortunes i have collected this summer. and the strap might even include some webbing and a seat belt buckle (but i'm not super sure about that yet). regardless, i am quite excited and i will post pictures when it's done.
it's so late and i've broken all my rules about getting good sleep tonight. but it's friday, why not live large.
well, where to start. it's been another great day. i got to jump in and out of the bed of the pick-up (1 point of automatic happines), drive to old saybrook to buy rack parts (sound dirty), be a part of a reading of a child's christmas in wales (i think, more or less, that is what it's called), see people i haven't seen in a looooong time (and then say goodbye again), see lanna in her overjoyed excitement (fingers crossed), drive to east rock (beautiful on a clear night) and drink plum tea and play on the computer. yes ladies and gents, this gal leads a rockstar life.
i've come to the realization that the past 6+ months of my life contained more socializing and socialness than i regularly do in 2 years combined, plus it was all without any real alone time...therefore i've decided i am going to become a hermit. well, i already decided that back in 1999, but now i am sinfully, selfishly and delightfully going to follow through with that.
also, i sent the last existing vanessa jean holiday order out today and it feels so great to be on top of things. yay for me and yay for persistant days of actually doing lots of work and getting things done. this means a few things...
1) your orders are welcome at vanessa jean dot com. orders placed until 6pm december 20th will be delivered to you or your lucky gift recipient by christmas (if that is your holiday and that date happens to be important to you)...so, if you are still in need of some last minute gifts for people who have you stumped or people you feel obligated to buy gifts for but don't really care what you get them and don't want to leave your house...just click here to go to the site and see what your options are. (note: the dana and mini dana are no longer available for christmas delivery). so, i hope that can solve some problems and (to be quite honest) i would love any extra business right now!)
2) being ahead of the ball means that i get to fiddle with duct tape and make
a) some super creative gifts for people
b) a new bag for myself. i'm really excited because i haven't indulged like this in a long time. it's going to be a julia style messenger back with camel, avocado, orange and silver stripes and i am going to employ the power of the new clear duct tape to include my collection of fortune cookie fortunes i have collected this summer. and the strap might even include some webbing and a seat belt buckle (but i'm not super sure about that yet). regardless, i am quite excited and i will post pictures when it's done.
it's so late and i've broken all my rules about getting good sleep tonight. but it's friday, why not live large.
15.12.04
so much to say. so little time, and so little privacy from the library. this library is the new haven free public library, and i think this is the most time i have ever spent in it in my six years living in this city (except for artspot! and a duct tape workshop). blah blah blah.
i managed (with the help of the nice people at enterprise and having rental on my auto policy) to get myself back to new haven, the grand (and freeeezing cold) elm city just in time to dive into vanessa jean for the christmas season. it felt so so so so so good to be working with my hands again. so good. it was just like riding a bike (ha!) how it all came back to me so fast. tearing tape, laying tape, using my tools, how i missed it all! i even liked the fact that my back hurt the same way at the end of the day. it's so funny how it's so half-familiar working in a new space that isn't that new. i'm at lanna's new house (she's the old 785 roomie) and working on the same sofa i used to, with the same pillows, just in a new space. my rug on the floor, so familiar, but not the same. the best was when the phone rang (i didn't answer it because i am afraid of phones) and the answering machine picked up with my voice and our old message from our old house. a bizarre throwback indeed! (i changed it for them, so now people don't think they are crazy when the answering machine says a different number than what they dialed. enough).
working feels good, as does seeing old friends. just lounging and eating and talking about the craziness of the last 6 months. wow. it feels so good to be back in with the psych kids, and lunch with steve, and ally's new apartment, and peek peek and suzanne. cheers to wonderful people and how they make life what it is (which is good).
oatmeal (even maple oatmeal) is icky without added sugar. i'm going to force myself to like soy yogurt (cultured soy product!) because it doesn't upset my stomach like dairy yogurt. last night i had the most deliciously brilliant avocado for dinner (and i get to enjoy it again tonight!). one day my life will include laquered plywood floors (no joke), and a balcony with lots of plants in the summer and cozy chairs with warm blankets for watching stars on cold, clear nights. reading books is fun again, and that makes me relaxed just to think about.
if you're reading this before 12/19, it's not too late to order from vanessa jean for holiday delivery (aka christmas), in fact...it's welcomed!
so much to look forward to this week, next week and for the rest of my life. this week is so full of seeing friends and happily working and relaxing. maybe some car searching this weekend. definately moving and packing up my life from the 4 locations in and around new haven where it has been stored for the past 6 months. i'm so excited! (downsizing is fun!). then to charlotte where i get to fix my bike (bike destruction has the benefit of bike reconstruction and all the greasy dirtyness involved in learning more about bikes and how to fix/build them). and green pants will be in charlotte for new years, and who can believe it's almost 2005 already? holy snap.
well, it feels just like the old days...i spend all day alone working and then ramble myself hoarse (ha!) to my imaginary online friends. time to get back to work, yeee haw!
cheers
i managed (with the help of the nice people at enterprise and having rental on my auto policy) to get myself back to new haven, the grand (and freeeezing cold) elm city just in time to dive into vanessa jean for the christmas season. it felt so so so so so good to be working with my hands again. so good. it was just like riding a bike (ha!) how it all came back to me so fast. tearing tape, laying tape, using my tools, how i missed it all! i even liked the fact that my back hurt the same way at the end of the day. it's so funny how it's so half-familiar working in a new space that isn't that new. i'm at lanna's new house (she's the old 785 roomie) and working on the same sofa i used to, with the same pillows, just in a new space. my rug on the floor, so familiar, but not the same. the best was when the phone rang (i didn't answer it because i am afraid of phones) and the answering machine picked up with my voice and our old message from our old house. a bizarre throwback indeed! (i changed it for them, so now people don't think they are crazy when the answering machine says a different number than what they dialed. enough).
working feels good, as does seeing old friends. just lounging and eating and talking about the craziness of the last 6 months. wow. it feels so good to be back in with the psych kids, and lunch with steve, and ally's new apartment, and peek peek and suzanne. cheers to wonderful people and how they make life what it is (which is good).
oatmeal (even maple oatmeal) is icky without added sugar. i'm going to force myself to like soy yogurt (cultured soy product!) because it doesn't upset my stomach like dairy yogurt. last night i had the most deliciously brilliant avocado for dinner (and i get to enjoy it again tonight!). one day my life will include laquered plywood floors (no joke), and a balcony with lots of plants in the summer and cozy chairs with warm blankets for watching stars on cold, clear nights. reading books is fun again, and that makes me relaxed just to think about.
if you're reading this before 12/19, it's not too late to order from vanessa jean for holiday delivery (aka christmas), in fact...it's welcomed!
so much to look forward to this week, next week and for the rest of my life. this week is so full of seeing friends and happily working and relaxing. maybe some car searching this weekend. definately moving and packing up my life from the 4 locations in and around new haven where it has been stored for the past 6 months. i'm so excited! (downsizing is fun!). then to charlotte where i get to fix my bike (bike destruction has the benefit of bike reconstruction and all the greasy dirtyness involved in learning more about bikes and how to fix/build them). and green pants will be in charlotte for new years, and who can believe it's almost 2005 already? holy snap.
well, it feels just like the old days...i spend all day alone working and then ramble myself hoarse (ha!) to my imaginary online friends. time to get back to work, yeee haw!
cheers
10.12.04
computers hate me.
no doubt about it. as i am in the continual search for the resume, i took my old disks to the local library in charlotte to see if maybe le copy of resume i want is on there. (not really sure why i need one at this point, but i just think i would feel more comfortable if i had one, regardless...) i had to fill out a library card application, then find a computer. i got through 2 disks (it was fun to read old portuguese and linguistics papers) and the 3rd disk got stuck in the computer. i asked for help, a scene was made, i was embarrassed and wanted to hide. the kind librarian fished it out of the computer, but then the drive wouldn't work. so i switched computers, and now all of my floppies freeze word and i feel like an idiot. upside, today i took my old laptop in to see if it could be fixed/items recovered. i have a gazillion pictures on there and i can't wait to see them.
-i forget charlotte is the south until i get here.
-my dad's truck has a w '04 sticker on the back (vomit) which is soon to be (unknowingly) accompanied by a john kerry sticker.
-the dog (el sporto) is actually well behaved, and the cats are kinda smelly and lethargic, but still cute.
no doubt about it. as i am in the continual search for the resume, i took my old disks to the local library in charlotte to see if maybe le copy of resume i want is on there. (not really sure why i need one at this point, but i just think i would feel more comfortable if i had one, regardless...) i had to fill out a library card application, then find a computer. i got through 2 disks (it was fun to read old portuguese and linguistics papers) and the 3rd disk got stuck in the computer. i asked for help, a scene was made, i was embarrassed and wanted to hide. the kind librarian fished it out of the computer, but then the drive wouldn't work. so i switched computers, and now all of my floppies freeze word and i feel like an idiot. upside, today i took my old laptop in to see if it could be fixed/items recovered. i have a gazillion pictures on there and i can't wait to see them.
-i forget charlotte is the south until i get here.
-my dad's truck has a w '04 sticker on the back (vomit) which is soon to be (unknowingly) accompanied by a john kerry sticker.
-the dog (el sporto) is actually well behaved, and the cats are kinda smelly and lethargic, but still cute.
good things that aren't related to intense drama...
-today i get to talk to darcyface, yay.
-vector diablo: new blog on the roll (and ireally like it)
-i'm thrilled about putting my bike back together and learning a lot in the process
-good reads: bicycle magazine, current edition bike & sex special
-i'm reunited with mr. bun buns and balloon blanky
-starting to play with duct tape in about 100 hours (i'm in serious withdrawl)
-daydreaming about firing up vanessa jean again
-daydreaming about space
-sleep
cheers
-today i get to talk to darcyface, yay.
-vector diablo: new blog on the roll (and i
-i'm thrilled about putting my bike back together and learning a lot in the process
-good reads: bicycle magazine, current edition bike & sex special
-i'm reunited with mr. bun buns and balloon blanky
-starting to play with duct tape in about 100 hours (i'm in serious withdrawl)
-daydreaming about firing up vanessa jean again
-daydreaming about space
-sleep
cheers
i had written an incredibly large text for what i am about to say on a plane earier today, but now i am in charlotte, nc & too tired to edit any of it.
here's the basic run-down.
i'm grateful to be alive & more thrilled than ever to have the amazing opportunities that i do in my life. after an amazing long weekend in portland, i hit the eastbound road tuesday morning on the final journey back to new haven (which wasn't going to be that final, but we'll talk about that later). anyhow, driving on icy roads that night, i skidded and lost control of jeepie, and tumbled off the side of the road and rolled the car. i'm the luckiest girl (still) alive and suffered absolutely no injuries whatsoever, i still don't know how i happened to remain unharmed or who i need to thank. jeepie didn't do so well, and sacrificed it's life in saving me, taking some serious blows which i am glad i didn't have to suffer. i only started to cry when i saw my bike lying in the snow with a broken fork. now jeepie has been put to rest in a junkyard in burley, idaho (where i spent the last two nights) and i feel like i have lost a steady companion (sniff), adventure partner, as well as the niche for all the crying and making out i did in my youth. my knight-in-shining-armor dad flew out wednesday. leaving out details the non-existent readers of this blog won't mind, i packed all my belongings and between the two of us we flew with them to charlotte. l'il dude was boxed up and shipped back to charlotte. someone needs to remember to ask me how much fun it is to fly with a suspicious one-way ticket and 8 attempted carry-on bags. (sarcasm.)
anyhow, i'm done being shaken and ready to move on with life (which in this case means holding still for at least a year), but now i can't wait for that to start. i think the joy of being on the road is kaput, it only took #172 days (but i will rethink that when i get to new haven on monday and get to start working again). anyhow, i don't think i have experienced such an extreme high and low as i did tuesday, and if you're still interested in this blabbering, i've extracted some poorly written narrative of my pre-accident joy for your lack-of-enjoyment below. (i have no idea why i am so dismissive and negative right now, hopefully just tired!)
tuesday was a great day, that started out with more a greater than average amount of potential. it was day #170 of the rest of my life (the rest of my life starting june 20 when bike the vote headed out of new haven, and when i started counting the days of seeing life in a new way) and i was overflowing with possibility and excitement. i spent the early morning hours running errands in the damp city of portland, and relishing a [really] magnificent long weekend of sushi, bike riding, hiking, anthropologie inspiration, salmon, talking, re-experiencing and remembering how much i like portland, trying on overalls, walking with friends to the park, and getting to know new friends even better (yes, you know exactly who you are). but the most important was gaining a deeper sense of where i want to be going, and exactly what i am going to do next to make my life as wonderful and happy as possible in all imaginable ways (duct taping, not overworking, yoga, cycling, making furniture, working with a new space, having a home, relaxing (gasp!), and salivating over all the opportunities in front of me: creating, working with wood, paddling, cycling, organizing). i drove out of portland, new music playing on jeepie’s stereo, filled with an amazing exuberance about life, and finally a plan (or at least the most important pieces of it) and the confidence and joy to enact it.. and with that i started the first day in my cross country trip, headed east on I-84.
i drove and drove and drove and was making incredible time, felt alert and in an excellent mood. i received serendipitous phone calls from back east about organizing in new haven, excitedly jabbered with my dad about my excitement for the future (and he laughed at my (higher than usual, but always typical) excitement, and i made ‘happy birthday’ calls. i let the columbia river gorge relax me into fantasies of all the ways i want to come back to explore it (by kayak, by foot, by bike). i saw three peaceful deer when i got off the freeway to get gas. i enjoyed the change of scenery as i gained altitude in eastern Oregon, and saw the first snow of the trip. i entered idaho, and laughed at how 5 hours in jeepie accomplished the same as about 2 weeks of biking. i lost my breath as I came over a summit and saw the sawtooth mountains in front of me in full, snow dusted, sun bathed glory. i smiled and hopped joyfully to my new, happy music. i was content to be moving along and so full of joy I could not stop smiling my goofy, happy smile. i passed boise, and thought of the 3 drives to and from that great city this summer, and the alone time it supplied, and how different i am now... it got dark and i stopped for gas in twin falls, and talked to jessie on the phone in the parking lot, and how good it felt to chat. i kept heading east, and called my aunt and uncle when i passed hansen, idaho. i kept driving. despite the clear sky, the roads were now covered with a residual layer of driven-through slush, and i noticed that the thermometer quickly dropped 7 degrees to read 26 degrees, way below freezing. I was starting to think it was time to stop for the night, getting anxious about icy roads.
then it happened, the way these things happen, in oddly slow, over-aware, motion. jeepie started to skid on ice, i lost control, the car skidded to the right, out of the lane, into the shoulder, off the road, into an embankment, snow splashed onto the front windshield, and i was in the middle of the loudest and most powerful sound i ever heard as jeepie nose-dived into the embankment, rolled, and finally landed, wheels on the ground. i couldn't believe i'd stopped moving. i wan't bleeding and i could still breathe. the door wouldn't open, so i scooted out through the broken window. absolute quiet and black on the snowy idaho roadside.
here's the basic run-down.
i'm grateful to be alive & more thrilled than ever to have the amazing opportunities that i do in my life. after an amazing long weekend in portland, i hit the eastbound road tuesday morning on the final journey back to new haven (which wasn't going to be that final, but we'll talk about that later). anyhow, driving on icy roads that night, i skidded and lost control of jeepie, and tumbled off the side of the road and rolled the car. i'm the luckiest girl (still) alive and suffered absolutely no injuries whatsoever, i still don't know how i happened to remain unharmed or who i need to thank. jeepie didn't do so well, and sacrificed it's life in saving me, taking some serious blows which i am glad i didn't have to suffer. i only started to cry when i saw my bike lying in the snow with a broken fork. now jeepie has been put to rest in a junkyard in burley, idaho (where i spent the last two nights) and i feel like i have lost a steady companion (sniff), adventure partner, as well as the niche for all the crying and making out i did in my youth. my knight-in-shining-armor dad flew out wednesday. leaving out details the non-existent readers of this blog won't mind, i packed all my belongings and between the two of us we flew with them to charlotte. l'il dude was boxed up and shipped back to charlotte. someone needs to remember to ask me how much fun it is to fly with a suspicious one-way ticket and 8 attempted carry-on bags. (sarcasm.)
anyhow, i'm done being shaken and ready to move on with life (which in this case means holding still for at least a year), but now i can't wait for that to start. i think the joy of being on the road is kaput, it only took #172 days (but i will rethink that when i get to new haven on monday and get to start working again). anyhow, i don't think i have experienced such an extreme high and low as i did tuesday, and if you're still interested in this blabbering, i've extracted some poorly written narrative of my pre-accident joy for your lack-of-enjoyment below. (i have no idea why i am so dismissive and negative right now, hopefully just tired!)
tuesday was a great day, that started out with more a greater than average amount of potential. it was day #170 of the rest of my life (the rest of my life starting june 20 when bike the vote headed out of new haven, and when i started counting the days of seeing life in a new way) and i was overflowing with possibility and excitement. i spent the early morning hours running errands in the damp city of portland, and relishing a [really] magnificent long weekend of sushi, bike riding, hiking, anthropologie inspiration, salmon, talking, re-experiencing and remembering how much i like portland, trying on overalls, walking with friends to the park, and getting to know new friends even better (yes, you know exactly who you are). but the most important was gaining a deeper sense of where i want to be going, and exactly what i am going to do next to make my life as wonderful and happy as possible in all imaginable ways (duct taping, not overworking, yoga, cycling, making furniture, working with a new space, having a home, relaxing (gasp!), and salivating over all the opportunities in front of me: creating, working with wood, paddling, cycling, organizing). i drove out of portland, new music playing on jeepie’s stereo, filled with an amazing exuberance about life, and finally a plan (or at least the most important pieces of it) and the confidence and joy to enact it.. and with that i started the first day in my cross country trip, headed east on I-84.
i drove and drove and drove and was making incredible time, felt alert and in an excellent mood. i received serendipitous phone calls from back east about organizing in new haven, excitedly jabbered with my dad about my excitement for the future (and he laughed at my (higher than usual, but always typical) excitement, and i made ‘happy birthday’ calls. i let the columbia river gorge relax me into fantasies of all the ways i want to come back to explore it (by kayak, by foot, by bike). i saw three peaceful deer when i got off the freeway to get gas. i enjoyed the change of scenery as i gained altitude in eastern Oregon, and saw the first snow of the trip. i entered idaho, and laughed at how 5 hours in jeepie accomplished the same as about 2 weeks of biking. i lost my breath as I came over a summit and saw the sawtooth mountains in front of me in full, snow dusted, sun bathed glory. i smiled and hopped joyfully to my new, happy music. i was content to be moving along and so full of joy I could not stop smiling my goofy, happy smile. i passed boise, and thought of the 3 drives to and from that great city this summer, and the alone time it supplied, and how different i am now... it got dark and i stopped for gas in twin falls, and talked to jessie on the phone in the parking lot, and how good it felt to chat. i kept heading east, and called my aunt and uncle when i passed hansen, idaho. i kept driving. despite the clear sky, the roads were now covered with a residual layer of driven-through slush, and i noticed that the thermometer quickly dropped 7 degrees to read 26 degrees, way below freezing. I was starting to think it was time to stop for the night, getting anxious about icy roads.
then it happened, the way these things happen, in oddly slow, over-aware, motion. jeepie started to skid on ice, i lost control, the car skidded to the right, out of the lane, into the shoulder, off the road, into an embankment, snow splashed onto the front windshield, and i was in the middle of the loudest and most powerful sound i ever heard as jeepie nose-dived into the embankment, rolled, and finally landed, wheels on the ground. i couldn't believe i'd stopped moving. i wan't bleeding and i could still breathe. the door wouldn't open, so i scooted out through the broken window. absolute quiet and black on the snowy idaho roadside.
6.12.04
not too many words to say right now.
eating prunes in bed is a luxury, as are hot showers and sleeping in.
i love the life on the road, and all the wonderful treats it affords,
and how i get to be so lucky to have so many amazing people and experiences in my life.
tomorrow the journey eastbound continues. i'm looking forward to seeing the brilliant faces i miss so much in the north east, but leaving ain't easy either.
cheers
eating prunes in bed is a luxury, as are hot showers and sleeping in.
i love the life on the road, and all the wonderful treats it affords,
and how i get to be so lucky to have so many amazing people and experiences in my life.
tomorrow the journey eastbound continues. i'm looking forward to seeing the brilliant faces i miss so much in the north east, but leaving ain't easy either.
cheers
3.12.04
who likes portland?
i do!
who (apparently) likes opening her blog with silly questions about the things she likes?
i do!
day 3 of traveling (well, technically i'm past day #160-something, but this is day 3 of the trip back to the coast in the east) and i couldn't be happier. i forgot how much i like portland, until i drove up the 5 and the beautiful city spread out before me in all of its foggy wonder. and at that, i was overcome with emotions of all sorts, mostly the over-tense and over-emotional highs and lows of the campaign, all the worries about things to get done, all the frustrations with people who don't believe in marriage equality, and don't want to for that matter, and the elation that comes from being surrounded by people who support the same things you do and are working to make the world a better place.
i also pulled off a terrifically surprising surprise (that wasn't even alluded to in this blog as recipient of surprise (ok, it was a selfish surprise too) was potential reader of blog, and now confirmed reader of blog. cheers to myself for covering every aspect of secrecy.) that in the process has made me terrifically ecstatic. (i am so selfish!). let's just say there's a certain mystery girl in portland who was worth a 15 hour drive in the wrong direction (well, if going to the northeast, it seemed perfectly reasonable to go to the north, then the east) in order to visit for the weekend. cheers to that! a trip to portland also has the wonderful benefits of seeing sara in berkeley and the loads of other people i know in portland. and (as jealous as it would make ally in new haven) i'm about to go kick the soccer ball with some of them.
la la la
it's wonderful to have blissful moments of pure joy and happiness and freedom from worry.
i'm also nearing the end of the corrections which is finally good. the first half is ok, and kept me reading only to find out where all this crazy entanglement of characters would go, and it worked because i am still reading, and now i love it. maybe that's just because there are lesbians in the book, but i am sure it would still be good without them. the book suddenly morphed into a page turner, and it's hard to put down.
and, green pants/aca9 is coming to charlotte for new years. this is an exciting development in life. i haven't seen green pants in over a year (nevermind that i will see her in wegman-town in a few days), but it also means that new years will (for once!) be pleasurable.
enough blabbering (which i would love to write as bloggering, and create a new word that will immediately enter our lexicon and become wildly popular, much like al franken's "kidding on the square" from lying liars [which i quite like, to be honest], but none of which will actually happen). ramble over.
off for kicking of soccer ball (fun!), pork shoulder (being a porkatarian is great!), garden state (can i do it without crying this time?) and exclamation marks (!).
cheers
i do!
who (apparently) likes opening her blog with silly questions about the things she likes?
i do!
day 3 of traveling (well, technically i'm past day #160-something, but this is day 3 of the trip back to the coast in the east) and i couldn't be happier. i forgot how much i like portland, until i drove up the 5 and the beautiful city spread out before me in all of its foggy wonder. and at that, i was overcome with emotions of all sorts, mostly the over-tense and over-emotional highs and lows of the campaign, all the worries about things to get done, all the frustrations with people who don't believe in marriage equality, and don't want to for that matter, and the elation that comes from being surrounded by people who support the same things you do and are working to make the world a better place.
i also pulled off a terrifically surprising surprise (that wasn't even alluded to in this blog as recipient of surprise (ok, it was a selfish surprise too) was potential reader of blog, and now confirmed reader of blog. cheers to myself for covering every aspect of secrecy.) that in the process has made me terrifically ecstatic. (i am so selfish!). let's just say there's a certain mystery girl in portland who was worth a 15 hour drive in the wrong direction (well, if going to the northeast, it seemed perfectly reasonable to go to the north, then the east) in order to visit for the weekend. cheers to that! a trip to portland also has the wonderful benefits of seeing sara in berkeley and the loads of other people i know in portland. and (as jealous as it would make ally in new haven) i'm about to go kick the soccer ball with some of them.
la la la
it's wonderful to have blissful moments of pure joy and happiness and freedom from worry.
i'm also nearing the end of the corrections which is finally good. the first half is ok, and kept me reading only to find out where all this crazy entanglement of characters would go, and it worked because i am still reading, and now i love it. maybe that's just because there are lesbians in the book, but i am sure it would still be good without them. the book suddenly morphed into a page turner, and it's hard to put down.
and, green pants/aca9 is coming to charlotte for new years. this is an exciting development in life. i haven't seen green pants in over a year (nevermind that i will see her in wegman-town in a few days), but it also means that new years will (for once!) be pleasurable.
enough blabbering (which i would love to write as bloggering, and create a new word that will immediately enter our lexicon and become wildly popular, much like al franken's "kidding on the square" from lying liars [which i quite like, to be honest], but none of which will actually happen). ramble over.
off for kicking of soccer ball (fun!), pork shoulder (being a porkatarian is great!), garden state (can i do it without crying this time?) and exclamation marks (!).
cheers
1.12.04
who likes driving?
i do!
who likes smelly cows?
i do!
who likes driving around looking for wireless internet?
i do!
who likes the thought of hanging out with friends behind the bail bonds store and eating thai food?
i do! i do!
day 1:
location: undisclosed. miles 350-something. mileage, still good.
i'm a bit worried (as i should be after sacrificing my first child, ok, some martha stewart stock, in order to pay to fix my car and give it new brakes, rotors, shocks, bearings, axle, fuel flush, etc etc) because jeepie is leakign something (still) and my mom was right when she said it smelled like gas. so i am going to do the responsible thing (like i always do) and ignore it and hope it goes away).
i'm also in a tizzy because i don't seem to have a copy of a resume anywhere. the last hard copy i had is in the files of my old employer, and the last not-so-hard-copy is on a computer (in north carolina) that refuses to do anything. and i might have a copy on disk, which also resides in north caroline in a house that does not have a computer that accepts disks. it's all my fault, and i'm crying. well, not really. but sort of when i think of the beautiful template i have created, and the thought of having to do it all over again. that and the fact that i don't actually remember what things i have done in my life, my gpa (who cares!), or honors without that piece of paper. ahhh, worthless lamenting. i'm done now.
i also ate a lot of knock-off brand chex mix today. it was delish!
i do!
who likes smelly cows?
i do!
who likes driving around looking for wireless internet?
i do!
who likes the thought of hanging out with friends behind the bail bonds store and eating thai food?
i do! i do!
day 1:
location: undisclosed. miles 350-something. mileage, still good.
i'm a bit worried (as i should be after sacrificing my first child, ok, some martha stewart stock, in order to pay to fix my car and give it new brakes, rotors, shocks, bearings, axle, fuel flush, etc etc) because jeepie is leakign something (still) and my mom was right when she said it smelled like gas. so i am going to do the responsible thing (like i always do) and ignore it and hope it goes away).
i'm also in a tizzy because i don't seem to have a copy of a resume anywhere. the last hard copy i had is in the files of my old employer, and the last not-so-hard-copy is on a computer (in north carolina) that refuses to do anything. and i might have a copy on disk, which also resides in north caroline in a house that does not have a computer that accepts disks. it's all my fault, and i'm crying. well, not really. but sort of when i think of the beautiful template i have created, and the thought of having to do it all over again. that and the fact that i don't actually remember what things i have done in my life, my gpa (who cares!), or honors without that piece of paper. ahhh, worthless lamenting. i'm done now.
i also ate a lot of knock-off brand chex mix today. it was delish!
not food poisoning
whatever mystery disease (what we thought was food related) that my l'il bro and i got on turkey day is apparently a bit more than some angry vegetables trying to ruin a day of family eating. i know this (because i am a doctor) because my dad got sick yesterday, and had the exact same symptoms. poor old guy. he's feeling better now. this makes the coincidence of l'il bro and i getting sick at the exact same time even more odd. and if we trace ourselves back 4 days prior to getting ill (the amount of time it took my dad to get sick), kirk and i were eating japanese food together. odd? hmmmm. i'm just glad my dad's ok.
brian and i went out for dinner at firefly, delicious south pasadena cuisine, then went home to watch some dogs on nova. i took an enjoyable sangria enduced nap, and woke up in time to watch the end of the biggest loser, which brian had to explain to me in detail. who knew.
today was another great day. packing car. cleaning car windows (i've been longing for this for days!) running errands: getting a new phone (the old one had some problems and they kindly replaced it hassle free, i love sprint), dropping some clothes off at out of the closet, and doing some inspirational browsing at the shops in south pasadena. the best part of the day, however, was my leisurely sleep in! i decided to just stay curled up in the warm bed until 11:30, watching the sun and blue sky and trees out the window. it was great, especially since this is my last day before hitting the eastbound road.
who loves driving? i do!
blogging may be sparse for the next days, but that doesn't really matter since no one reads this blog anyhow.
whatever mystery disease (what we thought was food related) that my l'il bro and i got on turkey day is apparently a bit more than some angry vegetables trying to ruin a day of family eating. i know this (because i am a doctor) because my dad got sick yesterday, and had the exact same symptoms. poor old guy. he's feeling better now. this makes the coincidence of l'il bro and i getting sick at the exact same time even more odd. and if we trace ourselves back 4 days prior to getting ill (the amount of time it took my dad to get sick), kirk and i were eating japanese food together. odd? hmmmm. i'm just glad my dad's ok.
brian and i went out for dinner at firefly, delicious south pasadena cuisine, then went home to watch some dogs on nova. i took an enjoyable sangria enduced nap, and woke up in time to watch the end of the biggest loser, which brian had to explain to me in detail. who knew.
today was another great day. packing car. cleaning car windows (i've been longing for this for days!) running errands: getting a new phone (the old one had some problems and they kindly replaced it hassle free, i love sprint), dropping some clothes off at out of the closet, and doing some inspirational browsing at the shops in south pasadena. the best part of the day, however, was my leisurely sleep in! i decided to just stay curled up in the warm bed until 11:30, watching the sun and blue sky and trees out the window. it was great, especially since this is my last day before hitting the eastbound road.
who loves driving? i do!
blogging may be sparse for the next days, but that doesn't really matter since no one reads this blog anyhow.
30.11.04
things that make me happy:
pittsburgh
portland
this american life
packing
translating the npr webpage with tha snoop dog shizzolator
here in katie's head
sun on my face
fleece booties
dirt
guess the dictator and/or television sit-com character
surprises
mail
pittsburgh
portland
this american life
packing
translating the npr webpage with tha snoop dog shizzolator
here in katie's head
sun on my face
fleece booties
dirt
guess the dictator and/or television sit-com character
surprises
29.11.04
some days are just too good to capture. up early, driving l'il bro to the airport. getting lost on the way back. running errands (buying grease for l'il dude (aka, the bike), vince's for lunch, post office, notarize, hardware store (hmmm...hardware store...i could live there) and then coming home to clean my bike. hours and hours of fun: removing rust (i neglected to take care of the bike while in portland), degreasing, regreasing, getting rid of dirt, trying to tune it up without ruining it [i'm so excited to learn more about bike maintenance.] and now i get to do nitty gritty organizing. all the little things i've collected in the past 5+ months are now going to be sorted into ziploc bags (wahooo!). stuff i don't need to keep: pins, flags, maps, directions, pens galore, notes, bolts, stuff...and some stuff i need to keep: bills, insurance papers, doctor's bills, keep-in-touch information.
but what this really all boils down to is that tomorrow is my last day here. here [pasadena, the homeland, the comfort zone] is like a little nest i can just fall into entirely each time i come here, and now it's time to leave. leaving isn't hard, it's just that i don't exactly know where i am headed next. ok, so that's a bit overdramatic and untrue...i know i am headed to new haven for the vanessa jean holiday rush (which is more of a trickle right now), then to charlotte for the holidays...then...well, that's where i don't know what comes next.
i have the amazing opportunity to settle where ever i want, or not settle for that matter. but after 162 days on the road i'm finally starting to feel an inkling to settle somewhere. to set up a studio, to have a home, a bed to curl up in every night. space that is mine, private, personal. but the question is where? what will i be doing? and i have to make some decisions about how to balance my 2 main desires to create and to organize. i'm deciding if i can balance to two, or if it's time to make a sacrifice in favor of one or the other. hmmm, i guess i have a lot of things to think about, good thing i'll have some time in the car.
the hardware store visit made me long for creating things. tools, ladders, tile spacers, turning the every day into something new and neat. it's a funny place for inspiration, but i could stay there all day. ok, time to get back to putting things where they belong...enough daydreaming for now.
but what this really all boils down to is that tomorrow is my last day here. here [pasadena, the homeland, the comfort zone] is like a little nest i can just fall into entirely each time i come here, and now it's time to leave. leaving isn't hard, it's just that i don't exactly know where i am headed next. ok, so that's a bit overdramatic and untrue...i know i am headed to new haven for the vanessa jean holiday rush (which is more of a trickle right now), then to charlotte for the holidays...then...well, that's where i don't know what comes next.
i have the amazing opportunity to settle where ever i want, or not settle for that matter. but after 162 days on the road i'm finally starting to feel an inkling to settle somewhere. to set up a studio, to have a home, a bed to curl up in every night. space that is mine, private, personal. but the question is where? what will i be doing? and i have to make some decisions about how to balance my 2 main desires to create and to organize. i'm deciding if i can balance to two, or if it's time to make a sacrifice in favor of one or the other. hmmm, i guess i have a lot of things to think about, good thing i'll have some time in the car.
the hardware store visit made me long for creating things. tools, ladders, tile spacers, turning the every day into something new and neat. it's a funny place for inspiration, but i could stay there all day. ok, time to get back to putting things where they belong...enough daydreaming for now.
28.11.04
a few of my new favorite websites, and some notes
(i still don't know why i do this, as no one ready the blog)
miele fresca
i just met brook, who is one of the fab women behind this site and i'm suggesting it for everyone's christmas shopping list.
eHarmony.com
a few things... #1 after some discussion with my brother, who goes to the same doctor who recommended eHarmony to me (see here), along with a woman i met at a get together tonight who also goes to same doctor as i do and recieved same eHarmony pitch...we discovered said doctor is friends with founder-doctor-scientist-matchmaker who founded eHarmony, hence all the plugging of said website. ick. for some reason that makes me want to vomit (even more than i have been lately). #2 there is no #2. sorry.
vanessajean.com
shameless plug for self...now's the time to order for christmas
bridget jones: the edge of reason
other than having the longest url ever, the movie was just plain flat (other than mr. firth's adorable smile smirks). don't bother to see it unless you can rent it for free and need something to watch while doing laundry or paying bills.
hmmm, i guess my list was a bit shorter than i thought.
cheers
(i still don't know why i do this, as no one ready the blog)
miele fresca
i just met brook, who is one of the fab women behind this site and i'm suggesting it for everyone's christmas shopping list.
eHarmony.com
a few things... #1 after some discussion with my brother, who goes to the same doctor who recommended eHarmony to me (see here), along with a woman i met at a get together tonight who also goes to same doctor as i do and recieved same eHarmony pitch...we discovered said doctor is friends with founder-doctor-scientist-matchmaker who founded eHarmony, hence all the plugging of said website. ick. for some reason that makes me want to vomit (even more than i have been lately). #2 there is no #2. sorry.
vanessajean.com
shameless plug for self...now's the time to order for christmas
bridget jones: the edge of reason
other than having the longest url ever, the movie was just plain flat (other than mr. firth's adorable smile smirks). don't bother to see it unless you can rent it for free and need something to watch while doing laundry or paying bills.
hmmm, i guess my list was a bit shorter than i thought.
cheers
27.11.04
this is quick, i'm running out to watch my future husband in bridget jones' diary II, i'm talking about mr. firth. what a charmer. i'm also watching football with my family. i haven't done much except be thankful for flushing toilets and running water after some fine turkeyday food poisoning. i had it lucky compared to my brother who had to go to the er. poor baby. now he brags about it alot. ok.
um, i had a gazillion things to say, but now i can't remember them. my parents are leaving pasadena tomorrow, and i won't see them till christmas. i got used to being around them, i think i might miss them! i'm excited to pack and start heading east, but i'm now terribly afraid (paranoid, anxious?) of hitting bad weather, with much thanks to my family and certain people who have been mentioning that alot. thanks.
hmmm, i think it's time to see colin. just kidding, he's not my future husband. that's ridiculous. geez, i'd really like to be able to eat normally again.
um, i had a gazillion things to say, but now i can't remember them. my parents are leaving pasadena tomorrow, and i won't see them till christmas. i got used to being around them, i think i might miss them! i'm excited to pack and start heading east, but i'm now terribly afraid (paranoid, anxious?) of hitting bad weather, with much thanks to my family and certain people who have been mentioning that alot. thanks.
hmmm, i think it's time to see colin. just kidding, he's not my future husband. that's ridiculous. geez, i'd really like to be able to eat normally again.
25.11.04
today i discovered eharmony.com, and how it will change my life. ok, well, not entirely. but today my doctor told me that i needed two things in order to feel better. 1) a mate, which he suggested i find through eharmony.com. well, there are a couple probelms with that. 2) that i needed to calm down and reorganize my life a bit, and that might make some of my other problems go away. it was an interesting use of an hour and a visit to the doctor.
and the mommykins and i went to yoga, which was much needed, and quite a treat. it's been a while since i've had the joy of being in a yoga class...and it was so so so nice. really nice.
i'm having a delicious run-in with saved!, which is hilarious, to the max. i highly suggest watching it.
i'm doing a great job of being relaxed, especially now that vanessa jean is up to day and running smoothly again.
and the mommykins and i went to yoga, which was much needed, and quite a treat. it's been a while since i've had the joy of being in a yoga class...and it was so so so nice. really nice.
i'm having a delicious run-in with saved!, which is hilarious, to the max. i highly suggest watching it.
i'm doing a great job of being relaxed, especially now that vanessa jean is up to day and running smoothly again.
24.11.04
odd things can make a day stressful. or maybe that's just part of life on the road (and worrying about settling down, hmmm). today i made a renewed committment to jeepie. we are now going to be together for a very long time. but at least now i can feel confident that it will run smoothly for the ride back to the east coast (it's almost a brand new car). then i went to the dentist and i have no cavities, which is a really big deal after the dental debacle i had last may. yet another reason why insurance is important. i also decided that i would buy an electric toothbrush, which i did. i just used it for the first time, and it's quite a brilliant device (and it's blue). then i went to the eye doctor, and he told me what i know, that i can still see, which was reassuring since it came from a paid professional. preventative care is great, really. (ahem). then to whittier for some chinese buffett with the g-parents, and now here. i think it's time to start meditating again. i've found myself to be even more wound up and anxious than usual these past few days. it could be any factor of things, but i think it might help if i take some time to put everything in perspective. and then i will ride my bike.
if your soul is hurting a bit (or you have bad pms), check out these soul filling and spilling sites by sabrina ward harrison and SARK. these beautiful, artistic, expressive souls have inspired me through good times and bad. please take two doses and call me in the morning. what else...the peacocks are still here. they make me laugh. i'm watching the dvd from the indigo girls latest album all that we let in. it's a live recording from their show last december at the bottom line in ny. my roommate and i went, and we think we've spotted ourselves in the small audience. that was such an intimate show, and a really nice treat for a busy december. ahhh, indigo girls.
sweet dreams.
if your soul is hurting a bit (or you have bad pms), check out these soul filling and spilling sites by sabrina ward harrison and SARK. these beautiful, artistic, expressive souls have inspired me through good times and bad. please take two doses and call me in the morning. what else...the peacocks are still here. they make me laugh. i'm watching the dvd from the indigo girls latest album all that we let in. it's a live recording from their show last december at the bottom line in ny. my roommate and i went, and we think we've spotted ourselves in the small audience. that was such an intimate show, and a really nice treat for a busy december. ahhh, indigo girls.
sweet dreams.
23.11.04
tonight i got attacked (post japanese cuisine) by a cat named hurley. this cat is clearly suffering from gender identity problems, and hence (because it can't speak, well, except to me as i speak fluent cat, the south west dialect of course, i'm working on my north west and north east, phwaw) likes to attack human beings, especially those that attempt ridiculous flea removal procedures. don't ask. anyhow, i know this de-clawed cat has a disposition for using vicious cat teeth to attack, but tonight's mangle went too far...and i have blood to prove it. darn, beat again by the feline. i should really be learning my lesson by now, but i guess not.
ahh, family dinners out in public. i wonder sometimes. but the little one is back in town, which is a nice treat, and i'll have to really store up on his visit, because he undoubtely won't call me for the next month, until we visit at home in charlotte for the day of santa clause and gifts.
turkey day countdown: 3 days (rough estimate)
i want my contribution to turkey day to be cabbage soup and presents. my uncle makes a joke about how our families always exchange gifts everytime we get together, so we like to tease him by making sure we always have gifts...so i'll have to bring something wrapped.
anyone notice i like to ramble? no, good. ok, time for round number 2 of the cat fighting, maybe a little corrections, and then to bed to dream about picking up jeepie tomorrow in glowing, wonderful condition (as if a fuel system flush and new filter make a car sparkle fresh - hey, a girl can dream). and dream i will, about ice skates. hmmm....
ahh, family dinners out in public. i wonder sometimes. but the little one is back in town, which is a nice treat, and i'll have to really store up on his visit, because he undoubtely won't call me for the next month, until we visit at home in charlotte for the day of santa clause and gifts.
turkey day countdown: 3 days (rough estimate)
i want my contribution to turkey day to be cabbage soup and presents. my uncle makes a joke about how our families always exchange gifts everytime we get together, so we like to tease him by making sure we always have gifts...so i'll have to bring something wrapped.
anyone notice i like to ramble? no, good. ok, time for round number 2 of the cat fighting, maybe a little corrections, and then to bed to dream about picking up jeepie tomorrow in glowing, wonderful condition (as if a fuel system flush and new filter make a car sparkle fresh - hey, a girl can dream). and dream i will, about ice skates. hmmm....
22.11.04
howdy champs...
i like calling people "champ"
i also like having a jeepie that works, and soon it will (enter evil laugh here).
i also like japanese food, which i will eat tonight (yum).
today was a masterful accomplishment of minor, tedious tasks...
(notarize, mail, money order, deposits, photocopies, phone calls, blech)
but i guess it's these small things that keep the world moving
today my little bro comes home from college for the turkey vacation. i haven't seen him since the btv kick-off june 20. hmmm, that's a long time. we are going to eat japanese food. i sound like i'm in first grade.
the highlight of the day was visiting with my high school carpool buddy! she's great, and it was nice to catch up on the west coast. she also has a cute cat named dot.
ok, back to 'work' (ie drafting e-mails that might help me find future employment, while dreaming about riding my bike.)
speaking of bikes...one of the leaders of the mountain bike trip i chaperoned for my high school in october put some pics and stuff online. see them here. (wow, if you clicked on that you must be really bored).
i like calling people "champ"
i also like having a jeepie that works, and soon it will (enter evil laugh here).
i also like japanese food, which i will eat tonight (yum).
today was a masterful accomplishment of minor, tedious tasks...
(notarize, mail, money order, deposits, photocopies, phone calls, blech)
but i guess it's these small things that keep the world moving
today my little bro comes home from college for the turkey vacation. i haven't seen him since the btv kick-off june 20. hmmm, that's a long time. we are going to eat japanese food. i sound like i'm in first grade.
the highlight of the day was visiting with my high school carpool buddy! she's great, and it was nice to catch up on the west coast. she also has a cute cat named dot.
ok, back to 'work' (ie drafting e-mails that might help me find future employment, while dreaming about riding my bike.)
speaking of bikes...one of the leaders of the mountain bike trip i chaperoned for my high school in october put some pics and stuff online. see them here. (wow, if you clicked on that you must be really bored).
21.11.04
it's late, and this little bunny-pumpkin is tired...but i have so much to say!
i was mia from the real world last week, as i was lucky to spend time with my very good friend yarrow (aka sara) in the gulch, really beautiful redwood lands in pescadero, north of santa cruz. a great week in the forest and nature, and a nice week of napping on yet another sofa. it was great to see sara, and to watch her in action as an awesome teacher of outdoor education. go sara! it was also a treat to meet all the other awesome people she works with, one huge naturalist team that does an amazing job of teaching kids how important mother earth is, the wonders of lichen and that certain sea creatures will stick to your nose...all very important things to know. thursday was a wonderful day! it involved 50 some miles of coastal riding that was gorgeous, and sun, and a nasty headwind (which i secretly love), followed by a dusk dip in the ocean and a friendly seal.
i'm one lucky girl.
friday i drove south, and was very lucky to spend some quality time with my godfather and his family, what a treat. then to the homeland (no longer home exactly, so the homeland will have to suffice!) and a nice reunion with the parents and various other people here who i am quite happy to see.
this morning started with an early morning (old people) walk, which included breakfast and some browsing at the pasadena art fair. it's funny to think that two years ago vanessa jean had a booth at that fair! ahhh, fairs...such mixed emotion. regardless...i came home (aka the home i'm lucky enough to be staying at) to laundry (making anything clean is good!) and removing all contents from jeepie (see previous parenthesis), and then organizing everything that came from the car. i'm in organizational exctasy! tomorrow i get to continue to vacuum the car (i ran the dustbuser battery out today) and clean the windows from the inside out. these things thrill me (yes, this is an ok time to suggest that i get a life).
then (after jumping the jeepie battery...it gets worn out when the doors are open so long) the fam headed to whittier and i got to see the rest of the fam, including the grandpa who is looking like a champ, and eating well too. ahhh, family times are good times. we can surely entertain ourselves anywhere, and pull anyone into the fun with us (including the restraunt owner).
so much more to the night, but i'm too tired to keep going. abbrev: saw la based friends from portland and it was swell.
other things: my bikes breaks will be squeaky tomorrow because it's raining here and li'l dude is getting wet as we speak. there are two huge, amazing peacocks roaming the neighborhood and house grounds where i am staying. i've learned i collect all the little things because i'm afraid of forgetting the marvelous, minute details* that make life so rich. i need a haircut. rainy days are good for crawling under the covers and reading a book (ie napping). laughing feels good. the familiar sounds of saturday npr can comfort me anywhere. congrats to yale womens volleyball, ivy league champs and one game away from ncaa, mad props. i miss climbing on ladders and playing with tools. i'm terribly afraid of having to "settle down" somewhere, can't i just keep vagabonding forever? time for sleeping...followed by bike riding to breakfast with brian in the morning.
sweet dreams.
*i plan to talk about this a lot more sometime soon. you'll want to vomit, but i'm excited to ramble a lot!
i was mia from the real world last week, as i was lucky to spend time with my very good friend yarrow (aka sara) in the gulch, really beautiful redwood lands in pescadero, north of santa cruz. a great week in the forest and nature, and a nice week of napping on yet another sofa. it was great to see sara, and to watch her in action as an awesome teacher of outdoor education. go sara! it was also a treat to meet all the other awesome people she works with, one huge naturalist team that does an amazing job of teaching kids how important mother earth is, the wonders of lichen and that certain sea creatures will stick to your nose...all very important things to know. thursday was a wonderful day! it involved 50 some miles of coastal riding that was gorgeous, and sun, and a nasty headwind (which i secretly love), followed by a dusk dip in the ocean and a friendly seal.
i'm one lucky girl.
friday i drove south, and was very lucky to spend some quality time with my godfather and his family, what a treat. then to the homeland (no longer home exactly, so the homeland will have to suffice!) and a nice reunion with the parents and various other people here who i am quite happy to see.
this morning started with an early morning (old people) walk, which included breakfast and some browsing at the pasadena art fair. it's funny to think that two years ago vanessa jean had a booth at that fair! ahhh, fairs...such mixed emotion. regardless...i came home (aka the home i'm lucky enough to be staying at) to laundry (making anything clean is good!) and removing all contents from jeepie (see previous parenthesis), and then organizing everything that came from the car. i'm in organizational exctasy! tomorrow i get to continue to vacuum the car (i ran the dustbuser battery out today) and clean the windows from the inside out. these things thrill me (yes, this is an ok time to suggest that i get a life).
then (after jumping the jeepie battery...it gets worn out when the doors are open so long) the fam headed to whittier and i got to see the rest of the fam, including the grandpa who is looking like a champ, and eating well too. ahhh, family times are good times. we can surely entertain ourselves anywhere, and pull anyone into the fun with us (including the restraunt owner).
so much more to the night, but i'm too tired to keep going. abbrev: saw la based friends from portland and it was swell.
other things: my bikes breaks will be squeaky tomorrow because it's raining here and li'l dude is getting wet as we speak. there are two huge, amazing peacocks roaming the neighborhood and house grounds where i am staying. i've learned i collect all the little things because i'm afraid of forgetting the marvelous, minute details* that make life so rich. i need a haircut. rainy days are good for crawling under the covers and reading a book (ie napping). laughing feels good. the familiar sounds of saturday npr can comfort me anywhere. congrats to yale womens volleyball, ivy league champs and one game away from ncaa, mad props. i miss climbing on ladders and playing with tools. i'm terribly afraid of having to "settle down" somewhere, can't i just keep vagabonding forever? time for sleeping...followed by bike riding to breakfast with brian in the morning.
sweet dreams.
*i plan to talk about this a lot more sometime soon. you'll want to vomit, but i'm excited to ramble a lot!
11.11.04
midday naps are fun.
i fell asleep reading around 3.30, and woke up to a clock that read 6.47, and the fog and dim light outside couldn't help me determine if it was am or pm. it's pm, and it was nice to hang out on the couch for half an hour just relaxing, and thinking about what comes next (ahh, the big question. i came to some wonderful conclusions, which included getting off the sofa, eating a brownie and then getting back on the sofa. i'm so proud of myself. i think it might be time to make some more brownies. it was a rainy day today, perfect day for napping.
i fell asleep reading around 3.30, and woke up to a clock that read 6.47, and the fog and dim light outside couldn't help me determine if it was am or pm. it's pm, and it was nice to hang out on the couch for half an hour just relaxing, and thinking about what comes next (ahh, the big question. i came to some wonderful conclusions, which included getting off the sofa, eating a brownie and then getting back on the sofa. i'm so proud of myself. i think it might be time to make some more brownies. it was a rainy day today, perfect day for napping.
life is good...
i woke up pre-noon today, which felt great.
then i organized stuff, and sorted out names and addresses of doctors to get this summer's health care debacle finally under control.
then i are some brownies
and packed a bag and headed out on my bike
i don't really know how i went so long without loving bikes, but life is so much better now
and i bikes all over san fran, going down hills is fun, but going up hill reminded me how long it's been since i've really been on a bike
but it was fun, and then i stopped inside a shop to buy new tires, which i am so excited to put on tomorrow (along with a new tube since i have busted a valve) and clean li'l dude. yay.
meri and i are talking, and it's fun, so i'm going back to that.
i woke up pre-noon today, which felt great.
then i organized stuff, and sorted out names and addresses of doctors to get this summer's health care debacle finally under control.
then i are some brownies
and packed a bag and headed out on my bike
i don't really know how i went so long without loving bikes, but life is so much better now
and i bikes all over san fran, going down hills is fun, but going up hill reminded me how long it's been since i've really been on a bike
but it was fun, and then i stopped inside a shop to buy new tires, which i am so excited to put on tomorrow (along with a new tube since i have busted a valve) and clean li'l dude. yay.
meri and i are talking, and it's fun, so i'm going back to that.
10.11.04
it's been a while & blogger looks different, and i have to adjust
if you've wondering where i've been for the past six months, you can check out bike the vote for a full recap of the cross-country voter registration by bike project that consumed my life for a while. the site has basic info, blog and photo, and will soon have info about the documentary in the works about the trip. la la la.
that landed me in portland, which is a wonderful city. i started working with the no on 36 campaign, working to defeat oregon's proposed constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. it's hard to believe that we live in a country where 11 states will easily vote to pass constitutional amendments that treat gay and lesbians unequally, but i guess that just means there is a lot of work needed to make our world a fair place.
portland is great. it's hard for me to believe that i could like a city more than new haven, but i guess it's true. portland is like a larger version of new haven, and it's pretty neat. the people there are pretty darn great too. maybe i'll end up there, but i'm not quite sure yet. i've been on the road for 134 days now, and i have to say it hasn't gotten old yet. i really, really, really like being without a home base, being on the road, depending on the hospitality of others, making new friends, seeing everything new! i don't know if i'm ready to give it up yet, and i'm going to make it last as long as possible. then comes the big question: settle down to a real life with a real job (gasp) or somehow figure out how to maintain some sort of mobile life,
last thursday i left portland for san francisco, en route to new york, new haven, providence, boston, and all the wonderful people there i haven't seen in so long. i don't think i've ever travelled so much in my life, but it's so much fun (and i feel so lucky to be having these experiences). new haven is fantastic, and i miss the psych student posse, lanna, ally, steve, east rock, 785, peek peek, lulu's, amd all the things i didn't get to see. providence is as great as ever, caroline, bethany, merk, sandy, laws, becca, indigo girls, devilles, and franklin the turtle. so much joy all in one place. then a hitched ride up to boston for some great time with darcyface, and dinner with old friends. then monday morning with ant at boston common, watching pigeons and playing with sticks and leaves. then back to san fran. and loving every minute of it. got to my new temporary home with md, which is a really nice treat since we haven't seen each other in a good set of months, and catching up is nice, as is going for late night frozen yogurt turned pita runs. and who knew that my new blog template would be the same as hers, oh well. it'll be san fran for a week, the redwoods for a week and then back to the old home base in the la area, which will be a nice homecoming.
i'm considering myself to officially be on vacation, and it feels real nice. i slept in until 4.30 in the afternoon today, which might be more sleep than i have collectively had in the last six months. i'm so excited to lounge and relax and explore sf by bike. ahh bikes, i love bikes, why are they so great, and why did i go so long without enjoying their beauty. it's nice to have time to re-claim my computer nerd title (possibly could i rival the old guy for screen time 'surfing the web'? and i actually have time to get stuff done (blah blah blah). ok, it might be time to sleep, but i think my sleeping schedule might be a bit off. but it's vacation, so who cares! hmmm, time to go.
if you've wondering where i've been for the past six months, you can check out bike the vote for a full recap of the cross-country voter registration by bike project that consumed my life for a while. the site has basic info, blog and photo, and will soon have info about the documentary in the works about the trip. la la la.
that landed me in portland, which is a wonderful city. i started working with the no on 36 campaign, working to defeat oregon's proposed constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. it's hard to believe that we live in a country where 11 states will easily vote to pass constitutional amendments that treat gay and lesbians unequally, but i guess that just means there is a lot of work needed to make our world a fair place.
portland is great. it's hard for me to believe that i could like a city more than new haven, but i guess it's true. portland is like a larger version of new haven, and it's pretty neat. the people there are pretty darn great too. maybe i'll end up there, but i'm not quite sure yet. i've been on the road for 134 days now, and i have to say it hasn't gotten old yet. i really, really, really like being without a home base, being on the road, depending on the hospitality of others, making new friends, seeing everything new! i don't know if i'm ready to give it up yet, and i'm going to make it last as long as possible. then comes the big question: settle down to a real life with a real job (gasp) or somehow figure out how to maintain some sort of mobile life,
last thursday i left portland for san francisco, en route to new york, new haven, providence, boston, and all the wonderful people there i haven't seen in so long. i don't think i've ever travelled so much in my life, but it's so much fun (and i feel so lucky to be having these experiences). new haven is fantastic, and i miss the psych student posse, lanna, ally, steve, east rock, 785, peek peek, lulu's, amd all the things i didn't get to see. providence is as great as ever, caroline, bethany, merk, sandy, laws, becca, indigo girls, devilles, and franklin the turtle. so much joy all in one place. then a hitched ride up to boston for some great time with darcyface, and dinner with old friends. then monday morning with ant at boston common, watching pigeons and playing with sticks and leaves. then back to san fran. and loving every minute of it. got to my new temporary home with md, which is a really nice treat since we haven't seen each other in a good set of months, and catching up is nice, as is going for late night frozen yogurt turned pita runs. and who knew that my new blog template would be the same as hers, oh well. it'll be san fran for a week, the redwoods for a week and then back to the old home base in the la area, which will be a nice homecoming.
i'm considering myself to officially be on vacation, and it feels real nice. i slept in until 4.30 in the afternoon today, which might be more sleep than i have collectively had in the last six months. i'm so excited to lounge and relax and explore sf by bike. ahh bikes, i love bikes, why are they so great, and why did i go so long without enjoying their beauty. it's nice to have time to re-claim my computer nerd title (possibly could i rival the old guy for screen time 'surfing the web'? and i actually have time to get stuff done (blah blah blah). ok, it might be time to sleep, but i think my sleeping schedule might be a bit off. but it's vacation, so who cares! hmmm, time to go.
8.11.04
hello!!!
i'm so excited to be back to the world of blogging.
my all-lowercase-self is so ready to be back.
i'm on a mac and can't figure out/remember how to do anything
but i'm sure there will be prolific and worthless posts about the last 6 months
as soon as i get back to my computer
(which i successfully left in portland, ha!)
anyhow, if you're wondering where vj has been the last 6 months, check out the bike the vote blog (www.bikethevote.org), and you can read and see lots and lots of boring pictures.
and it also looks like teh duct tape line might be taking a break for a while, so keep posted.
cheers
(and i'm so excited to blog to my not-so-loyal-audience of 1 again!)
i'm so excited to be back to the world of blogging.
my all-lowercase-self is so ready to be back.
i'm on a mac and can't figure out/remember how to do anything
but i'm sure there will be prolific and worthless posts about the last 6 months
as soon as i get back to my computer
(which i successfully left in portland, ha!)
anyhow, if you're wondering where vj has been the last 6 months, check out the bike the vote blog (www.bikethevote.org), and you can read and see lots and lots of boring pictures.
and it also looks like teh duct tape line might be taking a break for a while, so keep posted.
cheers
(and i'm so excited to blog to my not-so-loyal-audience of 1 again!)
10.6.04
8.6.04
let's quit the fuss about same-sex marriage and protecting the institution of marriage and focus on opposite-sex marriage and protecting the institution of marriage.
28.5.04
this year dean brodhead gave the baccalaureate address at yale graduation. it's a must read.
27.5.04
i love this nyt article about blogging...
"The constant search for bloggable moments is what led Gregor J. Rothfuss, a programmer in Zurich, to blog to the point of near-despair. Bored by his job, Mr. Rothfuss, 27, started a blog that focused on technical topics.
"I was trying to record all thoughts and speculations I deemed interesting," he said. "Sort of creating a digital alter ego. The obsession came from trying to capture as much as possible of the good stuff in my head in as high fidelity as possible."
"The constant search for bloggable moments is what led Gregor J. Rothfuss, a programmer in Zurich, to blog to the point of near-despair. Bored by his job, Mr. Rothfuss, 27, started a blog that focused on technical topics.
"I was trying to record all thoughts and speculations I deemed interesting," he said. "Sort of creating a digital alter ego. The obsession came from trying to capture as much as possible of the good stuff in my head in as high fidelity as possible."
17.5.04
14.5.04
things that are good:
the 785 porch, back in season
chaco tan and dirty toes
ally, steve, jane and brian
(and brian...)
great cakes cupcakes
Flower Fall and the pink peony and lily the cat
front row seats to see ani
summer
surprises
biking the vote
this american life (ira glass in ridgefield)
sleeping bags
hammocks
charlotte, nc (i hope!)
the east rock neighborhood
aca9
oakland, pasadena, college park, portland and boston
cheers!
the 785 porch, back in season
chaco tan and dirty toes
ally, steve, jane and brian
(and brian...)
great cakes cupcakes
Flower Fall and the pink peony and lily the cat
front row seats to see ani
summer
surprises
biking the vote
this american life (ira glass in ridgefield)
sleeping bags
hammocks
charlotte, nc (i hope!)
the east rock neighborhood
aca9
oakland, pasadena, college park, portland and boston
cheers!
ok, this is a really cute story about ducks stuck in a sewer in chicago, be sure to check out the slideshow.
8.5.04
3.5.04
things that are funny:
1. going out to dinner with your younger brother and his girlfriend, and thinking they are absolutely adorable, yet also feeling like their parent. hmmm.
2. calling your mom, who is in a business conference all week, hearing the phone ring and ring, someone fumble and pick it up, and then whisper into the phone (i mean really whisper) "i'm in a meeting" and then hang up. i laughed, a lot.
1. going out to dinner with your younger brother and his girlfriend, and thinking they are absolutely adorable, yet also feeling like their parent. hmmm.
2. calling your mom, who is in a business conference all week, hearing the phone ring and ring, someone fumble and pick it up, and then whisper into the phone (i mean really whisper) "i'm in a meeting" and then hang up. i laughed, a lot.
1.5.04
some things don't need words.
28.4.04
let's talk about energy...
the past two weeks i have been trying to track down a local koffee? shop owner who happens to live across the street from me (asking him for some help with bike the vote) but i just couldn't get ahold of him. today, as i was getting into the car to go to see the doctor, the nice mr. man comes riding up the street on his bike, and he was trying to track me down! so we chatted for a while and both got our messages across! (he went to a new local running store, saw they carry a (non vanessa jean) line of duct tape stuff...and told him he should support the local business) did i mention he's quite cool?
funny how things happen like that
the past two weeks i have been trying to track down a local koffee? shop owner who happens to live across the street from me (asking him for some help with bike the vote) but i just couldn't get ahold of him. today, as i was getting into the car to go to see the doctor, the nice mr. man comes riding up the street on his bike, and he was trying to track me down! so we chatted for a while and both got our messages across! (he went to a new local running store, saw they carry a (non vanessa jean) line of duct tape stuff...and told him he should support the local business) did i mention he's quite cool?
funny how things happen like that
i'm watching love actually. it came out yesterday, and it makes me happy. it is also to only movie that made me cry, start to finish, when i saw it in the theater. really, could it be any better? and it has colin firth, i mean, really. oh, and that he is in love with a portuguese woman, and there is so much portuguese in the movie. hello!
i have this friend, ant, and he makes me really happy. he doesn't really have a permanant address, cause he does lots of cool stuff all over the country. right now he is in nevada, somewhere near las vegas, climbing. he's cool, and we have a great communication system. i call him and leave a message on the cell phone he owns which isn't hardly ever turned on, and then two weeks later i get a letter in the mail. this letter was written 300 feet from the ground on some very cool sounding rock. so, ant rules.
27.4.04
this is a fun site for your color horoscope. it's quite neat, and it goes by month and date!
they are a bit flattering too.
they are a bit flattering too.
24.4.04
21.4.04
13.4.04
wahoo...vanessa jean is part of a new project...check out www.BikeTheVote.org for more info.
2.4.04
(this is an old scribble from a wired-less airport, but i think it still holds true)...
it amazes me that there aren't more love stories that began at the airport.
all these people, waiting here for so long...and no matches made?
all different sorts of people, from spots all over the world, serendipitously in one place at the same time,
usually stuck, bored, and looking for something to do. how about meet someone? i think i am going to start
an airport dating service. instead of one of those online dating service where you tell about yourself and where you live,
you can tell about yourself, your final destination and your layovers along the way. that seems a whole lot more practical
than a lot of other ways of meeting people. better than a bar, and least the folks here will be pre-screened as weapon free.
and you know these people are going places...not to mention pilots and flight attendants (who by career are always going
places). and just think of the vibrant community of people who work at the airport. really, i think this is an untapped
market and venue for meeting people. and is there no place more sentimental than an airport? just think, you can meet
your special someone, fall in love, and be greeted with hugs and kisses (by that same person) when you get off the plane.
does this not seem so logical to anyone else? and didn't you see love actually where that slimy british dude tells us that "love actually is all around" while we are bombaded with images of people greeting each other at the airport. indeed the airport is full of love, so why don't we tap into it as a meeting ground for those of us who are traveling alone and single. and is there anything that makes for a better story to tell you kids and cats about how you met? no, i didn't think so. off to conquer the online airport dating scene. what should i call it? the nerve, lavalife and match.com all have cutesy names, what should i call my airport dating service? loveflight.com, lovefly, airmatch, waitnmeet, going my way dot com? the options are endless, and i think i might have something here. and on that note, i am boarding...off to chicago!
it amazes me that there aren't more love stories that began at the airport.
all these people, waiting here for so long...and no matches made?
all different sorts of people, from spots all over the world, serendipitously in one place at the same time,
usually stuck, bored, and looking for something to do. how about meet someone? i think i am going to start
an airport dating service. instead of one of those online dating service where you tell about yourself and where you live,
you can tell about yourself, your final destination and your layovers along the way. that seems a whole lot more practical
than a lot of other ways of meeting people. better than a bar, and least the folks here will be pre-screened as weapon free.
and you know these people are going places...not to mention pilots and flight attendants (who by career are always going
places). and just think of the vibrant community of people who work at the airport. really, i think this is an untapped
market and venue for meeting people. and is there no place more sentimental than an airport? just think, you can meet
your special someone, fall in love, and be greeted with hugs and kisses (by that same person) when you get off the plane.
does this not seem so logical to anyone else? and didn't you see love actually where that slimy british dude tells us that "love actually is all around" while we are bombaded with images of people greeting each other at the airport. indeed the airport is full of love, so why don't we tap into it as a meeting ground for those of us who are traveling alone and single. and is there anything that makes for a better story to tell you kids and cats about how you met? no, i didn't think so. off to conquer the online airport dating scene. what should i call it? the nerve, lavalife and match.com all have cutesy names, what should i call my airport dating service? loveflight.com, lovefly, airmatch, waitnmeet, going my way dot com? the options are endless, and i think i might have something here. and on that note, i am boarding...off to chicago!
30.3.04
the internet is a wonderful place...
in looking for this adorable zen beach i found this really great american zen website. both worth reading, fer shure.
in looking for this adorable zen beach i found this really great american zen website. both worth reading, fer shure.
27.3.04
16.3.04
for all of you who miss us...here's a little update action:
we've moved in to a few new states...
monograms plus
256.586.2098
582 n. brindlee mountain pkwy
arab, al 35016
anokha
773.477.7208
3053 n. sheffield ave
chicago, il 60657
coming soon to...
silver impressions
843.664.0804
470 second loop rd
florence, sc 29505
a re-order to...
henrietta fahrenheit (yay! we love them!)
and check out even more clutches going to...
uncommon goods!
we've moved in to a few new states...
monograms plus
256.586.2098
582 n. brindlee mountain pkwy
arab, al 35016
anokha
773.477.7208
3053 n. sheffield ave
chicago, il 60657
coming soon to...
silver impressions
843.664.0804
470 second loop rd
florence, sc 29505
a re-order to...
henrietta fahrenheit (yay! we love them!)
and check out even more clutches going to...
uncommon goods!
31.1.04
vanessa jean & co are on hiatus...
we'll miss hurling boring nothings in your general direction, but chances are we'll be back
no, really, dry those crying eyes...we'll be back
...and if you really miss us, read the archives
check out the online store at www.vanessajean.com
30.1.04
yo...i know, i know, the vj blog has been away. we like being away. we like our fans and all, but it's nice to be away. however, today i have received a plethora of blog-worthy link through e-mail. dear goodness gracious, thanks green pants, darce and bri (no, he doesn't have a link, but if he did it would be this one since he takes care of the whole entire site!). so if you are bored, need to be grossed out, want a crazy trip or a new addiction, or a new perspective on the absurdities of reality tv, go for it. peace out, i'm on the veekend now.
11.1.04
vanessa jean & co are on hiatus...
we'll miss hurling boring nothings in your general direction, but chances are we'll be back
no, really, dry those crying eyes...we'll be back
...and if you really miss us, read the archives
check out the online store at www.vanessajean.com
8.1.04
so, i happen to come in contact with a lot of raw materials that turn into art projects, usually on a rather large scale, and usually in mass volume. yea, yea, you have absolutely no idea what i am talking about, but i am used to that by now. but a few of us thought it was time to start to compile a list of things that have been a bit overused by me lately...
-yarn (all sorts) especially red
-paper, large rolls, small rolls, the kind that has to be cut into squares
-hot glue (i'm frequently quoted as saying 'hot glue is HOT')
-'sale' yes, the actual word. you can only write it so many times before going crazy.
-strips of white and green fabric
-did i mention yarn?
-glitter
-spray paint (especially white)
-the color red
-white, twinkly christmas lights
...i can hardly think of them all now, but i think that's a good start. and i am sure it will grow. look for tissue paper and cardstock soon.
-yarn (all sorts) especially red
-paper, large rolls, small rolls, the kind that has to be cut into squares
-hot glue (i'm frequently quoted as saying 'hot glue is HOT')
-'sale' yes, the actual word. you can only write it so many times before going crazy.
-strips of white and green fabric
-did i mention yarn?
-glitter
-spray paint (especially white)
-the color red
-white, twinkly christmas lights
...i can hardly think of them all now, but i think that's a good start. and i am sure it will grow. look for tissue paper and cardstock soon.
ok, so run to your computers (ok, so you are already there) and take a peek at the site explodingdog.com. it's funny, and it's a fun thing to spend a lot of time looking at. i think i might just be striving for this type of eccentricity in my life. anyhow this is my favorite of the moment. much to investigate in the future.
7.1.04
i know these guys, trophy dad sketch comedy, and they are hilarious (ok, well the ones i know are, and i asume that together they are hilarious). i'll be there for the show, will you?
i know these guys, trophy dad sketch comedy, and they are hilarious (ok, well the ones i know are, and i asume that together they are hilarious). i'll be there for the show, will you?
i know these guys, trophy dad sketch comedy, and they are hilarious (ok, well the ones i know are, and i asume that together they are hilarious). i'll be there for the show, will you?
after looking at this practical joke...don't get ANY ideas involving duct tape.
5.1.04
some sentiments are just too strongly felt to be ignored...this is the story of my life lately...
when the sunlight has gone
and the green hills turn gray
and the day turns to evening
somehow,
then i'm thinking of you,
though you're so far away,
and i'm wanting you
close to me now.
oh, chocolate chip cookies
so high on the shelf,
hiding inside the jar -
i'm not tall enough
to reach you myself.
so near, and yet so very far.
i can never forget you.
you're all i adore.
through many long moments
i've tried.
i call out your name,
but i'll have to do no more
to bring you back here
to my side.
oh, chocolate chip cookies
so high on the shelf,
hiding inside the jar -
i'm not tall enough
to reach you myself.
so near, and yet so very far.
if i had three wishes,
they'd all be for you.
if i had my way,
you'd be mine.
oh, the rach wouldn't matter
if i had a ladder.
if i weren't so short,
we'd be fine.
-faraway cookie by caitlin mc ewan in philidelphia chickens (a too-logical zooligical musical revue).
this song thoroughly sums up my mood pre-christmas and for the last 2 days. mmm, especially chocolate cookies with while chocolate chips...the best part about the above mentioned book is that it comes with a cd of totally famous people singing these great children's songs about animals, or with animal characters. where else can you get a book and cd with the bacon brothers, laura linney, the seldom herd (ha!),meryl streep and eric stoltz. you can't, so get it here.
when the sunlight has gone
and the green hills turn gray
and the day turns to evening
somehow,
then i'm thinking of you,
though you're so far away,
and i'm wanting you
close to me now.
oh, chocolate chip cookies
so high on the shelf,
hiding inside the jar -
i'm not tall enough
to reach you myself.
so near, and yet so very far.
i can never forget you.
you're all i adore.
through many long moments
i've tried.
i call out your name,
but i'll have to do no more
to bring you back here
to my side.
oh, chocolate chip cookies
so high on the shelf,
hiding inside the jar -
i'm not tall enough
to reach you myself.
so near, and yet so very far.
if i had three wishes,
they'd all be for you.
if i had my way,
you'd be mine.
oh, the rach wouldn't matter
if i had a ladder.
if i weren't so short,
we'd be fine.
-faraway cookie by caitlin mc ewan in philidelphia chickens (a too-logical zooligical musical revue).
this song thoroughly sums up my mood pre-christmas and for the last 2 days. mmm, especially chocolate cookies with while chocolate chips...the best part about the above mentioned book is that it comes with a cd of totally famous people singing these great children's songs about animals, or with animal characters. where else can you get a book and cd with the bacon brothers, laura linney, the seldom herd (ha!),meryl streep and eric stoltz. you can't, so get it here.
skateboard babysitting is quite hard. in the last week i have had 13 near fatal experiences. but it's all good because it reminds me of two friends from high school who went through a brief, but intense, skateboarding phase. it was all this skateboarding lingo all over the place, and i think someone even bought special shoes. the best part was that one of these little dearies did quite a number on his ankle trying to do some sort of little flip turn kick thingy, and it swelled to the size of a whole tennis ball. oh, back in the days of the photo lab!
papers from the britany spears annulment at the smoking gun.
florida
i have this thing about trying to get to all 50 states really soon. i also have this teeny tiny thing against florida. it's a long story, really really long. florida happens to be one of the few states i haven't touched ground in, or so i thought until this last weekend. my feelings about florida are so strong that i was willing to boycott a trip to florida on prinicipal, and that i would be ok saying 'i've been to all the states, except florida!' however, i just remembered that i have in fact spend a balmy three days in florida en route to argentina (for a wonderful summer of house arrest, sense my sarcasm). so, i have been there, and it's sort of nice to be able to check it off the list. coming soon, a full list of unvisited states.
i have this thing about trying to get to all 50 states really soon. i also have this teeny tiny thing against florida. it's a long story, really really long. florida happens to be one of the few states i haven't touched ground in, or so i thought until this last weekend. my feelings about florida are so strong that i was willing to boycott a trip to florida on prinicipal, and that i would be ok saying 'i've been to all the states, except florida!' however, i just remembered that i have in fact spend a balmy three days in florida en route to argentina (for a wonderful summer of house arrest, sense my sarcasm). so, i have been there, and it's sort of nice to be able to check it off the list. coming soon, a full list of unvisited states.
4.1.04
heyoooh britany, married? for some reason this 'news piece' made me giggle, giggle, giggle. a joke that went to far, hah! can anyone verify this?
about a boy is good. cute. liked it. however, since i do judge movies on the crying-basis...it wasn't that high...but it was still good. i sort of like the feeling of it, all those friends together, people who met under interesting circumstances and have become pretty close...i like it...it was cute, and it is another step in the hugh grant redemption process. so brian, yes, i did like it (i didn't hate it) but it wasn't as good as love actually but i also didn't see it on the big screen.
dear loyal readers (all two of you...or as i learned today, three of you)...
i may be two-timing you. well, as loyal readers, you know that, but i might as well out myself to everyone else.
really, my life doesn't revolve around duct tape...i have another job as well. i do display work for a national chain that sells high end womens apparel and home goods...that's just the entree to this little ditty about my cute parents.
today i received a phone message from my mommykins. you see, recently one of the stores i work for opened in my hometown, really close to my house...so my cute parents have been about a bazillion times to check it out. i was excited to receive a message from the mommykins today. she was explaining that the store has a new window display, and she was explaining to me all the details. i think this is cute and heartwarming and adorable for a few reasons.
1. i like the fact that they notice, and then tell me. it makes me feel loved.
2. it's cute that they give me all the details of what it looks like, since, i know what it looks like because a)i did the same thing and b) i got the exact same directions so i know what it looks like (or as much as they can describe over the phone.
3. i like the fact that it's like leaving a little piece of me at home, so the can sort of check in on me (by checking the store displays) and get a general sense of what i am up to. i think that's nice. and i think it's equally serendipitous that my mom is returning the favor by opening bank of america spots in new haven.
cheers!
my cutie parents are great!
i may be two-timing you. well, as loyal readers, you know that, but i might as well out myself to everyone else.
really, my life doesn't revolve around duct tape...i have another job as well. i do display work for a national chain that sells high end womens apparel and home goods...that's just the entree to this little ditty about my cute parents.
today i received a phone message from my mommykins. you see, recently one of the stores i work for opened in my hometown, really close to my house...so my cute parents have been about a bazillion times to check it out. i was excited to receive a message from the mommykins today. she was explaining that the store has a new window display, and she was explaining to me all the details. i think this is cute and heartwarming and adorable for a few reasons.
1. i like the fact that they notice, and then tell me. it makes me feel loved.
2. it's cute that they give me all the details of what it looks like, since, i know what it looks like because a)i did the same thing and b) i got the exact same directions so i know what it looks like (or as much as they can describe over the phone.
3. i like the fact that it's like leaving a little piece of me at home, so the can sort of check in on me (by checking the store displays) and get a general sense of what i am up to. i think that's nice. and i think it's equally serendipitous that my mom is returning the favor by opening bank of america spots in new haven.
cheers!
my cutie parents are great!
my intense sausage cravings continue. thank goodness for the kielbasa on christmas and my newest, favoritest sausage pasta dish. it's all i've been able to think about all day. irony lives on.
dearest brian, you will be happy to know that tonight i am snuggling in to watch about a boy. there is a lot of pressure riding on your shoulders for this one. i'll let you know how i feel in a few hours.
and i thought this ad was for arthritis meds. yup, i guess that's justnot my game.
yea!pasadena.
i'm doing a bit of research for a tech gift i might be purchasing for one of my kind family members (christmas is not in decemeber anymore folks!) and i found this terrific gift giving guide from scientific american. it came up under a google search for 'tech gifts' or something like that...and so i laughed out loud when i found the james watson bobble head doll, an ambient orb stock market monitor for $150.00, and the hypocondriacs teddy bear. nerds unite!
i love this article from the ny times about smoking in bars in nyc" nine months after the smoking ban was set in place. the article sets such a romantic and underground atmosphere, it's so seductive.
big fish, big fish!
friday i went to see big fish, which was a wonderful movie. i really liked it alot, and it hit just the right spot. (and i'm a poet and don't know it). i would recommend it if you want a feel good movie with some great effects and good emotion, but i can also see how people wouldn't like it. but i thought it was good, and it had a really nice cast. and the book hero with a thousand faces by joseph campbell was onthe father's night stand in the movie...which is also noted in the following article from the new york times, and has been sitting in my to read pile for the past two years. oh well. the moral of this story is... big fish good, campbell not as good.
friday i went to see big fish, which was a wonderful movie. i really liked it alot, and it hit just the right spot. (and i'm a poet and don't know it). i would recommend it if you want a feel good movie with some great effects and good emotion, but i can also see how people wouldn't like it. but i thought it was good, and it had a really nice cast. and the book hero with a thousand faces by joseph campbell was onthe father's night stand in the movie...which is also noted in the following article from the new york times, and has been sitting in my to read pile for the past two years. oh well. the moral of this story is... big fish good, campbell not as good.
(from brian) the new york times' list of most overrated and underrated ideas of 2003. they polled a bunch of important people, but if you have any thoughts you can e-mail them to ideas@nytimes.com. yea, yea the overrated ones are all expected (beauty, monotheism), but i quite like the list of underrated ideas...like the link between money and happiness and leisure...
Leisure
We are tethered to our e-mail, day and night. We are rarely out of cell phone range. Long working hours extend into evenings and weekends. Most of us feel lucky to love our work, but we put few limits on it. Less fortunate Americans labor long days to compensate for laid-off co-workers or simply to pay the bills. Studies reveal that Americans do an average of 350 hours (the equivalent of almost nine 40-hour weeks) more work each year than Europeans, and two-thirds fail to sleep eight hours a night. Stress-induced illnesses are rampant. Even when we're not working, we "work out" or watch reality TV. We have turned our homework- and activity-burdened older children and ourselves into workaholics, multitasking 24/7. What are we trying to prove?
- Lizabeth Cohen, professor of history at Harvard University and author of "A Consumers' Republic: The Politics of Mass Consumption in Postwar America."
Leisure
We are tethered to our e-mail, day and night. We are rarely out of cell phone range. Long working hours extend into evenings and weekends. Most of us feel lucky to love our work, but we put few limits on it. Less fortunate Americans labor long days to compensate for laid-off co-workers or simply to pay the bills. Studies reveal that Americans do an average of 350 hours (the equivalent of almost nine 40-hour weeks) more work each year than Europeans, and two-thirds fail to sleep eight hours a night. Stress-induced illnesses are rampant. Even when we're not working, we "work out" or watch reality TV. We have turned our homework- and activity-burdened older children and ourselves into workaholics, multitasking 24/7. What are we trying to prove?
- Lizabeth Cohen, professor of history at Harvard University and author of "A Consumers' Republic: The Politics of Mass Consumption in Postwar America."
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