Anchorless

On fighting with my eyeballs

2011-08-01T00:56:00.000-07:00

You know, it's so strange.

In the daytime, I'm fighting to stay awake. At night, I'm fighting to fall asleep. There's really no in-between.

Reading has always seemed to help the falling asleep process, but I feel like now-a-days, it just wakes me up. Coffee has always helped the staying awake process, but lately it has little to no effect other than preventing my mid day caffeine-deprived headache. I've recently started visiting the new Netflix website and just dragging my mouse over the right side arrow of a category until the constant scroll of movie covers makes my eyes want to shut, which seems to work pretty well. I'm still working on a staying awake method. I'll keep you updated.

Or maybe I won't. Geez, i'm so bad at updating this.

On home visits

2011-01-16T22:22:00.000-08:00

Going home gets more bittersweet every time. Everyone is growing up, things are changing, and I find myself unfamiliar with so many things that I once knew like the back of my hand. Seeing them is always so great, but I'm not sure leaving them is something I'll ever get used to.

On being cranky

2010-12-28T21:55:00.000-08:00

It might be the holiday season that's put me in this mood. It might be working too much, and not getting paid enough. It might be the fact that I'm far away from my family, or losing touch with my friends, or missing out on my nephew growing up. It might be that turning twenty two this week doesn't seem that exciting, or that my work socks all have holes in them. I can't put my finger on it, but something has gotten me into a cranky rut I can't seem to climb out of. I'm going to try some relaxing. I'll keep you posted.

On nothing drastic, and requited love for snow.

2010-12-16T23:07:00.000-08:00

It's been way too long since I've done this. I always get grumpy about the fact that not enough people look at this, but it's my own fault for not updating enough. I just forget a lot. Such is life.

I'd like to be able to come back from my unintentional hiatus with some drastic changes, but I have none to report. I've been successful so far in getting through the holiday season unscathed, and things are generally pretty calm in my life. The photo above was taken during my first snowfall here in Seattle a few weeks ago. It snowed for one whole day, and I couldn't possibly have been more excited about seeing my city all covered in white. Even when it turned into ice and I could barely keep my balance while walking to work, my love for snow remained, and still remains, unconditional. I feel it is not unrequited.

On just loving those clouds outside.

2010-10-03T01:28:00.000-07:00

I know, I know.

I just said I was learning to appreciate summer-

but that doesn't mean I can't get excited

when the sun starts to frequent my eyes less often, right?

I just love those cloudy skies,

you already know.

On sort of appreciating summertime.

2010-08-25T18:22:00.000-07:00

Those of you who know me, know that summer has always been my least favorite of all the seasons. Summer in Seattle hasn't changed that completely, but it's definitely made my dislike of summer shrink a little bit. When the temperatures are mild, I can appreciate the sun. I can appreciate blended margaritas, lemonade, and pineapple mango salsa (pictured above) on hot days. I can appreciate the flowers that are out, and the sailboats on the water. I can appreciate enough hours to pay my rent, even if it means dealing with tons of clueless tourists. Summer, I'm still not your biggest fan, but I sure don't mind you half as much now-a-days.

On cooking

2010-07-28T01:39:00.001-07:00

There's something so comforting in finding something you're really good at.

Something you know will be an unwavering go-to when you feel like you're not sure about much else. At the end of the day, cooking is mine. I can sit down with a cook book and create, recreate, measure, stir, bake, fry, and sauté my heart out; knowing the end result is something I can be proud of. Something I can put my confidence into and share with others.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, it's healthy to toot your own horn sometimes.

Toot, toot.

On just throwing that out there.

2010-06-30T02:48:00.000-07:00

Life is strange and hard and so, so good.

I'd like to have someone to share it with,

and some other things

eventually,

you know?

On the smell of home

2010-05-14T00:02:00.001-07:00

Last night my bed smelled like the house I grew up in. It wasn't my pillow or my blanket in specific, it was just how it smelled when I laid down. I inhaled, and inhaled to try to pinpoint what it was to recreate it but I couldn't pin it down. Sometimes it's difficult for me to wrap my head around smelling it only twice a year.

But this city is so beautiful, and when I am away from it, I miss it.

On le faux.

2010-05-09T17:33:00.001-07:00

When things start going south,

all I have to do is think of drag Britney.

Suddenly, all is okay in the world.

On decisions

2010-04-02T12:56:00.000-07:00

There comes a time when you realize the patterns your mind works in. Most people are cautious decision makers who think with their head. People who weigh both sides carefully, and factor in important things, waiting patiently for the correct time and place.

I've learned that I usually just close my eyes, open my heart, and jump in headfirst.

(Don't fail me now!)

On hopeless things and love.

2010-03-23T14:44:00.000-07:00

I love the impossible, always.

This time, maybe it's the impossible that loves me.

Maybe.

On sometimes remembering that I'm pretty okay.

2010-02-23T12:59:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I make strange decisions, and have bad days. Sometimes I don't pay my credit card bill on time and get homesick. Sometimes I don't sleep enough, don't remember to think before I speak, or read directions. Sometimes I forget to take my vitamins, do the dishes, and call people back.

Sometimes I am really loyal. Sometimes I remember to send thank-you notes, and am really good at listening. Sometimes I am a hard worker, and sometimes I would do anything for the people I care about. Sometimes I am a good daughter, a good sister, a good cousin, and a good niece.

Sometimes when I'm feeling really insecure, I just have to remind myself that I am pretty okay.

On moving closer to the water.

2010-02-02T14:15:00.000-08:00

I don't think that I've written yet of my move across town. I just recently moved to lower Queen Anne Hill (pictured on the right of the first picture). I live in a little brick apartment complex with creaky wooden floors and old pictures hanging in the hallways. Grocery stores and delicious ethnic foods are on every corner, and book and record stores are in much to close a proximity to my place of residence for my wallet to handle. I am a few blocks from Kerry Park, where you can walk up the hill and look over the city in all of it's entirety, and a few blocks from Elliott Bay and all of it's shimmering glory. I know I talk a lot about how much I love this city. I must sound like a broken record sometimes, but really... who can blame me?

On savoring youth & winter

2010-01-26T17:42:00.000-08:00

Winter is so cozy. Slow, dreary and cozy. Coffee and umbrellas and wearing wool sweaters always make sense. I know soon I'll have to figure out what I'm doing. Plan out my next steps and start putting them into motion, but not for now. For now I will continue sleeping in too late, reading, cooking, and enjoying cable television. For now I will continue living paycheck to paycheck, [and only worrying about it sometimes], continue to fill my lungs with crisp cool air, go on long walks and write letters to friends far away. For now I will just enjoy living life young, and care-free before the hard stuff comes my way. I know it will eventually, I just want to make sure I've lived enough to welcome it.

On missing creaky bunkbeds.

2010-01-07T10:29:00.000-08:00

Do you ever find yourself missing strange things? Like the sound of the creaky bunkbeds from the summer camp you went to as a child, or the smell of cigars and air freshener in the back of your grandpa's semi truck? Like the way it felt when you got your cartilage pierced, or the way your mother's robe felt against your tired skin when she embraced you in the morning? Like driving in an '88 Buick on the interstate, listening to the Matches and not being sure if you'll make it to your destination or not? Like family vacations where your dad picks up smoking again and your sister tours rest areas and you play the license plate game?

Maybe it's just me.

On maybe having a little bit of guilt.

2009-11-27T20:10:00.000-08:00

Is it wrong for me to be home with my family, and still feel so homesick for Seattle?

On pumpkin patches and wild things.

2009-10-20T12:50:00.000-07:00

I picked my own pumpkin at a pumpkin patch in Kent, WA. I carried my own nineteen pound pumpkin down the muddy road and placed it on a scale before I took it home. I wholeheartedly believe that is an experience everyone should have once in their lifetime. (Though, perhaps it's only so overwhelming to me coming from a place like Florida.)

Later, I went to the Pacific Science Center Imax theatre and watched Where the Wild Things Are on a 6 story screen. I couldn't have loved it more. So cute and sad and great. I mostly worship the ground Dave Eggers walks on and I can't wait to finally pick up my autographed copy of the novel adapted from the screenplay!

On being pleased to make Fall's acquaintance.

2009-10-13T21:22:00.000-07:00

Hello, Fall. It's nice to see you here.

So, I have to admit (although it makes me a little sad to say) I've never really been properly introduced to you. I've never watched the trees turn from big green clusters atop trunks, to scattered red assortments of leaves on bare branches. I've never felt such a sudden and obvious shift in weather, the strong craving to drink coffee and hot cocoa, the urge to put pumpkin in all of my baking, the need for cute flap-over mittens and to come home and cozy up under a few layers of covers. I'm not really sure how I've lived without making your acquaintance, Fall; but i've surely grown very fond of you already.

On small portions and tickets to the theatre.

2009-09-11T12:32:00.000-07:00

As much as living alone and away from my family gets to me sometimes- I remember all the stuff I can do now that I'm only me and it brings me some comfort. At home, making a small three-person portion of pasta with roasted red pepper cream sauce was unheard of. Going to the theatre was a tedious endeavor that involved rushing, and rounding together family members and trying to arrange transportation for five(+). It's nice to only have to worry about myself sometimes. I'm a loner, dottie. A rebel.

On wishing for wet handprints.

2009-09-08T23:27:00.000-07:00

My mother's hands were always wet when I was a child. Perhaps not always, but that's the way it seems in retrospect. Wether it was from cooking, cleaning, or giving one of her children a bath; the notebook by the phone was always left with little finger smudges. My school reports always corrected with dripping pencil in hand. A thorough inspection of swollen tonsils under our working kitchen light, left my cheeks dripping. Random embraces left perfect handprints settling into my clothes. I know my adolescent eyes must have rolled, if I'd only known what a comforting memory it turned out to be.

On having no complaints, for the most part.

2009-08-24T01:13:00.000-07:00

My life right now is nice. It's not the best life anyone's ever lead, but it's nice. I am not sad very often and I am able to feed myself. The heat is going away and the breeze is coming back. I can wear cardigans whenever I want. My room is messy and I love Netflix. Also, the other day I got five free cans of coconut milk. Life is good, you know?

On being in love with the state of Washington

2009-06-18T20:01:00.000-07:00

Last week, my mom and sisters came to visit me from Florida. I am so grateful to them for the visit, and taking me places I would never have ventured- seeing as my only means of transportation are on foot. It just made me realize how deep-a-love I have for the pacific northwest.

On a really cool job.

2009-05-26T19:31:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I've been a terrible blogger lately. I'm sorry! I hope that you will all forgive me soon!

That being said, I would like to talk to you about my new job! If I haven't already told 98% of the world, I am now working at the Space Needle. I went in for an interview at the beginning of last week, and was already put to work last weekend. The training was a little hectic, but I really like it so far. I am an elevator operator. Basically, that means I take people's tickets, load them into a huge glass doored elevator, and talk to them about the Space Needle and it's history for about a minute until they get to the observation deck. I make my own speech with whatever facts I wanted to add. Also, I get a strange Space Needle vest and a name tag. See?

So, how about you guys come visit me and I'll take you to the top? No, seriously. :)

On a beautiful day at the park

2009-05-10T00:04:00.001-07:00

Today the weather was gorgeous. 60 degrees, sunny, breezy, and wonderful. My roommates upstairs, their friend Yama and I sat in our side yard soaking in the vitamin D and talking until we realized it would be an amazing day to go to the park. So, off we went. Yama went to QFC and brought back a bag full of baguettes, gouda cheese, avocados, and sparkling strawberry juice. We snacked, relaxed, and watched the hula hoopers, frisbee players, kite fliers, and dog walkers enjoy the day just as much as we were. It's a great day to live in the pacific northwest!

On a few of my favorite things.

2009-05-01T18:35:00.000-07:00

I thought I would share a few of my favorite things so far

(or, at least the ones I had my camera with me to take a picture of.)

Exploring, of course. If you haven't figured out by now, I go somewhere new almost every day. I wake up, shower, and get right on Google maps to find a place I've never had close to me living in a small town, or somewhere I've heard of but never been. Anyway, this picture is from my trip to Capitol Hill- I just finished going into Red Light Vintage (thank goodness it's not very close, because a combination of close and amazing means bad things for my wallet) and I saw the Space Needle down the street and thought I should take a picture.

Everything being so green! I love that everywhere I look there is something green, and what a green it is! This is a little park on the side of Seattle University between me and Capitol Hill. Complete with gorgeous trees and all. Cute, huh?

The number 3 bus. This bus takes me everywhere I need to go and then some. It's so comforting that no matter how lost I am downtown, all I need to do is get to a bus stop with the number 3 on it and I'll be on my way home. (Just until I get used to all the bus routes, I'm getting there.) It takes me close to my new job (at American Eagle Outfitters), to Pike's Place Market, and even to the Space Needle. My bus pass just started working today and I could not be more excited to not have to dig for change anymore. Oh, bus number 3, we will be seeing a lot more of each other in the near future.

As everyone already knows, I am a sucker for libraries. In my home town, libraries are small. Not that I mind small, but it also comes with a limited space for material. Seattle Central Library is more than any library I could've dreamed of. There are floors and floors of new, interesting things- and definitely no lack of exciting material. Plus, it looks really cool! Oh, did I mention it has a conveyer belt-slot outside for a book return? Yeah, it automatically opens when you put a book near it and you get to watch it go up the belt and into the library from the outside of the building. I feel like a little kid when I over excitedly try to explain this to people, but I don't care. I love this place.

As much as I like exploring and adventuring, I like just as much to come home in the late afternoon, curl up on the couch with a Seattle Weekly, and watch Heroes. I just started watching the show the on Netflix when I got here, and unfortunately, I am already running out of episodes! I am enjoying them while they last, anyway. (Oh, Peter Petrelli, how I will miss your face when I am finished!) Oh! Can't forget about Have'a Corn Chips! They're a tasty new snack that I found at Madison Street Co-Op. They have about 4 or 5 simple good-for-you ingredients, but taste like they are good enough to be terrible for you. Yum!

Last, but definitely not least...

there's nothing like a warm bath to soak my weary feet in after a long day of travelin'.

That's all for now. A bit of a scattered entry, but you guys get the idea.

On hospital waiting rooms and roommate bonding

2009-04-25T12:27:00.000-07:00

On Thursday afternoon, I had just come back from job searching downtown, and was home eating my leftover thai chili, when I got a text from my roommate Andy saying he was in a lot of pain and going to the hospital. I knew he had been having some muscle hurting issues the past week, so I thought it was just precautionary, to see what was wrong and how he could fix it. Me, not knowing my way around, or having a car in which I could transport him, told him I knew there wasn't much I could do- but to still let me know if there was anything. I got a call a few hours later, saying he had been moved to the ICU- and that he wanted me to come keep him company. Knowing Andy doesn't have family here (I know now how crappy that is sometimes) I went to him right away.

It wasn't until after I got there and talked to the nurse that I realized how serious this had all been. Andy didn't know he had diabetes and his blood sugar was so dangerously high that they feared he would go into cardiac arrest if they didn't lower it.

Needless to say, that's where I've been the past few days. I brought us some graphic novels from the library down the street and I hang out with him until he falls asleep. I'm just really thankful I didn't lose my only friend and roommate here the first week. Yikes.

Above: The waiting room that I stayed in while they were poking and prodding at him in the ICU, and the result of said poking and prodding.

On life changing adventures

2009-04-22T17:26:00.000-07:00

Hello, readers. (All four-ish of you!)

First, I would like to begin with a sincere apology for taking so very long to update you kids on my cross-country move. Unfortunately, I was not able to upload any pictures until today- and you know how I love to put pictures to words.

That being said, here we go. I have a lot to tell, sorry if it gets scattered in some areas.

[This is going to be a long one, folks.]

Day One: The Leap.

I woke up on Tuesday, April 14th at around 5am. The previous night I had spent last minute packing and, of course, doing my fair share of crying with my family. I am kind of attached to them, after all. We left the house in the dark, trying to talk minimally about things that didn’t have to do with my leaving- to try to hold off the waterworks. (Of course, it didn’t work.)

After we arrived at the airport, I tried to check in and get on my flight as soon as I could. Quick- like a band-aid. It’s so much easier not to cry when you are around a ton of strangers, and thank goodness for that. I was lucky enough to score a window seat, and leaned against the window and said goodbye to Florida before my tired eyes gave up on me, and I fell asleep.

As my luck would have it- this was the day that a completely random and unsuspected tornado occurred in Florida, so the turbulence was all but easy to sleep through, and I was jolted awake so many times before finally giving up on sleep and trying to read a little of David Foster Wallace’s Consider The Lobster.

Generally, turbulence is made so much better by looking around the airplane and seeing other people calm and collected- but I had no such luck. The woman next to me- who was obviously scared of flying from the beginning- would not stop crying. I tried to focus on my book and drown her out, but it’s kind of difficult when airplane seats are so very close together. I’m not sure the pilot knew how much he calmed my nerves by smooth-talking us over the loud speaker and telling us the shaky stuff would be over soon.

When we arrived in Chicago around 10am (we crossed over a time zone, so this felt like 11 for my east coast brain) it was 32 degrees and raining. Of course, the airport was well-heated, so I got to sit warm and cozily in the airport, eating my artichoke salad from Pot Belly’s, and looking at beautiful, cloudy Chicago out the window.

My flight to Seattle left at 12pm, and again, my seating choice-although I did get another window seat-was not so lucky. (I swear, if I could bottle my luck, I could sell it for big bucks on the black market for people to feed it to people they wanted to screw over.) I sat next to a very dirty “biker” type man with a sketchy goatee and who smelled of cigarettes, drywall and soil. (I sat next to him long enough to be able to analyze the scent.) He breathed very heavily and read (sometimes aloud) a book about army recruiting the entire flight. Thank goodness for you, iPod.

Despite all of the unlucky seating, I cannot convey to you the excitement my heart felt when I looked out of the plane window and saw the snowy mountains, or when the pilot announced that we were fifteen minutes away. That it was fifty degrees and partly cloudy. That I was almost home.

When we landed in Seattle, I was one of the last ones off the plane. I had to take a minute to soak it in, plus- it wasn’t like there was anyone waiting for me at the airport. It’s a strange, lonely, exciting feeling, arriving in a place you’ve never been with all of your belongings, knowing nobody is there to greet you or help you with your luggage. I stepped off the plane and followed the sign to retrieve my luggage. Thankfully, Sea/Tac airport is not very large, nor was it very busy- so my anxiety was at a minimal level. I rented a baggage cart and went to retrieve my bags. It wasn’t until I got them all off of the conveyer that I realized the cart was only big enough to fit two of them (I had four and my purse) and my arms are not strong enough- nor am I coordinated enough to steer two carts. I decided to go fishing for some help.

Thankfully, I didn’t have to look far. There was a young man- lanky, foreign and awkward, who obviously saw me struggling with my things and asked if he could help. I thought of making some sarcastic remark about my super human ability to carry tons of luggage, but I didn’t want to risk sounding like a jerk. He lead me through what seemed like a maze of an airport (I would’ve NEVER figured it out by myself!) to the very bottom floor, where a line of taxis were waiting for me. After many grateful remarks (and a thank-you-tip) I was in the taxi and on my way to my new home- hoping my roommate had left the house key in the mailbox as promised.

Nobody told me how awkward taxis were, but I was too distracted to care, too busy pressing my face up against the window and trying to remember the scenery. When we arrived on my street, the taxi driver asked me which one was my house. I had been trying, for the last fifteen minutes, to play it cool. To act like I did not come here completely alone to a place I had never been. A house I had never seen. Roommates I had never met.

“I don’t know. I’ve never been here. I don’t really know what it looks like.”

“Are your roommates Indian? There’s an Indian poster in the window.”

“I don’t know...I’ve never met them.”

Well, there goes cool and collected.

I paid my fare and he helped me to the door with my luggage. I sifted through the mail in the mailbox nervously while he stood there waiting to make sure I made it inside alright. (To any other person, this would’ve been a nice, comforting gesture- but it just made me uncomfortable.) There it was, a little key with a little post-it labeled “house” waiting for me at the bottom. I thanked him and dragged my luggage through the door. A little skeleton key labeled “room” and another next to it labeled “basement” were on the little table inside. The door on the immediate left was my room- I knew that much. I shuffled inside and sat down on the sandy floor to look out of my [gigantic!] front windows before calling my mother and sister to tell them I was home. A different home then the one I had left earlier. So strange.

I waited a few hours for my roommates to get home and did a little in-house exploring. The house was pretty messy, which was kind of what I had expected- both of my roommates being boys and all- but that didn’t matter to me at the time. I had no idea where anything was- and the time change was already having it’s effect on me. My futon lay in a box on the floor- ready to be put together, but I had nothing to put it together with. I was about fifteen minutes away from laying it on the floor and taking a nap before Andy came home.

I was sitting on the floor attempting to put the pieces of wood together when I heard a knock at the door. Andy bounced right in and introduced himself to me. He showed me around the house and briefed me on the workings of things, then we sat and talked for a while. I was so excited to be there finally, so excited that at least one of my roommates was completely nice and welcoming, that I forgot about being tired. Shortly after, my other roommate Marcus came home (on bike, as he always does) and gave me some really helpful maps and information about bus routes, where the nearest grocery stores were, and where the library was (all of which were my primary concerns.) At this point I knew I completely lucked out with the roommate situation.

I went to bed early that night- and slept really, really well.

Day Two: Settling in.

I had originally planned to go exploring the second day of my arrival, but I needed to go to the grocery and decided it would be a really good time to use the bus for the first time. I didn’t have very far to go, according to Marcus’ directions, and I figured I was least likely to screw up a short distance.

I took the bus to Trader Joe’s- which didn’t have much of what I was looking for- but at least I could obtain the basics. After I bought my groceries, I decided to walk home. After riding the bus there, I realized what a short distance it was, plus there was no shortage of scenery on the way. It was such a nice day out. Sunny and chilly. Just cold enough to see my breath, but a clean, crisp cold unlike anything we have in Florida. Walking home was definitely a pleasant experience, even though walking uphill made me come to the realization that I am not in as great of shape as I need to be.

I came home and ate a microwavable pad thai meal (so tasty!) and proceeded to clean up the house. It was actually pretty fun cleaning, because when something is visibly dirty, you can see instant results from your efforts which makes you feel like you’re doing something right. I’m all about instant gratification.

I found a hammer in the basement and put together my futon before my roommates got home. Again, we sat around and talked for a while, and I asked where to get a bus pass, and what bus to take to lead me downtown (although I had been on a bus once, that did not- by any means- make me well adjusted to them.) Andy suggested that I meet him downtown after work to go to a small vegetarian restaurant he had never been to, and I was all to excited for new adventures; and even more excited about having him to help me get back home when we were finished.

Again, early to sleep.

Day Three: Downtown Venturing.

The thing about early to bed is, you’re always early to rise. I woke up early enough to say goodbye to my roommates before they went to work. I showered and readied myself (physically and mentally) for my trip downtown.

After being on google maps for about half an hour- finding places I wanted to go and how to get to each destination from the one before (and writing them down on a small piece of paper for reference...just incase.) I headed off to the bus stop. As the bus crowded more and more I tried to pay attention to street names, so I would get off at the right stop. I found my way around more easily than I ever thought I would, and got myself a library card (which was the most exciting thing I had done since I’d been there- for me at least.) I walked through downtown to the Metro station, where I got a May bus pass (again, with my luck, they stopped selling April bus passes the previous day, when I decided to clean.) I found my way safely home in the late afternoon and ate lunch while I watched People’s Court (our tv only gets channel eleven for now.)

A few hours later, Andy called and said he had completely forgotten about a coworker’s going away party that night, and that he’d have to rain check the dinner for another night. Of course, me having nothing better planned...ever...I told him not to worry about it. After all, I’d be around for a while with no plans. Being the old lady that I am, I put on my pajamas and settled in to watch some Netflix in my bedroom, before he called again.

Andy invited me to a work party downtown with some of his friends in their work suite. (yeah, work suite.) So I, excited that I had a roommate that was not only friendly and helpful, but wanted to actually hang out with me outside of our apartment, got dressed and hopped on a bus to Pike Street where he met me and walked me to the party. It was small and nice, just a few friends who were all really nice and welcoming. I had a really good time.

On the way home, it started raining. Andy and I got off of the bus about halfway and walked the rest (it was SO nice outside!) We talked and talked and Andy made a really tasty tofu scramble, which we ate while watching Across the Universe.

Maybe my luck isn’t so bad, after all.

Day Four: Uwajimaya!

On Friday morning, Andy’s four year old son Drew came from Spokane, Washington to visit for a few days. Drew had been talking about some kind of candy he wanted from a place called Uwajimaya for a few weeks, so Andy wanted to take him there. When he invited me to go, I was more than happy to oblige. Asian markets are my kind of thing. It was nice out, so we walked downtown (which surprisingly and wonderfully isn’t very far away) and Drew picked us flowers and talked about the candy he was really excited to get. Normally, I’m not a big fan of kids, but Andy’s really wasn’t so bad at all.

We stopped at a few stores on the way to look at fish (another thing Drew was really excited about) before we finally made it to Uwajimaya. We ran around picking up interesting food from the grocery store, and I bought some curry paste- a kitchen staple at my house- before we wandered into the food court area, where I tried “Tofu Pho” for the first time.

So tasty!

We bought some frozen yogurt on the way home, grabbed the bus, and watched Kung-Fu Panda before I decided to go to bed.

I love you, Uwajimaya.

Day Five: Pike Place Market

I woke up early Saturday morning and made myself coffee in Marcus’ french press for breakfast (my new-found routine) Andy and Drew were getting ready for their trip to the Seattle Aquarium, and I was planning to make a trip to Pike Place Market for the first time. Drew insisted I come with them, so we all went to Pike’s Place together.

On the way there, we saw some street-side magic tricks, and passed a factory where they make cheese (and tried some tasty freshly-made samples!) We pushed passed tons of people before we finally walked into the market itself. I don’t usually like crowds, but I will adapt to anything for that place. Pike Place is my new favorite place in Seattle.

I could go on and on for days about the flowers, the produce, and the world’s famous Pike Place Fish Market (where they do throw fish, I saw it!) but I will just put some pictures here to show you instead. I’ve been writing for a long time and my fingers are starting to ache. I felt uncomfortably touristy for these pictures, so I didn’t manage to get a good picture of them actually throwing the fish, but I was paying more attention to the produce, anyways.

Oh, and did I mention the produce? So pretty!

After a while of my awe-struck pushing through the market and mustering up enough self control to avoid buying everything I saw (I knew I didn’t want to carry anything through the aquarium with me) we went into the Seattle Aquarium.

My favorite part about the aquarium was that it was built into the Puget Sound, so mostly they didn’t even have to regulate the water.

Here’s some pictures of Andy petting/ looking at some fish! Sorry I’m skimping on the writing details, this entry is gettin’ reeeal long.

Aaaaand, the cast of Finding Nemo!

[Side note: while Andy and I were petting the anemone, they started shooting out a weird-looking liquid, which the aquarium lady later told us was sperm- and that they were mating while everyone was petting them. Sick.]

After the aquarium, we ate at a place right on the Puget Sound- a little bread place with homemade sourdough and soup (in a bread bowl). Andy had previously told me that in the Northwest, they eat everything out of bread bowls. I thought he was joking, but it turns out it’s really true. Even pizza places have their pasta baked into a bread bowl. This really is my kind of place.

On the way home, Andy stopped at the AM/PM down the road and bought some hot tamale popsicles- which were some of the most confusing things I’ve ever tried.

Day Six & Seven & Eight: Lazy Days.

I’m not going to write about these separately, or in drawn out descriptions, because apart from leaving the house to get slurpees and buying a Sunday paper, Andy and I have just been at the house with the windows open, enjoying the weather and his days off. We took turns cooking for each other, and watched a few movies.

Day eight I applied for a few jobs to places around the area.

Here’s a picture of my very favorite cherry blossom tree on the way to the grocery store about a block from my house:

In conclusion...I love Seattle, I love my roommates, I love my house, I love cherry blossom trees, I love fresh produce. This has been the best experience of my life. Let’s just hope things continue to be so easy and enjoyable.

Promise my next update will be SO much shorter! :)

On Easter celebrations

2009-04-12T22:05:00.000-07:00

As much as I would like to have the whole moving cross country deal over with- I thought it was important to spend this last holiday with my family. I didn't want one of my first experiences in my new home being a holiday completely alone, after all. It's funny how the initial reaction I get from people when I tell them where I'm going- is that I am running away. I have nothing to run from. I love my family, I love my friends, I love that strange sense of comfortability that I have here (even in a climate I am not-so-comfortable with.) I just need a change. And that is what I am getting. Soon. So soon.

T-minus one day.

On St Petersburg friends and breakfast traditions

2009-04-02T12:57:00.000-07:00

I went to St. Petersburg over the weekend to visit a few of my friends for the last time until who knows when. There were quite a few of us littering Ginger's lawn with our cars. We stayed up late laughing and talking and reminiscing. Of course, we went to Village Inn for breakfast in the morning (a St. Pete tradition for us.) It was good to escape from all the packing and planning for a weekend. I'm really going to miss everyone.

The closer I get to moving (t-minus twelve days) the more I can't believe that I'm actually going through with it. I must sound like a broken record, but I feel more shocked than anyone.

On mocha cookies for spring break

2009-03-26T16:39:00.000-07:00

My friends in Savannah had their spring break last week. Of course, one of the highlights of my time with them was a cooking experience. My friend Steven and I had been talking about baking cookies for a long time, so we found this ridiculously rich and tasty mocha cinnamon iced cookie recipe and went to work. We didn't even let the unexpected bugs in our all-purpose flour salt our game. I love baking.

In other news, I am forever trying to decide what to pack into boxes to mail to Seattle. It's really difficult to stand in the middle of my room and prioritize things that I love vs. things that I need. Oh, the road ahead of me is a long one.

On one way plane tickets and alfredo sauce

2009-03-11T09:17:00.000-07:00

So, there's a hint at what I've been doing lately.

My father went to work in St. Augustine- and it's kind of tradition to make as many dishes with mushrooms as we can while he's gone. He doesn't like them so we usually don't get to eat them when he's around. One of the dishes I made was a white wine alfredo with mushrooms. It was so rich and tasty!

More importantly, I signed my lease and sent my check out for the house in Seattle. I feel so excited and anxious and terrified. I still have about a month to get used to the fact that I'm moving across the country and nobody I know and love is coming with me. Oh, that's a scary realization. It's a really strange thing to search for one way plane tickets.

On old pictures & random beauty

2009-03-02T13:17:00.000-08:00

I've been working and planning so much lately! I haven't really had time to do anything worth posting about- so here's a picture from last year when I payed a visit to my good friends in Savannah. I wandered into a huge crowded art festival on River St, and despite my general dislike of large amounts of people, I really liked the warm colors that came out of it.

In somewhat more exciting news, I submitted a few pictures to randomgotbeautiful and they made it up. If you're feeling like you've got nothing better to do- you can go in and look for them! I'm sure, if you're a reader of this blog, you will have seen most of them already.

(Hint! None of them are the picture above. I submitted orange, black, & white; and if you click on my images, they will lead you right back to my blog.)

I'll have something better to show you kids next time. Promise. :)

On fireworks in the middle of the afternoon.

2009-02-19T10:57:00.000-08:00

Well, I do have to break off into a deeper version of my writing every once in a while- but here, I'm back! With a much happier and light-hearted post.

Justin came over yesterday with a box of fireworks he had in his apartment and, of course, we chose to light some of them- right in the middle of the afternoon! The regular explosion-type fireworks weren't as fun to watch in the daylight, but my most favorite were the little smoke bombs we lit. They were such vivid colors and left cute little colored burn marks on the road in front of our house. The firework fun had to end eventually, and we decided a good time was when we lit a firework which flew in the air over our heads and zoomed around while we all franticly ran around trying to avoid it.

Okay, who am I kidding? It was when we were shooting roman candles and little neighborhood kids started riding their bikes into the line of fire. Anyway, it's nice to have a little fun in the midst of stress and craziness sometimes.

On drowning (an example of sorts?)

2009-02-16T14:50:00.000-08:00

There’s dirt on my feet,

from trudging on the ground I revered.

You don’t have to tell me twice-

It’s not as endearing, now that I am grown.

Pick me for your table setting!

[or,

place me in the compost, if you’d prefer.]

My hands are tired of holding tight;

too tight for my fingers to respire.

My lips are so dry,

from the salty water rushing past the bridge of my nose.

Don’t worry, I see it too-

a seemingly hopeless struggle to tread above the surface of my sad excuses.

Throw me a raft!

[or,

push me towards a waterfall, if you’d prefer.]

My heart is feeling terribly heavy now-a-days,

too heavy to hang above my weary lungs.

My arms are sore and trembling,

from trying to embrace a disappearing sense of comfort.

I know, I know-

It seems I’m grasping at air with my eyes closed tightly.

Feed me a loaf of encouragement!

[or,

give me a poison apple to slay my sense of wonder.]

My attempts at grace are feeble,

too feeble for your fleeting soul to see.

On finally having a cool president

2009-01-23T12:38:00.000-08:00

It's taken me a little longer than anticipated to upload photos of this and make a post, but Happy Inauguration Day! Better late than never! Alison and I made Obama shirts and attended an inauguration party- after crying all day long while watching the live footage- we even made a change cake! (Complete with Obama logo and awful icing-lettering done by yours truly.) It was a really, really great day. The air even smells sweeter, don't you agree?

On being born in between holidays.

2008-12-29T13:12:00.001-08:00

It's a bit tedious; having your birthday, Christmas, and the end of the year fall in so closely to one another. No matter how cliche, you cannot help but reminisce, picking apart and dissecting your year as it played out. The bad, the good; old habits die hard. Among all of the self criticizing comes the pressing realization that i’ve yet another year to add- another decade to conquer; another building block on my [somehow] faithfully sturdy structure. I’d like to think that i’ve learned some things this year, that i’ve grown from what i’ve done. No regrets, no takebacks. I can’t pretend to have an idea of what my life is going to hold, or anticipate what mess i’ll make of this seeming “blank slate” everyone hopes to start out with on January 1st. I don’t know much about what impact i’ll make on this next year, or what it will mold me into. I’m not sure what tastes i’ll acquire, or what lives I will change. Not knowing is so humbling and exciting at the same time. Right now, I guess it doesn’t really matter if I know the answers.

I do know this,

There are still people out there who love me.

I still love avocado & tomato sandwiches and reading fiction.

Last night I fell asleep watching James and the Giant Peach,

and tomorrow is my twentieth birthday.

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, Bring it on, 2009.

On attempting to not be a scrooge.

2008-12-22T17:02:00.001-08:00

Lately, i've really had some difficulties getting into the holiday spirit. It's been hot outside, which has made my frantic Christmas shopping experiences all but enjoyable. I felt like I needed a little somethin'-somethin' to cure me of my slowly-turning-scrooge syndrome. My mother suggested we have a day full of baking; we each picked a cookie and took turns in the kitchen. I got right onto the Food Network's website, naturally and picked out yummy pumpkin cookies with cream cheese frosting. After all was said and done, and after somehow getting pumpkin on my face only twice, my grumpiness toned down and the cookies turned out sooo tasty! David, (who for some reason, despite my mood volunteered to be my assistant in the kitchen for the day) helpfully offered to help clean up my mess.

Post-Script: I have way, way too many! Open invitation to anyone who would like to help me finish 'em off :)

On spending an afternoon at the park.

2008-12-17T10:46:00.001-08:00

It's good to have days off. They have been seeming so few and far between these days. Today I woke up early, went to the park with my sister and nephew and read in the beautiful "Florida winter" weather. Did I mention I love reading? Well, I do. A lot.

On being a reader of [good] books most of the time

2008-12-10T10:38:00.001-08:00

These past two weeks have been times in which I was in dire need for distraction from my life. Naturally, when my sisters recommended a book series, I was all ears. Four books could keep me busy all month! [Perhaps more, I thought] Little did I know how amazingly similar to a heroin addiction they would turn out to be for my brain, and how fast it would devour them.

The Twilight series started as my really great guilty pleasure. I was hesitant to tell people I was reading the first book, seeing how I pride myself in being an avid reader of great books. I didn’t want my impressive taste to appear as any less. I couldn’t help myself, after about the fifth chapter- I was hooked. I read whenever I could fit time in to read, and when I wasn’t reading; I was anxiously watching the clock and counting down the hours until I could. I was helplessly addicted. [Forgive my understatement, those who had any contact with me in the past two weeks.] The characters and scenarios were all I could think about, all I wanted to talk about- and I am ever so grateful that I wasn’t alone in this obsession.

My older sister Kimberley [who’s book taste is even better than mine] and I talked about it whenever we could- our every three day sleepover turned into Twilight talking sessions. When I was at work, she would call to tell me she had reached the part I was up to, and it made me anxious and upset that I couldn’t answer her every phone call- ( though sometimes I made frequent trips to the “bathroom” to quickly discuss it with her and get my fill of the eerily drug-like addiction.) We had many laughs and shed many tears over the story we continued to read. It was clear that this was so much more than a guilty pleasure to me. These were really, really good books.

After two weeks (after finishing the first two books in two days or less, I stretched the last two out as much as I could) of being completely and hopelessly involved in every character and every aspect of the story, I am not ashamed to say that was the most enthralling book series i’ve ever read. (Even after countless eye-rolls and negative comments thrown my way when I struggled to find words to describe what the books were about) After reading all of the books (and seeing the movie, twice- for which I am also not ashamed to say) I can definitely and proudly say I am- in all aspects of the word- a “twilighter.” I will not hide that fact, or be shamed by it, and I suggest you go read them! Now! Guaranteed- you, too will regress into pre-teen obsession, and it’s not so bad of a feeling. :)

Life's too short for the wrong job...

2008-11-19T10:58:00.000-08:00

....so I'm quitting mine. Hoorah!

I'm worth my weight in potting soil.

2008-11-08T18:37:00.001-08:00

I was tagged (finally!) by my sister Kimberley to give 7 random facts about myself. After a long excruciating (nearly ten hour!) work day, I thought i'd lay down in my warm comfy bed and comply.

So, enjoy:

1. I'm named (in part) after my aunt Rose, my grandmother's sister- who cursed like a sailor and had severe road rage. My mother loved her, she died of cancer young.

2. In regards to toasting, [bread, bagels, etc] I prefer it to be extra toasted and crunchy - almost burnt. I refuse to bother with any of that "lightly toasted" business.

3. I live for awkward moments. Sometimes I make them occur accidentally on purpose just so I can soak it all in.

4. If my mind is not busy, often I subconsciously imagine myself biting into random materials. Mostly styrofoam or silverwear. I'm getting the chills just thinking about it.

5. I am a firm believer in the fact that if you can't be a good example- you have an obligation to be a horrible warning.

6. I worry sometimes that I won't get to live up to my full potential, and that my future english degree will only come in handy when smart-asses try to correct my grammar at parties. I don't want my brain to go to waste like it has been in retail the past few years.

7. The thing I remember most about my grandmother is the way she made her eggs in the morning, and the way she used to chew. I hope I never forget her entirely.

I'm going to tag Steven, David, and Sarah. They may not do it- but they haven't posted anything in a while and they should. So there.

Yes We Can!

2008-11-05T08:52:00.000-08:00

We did this. We really did this. You and I, we made history together. I've never been so proud of us. I've never been so proud to be an American. I don't care how cheesy that sounds. Now is when we start reaching our greatness potential! I'm so excited for our bright future with such an amazing, intellectual, and charismatic man leading us. We did good. :)

Empty stations

2008-10-09T12:04:00.000-07:00

I know all good things must come to an end,

but I really wish that they wouldn't....

just some words to kill off one more unheard statement

of another dying afternoon.

Hold ground down

2008-09-12T22:39:00.000-07:00

I really love Jordan Crane.

"I want to run all my life, screaming at the top of my lungs. Let all of life be an unfettered howl. Like the crowd greeting the gladiator. Don't stop to think, don't interrupt the scream, exhale, release life's rapture. Everything is blooming. Everything is flying. Everything is screaming, choking on it's screams. Laughter. Running. Let-down hair. That is all there is to life".
-Nobokov

You could even try 20% less hard.

2008-09-07T23:03:00.000-07:00

My mother came home from New York and brought me a really cute "Obama 2008" pin that she insisted I attach to my purse immediately. She loves that I am so into politics and she would like to encourage my choice 100%. It was really cute seeing her so excited about her find.

I know a lot of kids my age are not the political firecrackers i'd hope for them to be, but it doesn't matter. I won't try to appeal to you and make you love politics, but I do ask one thing of you. Vote. Please?
We deserve something better than what we've had the last eight years.
You deserve something better.

"Here’s why you should vote:"

You are going to really love it, the whole strange procedure. You get to walk right into a building that you would never normally be allowed in, often an elementary school. You can pause in the hallway to look at all the weird school-art and feel the eerie vibe of hundreds of kids living their endless kid lives right nearby. Then you follow the arrows to the voting room and look at the faces of the volunteers - who are these people? There is a hush of secrecy, the voting booth is clunky, the whole thing seems fake somehow. You consider filling in all the bubbles, like you did on the SATs. But you don’t. You vote. You walk back outside feeling like you just gave blood or something, lightheaded from citizenry. You are wearing a sticker that says “I Voted” and you wish you could continue to get stickers like this throughout the day:
"I Ate Dinner," "I Went To Sleep," "I Got Out Of Bed," "I Went To Work."

But alas, it is just this one thing that we all do together, savor it.

Overqualified Fever.

2008-09-02T22:49:00.000-07:00

I used to say I never want children. But I do. And I want grandchildren. I want them to have lovers and I want them to know how good it feels to embarrass yourself so totally in front of someone you care about. I want the world to last forever just for moments like that. How sappy can you get? But I do.

I don’t know when I started believing that the world was going to end no matter what, and there was nothing I could do about it but accept it. I don’t know when I started teasing the people who care, or when I started thinking that caring meant you were a flake. I think everyone around me seemed so convinced, so certain, that I let myself get carried away.

Brown paper packages tied up with string....

2008-08-27T23:29:00.000-07:00

Things I currently love:

1. The wrinkles by his eyes when he smiles.
2. Playing hide & seek with my nephew (& the entire family!) struggling for places to hide in my small abode.
3. Tropical smoothie cafe (pomegranate plunge!)
4. Waking up without an alarm because i've had enough sleep to last me through the day.
5. Words like peregrine
6. Syntax. (surprised?)
7. Writing again.
8. Being alive.
9. Reading about politics (who would've thought?)
10. Hope

Dear Adulthood,

2008-08-08T08:32:00.000-07:00

Some mornings I awake to find you blooming faster than I had hoped or anticipated. I know you're tired of the games i've been playing. [Adulthood, I know you know the one.] I act as if I'm shocked to see you at my doorstep, and you tell me I know better. You remind me of how i've been nurturing you and taking extra care of you [and feeding you miracle grow, it seems!] to make sure you came swiftly. Oh, I was successful, though success has never made me feel so despondent. There you are, holding steady through my excuses, bright eyed and welcoming me; and I want to come with you! Anxiety seeps out of every pore and you read the fear on my face like a familiar dusty book you found holding stories you listened to as a child. [I'm out of excuses, adulthood, I don't know how to keep you away any longer] I try to compose myself, telling you I knew you were coming, I just didn't prepare myself for your arrival! [Oh, I am the worst hostess, I know] Sit down, stay a while. Don't look so impatient.
I promise I'm coming with you, adulthood, I just don't know if I am ready to face you alone yet.

I always include a picture.

2008-04-07T16:59:00.000-07:00

On Being Drunk Enough to Drive You Home Now

The windows were rolled down and her head hung lifelessly out the passenger’s side. It was raining, but she didn’t notice. Her dark red hair lay pasted to the side of her face as the raindrops ran through it. Her neck didn’t look comfortable, but I could swear I’ve read somewhere that you can’t feel pain when you’ve ingested an entire handle of rum in a three hour time span. I don’t feel sorry for her, anyway; all I can think about is that if she throws up on my leather seats, I’ll roll the window up with her neck in it.

I don’t usually drive drunk, but you’ve got to try everything once, right? Okay, that was not funny. You don’t have to tell me twice that those last few drinks should’ve been water, or that I should’ve designated a driver. Who are we kidding? Nobody wants to stay sober on New Years. I just need to stay focused on keeping myself awake. The soft breeze and rain drops hit the left side of my face and I grip the steering wheel with both hands, driving slowly on the slippery concrete; black, and full of muddy slush.

She peers up slightly from the window “es rainin’ allo’er my face.” she says, slurring.
I’m convinced that we’ll crash if I take my eyes off of the road, so I don’t look at her.
“Good, maybe It’ll rinse the drunk off and you can drive us home.” I say, irritated.
I’m not mad at her, I’m just concentrated on getting us home safely.
I begin to make a list of New Years resolutions and say them aloud.
Think of a better Halloween costume.
Keep better track of my socks.
Learn to play the cello.
Stop leaving my laundry in the dryer.
Learn Japanese. No, German. No, Spanish.
Yeah, Spanish is practical. I could learn Spanish, easy.

I realize my road is coming up soon, and I nudge her. She is unresponsive, but I decide to leave her alone until we pull up into my driveway. I just know that one of my neighbor’s cats is going to run out in the middle of the road when I look away. I always joke about hitting those cats, but I don’t really want to. God, my road seems so long.

I pull her out of the car. My shirt is soaked from her leaning on me, but that’s the last thing I’m worried about. It is difficult to walk for her when I can barely walk for myself. I fumble with my key in the lock and finally open my door. We drag our feet along, shushing our footsteps on the green carpet as we walk to the bathroom. I help her undress and give her some clothes to change into. I insist on wiping off of the toilet seat before she lays her head on it. Just as I’m about to leave, she peers up sleepily.
“You know what my New Years resolution is?” She asks.
“No, I don’t.”
“To get a new hobby.”
I laugh.
“But not tonight.” She mumbles. “Tonight I’m going to fall asleep by your toilet.”
“Okay” I tell her.
“Happy New Years to you, too.”

Winter dies the same way every spring

2008-04-04T21:31:00.000-07:00

I always like to pretend I like movies that don't have happy endings. Most of the time, I prove myself wrong. If there isn't at least a tiny ray of hope shining at me at the end, I am generally displeased. (There are some exceptions, I'm not too awful all the time) Basically, my girlish- heart is so predictable. I've begun to write again, not only for my class, but for myself. It feels nice. My headaches have returned, but I am keeping myself optimistic, (with excedrin migraine in my purse, and sunglasses handy) and have made it my never ending mission to make sure that the only air that enters my lungs is saturated with hope. I like being alive. I like eating egg salad subs from publix, I like buying construction paper in the craft store for clever ideas i'll never carry out, and I will never stop yelling small stories, bad jokes and sorrows, though my voice will ache to yell many more. I like being alive.

also, I just noticed that my last two posts have had pictures of people looking upwards. Weird, huh? I must say, though, I am partial to the one in this post, with backwards binoculars and a backpack. (The cutest nephew this side of the mississippi.)

Nobody writes them like they used to

2008-02-26T20:36:00.000-08:00

Frosted Wheats are my favorite cereal. Away from here is my favorite place. I traveled north this weekend with my lovely Rachel Lee to stay up entirely too late and take mediocre pictures. It was most certainly a nice change from doing homework and going to work. In other news... I definitely don't have a tiled picture of John Krasinski as my computer background. I'm going to do something productive during my spring break next week. Maybe.

Knock so I'll know you're still there, half listening, interpreting the air.

2008-02-19T11:11:00.000-08:00

I made a goal a few sundays ago to wake up early enough to venture to the farmer's market with my sister and my mother. Of course, I was sleepy- but it's not often that I get to have my say in the picking out of our produce for the week. (It's the little things that do it for me, guys.) I usually just cook with it. I feel like it's cheating to take pictures of pretty produce. It's already delectable-looking, so it doesn't take much of an artistic eye to get a flattering picture of it.

In other news, I like the earth. Though I don't know if anyone realizes how difficult it is to tell grocery stores you do not want a bag. This is not an interesting post. It's all about the produce, peeps.

My war paint is sharpie ink

2008-01-24T18:13:00.000-08:00

When I was younger, I went to a lot of summer camps. Mostly, my mother did it to keep my social life interesting during the summer instead of letting me stay inside all day reading about the civil war. She would have me fill out my own forms, and in the "race" column, she would have me check the "other" box and write human in the provided blank. My mother has never liked that question, and I loved the idea. I had all of my friends doing it. We were real activists.

It seems so much easier and more comfortable to be passionate about other people's beliefs when you are younger. My little spongy brain so hungry, so addicted to whatever people I looked up to were feeding it. It's strange when I think about the person i'm molding into. A person able to make their own decisions and follow their own belief system. I think that my sponge has turned into a pretty good head on my shoulders, and my heart is strong and gentle. My thoughts and words are powerful. I like the person i've become. That's such a good feeling.

Hey world, get me love or get me out

2007-12-10T07:59:00.001-08:00

I want to live like life's going out of style! I want to quit my job, buy a one way ticket and pick the destination with my eyes closed. I want to live next to the old lady with the yellow cat and kind eyes. I want to bake! I want to take time to fill my lungs when I breathe. I want to be broken, and imperfect, and happy.

It was always the broken hand we learned to lean on after all

2007-11-22T18:04:00.000-08:00

I hope that you all woke up this morning healthy and refreshed. I hope that you had cinnamon buns, watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade and watched your mother cry when the Radio City Rockettes came on and kicked their legs. I hope that you got food all over your clothes when you helped your mother with the stuffing at the last minute. I hope that you were impatiently eating appetizers until the last of your family arrived and you could break out the feast. I hope that all you could do was smile when you had filled your stomach to the brim and you had marker all over your hands from the hand turkey you drew on the tablecloth of gratitude. I hope that you are with the people you love, you are listening to your mother scream at the video games on the television, and you are completely content with how your day [and year-for the most part] has gone so far. I hope that you are getting ready for Christmas and thiking about what wonderful presents you're going to get everyone. I hope that you realize that even though your life is hectic, stressful and makes you want to scream sometimes, it will get better soon.

All of this is me. I hope it's you, too.

I smile more when I belong

2007-11-05T08:39:00.000-08:00

Pomegranates are in season,
my fingers are stained,
and I am a happy girl!

I've been writing letters and reading pleasant things.
I should be doing homework,
but you would do the same if you knew how charming the weather was! This is weather in which great things should occur.

Now I am living.

Let a new man have your old heart

2007-10-22T09:39:00.000-07:00

These past few weeks have not been my favourite, though they have had their moments. Alison's birthday was Saturday, I took off of work and she didn't. [hah, any excuse is a good excuse, eh?] Later on, I traveled to my cousin's house and we watched awful horror movies

The movies were awful, but it was nice.

I awoke on Sunday morning, and running on very few hours of sleep, decided to pick up Chris and venture to St. Pete for Erroll's grandfather's wake. Chris and I were just the friends. We were there to tell funeral-inappropriate jokes when we saw him getting emotional. We helped greet. We helped mourn. We helped him blast good charlotte and sing like an idiot, and drink Starbucks coffee and laugh.

I've been listening to Azure Ray.
I need you to save me, too.

I've got new feet

2007-10-10T17:04:00.000-07:00

New Hobby: going to Cassidy's sotball games with Alison, bringing folding chairs and pretending to be overbearing, pushy, competitive parents who always hate whatever the umpire says. Gorging yourself at the concession stand is so in this fall.

Will you come and fetch me?

2007-10-06T06:20:00.000-07:00

Mushrooms are all around, guys! Try to capture a picture of them before landscapers kick them over! I dare you!

I excel at being cynical. Anyone who knows me knows I am not cut out for retail work.

t. To make my job more enjoyable, sometimes, (desperate times call for desperate measures) I look too see if the customers who are really bothering me (high percentage) have a wedding ring on; or maybe, when they open their wallet to slowly count change and rearrange their pockets for three hours, holding up the line- if they have a picture of themselves smiling with their children or their significant others. It makes me feel less animosity towards them knowing that someone can put up with them. Loves them, even! Someone loves them for every vulgar and discourteous word that comes out of their mouths, and it fills my heart with joy knowing that I don't have to be that person.

Hey world, here I am!

2007-10-04T21:14:00.000-07:00

My sister Kimberley has been urging me to create one of these for quite sometime now, probably for the endearing comments she knows she'll get from me because of how much I admire the things her mind creates. (oh, but i do admire them!) Nevertheless, I do what she says, so here I am. I thought I would begin with a picture I took semi-(not very)-recently of a lizard we found in her garage. It seemed an appropriate beginning to my blog life. I'll try to keep this interesting, guys.