our house

Herbs Revisited

Anxiously awaiting the end of the semester ... When summer comes it will bring with it baseball games and dinner in the garden.

In hopes of fooling mother nature I planted Thyme, Lemon Thyme, Chives, Sage and Lavender (& not pictured - Kale, Cilantro, Dill & Swiss Chard).

It's supposed to snow tomorrow. "80 today, snow tomorrow. Stay tuned for the details at 8:00!" [It's crap like that on the news that makes me hate local news, because they say it with such enthusiasm and glee, makes you want to throw your coffee at them, except for then you wouldn't have coffee and they would still be sitting there with their crazed smiles. I call one of our local news persons Beaker (like from the Muppets) he is my least favorite, not the Muppet, but the news man. And yes, the news man does look like Beaker. Great look for a Muppet - bad look for anything non-Muppet. Local news people always just say the cheesiest, lamest, make-you-want-to-vomit nonsense. "Grab your shades!" Another of their horrible sayings. "It's sunny out there - grab your shades!" We have something like 350 days of sunshine here, why would I not always be grabbing my shades? Yes, I am also grumpy in the morning and this may have something to do with my less than amiable feelings towards local news. And yes I realize that I don't have to turn it on. But then how would I know to grab my shades?]

...Back to the garden.

Sean's all about the "from seed" way of growing things. I gave it a whirl. It was just dandy - and now I'm done with it. Mostly because our spring is too cold and snowy and the summers are too short, and too hot. Once my stuff was coming up, it was dying. This year I'm all about the instant herb. I could feasibly plant and harvest all in one day. Mind you, not probably the most advisable way to go about it, but I could, which is the point. I should probably mention that I did spend a good 15 minutes covering all of my new "babies" with plastic bags so as to keep them out of the frost-snow-sleet-rain-frozen-ness that is supposed to fall from the sky tomorrow. [According to the lady who wears a lot of hairspray.]

While I was planting my new herbs, Sean just read books about seeds, and how to do... I don't know what to your seeds - sing them songs, and maybe they talk pretty one day. Clearly, this all says a lot about who I am and who he is. Sarcastic vs. patient. Yup, pretty much sums it up.

Daytime TV Beware!

Inside my head, you might hear this phrase on a continuous mind numbing loop, "I can't study like this. There. No. I can't study like this. There. No. I can't study like this!". 

As mentioned before I've got serious skills in the area of procrastination. When I was younger, I hadn't quite honed said skills. Now that I'm above the fray, I would never do something so trivial as watching the tele to avoid homework. It's taken 24 years, but ho, watch out Sally Jessy Raphael! 

The process now looks a bit like this:

1) Collect all books, notes, papers, pens, markers and note cards from the various suspiciously mystifying places they've ended up. Who put my Microbiology notebook under the dining room table, beneath this blanket?????? Oh. Me. 

2) Sit down.

3) Collect myself, take a deep breath. 

4) Open book.

5) Read one sentence.

6) Ooh. I need a drink of water.

7) Sit down, with water. Start again.

8) Ooh. My hair is in my face. I should put it up.

9) Sit down, with water, hair up. Start again. 

10) Ooh. Those baseboards are really dirty. Gross.

11) Clean baseboards. Aaaah. So much better.

12) Water. Hair up. Clean baseboards. Start again.

13) Ooh. I should probably vacuum today. 

14) Water. Hair up. Clean baseboards. Vacuumed house. Start again.

15) Ooh. Too much water. I need to go to the bathroom. Hey! This bathroom is gross... It needs to be cleaned.

16) Water, Hair, Baseboards, Vacuum, Visit & Clean bathroom. Start again.

17) Whew. Man, I'm kinda hungry.

18) Make lunch.... notice the dishes that need to be done... 

19) Water, Hair, Baseboards, Vacuum, Bathroom, Dishes. Start again.

20) Look at clock. Man, I've been doing homework for HOURS. I need a break. Probably best to just finish this up tomorrow.

House - so clean during the semester... 

your mother does not work here... to the extreme.

It has been some time since I've witnessed, or noticed something hilariously ridiculous at my "college of choice". I mean I notice many an outlandish and bizarre occurrence there on a daily basis, however - this one, was clearly a golden opportunity. 

I went into the "study lounge" which I had yet to frequent in my three years of attendance. It was alright, didn't smell too bad, was quiet (as the many signs insured me that it would be) and as I was walking towards an unoccupied cubicle, I noticed a sign on the wall. This is what it said word for word. Seriously, I could not have made this up.

"Please pick up any food and trash when you leave. We are trying to decrease the insect and rodent issues in the campus center."  

Ooook. I was not aware that there was an insect and rodent issue - but now this "clean up after yourself" sign has made me PAINFULLY aware that there is.

Add another one to the "Cons" side of the list for this place of higher education...

uh oh ... ten little fingers & ten little toes

due date: 10 December 2008

we are quite excited and anxiously awaiting the new addition to our family. 

addition via my brother & his wife - that's right "Joojie" & "Naan" will be an aunt and uncle again! 

my vague, vague life...

I did not get in.

I might go to Metro.

It is clear that I am not in charge of my life or my existence - and I am thankful for that. [Because clearly I do not know what I'm doing. Sometimes it's like a lab experiment that gas gone awry - the kind where you give a sideways glance at your lab partner and you both make the "oh crap" look ... and then start to try and control the laughter.]

I am tired in my soul.

Clarity is slow at coming in my life...

Sometimes I wonder if Murphy is stalking me.

magic markers

although time consuming, I decided to make my own wrapping paper for a birthday gift I'm sending out ... needed to do something creative in the midst of all of this rote memorization. the design I can't claim, it's a copy from one of my favorite mugs. I just like it a lot. 

dreams

I had a friend in high school who would become genuinely angry with you about things that your dream self had done.  

Conversations would proceed as follows:

You: Morning K.

K: No. I'm angry with you.

You: What? What did I do...?

K: It was your dream self.

You: What?!?

K: Your dream self. I'm not talking to you.

Clearly there is no way to argue yourself out of that one. You simply had to let it pass. It really isn't wise or advisable to argue with the crazy in people. 

Last night I dreamt that I was sitting in an old, eclectic, warm house, bursting with friends. Classically milling about after what must have been a magical dinner. Some were drinking, some were still picking at dessert, some lying down on a couch or slouched into an overstuffed chair. I was still at the table talking and laughing with my friend Shalene and .... Adrian Brody. 

This morning I woke, increasingly jealous of my dream self. 

...and we bought one of these this weekend

it's an exciting book

I will spend the rest of this evening and probably a fair portion of the early morning (do to my complete lack of time management skills) studying the respiratory system. the above photograph is of tracheal epithelium showing both ciliated cells and nonciliated goblet cells. so pretty. however, let's be positive, glass half-full type of people. it's not that I lack time management skills, it's just that my time wasting skills are highly developed. h-i-g-h-l-y developed.

on a completely different note, because although I know that you were riveted by the above topic, one must move on, least we find ourselves stuck tumbling down a rabbit hole of looping conversation about epithelium - which, is more easily done that one might imagine. I spent the better part of my time wasting skills researching a trip to upstate new york via the train. it's all very exciting. the prospect of traveling by train, and being able to spend our "lay over" time in chicago roaming the city, exploring & eating incredible pizza is strangely more alluring than being stuck in airports (and all that comes with them) for 24 hours straight. if we can pull this off well, we could be planning our most romantic "period piece" vacation ever. traveling by train to the grandparent's lake cottage, spending a day in chicago on departure and return travel, and enjoying our strange compartment room on a train sounds like a trip that will ensue an onslaught of incredible stories. not to mention that scenes of the darjeeling limited will flash through my memory continually - hopefully some quintessential sunglasses can be purchased for this trip...

dada da da do

...you're gunna want it.

jaymay has stolen my heart. especially the song gray or blue from their "new" (released this past november) album autumn fallin. maybe it's the fact that the lyrics are lovely, or perhaps that they made great use of a xylophone, a ukulele and a string bass; but it's like someone wrote incredible strolling music.

brings back a little of the feeling like life can still be romantic. two years ago, when i was walking out on the rickety old wooden dock at the lake house in upstate new york on a balmy july evening and i encountered fireflies for the first time. it was like my still small voice said, "oh. life is romantic. indelibly romantic".

aspirations part II

if in any way i could write this well i might not feel so awkward about having a blog. (note: not so awkward. i would still feel awkward about it.) this may be one of the truest, and most hysterical, things i have ever read. this post in particular. but she in general is hilarious - [the underwear drawer]. one of those people who makes you feel like you could have odd stalker tendencies if you lived in closer proximity. or that you might find yourself desperately trying to be a friend to a total stranger, because they are that cool.

also she gives me hope that sean and i can survive whatever may come in this crazy journey that we've embarked upon. these next...this next decade of our lives is THE scariest thing i've ever decided to take on with someone. but it is a huge consolation that i feel that somehow i won't have to lose myself in the process. that the madness within which gives me the ability to laugh at myself and at life, freak out inside while upholding some illusion of normalcy to the passing public and create honest, albeit sarcastic, narration to my life will be of some help in this, the craziest of things i've ever done.

homework

this weekend...awww nope, monday morning 1245am.

last weekend i spent my time drawing...try not to be too jealous.

friday afternoon boulder

yesterday sean and i spent some time at pekoe. just sitting in the outside cafe with kenna, drinking iced chai and an americano. kenna said she was fine and didn't want anything. we enjoyed the little bit of sunshine, got some studying done and then needed to move on. we strolled over to north boulder park and let kenna chase after pieces of sticks that we could find. once we had sufficiently worn out the dog, we walked back over to ideal market/whole foods and bought some soup & pasta salads for dinner, sat down at the tables outside and enjoyed our meal. soon after sean headed to work for the night. but it was a sweet afternoon.

aspirations

the burrow. i think that's what i want our home to be. if i can achieve that in life, i will feel good about who i have become. unpretentious, honest, welcoming, full of laughter, full of food, full of family, full of friends...

today's special

for sure this photo is phenomenal. you can follow my cousin's journey via their website Riding the Spine. this photo is from their latest set in costa rica, just a little "biking hammock colony" i believe is what Jacob called it.

the iPod muddle [like those mint leaves]

rodrigo y gabriela, what was i doing with my life before i started listening to this stuff? jack, you had me from the first line of the first song and you've delivered again. amy winehouse with that crazy jazzy funk is infections. shins, there are no words. spoon, you motivate me like none other. BNL *sigh*, your like home...memories, fondness, fun, honest. modest mouse - yes puh-lease.

the reward

well this saturday night had hopes to be incredible. it has really taken a nose dive quickly... we were going to go out to dinner [corridor 44] and have a date night, and then drop by deanna's european farewell party, and then stop by the bars and wish my friend terri a very happy 24th birthday. see, it would have been a noteworthy evening my friends.

alas, sean ended up having to work tonight... & because i truly, truly cannot get my act together since getting back from cumberland island i have realized that i have 2 chapters of anatomy & physiology to read, 4 chapters of microbiology to read, 2 online assessments and a substantial, seriously extensive map of the human body to label [just the cardiac and circulatory systems however], as well as 2 exam outlines to begin/finish, OH and a ridiculously hard 6 question homework handout...one of those takes you 2 hours to answer one question, and even after that you're holding your breath and making the confused face hoping that what you wrote might in some strange way resemble something close to an answer.

so tonight i am doing none of the aforementioned charming activities. i am buckling down and finishing most of the "should have dones" that i should-have-done earlier in the week. on the other hand, as my husband was leaving for work tonight he said, "get all your work done so that tomorrow night we can celebrate and drink martinis and watch the oscars!". aaahh, i do love that man.

now about the little matter of me not being able to get my act together since returning from the island. let me tell you why that is. chiefly, every morning i would wake up at 700am and throw a sweater on over my pajamas, stuff my feet into my boots, walk down stairs using the secret stairwell that goes straight to the kitchen [with only a brief option of a stop off @ the bar], fill two to go cups with fresh steaming coffee, walk back up the stairs [this time stopping and grabbing two bottles of orange juice from the bar fridge], climb back in bed with sean where we would sit and watch the sunrise while drinking our coffee & oj. then we'd get ourselves dressed for the day and head downstairs for some breakfast. while eating breakfast someone would come in, tidy up our room, change our sheets, make our bed and pick up our wet towels. after breakfast it was off to adventure, but first we would stop by the kitchen and pick up our picnic lunches that had been made for us... absurdly incredible picnic lunches. then it was off to ride bikes around the island, hang out at the beach, visit the marshes, take naps on the bed swings on the porch, visit with the family, explore the ruins, scout out armadillos, wild horses & wild turkeys. upon returning from a day of adventuring you could head down to the dining room and pick up a bowl of staggeringly good soup and some sweet tea. then all you had to worry about for the rest of the evening was showering and dressing up for happy hour & dinner. did i mention that you didn't even have to pick up your own dishes. finished with that cup of coffee??, just leave it on the table, or the porch, or wherever you happen to be, someone will be along to get it....there actually was no where to take your dirty dishes even if you wanted to.
all in all it was truly, absurdly relaxing & wonderfully fun. however facing reality has been, well more than just an adjustment.

Cumberland Island

it's been difficult to come back to real life...

ugly day

... and it wasn't even my attitude that was ugly this time.

so sometimes, you wake up, shower, get dressed, eat, leave for class and realize about 5 seconds into the class that you quite completely, honestly and truly hate what you've decided to put on that day. not in like a "this just isn't my favorite outfit" kind of way, but it's more a "oh dear good god, what on earth ever possessed me to purchase these hideous pieces of cotton???!?" i am getting my hair cut tomorrow, so today of course i hated it more than i usually do. AND THEN to top it all off, i was all bundled up because the news people said it was going to snow....not only did it now snow... I HAD TO TURN ON THE AIR CONDITIONING.
if you're wondering if sweating profusely, on top of hating your hair & completely loathing your choice of "non-fashion", makes you feel better about yourself ... it doesn't. now you just smell. (and the afore mentioned hideous shirt might just have also been heather gray, so it's clear to the world that you've overdressed & are now paying the price.)

i went shopping after class today.

the only thing to dread now is the fact that at some point in the near future i'm sure to be sitting somewhere wearing the exact clothes that i so desperately love and bought today thinking, "oh dear good god, what on earth ever possessed me to purchase these hideous pieces of cotton???!?" and the cycle shall repeat.