Stuff!

-I just got back from visiting Kathleen and Noah in Oregon! It was glorious -- pics soon.

-I got hives while I was there. I have no idea what from. They appear to be gone now, although my wrist is still kind of sensitive and itchy.

-I just finished reading Peace Like a River, by Leif Enger. It's amazing! Beautifully written, but down to earth and engaging. Review soon... maybe? (Probably not; let's be real here.)

-Freelance illustration project going well -- I have to buckle down and get things done in the next month or so. Then in early July I take the MI Basic Skills Test which will allow me to go to Teacher Skool liek a big gurl. So I have my work cut out for me for a while.

-Festival's this weekend! I'm going with Jeffiner! Annual elephant ear, nimbu pani, & misc meat on a stick with a side of sunburn and heatstroke, here I come!

Things I like, part deux

-Fall. I love fall. Some of the trees around here right now look too bright to be real; it makes me wish I were living in the country again.

-Spiced cider. Nom.

-My avocado green walls. Also, the independence having my own place affords. My dad would never go for avocado green accent walls.

-Blankets straight out of the dryer. I realize this is a go-to "happy list" entry, but....

-Orange peach mango juice.

-Christians who aren't crazy.

-Gracie when she's not peeing on my couch. Unfortunately this has been happening a lot lately, but it does bring us back to "blankets straight out of the dryer," so until I get a nice couch, she's getting away with it.

-Shakespeare.

-Women playing kickass Shakespearean dudes. Like this!! Look, guys!!:

Oh, and chipmunks.

Most people, when they consider dying and going to heaven, look forward to things like: seeing and holding deceased loved ones. Meeting God. Getting answers to longstanding difficult questions. Learning the harp. No more pain.

I, too, look forward to seeing my grandma again and mastering a new stringed instrument, but I also have humbler ambitions.

I am convinced that in heaven I will without reprocussion be able to cuddle the following:

-Wild bunnies
-Tigers, snow leopards, lions (and other big cats)
-Bears
-Small birds
-Red squirrels
-Sharks (maybe.)

Also, remember when you were little and first found out to your great horror and disillusionment that clouds aren't the cottony trampolines and havens of relaxation they appear to be -- that in fact they're much bigger, colder, wetter, insubstantial, and incapable of supporting life than your traitorous eyes had lead you to believe?

It's totally not going to be true. You're all invited to my first sledding/trampoline/napping party when we get there -- I'm putting that out there now.

Weekends are when I get to pretend I have a life

This weekend, I...

-Planted the last of the flowers I bought for my balcony.

-Bought pants that fit (YAY).

-Spent several hours pleasure-reading.

-Explained to a middle-aged woman who Badfinger is.

-Got coffee with my mom and had a heart-to-heart.

-Pulled ahead from 100 points behind and in last place to hand several people their asses at Dutch Blitz.

-Watched the best movie ever. (No, really.) (PS: 10 points and my eternal love to whoever can figure out who currently owns the rights, so I can start a letter writing campaign to get it out on dvd).

-Ate ice cream twice.

Not at all bad. Two years ago I just watered my unplanted flat of impatiens all summer, and last year I didn't even try. Improvement! Also, I'd almost forgotten how really, really nice it is having pants that fit. Comfy clothing FTW.

I had a frustrating day

...so I'm going to vent.

Pet peeves: updated extended edition

1) Music snobs. Whether they're concentrating on the most obscure current band known to man or some edgy 70s rock band, they know that it belongs to the Greatest Genre in Existance, and if you don't acknowledge it, you just have bad taste. Music snob, there's no real excuse for having this attitude unless you're into classical.

2) Font snobs. Font snobs, nobody cares but you. Your disdain for the uncle who still uses Comic Sans in all his emails or for the fact that your company used Papyrus in yet another flyer should not be considered fodder for a self-righteous status update. Keep it to yourself or set up a support group where you can discuss your aesthetic indignation with other Font snobs.

3) Men/boys who can't let it go or give you space. No, Exboyfriend, I don't want to be facebook friends with you again, and I don't want to "give this another try," whatever the hell your definition of "this" is. I want to pretend you don't exist. No, older male friend who I like but who seems to appreciate me a little more than makes me comfortable, I don't want to have lunch with you a week after I had lunch with you the last time, especially when you wish me Happy Valentines day in the same breath as your lunch invitation.

4) High maintenance, passive aggressive, combative, patronizing, and/or abnormally self-centered people. And when any of these qualities are embodied by someone you have to deal with through work, especially an author or customer, it's just that much worse.

5) Political conversation-dive-bombers. "Hey! I got $400 extra back on my tax retur--" "OBAMA IS THE DEVIL WHO IS TAKING ALL OUR HARD-EARNED MONEY AND GIVING IT TO LAZY PEOPLE WHO DON'T DESERVE IT AND BY THE WAY HE EATS BABIES." The facebook version of this is particularly heinous (I think fewer people have the guts or are rude enough to do it in person).

6) Getting teased for my taste in music being too "low-brow" or my taste in movies being too "high-brow." I like Ke$ha's Tik Tok and my favorite movie is The Mission. It's how I'm built. If you bring this up in a remotely patronizing tone, I will shoot daggers at you with my eyes. I can think of three people (out of my five to six readers... hm, risky post) who might think I'm talking about them, but I'm not actually mad at any of you over this.

7) Excessively negative people. ...Which means I should probably bring this bitchfest to a close before I become a hypocrite. :)

I don't know whether it was the venting or the way too much ice cream, but I do feel better. Just enough time to shower and get started on a project before bed. Mmm, not being at work is the best.

Things I like

The vocal stylings of Alexi Murdoch.
Fun, stupid movies.
Gracie coming over to me on the couch and without provocation attacking my sweatshirt string.
My Star Trek screensaver.
Low lighting.
The soundtrack to Ghost.
Feeling accomplished.
Holidays on the horizon.
This goat.
Did I mention Alexi Murdoch?
A basket full of knitting materials and a recently finished scarf.
Rearranged, visually appealing bookshelves.
Alexi Murdoch.

All this on the same night? Yes please!