New Haircut!

Super Disco Breakin

So things are super crazy, etc etc, but here is one good thing: yesterday I went to the gym, and then I had dinner and watched Gossip Girl with Sireesha (which featured Lilly flashbacks and totally 80s dance parties), and then we met Emily at Trudy's, and Emily and I both had delicious mexican martinis, which are far more ridiculous than I initially thought! You pay $5 and get this huge shaker full of martini. It was magic. We had a really good time, with girl talking and nonsense and at points I was just sitting there smiling. It made me really, really happy. And the music was fantastic, it was like New Order and totally 80s awesomeness. Then April joined us! Even better. And we went to Yogurt Spot, which is magical. Other things are not so great but I am going to try some tricks of magical positive thinking and see what happens.

I am trying to make myself go to work today? And get some shit done? It's tricky, because I know that just focusing on the present and enjoyment and not thinking about things will keep me happy, but there is shit I need to think about and deal with so I can get stuff done. The trick is balance, I think? Maybe making lists, and making sure to check them every day? I don't know. I have to go talk to someone about my future, and Get Some Shit Done today. Yes.

Also in recent news: college graduation?!?!? More on that later.

Wake up darlings

Hello pretties! So, not much time for words today. Changes have happened, but that is besides the point right now, because today was alright! Things are weirdly ok. I have beautiful lillies in my room right now, they are so lovely and smell so good. Today I did not really so much as sleep last night, I sort of layed about and was not really satisfied with sleeping, I spent a long time doing this. Then I got up at 5am, I'm sure, and did things. I'm not sure what. I napped at 7 or 8 for an hour. Broken up hour, though. Then I tried pretty hard to Get Stuff Done. It worked out okay. I went to class. I was sweaty, and felt like a blank. I guess being blank isn't all that bad, it's just the work to figure out what goes there. I am not even making so much as sense! I'm okay with that. I had girl time, did a crossword, I went home, felt sort of empty and blah, and THEN! Went to Quack's with Emily and Sireesha, had a tasty carrot cake cupcake with cream cheese icing, hibiscus lemonade, kind of got a sore throat, went to the MALL (!), was okay, ate SUSHI (!!), and it was great. Now I am earnestly trying to get into that pandora radio action, and I have Sireesha's hibiscus lemonade, and I'm going to shower, and sort myself out, then study/bed. Bed is such a luscious concept, it rarely lives up to my expectations. Sometimes it does. It depends on the situation/context/company. Yeah. I said it. ANYWAY.

Hooray I have so much work to do in the next few days! I have a test tomorrow, an oral interview tomorrow, a telescope viewing thing to do, then Thursday I have a test, reading summaries due, a quiz, compiled and corrected work due, and work. Friday I have a video due. And I have to turn in forms, make appointments, deal with Other Shit. I just want to have shenanigans.

OK TIME FOR SHOWER TIME. Kisses!

Your values is a disarray, prioritizing horribly!

Man. So. Sometimes, I think a ton of words, and those words end up on paper (or, you know, the internet). And sometimes, recently, for far too long, I think words and I don't even think about putting them anywhere. They just are in my head and then do nothing but sit around. I am in some kind of rut, I think? I forgot Claire had a blog, and then I forgot where it was, and then I forgot what my own blog password or username even was, I mean, dang. What the heck, me. Things are whack right now, but also kind of alright, in a totally disarrayed, bound for mayhem kind of way. I need to start moving more. Being alive and doing and go go go. I have a lot of schoolwork. I have words to say about things, but now is not the time. Now I am going to go drink some milk and eat some cookies maybe (perhaps an ill advised decision considering how I totally had several chocolate+fruit smoothies today but whatever). I am going to read, maybe, or do a crossword, maybe. I have work tomorrow, which is really difficult given my constant urge to jump up, yell, "SUCK IT, WORK!!!!", knock over the computer in front of me, and run out of the room pushing things over and scattering papers as I go. I guess I will 'tough it out'.

Also???? Did I mention that crosswords are totally on, like, the fast track to being in the neighborhood of becoming MY BITCH?!?!? It is true.

Ok. Enough of this silliness for now. Goodnight! Kisses!

Horsing Around

Hey hey hey!!! I cannot write much at all right now because we are soon departing to Michigan for my new Japanese Aunt's baby shower! Asian babies!!!! I am so excited.

Recently, I had a bonfire in my yard:


...and we also had a Christmas party! On the 25th of JULY! We're so clever.

(note the festive atmosphere)

But! I just got back from Seattle (again...) yesterday, and it was super awesome. I spent most of my time just hanging around Harper's apartment while he was at work, and then we just did domestic stuff like eating at restaurants, going to the gym, and playing guitar hero. It was great. We went to a waterfall! So, maybe I'll write more later, but in the meantime here are some photos.

Oh, and also? IT'S ALMOST MY BIRTHDAY!!! I'm going to be 21! So excited to finally be able to order wine at restaurants. Ok, pictures!

Oh my!

Hello! How are you today? I hope you are nice and good! I hope today is sunny wherever you are! I hope you give someone a high five today. I am fine and dandy, I suppose. I have been jogging, and doing all sorts of exercises recently. It feels pretty good to be moving, and to have everything feeling moderately strong and nice. Things are going alright, I have an apartment (I think...) for the fall, I think I may be getting a car (I don't expect much, but at least one that runs), and I'm looking for a job. Filed under pretty crappy things is the fact that airfare is so ridiculous lately, and that I have to pay for bringing checked bags with me (what is this, Europe?). Also, insert complaint about the shitty nature of FAFSAs/money/loans/etc here. But! It is sunny out! Today I might go to the state fair and eat a funnel cake! And on Sunday I'm going back to Seattle to see Harper!

I guess last time I wrote, I hadn't gone to Seattle the first time yet. Well! It turned out to be quite the trip! Harper was flying out a few days before me, and was coincidentally flying through Chicago. He ran into bad weather, and suddenly next thing I know, he magically switches his Chicago-Seattle flight to be on the same one as me, gets a rental car, and is driving to my house!!! He got in super late, but in enough time for us to hang with Dan and Claire and eat some tasty Steak n' Shake. The next day we ate french toast on my deck, sat in the sun, and then headed for Chicago. And the morning after that we flew to Seattle!

The trip was more hectic than I would've liked, since he had to furnish his apartment and all sorts of nonsense like that. But it was okay, I saw the space needle, we went on a 2 hour boat cruise around all the water around Seattle, and generally had a good time. We spent way too long at Ikea, ate loads of tasty food, and saw the best fireworks of my life on some harbour. It was pretty sweet.





Since I got back, I've gone to a Bastille Day party, seen some awesome movies (Mamma Mia! And the new Batman!!), and had some generally good times. I didn't intend to go back to Seattle this summer, but Harper asked, so I'm going! I'm excited. He'll be working pretty much all day, so it'll be slightly boring, but oh well.

Okay that is enough updates for now!

Shining like a national guitar

EDIT: This is from, like, last month, okay? I do love all of you, I just have been busy lately, so I haven't had time to update. But I will! Very soon!

Hey hey hey!!! I'm back, as in back in Illinois, land of green fields, late night shenanigans, and catching fireflies in the backyard. I got back a week ago yesterday, and have accomplished not that much, although I got some important things done. I got a haircut! I've also discovered the magic that is playing Wii fit, and how satisfying it is to hula hoop for 6 minutes. I'm leaving in 3 days to go up to Seattle to see my fantastic boyfriend, who I miss very, very much. I'm actually doing an all-night travel extravaganza to get there...a 2:30am LEX bus to Chicago, then a 7:30am flight, arriving in Seattle at 9:40am. I'm so excited! For serious. And I get to help him pick out a new car, maybe! And go to Ikea!!

So, all that is exciting, but I do miss London, and my life there. I really really miss it, actually. I loved living at Waterloo, being able to just hop on the train whenever or just walk to wherever I wanted, everything being within reasonable walking distance. I miss ice cream from ice cream trucks. I miss parks, English-style. I even miss the weather, because having so many days of typical rainy 'English weather' just made it all the more special when the other kind of English weather, sunny and beautiful, came along. It was an amazing experience, and despite the huge price, it was so worth it. I've decided to make a list of things that I learned/gained/appreciated....because I'm cool like that. So!

1) I learned how to get over it and just buy a 6 dollar sandwich every now and then.
2) The importance of ALWAYS getting an ice cream, ALWAYS with a flake added.
3) How nice it is to find a restaurant and make it your regular place.
4) Dressing up, going to dinner, having wine.
5) Student nights at clubs, with crazy pregaming beforehand.
6) The value of deciding to walk home from a club instead of taking the bus.
7) That I can stay up for several days, surviving on redbull and very little sleep, and still turn in a decent paper.
8) How to share everything.
9) How to pack whatever I need for 40 days into a 50 liter backpack.
10) That I may not want what I always thought I wanted in life.
11) That I cannot drink as much as I used to.
12) How to navigate around a completely new city and find cheap food/transportation/lodging/alcohol in the first few hours I'm there.

Right, that's all for now, but more to come later, I promise!